Find Religion

A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.
Please Keep This Candle Going!

This is for anyone who lives have been touched by cancer. I have 3 people in my immediate family who are battling this terrible disease.

I went to the local Relay for Life last summer and found it to be a very worthwhile event in helping not only raise money for cancer but to fight back and cope with the personal loss and reflect together as a community. It was a big deal and a life altering event. I urge you all to find the chapter in your area and find out more about these wonderful events.

In chemistry, He turned water to wine.
In biology, He was born without the normal conception;
In physics, He disapproved the law of gravity when He ascended into heaven;
In economics, He disapproved the law of diminishing return by feeding 5000 men with two fishes & 5 loaves of bread;
In medicine, He cured the sick and the blind without administering a single dose of drugs,
In history, He is the beginning and the end;
In government, He said that he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace;
In religion, He said no one comes to the Father except through him;
So? Who is He? He is Jesus! Join me and let’s celebrate him; He is worthy. The eyes beholding this message shall not behold evil, the hand that will send this message to everybody shall not labor in vain, and the mouth saying amen to this prayer shall smile forever.
Remain in God and seek his face always Amen!
In God I’ve found everything!
The Greatest Man in History Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.

Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was
written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title “C”ntarea
Americii, meaning “Ode To America”) on September 24, 2002, in the
Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei (”The Daily Event” or “News of the
Day”).

~An Ode to America~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one
another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages
of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and
religious beliefs. Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred
million people into a hand put on the heart.

Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, and the
secret services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed
to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby
to gape about. The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a
helping hand.

After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over
the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the
colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if
in every place and on every car a government official or the president
was passing.

On every occasion, they started singing their traditional
song: “God Bless America!” I watched the live broadcast and rerun after
rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one
hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or
of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the
terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that
could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human
being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of
some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every
phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put in a collection
aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money
can buy.

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their
land? Their galloping history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for
hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the
risk of sounding commonplace.

I thought things over, but I reached only one
conclusion…Only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu

Every baby is Jesus’ perfection trying to be seen and acknowledged and reborn again and again. We can see it if we have the eyes, heart & hormones of a mother, or a vivid enough imagination that could imagine such as so. The love of a mother and the power a mother feels as she nourishes & sustains life, gives birth and continues to sustain that life with milk made from her own body, is the key, integral relationship in any human life. This is an act  so full of dynamism that any peace loving culture should rely on breastfeeding as a great beginning to creating happy, well-adjusted people thru out the world as a whole today. Lack of bonding as we can sometimes see in bottle fed babies, who miss out on the breast and the close mother/child bond, creates a population that is more enamored by the achieving of material gains then relating on a heart & soul human level with other human beings.  As we can see in the world today these shifted values have altered the path the world is on to a degree that has bred and nurtured people who are hell bent on greed, war, destruction and other traits that come from the damaged, improperly nurtured psyche.

Mary didn’t milk any of the barn animals for milk for baby Jesus. She nourished Him with milk from her own body. This act is a woman’s sacred art and has shaped futures of children from the beginning of time. Making milk for an infant can be a joy and a pleasure. It is certainly a lot of work for the body. Milk holds everything, every nutrient and satisfaction for a child; mind, body & soul. The act of breastfeeding instills innately the preciousness and value and worthiness of taking the best care, time & energy with your child. The care that come thru breastfeeding plays a role in the formation of every relationship thereafter. Ecological breastfeeding-when the breast is given on demand, without the use of bottles or pacifiers, can also suppress fertility, as the body adjusts so beautifully to accommodate the mother’s & child’s needs.

Any act such as breastfeeding which requires such devotion & sacrifice on a person’s part automatically makes the act a sacred one. Any sacred act infuses the preciousness and worth that we as a society lack in today. We wouldn’t have 1/2 the wars & murder or even depression, suicide or basic dissatisfaction with life if we had just given our children their birthright; our milk. Or more accurately-their milk. And she gives until it hurts. As they need. To establish their selves as such to value all life around us. This is one of the fatal flaws we make as humanity in not being absolutely blessed and supportive of the breastfeeding mother. It is a wound in the psyche that can not be healed or filled with any other outside resources and have the same impact it has when given from the source.

Breastfeeding stimulates important nurturing hormones called prolactin & oxytocin which induce feelings of contentment & satisfaction in not only the mother & child but also in anyone who even witnesses the act of breastfeeding! These are the same hormones that are produced when an orgasm is achieved.

We were created for ecstasy & bliss! Our whole system supports this but cultural & societal norms have altered this natural path & disrupted the core of the essence of our being.

Breastfeeding also reduces the likelihood of a woman getting breast cancer.

Support your hardworking mothers!

Was the silence on my blog golden or deafening? To me, it was deafening. My ever so helpful spouse took it upon himself to erase the hard drive from my brand new computer without backing up the system! Thanks, Honey! You did such a great job screwing up all my well laid plans. Santa saw that, you know! So did Jesus! He’s telling God/dess for me. You will be accountable. BWHAHAHAAAA….
As you can see, I am back on tonight! I will be making up for lost time. I have been busy in the real world doing detestable duties like dishes, laundry and chicken chores. The rain has been falling. Mud flows, roof’s leak, cancer grows and bullets scream thru sinew and flesh. And life continues on and the sun still shines his face,  somewhere, thru it all.

Jam thumbprint cookies are cooling in the kitchen. I made mom’s old butterscotch yule log recipe tonight to package and give as gifts.  I have one last box to assemble and send out to a sister of a friend.  I didn’t ‘do’ cards this year. I didn’t have a picture of the kids in enclose. I got all caught up in the frantic psychic energy of the season. Like an undertow of emotion, I have been swept off my feet. I’m trying to swim parallel with land but the watery emotions want to submerge me into it’s icy, mythical & revealing depths. I take a deep breathe and hold until it passes. I’m still holding. This too shall pass. This too shall pass. This too shall pass. I tell myself…

Children, everybody, here’s what to do during war:

In a time of destruction, create something.
A poem.
A parade.
A community.
A school.
A vow.
A moral principle.
One peaceful moment.

maxine hong kingston

What did you create today? Were you fraught with inner turmoil or did you find your gaze towards something beautiful, creative, imaginative? Peace can be as simple as writing a card to a friend who needs a heart and hand to hold. Keep your eyes on an ideal, even as we drudge the the detestable duties and mundane tasks of a seemingly ordinary day. Sometimes when we close the door to the inner sanctuary and let the work be processed without our input amazing revelations can come to fruition.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language- even the phrase “each other” -do not make any sense.

This Rumi poem/prayer of truth is the way we are to approach sacred circle. Empty out so the space can be filled with Her grace. Divine femininity is characteristic by the chalice, the bowl; such as the womb. It is hidden, open & receiving of the abundance that is our birthright. She gathers her knowledge and wisdom not thru words but thru sacred imagery and symbol. This is why creativity is so essential to nurture the spirit. Our creative endeavors are Divinity Herself being made real for all to see. This is why beauty is so important not only to the senses but the sensibilities. We were created for ecstasy and pleasure. Art is the God/dess Herself manifest. I can’t imagine much more exciting than that right now. Go create! Let’s see what She wants to say thru You! This is a challenge. Read the Rumi Poem & begin. Be Inspired!

Email me pictures of your creations so I can show them in a future post. Thanks!

Today is National Denim Day, in support of breast cancer research. As cancer has affected my family and so many other people I know, I created a blogger team to help raise money. There’s still time to donate here. Even if everyone just donates $5, that can add up to a lot of money.

I’d like to show my appreciation for all of the other bloggers here at 451 who donated or, if they were not able, voiced support:

Bob Betzen

Mark Jabo

Coreen Nishijo

Karen Lynch

Dana Granholm

Kim Holmes

Thank you for you donations, from the bottom of my heart.

On another, less up-lifting note, I’d like to take this moment to announce that I’m leaving Find Religion. I’ve been writing here for a year, and I feel like that time here was well spent, but that it is time to move on. As this site is meant to help guide people to religion, I truly believe that it may be in your best interest to read the musings of a new writer. We all have such different ideas of what religion really means, and fresh perspectives are a definite plus.

451 has not yet hired a new writer. If you want to apply for the job, contact me and let me know that you’re a reader! I’ll direct you on how to apply and who to contact.

Until a new writer is hired, I may be stopping in from time to time to keep the site updated, and I hope that the new writer will let me guest-blog for you all from time to time! In any case, you haven’t heard the last from me!

You can also check out my other blogs at Reality on Bravo and BCS Frenzy.

I hope that I’ve made you think about life in a new way. I hope that you’ve read posts here that really made you ask questions about your faith. I hope you’ll continue to support Find Religion and all of the other great sites here at 451.

God Bless,
Allison

I know this has nothing to do with religion, but I’ve just started another job and wanted to let all of my loyal readers here know! If you like college football and don’t mind a little snarkiness (or just want to argue with me, which is highly encouraged), head over to BCS Frenzy. The site will officially be up to par on October 1, but you guys get a sneak preview!

As many of you know, I’m also the blogger for Reality on Bravo, and since many of you here may not read that site, I just wanted to bring to your attention that I’m running a humungo contest for bloggers on that site. There’s already lots of blogtestants, sponsors, and judges who’ve signed up, and I hope you will too!

You can find all the information to enter the competition here. Don’t be afraid to throw your hat in the ring–there are some awesome prizes lined up!

(Note, you don’t have to be a Project Runway fan to enter–you just have to write a blog, either on your own or through another network!)

Good luck everyone!

As reported at by April Life as a Christian Woman:

Atlanta police have reported that Juanita Bynum and her preacher husband had an altercation in a hotel parking lot. She was battered and bruised, with bruising around her neck and upper torso…read more

Domestic violence is a problem around the world, and sadly, it is often being swept under the carpet. It doesn’t matter what your religion (or non-religion)…this is an issue that affects women IN YOUR COMMUNITY whether you want to believe it or not.

April will be hosting a day of guest blogging by Jocelyn Andersen, author of Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence on August 28th, where she’ll be live all day to answer questions and read your comments. If you’re a victim of domestic violence or know someone who is you are NOT alone.

Click here to read the best of find religion.

domestic violence, Christian, juanita bynum

Welcome to the best of the best of Find Religion. Here are my personal favorite posts, as well as some of the most popular posts. Feel free to contact me view me if you read a post on my site that you want to nominate for this page. Also, this page will now be linked to the bottom of each post so you can easily read you favorite posts or check out new “best of the best” posts. Thanks for reading! -Allison

Maybe God is Making People Gay on Purpose: Every day, I see more and more controversy surrounding the growing homosexual population in America. Is it “right”?… read more

Does Religion Affect your Job: I’m a freelance writer, and I regularly visit Deb Ng’s blog to check out job links and read discussions. This past week, Deb asked a very interesting question: What won’t you write about? At first, my responsewas “nothing!” However, after thinking about it for a few minutes and reading the responses already posted on the site, I realized that yes, there are certain things I won’t write about…read more

The Top Five Reasons I Go to Church: Not everyone goes to church. When I moved here in late December, I made it my goal for a few weeks to find a new church to attend. I failed…read more

What We can Take Away from Falwell’s Death: Instead of celebrating his life in a way that promotes his views (with which I disagree for the most part), I will instead choose to look at the good things we CAN take about from Falwell. Before your pop the champagne cork, consider the following take-home lessons…read more

The Starbucks Fiasco: Who knew coffee could create such a stir in the religious community? According to reports, the following message, printed on Starbucks coffee cups, has some Christians in a tizzy…read more

Tea for Two - What’s the Point?: Yesterday, I drove to my hometown, about an hour and 45 minutes from where I live now, to celebrate my mother’s birthday by going to a mother-daughter banquet with her at our church…read more

300: An Accurate Portrayal?:Here’s the post I’ve been promising you: My thoughts on the movie 300…read more

I’m Bringing Sexy Back…: …to the Bible. Ok, that might sound dumb, but because tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I wanted to bust the myth that reading the Bible is all boring, with stuffy, old stories…read more

He Sees You When You’re Sleeping: Ok, forget about Santa…what about God? Is God always watching us? Let me tell you a true-life story here. Yesterday, I went to a farmer’s market with my roommates…read more

Tips for Holiday Services: I realize that many people out there are “once-a-year” Christians–you only go to church once a year, during the holidays. Dear reader, are you a OAYC?…read more

Black Friday Shopping Without the Lines: It’s a little ironic, isn’t it, to think how brutal Christmas gift shopping can be on black Friday! In any case, some people chose not to drive to the mall and inside logged online to grab some great deals at retailers’ websites…read more

I Pledge to Tolerate You: During the holidays, groups of people who don’t neccessarily agree on religion come together. My challenge to you is to tolerate them all…read more

College Connections: Here are some suggestions on how to stay connected to worshipping if you have found yourself in a similar situation, college student or not…read more

If I had $300 dollars I would buy________.

What would you buy with $300? Or even $200 or $100? Now is your chance to find out! Comment on any 451 Press site during the month of August and you could win! Three comments will be chosen at random to win a cash prize of $300, $200 or $100. The more you comment the more chances you have to win. So start reading and let those fingers fly!

There’s no excuse now…you don’t even have to READ this Bible to enjoy the message!

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 10 /PRNewswire/ — The most ambitious, critically-acclaimed presentation of the Bible ever produced, Inspired By … The Bible Experience, has confirmed more than 200 cast members for the Old Testament prequel to its bestselling New Testament edition. Highlighting the cast is 2007 Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker as the voice of Moses, along with Angela Bassett (Esther), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jonah), Denzel and Pauletta Washington (Song of Songs), LL Cool J (Samson), Nick Cannon (Adam), Eartha Kitt (Serpent), Bishop T.D. Jakes (Abraham), Bishop Eddie L. Long (Joel), Della Reese, Bernice and the late Yolanda King, daughters of Martin Luther King Jr., and introducing Paul Adefarasin, pastor of House on the Rock church in Lagos, Nigeria (voice of God).

Inspired By … The Bible Experience (Old Testament) is slated for a fall 2007 release with a cast featuring three Oscar winners, five Golden Globe winners and seven Emmy winners. Just like its predecessor, it is based on Zondervan’s contemporary Today’s New International Version (TNIV) translation and includes dramatic performances set to an original musical underscore by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and Hollywood-style sound design created at Technicolor Studios. In addition to the Old Testament edition, the Complete Bible will also be available in stores nationwide this fall.

“We are thrilled with the cast assembled for the Old Testament portion of The Bible Experience. The fact that celebrities, artists and clergy have enthusiastically requested to be a part of this affirms that The Bible Experience is truly a one-of-a-kind, groundbreaking project,” said Ron Belk, president and CEO, Inspired By Media Group. “Each one of these voices bring something special to their role, and it’s the culmination of their talents that makes this an audio Bible in a category all its own.”

Inspired By … The Bible Experience (New Testament) is now available in stores nationwide. It is available in CD and MP3 formats as well as audio download. A behind-the-scenes “making of” video, audio samples, a listing of the voices, news and reviews can be found at www.zondervan.com/BibleExperience.

Bible, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Denzel Washington, LL Cool J, Nick Cannon, Eartha Kitt

Just a quick reminder–the July blog carnival is set to happen on July 1st, so your entries are welcome! The theme is “Religion in everyday life,” which you can take pretty loosely. Run with the idea! Once you’d published, send the link to your post to me using the comment box on the right. I can’t wait to read them all!