How do you know your God/s are with you?
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How do you know your God/s are with you?
| Tue, 01-16-2007 - 1:23pm |
How DO we know our God/s, or our Guides/Angels, are with us? Is it a physical sense? A kind of "intuitive sensing?" Do you believe your deity is with you at all times, not just the tough times, but the good times, the fun times, too? Does daily prayer/meditation/solitude time help you feel this connection? Is feeling this connection comforting, empowering? Is it difficult to feel or sense? Do you feel you have to "set up a meeting" so to speak, with a special prayer or divination or meditation, or can you just connect at any time?
I thought it might be an interesting topic to share/discuss. :P
Gypsy
)O(

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Great question Gypsy... I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts!
Confession time:
I've always been able to feel deity around me, when I worshipped a particular one. That sounds strange, typing it, because I worshipped the Christian God in two slightly different ways, as a Catholic and later, as an Episcopalian. Later I spent a few years practicing Zen. It was a long seeking/searching time before I found the Goddess and God, and answered Their call. With Zen, I practiced daily meditation and went "within" in that way, but with no deity focus, of course. It wasn't a satisfying or fulfilling path in the long run, but gave me some wisdom and taught me how to meditate, which I keep and use now.
I think the deep need I've always had to be a spiritual seeker, to keep searching until I found the right connection, has been this consistent nudge from the Gods. Now I have come to realize all these "Gods and Goddesses" are all different names, ways of worshipping, the one God/Supreme All, Supreme Being. However you want to call it. Many faces. Many religions. Essentially, the same God. If that makes any sense. I've said it before. :P
I think daily practice, prayer, turning inward, meditating, t'ai chi, experiencing solitude --- all nurture and strengthen that "connection" with our Gods. I stand before my altar to the Goddess and God located in my living-room, several times a day. Especially when I am leaving the house to go somewhere. It is a ritual of requesting protections and blessings and guidance as I go about my life. I speak to Them out-loud. At home, in the car, on walks with Mika. ;)) I also use the tools of ritual, Magickal workings, divination tools such as Tarot or Stones, to connect on a more deep and formal level at times as well.
For me, my intuition has become a foundation of connection, as I learned to distinguish between "wishful thinking" or "rationalization" and recognize the true guidance that was coming through. It has taken some years and I still waver in trusting the wisdom that comes to me. :P It is a deep trust and learning practice. I am a "work in progress." :D The longer I walk with the Goddess and God, the more deeply I trust Their direction and Their lessons.
Moment to moment connection. Even coming and participating on this board is part of that ongoing connection for me. I know some of the words I write come from the Goddess, are inspired by her truths to me. Because sometimes I have no clue where all the words came through my fingers, typing, but from Her. I just find them on the screen sometimes and I just have to bow my head.
Gypsy
)O(
Blessings,
Gypsy
)O(
I've also felt a connection to god especially lately. My mother is getting set to pass away after suffering greatly from cancer. My dear father passed away 4 years ago, and my FIL just a couple of months ago whom I loved just as much as my own father. This has really opened a door for me spiritually, as it made me want to feel that connection to my parents still and I truly believe that it has opened! My father has appeared to me in dreams several times, and I feel that our love and devotion to each other is stronger even after his death. We obviously have a very strong spiritual connection.
I have prayed and prayed many times to Jesus the last few years and he has gotten myself and my family through some tough times lately. I feel his presence sometimes especially after I pray and meditate. But it's a very personal feeling and one that I don't seem to feel in church. I am learning self acceptance and also to worship the female goddess as well. Anyway, I've been on the lookout for signs and I know he's listening or somebody is, when I see one.
Ginger - I hope that things get better for you. I know what you mean about the empty Christmas feeling. I felt it as well and just had really no interest in Christmas for awhile. It just seemed filled with greed instead of what it was supposed to be about. My prayers and positive thoughts go out to you in hopes that things will get better for you in the new year!
love,
Stormy
Hi... This is a very good question. Ginger, I can certainly relate to much of the way you are feeling these days.
I myself have not felt "anything" lately, and to be honest about it, I never have. Now... I am not saying that "nothing" is there. There could be. I don't know. I sit on the fence with my thoughts and feelings about GOD.
As I've said in another post, I would like nothing more than to find some type of GOD, and then develop a relationship and connection with it. It's just a very difficult thing for me to do, to pray to something when you don't even know that they're there.
Sure... I have feelings of peace and solitude, however I'm not willing to say that it's as a result of some kind of GOD or force because I believe I can induce those exact same feelings through a pill, a sugar-high and subsequent "crash" and just the feeling of exhaustion from lack of sleep will leave me feeling kinda groggy, sleepy and at "peace" if you will.
The thing is, many of you may say that I'm not "open" to any such revelation or experience. Nothing... could be farther from the truth. Of couse... I don't wanna be near death just to have a NDE. But as far as a vision goes, surrealistic dreams or even a spirit or angel sighting of some sort.. With open arms, I call out to the universe to "bring it on"!!!
I believe, that if I would have such an occurence in my life, that although I might question it and some might say I'd try very hard to "reason it away" at least it would give me "something" to hold on to. Something that, without any question of a doubt did not come from within me.
So... is there a GOD? I don't know, but I'd sure like to find out.
Thanks so much :-)
DAVID
I don't have to say a special prayer or anything. I know God is always with me. You know that feeling you get when you are walking with someone you love? The security, love and connectedness? That's what I feel almost all the time when I think of God. I talk to Him like I would speak to a friend/lover. He knows my heart and answers my prayers.
My life hasn't been all roses, either. I've lost a husband while I had 5 kids, the youngest being 18 months, I've overcome depression, PTSD and a physical handicap. He just keeps loving me along.
I hope you all find what I've found.
Lynne
Welcome to the board Nefertari!
I have been told by psychics that my dear Grandpa is one of my spirit guides. How do I know he's with me? I can smell his pipe when I'm driving alone in my car, with the windows up. When we came home from the funeral home and I could smell the makeup they used on him so strongly in the basement. When three days after he passed I woke up to him standing at the end of my bed and later spoke to my sister who had the exact same experience as he wore the same clothes! One time not so long ago I went to bed very upset and cried out to him why was life so hard? As I was beginning to fall asleep I felt as if a lighting bolt went through the top of my brain. I saw a flash and the sound was so loud, like lighting hitting a power line, and yet my cat who was asleep beside me made no move. He's been passed 11 years now and I know he's still with me. Now he visits my Grandma, as she's journeying to the end of her physical life. She will tell me he visits and stays in the room while she sleeps. She even told me he wished I wouldn't worry about how he was feeling. I didn't understand her until I went home that night to say my prayers and automatically asked God to watch over my Grandpa and make sure he was ok! I had asked God to do that for the past 11 years and I guess my Grandpa didn't think it was important! :)
I find it sad that when people are close to the end of their physical days that one would assume they are going crazy instead of accepting that they may be seeing people who are sent to help them with their journeys.
Anyway, that is how I know that there are Gods around us. Sorry it's a little long. :0)
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