I often..

[Calla]

...wonder if having some sort of definite faith would be helpful to me. But that is surely the wrong reason to search for it. It should be an inbuilt thing not a search for help. I believe there is a higher power for sure but just not completely convinced about what it is.

[Symora]

What I like about both having Faith and having found a faith that I can believe in, is that it offers me a structure, in french we say an <encadrement>. It stops me from going in directions of vain imaginings, and the Word is very powerful on the soul. There is really lots of power and solace to be had in Faith.

My grandmother was a great role model of this for me. She lived to be 100 and never vascilated once in her Faith. On the contrary she recognized it as a source of strength and 1 hour of daily prayer that included gratitude, hope, forgiveness, contemplation, reflexion, all kept her mind clean and clear right up to the end in my opinion. She had a very tough life... great poverty, loss of all her family with time, terrible problems with her children, but her faith was constant and she considered that it was the basis for her strength to overcome difficulties with optimism and courage.

I think Faith is a wonderful tool for good mental health... plus if you have a faith community that you feel good being in, it can curb loneliness and ad to feelings of belonging.

[Calla]

Wow that takes some commitment though. Giving an hour of daily prayer. I am supposed to spend 10mins a day lying on a book (for my shoulder problems) and I find it difficult to commit.

Do you think you can have a sense of believing in something without having to do the traditional things. I mean I can't imagine ever going to a church. Although I understand the communtiy aspect. But I have always felt a belief in "something" just not sure what exactly. But maybe if I could expand on that it would lead to helping myself as well as expanding my mind. I feel like a higher power of nature so maybe it's not the normal spiritual thing.

[Symora]

There are so many faiths out there, so many ways of finding the Divine. Have you already investigated different options? I investigated for years and years, and found something valid in all faiths, and then I found a faith that resonated in all aspects for me and it transformed me inside.

I too have trouble with discipline, that's probably my worst fault, or handicap if you were. That moodiness thing again, all depends what kind of day I'm having. But I have gone years where I was very regular with prayer and meditation and it was very helpful in keeping me more stable. I'm actually working on more consistent practice of those lately because I know how much of a difference they make...

[Guest GingerSnap]

It is most definitely possible to have, well, more of a spirituality than a "faith" without all the "social" aspects. I think in what you said that you feel it - that something is there, a power greater than you that maybe is surrounding you? These are my opinions and I am so grounded in them that I don't debate them because for me, this is it. That feeling of a greater power especially as you experience it in the beauty and wonder of nature is the presence of God. I follow the Golden Rule which 8 of the major religions have the old "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.". I am not Christian although I use the Old Testament as a guide line especially the Ten Commandments. When I was doing my "searching" after being brought up in a Christian home, I came across some reading material on Buddha and it has many beautiful elements and teachings and my take was that Buddha was a prophet of God, that he listened and felt his messages through God. You should do a search and read a little on his teachings to get a feel for that. I feel the presence of God; I never feel alone which has helped me face some really tough situations through my 55 years of life and I don't fear getting older or death - it is a part of the beauty of nature. Yeah, this isn't so popular with a lot of people:( so I just keep a low profile unless they try pushing some sort of organized "religion" - it is a personal thing when it is right and you will know because you will have a "peace".