"What puts a hundred thousand children in the sand?... Belief can."

A "Realist."

2009-03-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

I spoke with Rachael about her beliefs, and asked her if she felt the needs of the world could be met under one religion?...

"You as a person have the ability to make whatever life that you want. We all have a different way of thinking, of living,..and of loving.

As for things in life such as animals and plants, we can meet those needs by not being selfish and pulling together to pick up our own trash, watering our own plants, and volunteering to help out with places that need our help in meeting the needs of this world.

I wondered if Rachael believed in afterlife ...
She said,

"I will not say what I think happens after our time is over on this planet for I am a realist in a sense that I do not believe in fairy tales and I do not play make believe... But I will say this; as far as I believe, what happens after our time is done here is that our souls (our light) goes to some where much greater than any of us could ever imagine, for our minds are too small to hold the greatness of where our souls go.

You know that feeling that you get for that one person or child when you can't say why,... but for some reason or another, you feel close to them? You can't understand why, but it is a closeness that will last longer than a life time.

Strange Anachronism

2009-03-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

"I am the eldest of six girls. We were raised in a very religious household (Seventh-Day Adventist) where our parents took what the bible said literally. I was home schooled until I was 15 years old so I really got religion pounded into my head with no chance of escape to the "real" outside world.

Strange thing is, I never really believed it. I was always skeptical. I never really FELT any of what was being taught to me; I never FELT the presence of the god that my parents taught.

I was 14 years old when I stopped going to church every Saturday. My reasoning was, why go when all I did was fall asleep and disrupt the service with my snoring? Why go when I clearly wasn't present or interested? My father tried to force me and my sister to go, but we flatly refused and he soon gave up.

As I got older I started searching for myself. I moved to New York City, completely alone, and started meditating every day. I got into energy healing (Reiki) and spirituality. I read a lot of science, metaphysics and spiritual (mostly Buddhism) material. Practicing meditation, yoga and Reiki infused me with a peace I'd never felt with religion.

I now identify as atheist because I reject the notion of god. People are constantly searching for something outside of themselves to answer to, when really, they need to look within. All of the answers we seek can be found by turning inward. There is no god "out there." The god we seek is right here, living within each of us."

"Speak to us of Children...

2008-12-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

And he said:

Your children are not your children
They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love, but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward
nor tarries with yesterday .."

~Kahlil Gibran

Without experiencing something so painful, I would have never examined it so intently...

2008-12-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

"Being that my entire family is Atheist, that's how I was raised...

When I got old enough to comprehend exactly what that meant, I didn't like it. I spent a lot of time, researching many religions, without the support of my family.

When I first got to college, I met the person I wanted to marry. He was from a different Country, a different background, and a STRONG religious belief system... but we were in love. Multiple heartbreaks and three years later, I watched him have an arranged marriage with someone else... all because of beliefs.

This was the first time in my life where I felt that I was discriminated against, and it was because of a belief system. I was raised to always be accepting of anyone who surrounded me, regardless of whatever factors made that person who they were. To feel this way, was completely foreign to me.

I'm still affected by this, but I also believe that I was destined to meet him to have a strong understanding of my beliefs, who I am and what I represent. I think that this is why I have such an open mind about belief in general.

I know that what I put out into the world will come back to me in the same way.

I understand that my specific actions, good or bad, impact all things around me. I feel that it was imperative for me to love him to even begin to comprehend my beliefs; that without experiencing something so painful, I would have never examined it so intently.
I would like to think that I represent those who have a profound amount of spirituality and faith in their everyday life; not necessarily one belief, but the culmination of many.

God gave her the job of painting clouds.

2008-11-24T22:57:00.001-08:00

Her name is Patricia Saling.

Patricia had a life altering accident many years ago that allowed her an opportunity, many of us would give anything for. A chance to meet our maker.

She will vividly recall, that while in a coma, she conversed with God. She asked him to please send her home so that she may take care of her family & her husband. He agreed, and she has been sent back down to finish her duties. Mainly, to observe the clouds so that when she makes it back to heaven, she can paint them for God as a full time job.

She has taught art to countless people including her own children, and even helped found The Bridge School Benefit!
Her art is beautiful & inspired. It is full of whimsy, just like her.
She continues to touch hearts daily, ..and has certainly left a tiremark on mine.

" I believe in, love, and fear God."

2008-11-24T22:38:00.000-08:00

"..I count on Him for my strength to carry on through hard times and to share the good times that I have. He is with me always and helps to guide me through my life.

I am a Lutheran.
I believe that Christ Jesus died for my sins and to give me salvation. I believe in, love, and fear the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit).

I am a sinner.
I sin every day and I am forgiven by God everyday when I pray and ask for forgiveness.
My religion helps me to keep my sanity when I want to break down. It helps keeps the stress off of my heart. It teaches me to forgive during times I think I can't let go.

It helps me to live my life as a good Christian with morals and goals. My religion also gives me something to look forward to when I die. "

"The feelings and emotions I feel when I talk to God the Father through his son, Jesus Christ, carried by the Holy Spirit, are very real and intense.

It is something I hold close.
It fills my body with love.
It has filled a void in my life that I have been feeling, and has changed the way I looked at things in a different way. a better, more accepting way. "
~Steven Andersen

I will love you longer than forever

2008-11-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

"...Promise me that you will leave me never

Here and now, dear
All my love I vow, dear

Promise me that you will leave me never
I will love you longer than forever ..."

If only an image could capture sound, the hairs on your arm would stand on end, as mine did that morning...
You may be wondering how such a beautiful moment could bring such despair to this woman. Many years back, Hawaiians' celebrated the sacred union of marriage with ceremonies to commemorate the event and sacrifices of fruits from their harvests, to pay respect to the newlyweds.

20th Century American Missionaries considered these beliefs to be Pagan, and ritualistic and therefore, the Natives were no longer allowed to celebrate in their traditional ways.

To date, little information is available with regard to their historical traditions and heritage, beyond the song that exists in this woman's heart that we were lucky enough to hear that day.

What fossils will future generations find of us if left only with a carbon copy of our original heritage?

A girl named Juana

2008-11-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

If I had to sum up Juana in one word, it would be....
Giver.

Juana lives by her own strict moral code, and is not a force to be reckoned with.

She has lived 100 peoples' lives and has a story to tell...

Her beliefs are tested daily, her views challenge
traditional ways of thinking and living, and her thumbprint will be everlasting.

She redefined motherhood in a way I've never seen or heard of. She gives without hope or expectation for return. She proved to me the flip side of morals, and that sometimes, the pig wants to be eaten.

I have stood in awe of her fire.

She's one of the few, brave enough to be at peace with herself.

What an amazing blend of grace and passion...

"Like it's Heaven on Earth...."

2008-11-17T10:05:00.001-08:00

Miss Zarah was our first "Belief" model ... and was actually the inspiration for Belief.
She remains one of my daily inspirations.

Zarah showed me the strength of a woman is born in the will of a young girl.
The zealous imagination, and glowing inner beauty in Zarah pours through every picture we've taken of her. Her beliefs are challenged daily and she holds true without any regrets because she sees the world through loves' eyes.

I can remember one time getting frustrated trying to get a petty chore finished and it seemed to keep going wrong for me. Zarah looked at me with her big brown eyes, and said; "If you should fail...try and try again." I smiled a smile I rarely have the pleasure of enjoying, and my heart opened up even more. Her presence is uplifting, and her confidence is a breath of fresh air.

Zarah dances like no one is watching, she loves like she's never been hurt, she sings like nobody's listening, and lives like it's heaven on Earth.