At the center of the universe is a loving heart that continues to beat
and that wants the best for every person.
Anything we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit
and emotional growth of our fellow human beings, that is our job.
Those of us who have this particular vision
must continue against all odds.
Life is for service.
                                                                                                    Fred Rogers

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

Found written on the wall in Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta

No Matter What
Never Give Up

Just suit up and show up,
and keep walking forward.

One day at a time…
One step at a time…
One breath at a time…

Doing the next right thing.

Never, never, never, never,
Never give up!

To be a Pantheist is to see, and value above all else, the undeniable connection between all things. To quote Neil deGrasse Tyson, “We are all connected. To each other biologically, to the earth chemically, and to the rest of the universe atomically.” But there is more to it than that, a pervasive life force that permeates all things. It is beyond my comprehension. That is what I choose to call God. I do not see a conflict between God and science. I believe that God IS science, that God and science are one and the same. There is still abundant mystery in science, and that is where God lives.

I believe there is only one God. But there are billions of definitions as to what exactly God is. Even within a certain religion, each person will have their own unique vision of God. I believe God is the same no matter how differing religions choose to define God. Even if someone says, “There is no such thing. God does not exist.” Does that really mean God does not exist? No. It only means that God does not exist, in their mind.

Here’s the path that led me to this understanding:

I was born, baptized, and raised Lutheran. In case you’re not familiar, Lutherans are similar to, but more conservative than Catholics, without the “bells and smells.” At a very early age, I rejected the belief in God because it just sounded so “silly.” Later on, the rejection became more sophisticated with an understanding of hypocrisy. Hence, a long period of spiritual drought.

In the early 80’s, I started to explore. I went to a Unitarian Universalist church for awhile, where a liberal attitude embraces all religions. There I aligned with Humanists and Atheists, until I saw how negative it was – nothing more than Christian bashing. And I wanted more. I was looking for something to believe IN, not AGAINST.

I still had nothing. In the early 90’s, I was studying to be a botanist, and was in awe of the physiology of trees. As a student at The Evergreen State College, I was in the Native American Studies program. We were discussing Native American spirit animals, and I wasn’t able to comprehend that belief. Someone asked me, “With your understanding of how trees function, can’t you see how a tree could have a living spirit?” In that instant, I understood it on a cellular level. I was able to make a connection I was never able to before. That early seed laid dormant for many years. Germinating, but still dormant.

When I started to read the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, (If it seems like there’s a big chunk of story missing, there is. That needs to be a separate post all to itself.) I read this sentence on page 12: “My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, ‘Why don’t you choose your own conception of God?'” I nearly exploded! You mean I can do that? Why didn’t anybody say so before! Then, when I got to the chapter, We Agnostics, the fun really began! I now officially had permission to play with the idea of God. To mold it and shape it and define it a way that made sense to me. I discovered a God of my own understanding.

I’m still working on that definition. As I learn, the definition broadens. Today, it is more important than ever. When I read about the current events in the world, it scares me to insanity. Corporate rape of the planet, and the quest for world domination. They are buying up the water-rights to the worlds water supply, for crying out loud. Literally, I’m  CRYING OUT LOUD!  Dirty money owns our government. Small towns across America are armed with heavy-duty military equipment. Racism runs rampant. The quest for oil deadens the oceans. Climate change is now. Corporate greed is killing us.

Feeling so powerless against this imminent destructive power is what prompted me to write this post. My brain scrambled, “What can I do? What CAN I do?” I can speak out, is what I can do. I can speak to a creative solution. I believe that a spiritual solution is the only thing that will save us. To know that we ARE connected. We are one. The Spiritualism that I believe in is love, tolerance, and compassion. To look at all these hurtful situations and know that what hurts one, hurts me, hurts all. To take that to the other side, what helps one, helps me, helps all. To put these ideas out there with the hope of changing some minds. And changing some actions.

I must have faith. I must have hope. And I must share that.

May 14, 2011, the day I received my MFA in Design from California College of the Arts.