Epiphanies and laundry lists
Apr. 3rd, 2011 12:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
averygoodun42I had two epiphanies yesterday. Kind of along the "well duh" range of epiphanies, but I thought I'd share anyway.
First was hearing someone say, "I am not my body," and then going on to explain that the body is just the place we live.
Now, everyone on the face of the planet has probably heard the phrase, "Your body is your temple" or variations thereof, but this was the first time I really got it. My body is my temple. It is my home. It is the place that houses and protects me. But it is just a... house. It is there to help me weather emotions, and my mind is there to interpret everything within and without. I, however, am not any of those three. I am spirit (or soul, if you wish). I am a sliver of God (as is everyone else), housed in flesh. I may be influenced by the other three, but I am solely spirit.
So the body is a temple. It is God's house as much, if not more than, any church or temple we build with the earth.
The second epiphany came on the heels of that one and explained to me why I am so uncomfortable with atheism. Agnosticism I understand. We're all agnostics, really, as none of us have definitive proof of the existence of God(s) beyond our own belief or heart. I am a believer, but I don't know.
But atheists and the concept of atheism are problematic to me because they are refuting the existence of spirit, soul and mystery. Their view is more or less that the mind is who we are and all we are, give or take a few hormones and the emotional/psychological reactions we have to them. This life is a given, and it is all there is.
In my experience, that's rather egotistical. And... sad. Yes, there is a rational explanation for most of what we experience, even if we haven't found the explanation yet through science. But there is more to life than rational explanations (and emotion). There is always the question of Why. Ignoring that question seems so limiting to my mind.
But that's my limited view. I truly don't understand because I do believe in more. Having been the recipient of various forms of grace, it's hard for me to grasp the concept of not believing there is more.
Anyway, enough with the philosophy.
To do and done dids:
yoga
shower
finish laundry
divvy up chores
clean Page's room
grocery shopping (eggs, bananas...)
watch "How to Train Your Dragon" with the boys
make dinner
I'm almost halfway through a debugging cleanse (tomorrow is day 15). I'm looking forward to it being over and reintroducing fruit to my diet. And finishing with the detoxing. I'd rather not continue being a moody mother. However, I think it has been helpful. My irises are clearer and I can do my yoga, whereas before the mere thought of exercising was enough to exhaust me. I am hopeful that by the end of the month (or beginning of the next) I will be strong enough to join a yoga class without it being too stressful and/or embarrassing.
I need to get out there and actively pursue the interest there's been in my artwork. One friend was interested in having me do a mural, and I think I've decided $30 sq. ft. is fair pricing. Maybe less for smaller spaces, which aren't as physically demanding. I also need to paint that commission for another friend. Now that algebra and test prep is done, I can concentrate of that this week. *nods* I also had a bit of inspiration on how to finish a watercolor on canvas that's been hanging around looking unfinished for ages. And I also need to break out the oils and finish my hearts and flowers piece.
And I need to find out if anyone bid on my church auction donation. I put in an offer of banners for our white church walls. The design would be a co-creation with the winning bidder and me (with final approval from the property committee). I'm hoping the winner wants something abstract and complex, not just smiling suns against a purdy blue sky or the like.
Hum. Lots to do, it seems. But I suppose that's a good thing, as I'm tired of being bored.
First was hearing someone say, "I am not my body," and then going on to explain that the body is just the place we live.
Now, everyone on the face of the planet has probably heard the phrase, "Your body is your temple" or variations thereof, but this was the first time I really got it. My body is my temple. It is my home. It is the place that houses and protects me. But it is just a... house. It is there to help me weather emotions, and my mind is there to interpret everything within and without. I, however, am not any of those three. I am spirit (or soul, if you wish). I am a sliver of God (as is everyone else), housed in flesh. I may be influenced by the other three, but I am solely spirit.
So the body is a temple. It is God's house as much, if not more than, any church or temple we build with the earth.
The second epiphany came on the heels of that one and explained to me why I am so uncomfortable with atheism. Agnosticism I understand. We're all agnostics, really, as none of us have definitive proof of the existence of God(s) beyond our own belief or heart. I am a believer, but I don't know.
But atheists and the concept of atheism are problematic to me because they are refuting the existence of spirit, soul and mystery. Their view is more or less that the mind is who we are and all we are, give or take a few hormones and the emotional/psychological reactions we have to them. This life is a given, and it is all there is.
In my experience, that's rather egotistical. And... sad. Yes, there is a rational explanation for most of what we experience, even if we haven't found the explanation yet through science. But there is more to life than rational explanations (and emotion). There is always the question of Why. Ignoring that question seems so limiting to my mind.
But that's my limited view. I truly don't understand because I do believe in more. Having been the recipient of various forms of grace, it's hard for me to grasp the concept of not believing there is more.
Anyway, enough with the philosophy.
To do and done dids:
shower
finish laundry
divvy up chores
clean Page's room
grocery shopping (eggs, bananas...)
watch "How to Train Your Dragon" with the boys
make dinner
I'm almost halfway through a debugging cleanse (tomorrow is day 15). I'm looking forward to it being over and reintroducing fruit to my diet. And finishing with the detoxing. I'd rather not continue being a moody mother. However, I think it has been helpful. My irises are clearer and I can do my yoga, whereas before the mere thought of exercising was enough to exhaust me. I am hopeful that by the end of the month (or beginning of the next) I will be strong enough to join a yoga class without it being too stressful and/or embarrassing.
I need to get out there and actively pursue the interest there's been in my artwork. One friend was interested in having me do a mural, and I think I've decided $30 sq. ft. is fair pricing. Maybe less for smaller spaces, which aren't as physically demanding. I also need to paint that commission for another friend. Now that algebra and test prep is done, I can concentrate of that this week. *nods* I also had a bit of inspiration on how to finish a watercolor on canvas that's been hanging around looking unfinished for ages. And I also need to break out the oils and finish my hearts and flowers piece.
And I need to find out if anyone bid on my church auction donation. I put in an offer of banners for our white church walls. The design would be a co-creation with the winning bidder and me (with final approval from the property committee). I'm hoping the winner wants something abstract and complex, not just smiling suns against a purdy blue sky or the like.
Hum. Lots to do, it seems. But I suppose that's a good thing, as I'm tired of being bored.
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no subject
Date: 2011-04-03 05:38 pm (UTC)I am an agnostic verging on atheist depending on my mood. I either don't know what to believe when it comes to there being a god or gods, or don't believe there is one. But I still believe there is a soul or something similar, and I do like to believe that there is some kind of afterlife if only because otherwise it does strike me as rather boring after you die (even if there is nothing left to be bored). And if there is an afterlife, it does strike me as fairer for those who die young, or have their lives taken from them. Not that life is fair...
I can believe that there are atheists who don't believe in anything supernatural either, but I can't believe 'all dressed up and nowhere to go' applies to all of them - as it does not to me, at least as far as I can know while still alive.
Glad you have some inspiration for the watercolour, hope it goes well.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-05 05:10 pm (UTC)I've found that I didn't mean atheists, but materialists, which is a rather more stringent branch of atheism. I got caught up in the US media's interpretation of religion, which is both a stupid and arrogant thing to do. I am heartily ashamed of myself.
~*~
Thanks! I hope to get the paints out today!
no subject
Date: 2011-04-06 12:21 pm (UTC)I don't know much about materialists or atheists in general, but I guess that's a difference between US and UK: religion doesn't really tend to be mentioned much this side of the pond, outside of comments by archbishops on issues, and reports of the problems caused by extremists, both here and abroad.