  Spiritual
This week: Healing Places Edited by: SophyBells  
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Hi, I'm SophyBells ~ your editor for this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter.
The Rev. Scotty McLennan, author of the book Finding Your Religion, compares humanity's innate need for spiritual searching to climbing a mountain. In his view, we are all endeavoring to climb the same figurative mountain in our search for the divine, we just may take different ways to get there. In other words, there is one "God," but many paths. I honor whatever path or paths you have chosen to climb that mountain in your quest for the Sacred.  |
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Healing Places
Mr. Sophy and I recently returned from a 10-day road trip to the northeastern United States. In addition to visiting family and friends, we explored a new state we had not been to before - the beautiful state of Maine.
Now I was born and raised near the Pacific Ocean, and have lived in the landlocked Midwest for almost 30 years. Anytime I can get to the ocean my spirit is renewed. Though it doesn't happen very often, I treasure the rare times I can spend near the sea. Because the east coast is closer to us than the west coast, when we do go to the ocean it is usually the Atlantic. For 12 years we have camped on a beach island in southern South Carolina. Although it looks quite different from the Pacific, the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean are the same, and I experience a sense of peace there like I do in California.
Unfortunately Hurricane Matthew destroyed our campground last year and we were unable to go this year. So while we were in Maine for this trip, I was hoping we might get to see the coast, but not sure if we would have time or if our friends would want to go (we were staying in Augusta, which is inland). The Maine coast is extraordinary, and as luck would have it, our friends (who only recently moved there) did want to go to the coast, so one day we set off for about an hour drive to Pemequid Point, where there is a beautiful lighthouse and rocky coastline.
We could smell the ocean before we saw it - something about sea air - I felt like I was home.
While Mr. Sophy walked down the rocky ledge to the edge of the ocean with our dog, Daisy, and our friends, I stayed up top near the lighthouse and sat down on a rock to view the scenery. I took several deep breaths and felt such an immense sense of peace. My mother also loved the ocean, and in particular she loved lighthouses. As I sat in the shadow of the Pemequid lighthouse gazing out at the dark blue Atlantic, with seagulls swooping in and out and the sound of waves crashing on the rocks, I felt her presence with me. Like me, she had never been to Maine, and I knew she would have loved this place (and climbed the lighthouse). If a lighthouse allowed it, she would climb it, even at the age of 84 just a few months before she died when we took her to one on Lake Michigan while visiting Door County.
Our time at Pemequid Point was healing for me. I have been terribly depressed in recent months from the ugly, vitriolic state of our world, and in particular in the US after the new presidential administration came into power. There is a spirit of meanness nowadays. It was always there, I suppose, but used to hide itself better. Now it's been given permission to emerge by the president's own example (mocking the disabled, calling people names, etc.), and the lack of civility and common decency has devastated me.
Our vacation not only helped me unplug from the 24 hour a day news cycle, as we were less likely to be in front of a TV or checking in on Twitter, but it helped my heart and soul heal, especially during those few hours at the sea. I did not climb the lighthouse (Mr. Sophy did) - instead I sat for as long as I could, eyes open sometimes, closed others, listening to the sound of the ocean waves crashing on the rocks, and the seagulls calling - smelling and feeling the salty sea air. It was like coming home - and I left that place feeling refreshed, renewed, and ready to face the world again.
I'm home now - getting back into the routine of work and regular life. Hopefully my time in the healing place of Pemequid Point will stick with me for a while. So far I am limiting my access to news, so I don't spiral down into a funk again (just enough to keep me aware and involved). And when things feel like they may be starting to overwhelm me again, I close my eyes and imagine myself sitting in the shadow of the Pemequid Lighthouse, listening to the gulls and waves - and I can almost smell the salty scent of the sea.
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Below you'll find some spiritual offerings from other WDC members. Please let the folks know if you read their piece by leaving a thoughtful comment or review. I realize I post mostly poems, but that is because it is tough to find other types of spiritual writing on the site (most are poems). If you have something you would like me to highlight, please do share it with me, thanks!
I come by my love of the ocean honestly - my mother Phyllis  also loved the sea. Here is one of her pieces:
And more from around the site:
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Here are responses to my last newsletter "Spiritual Newsletter (May 31, 2017)" about the Mountain of Too Much :
From Steve adding writing to ntbk. 
I often take time to seek prayer coverage.
The rest in the assurance that we are not alone.
The peace of knowing we are not alone in the fight to get to the top of the mountain is encouraging and leads to hope. Hope leads to being able to put one foot in front of the other, as as you said, to take your time as you go.
Thanks for sharing and for the good items you featured. I got 5 good reviews in.
Copenator out!
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You are most welcome, glad you got some helpful feedback.
      
From Sand Castles Shopgirl 739 
I think one of the things that helps calm me most is helping someone else. There is nothing that will reinforce the notion that things are not as bad as they seem. When life really starts getting on my nerves, I will unplug from the grid, put on some music and pick up my yarn and needles or hooks. Works every time.
Sounds like great advice!
From Zeke
This is very good advice. I am facing major surgery later in June and it could be life threatening. But, I cannot let worry change my life.
Thank you.
Zeke
Will be holding you in my thoughts and prayers for your surgery.
From: WakeUpAndLive~"HoHoHo" 
Wow, what an uplifting and gorgeously spiritual Newsletter. Thank you for making my day, really! I will keep your suggestions all in mind when I am feeling blue.
So glad it was helpful!
Thanks for sharing the group info - hope you get many folks to join! 
From: Mary Ann MCPhedran 
Finding One's Religion.
I was raised by my grandmother in Lanarkshire Scotland. My grandmother raised me as a catholic and a good job she did, but as a child I was among the worshipers in the street if the Salvation Army were playing and asking you to pray with them. In the public park there were many Christian services, and one comes to my mind, Sunshine Corner and my friend and I were in the front row of the seats in the park. On a Saturday night the church in the town held a service for the children but it wasn't preaching, it was games they played. My grand mother was concerned and said 'Your supposed to be a catholic but your every other protestant church as well,' and she shook her head and let me get on with it.
I was roaming the streets and came across a crowd of kids waiting for the doors to open of the Gospel Hall, so I waited too and joined them. As they were letting us enter a boy pointed at me and said, 'She's a Catholic miss.'
And she replied' All are welcome. I was given a coat from the sewing circle who was also used the hall that night. No matter how many groups I joined, my grandmother made sure I was at mass with the children of the parish on Sunday.
Thank you for sharing from your spiritual journey.
Please keep your comments and suggestions coming! Until next time! SophyBells |
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Spiritual: June 28, 2017 Issue [#8357]
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