THREE FOR SEVEN

It is with a great deal of pleasure that we present to you a new column for our Spirit-Works readers. The idea came to me in a very lucid dream, and even the title was given to me at that time. Taking three diverse, intelligent, and introspective people…and asking them to formulate intuitive answers to seven open-ended questions on spirituality and everyday life.

It was a joy to receive the rapid and enthusiastic responses from those I presented with this idea. Their answers were enlightening, insightful, and educational. I thank each of them for their honesty, integrity, and willingness to share. Because of this delightful response, this column will be a continuing feature each month. If you feel you would like to be a part of the answering community, feel free to email us and volunteer! In months to come we will be reaching out to others for more and more ideologies; embracing and sharing what makes us unique.

Our ‘THREE’ this month includes Patsy, a 66 year old homemaker, living in Moore, OK. She is a cancer survivor, wife to her childhood sweetheart, mother of 3, grandmother of 6, great grandmother of 2 (with another on the way). She works actively in her church, Crossroads Cathedral..

Julie, was raised and has lived 35 years in beautiful East Tennessee. She does social work in community mental health and government work. She shares a home with three furry roommates, Lucy, Iddy Biddy and Maisy.

Debra, is a 5'10" Aquarian with grey eyes,dark blonde hair, and a champion smile...:)

She is currently going to business school for a degree in Business Administration, while working as an import specialist in an apparel company. She has a long term partner and an adorable puppy named Schmoopy. She lives in Seattle, although she says she left her heart in San Francisco.

Having met our ‘Three For Seven’, let us begin!

Question #1)

What is it that excites you to the core… that thing that gets you motivated to get up in the morning… that something that you would do ‘for free’, just because it feels so good and so right… that Passion that lights up your life?

Patsy: “The thing that motivates me to get up in the morning, is knowing that the grandkids will be here anytime. I love the smell of morning, the sights of morning, the freshness of a new day, the unknown of a new day. And at my age, to know I am still breathing.”

Julie: “Anything that perpetuates love, spreading happiness, experiencing joy. It could be time spent with loved ones, doing community service work, doing advocacy, celebrating the gifts I have been blessed with and experiencing that gratitude deeply.”

Debra: “This is a cliché answer, but my partner is my passion. When I am with her, all stress is eased, and wrongs righted. She is the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing when I go to sleep.”

Question #2)

Is anything in your life driven by fear? If so, what is it? If not, why not?

Patsy; “I don’t feel driven by fear, but there is one thing I do fear and that is being enclosed in a small space because I have claustrophobia. I won’t give up, because I know the day will come when God will heal me from this, because He is such a loving God and I feel and see Him in my life everyday.”

Julie; “”It’s all too easy to fall into a trap by the ego about our feelings on inadequacy, insecurities, sense or lack of need. It happens far too often. I try to work through it by reassuring myself that God Loves me more than I can ever imagine in my wildest dreams and everything is as it should be, and I’ll be granted the wisdom or strength to make any changes, or get through any of these feelings. Knowing that these issues are so small compared to the journey of my soul, helps to keep these fears in perspective. These fears are also an opportunity for growth, to use them to work through these issues for my higher good. It’s a balance between being consumed by the fears and using them to your benefit, a tight line to walk often. I wonder at times, ‘Will I ever have a family, what is wrong with me?’, etc. But living in that space isn’t healthy or productive and my spirituality brings me the comfort and the guidance to let these fears be turned over to a more loving space.”

Question #3)

What does God, Divinity, or your Spiritual Beliefs mean to you?

Patsy; “God means everything to me. He is my Alpha and Omega. He is the very breath I take. My heart breaks when I do or say something that I think might make God unhappy with me, but He is always so forgiving. My spiritual beliefs are very important to me, they keep me focused on life and the kind of person I strive to be. I believe in the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit.

Julie; “My beliefs are at the core of my life. If I didn’t believe the way I do, if I didn’t have this Soul connection with God, with the Divine, my life would be meaningless. As it was years ago when I was faltering away at some existence trying to make things work on a purely ‘earthly plane’ and my life was chaos. It gives me the greatest sense of comfort, peace, harmony and belonging.”

Debra; “I don’t believe God is a bearded Being in white robes. I believe that is insulting to equate God to a human form… the Creator is so much more than that. I feel God is the air we breathe, the leaves on a tree, the clouds in the sky, the people around us, the rock in the road_ God is *ALL*! I believe we should be praising everything around us, thanking it for playing a role in our lives. I believe that we should focus on how these things can make us (spiritually) better people.”

Question #4)

Do you ‘Walk your Talk’?

Patsy; “I think I walk my talk, not to say I never stumble, but when I do I just get up and keep on striving to be more like Jesus.”

Julie; “I try to, and I’m sure I fail miserably sometimes. In times of conflict, say at a work situation, I will offer up love and prayers towards the person or the situation. I try to center myself each morning by meditating on, ‘Let all my actions come from a loving place. Let me be a loving presence in the world around me.’ Of course my ego mind gets in the way and the meaningless details of life cross over my beliefs, but I try to pull myself back to the belief that we are all here to spread and enjoy love. Sometimes it is really hard to do the loving thing, to ‘put yourself out’, for example, driving right by a broken down car and a lady is standing out front, or seeing an abandoned dog in the road, because you have to get to work, but truly life is about doing that good thing and not about getting to work on time. Those are the things life is about.”

Debra; “I always try to practice what I preach. I am often radical in my views, so defending them on a tactical level usually leaves me a bit shunned from society. But you know what, it’s worth it. It’s worth it because remaining true to your beliefs allows you to weed out others who do not support them. By doing this, you unconsciously build a wonderful support-system of friends, family, and acquaintances who love and respect you. You surround yourself with love and warmth, not negativity. This is so essential for positive spiritual growth.”

Question #5)

Describe for us where you see yourself in 5 years… where are you living, what are you doing, what goals have been met?

Patsy; “In 5 years I see myself living in this same house, that I have lived in for nearly 35 years, with the same husband that on August 3^rd of this year I will be married to for 49 years. Attending the same church I have attended for 25 years. I feel like the goals I have met are having the same husband, raising my 3 kids, I have retired from a job that has treated me very well. But the goal I am most proud of is I have been a child of God for 57 years. I gave my heart and life to my Lord when I was 9 years old. I have never stopped loving Him and never stopped serving Him. I am far from perfect but I serve a loving and forgiving God.”

Julie; “I would like to be involved in meaningful work that benefits others. I would like to have published a book, had a baby and a family. I know that whatever my path is, whether these things happen or not, that everything will still be wonderful, as long as I nurture my soul and keep my perspective aligned with my spiritual beliefs.”

Question #6)

If everyone has a Spiritual Path, Life Journey, or Purpose in Life... tell me about yours.

Patsy; “I feel my purpose in life is to be the best Christian that I possibly can, because the life you live is more important than the words you speak. God blessed me with three wonderful kids, I feel it was my purpose to raise them to love our Lord and be a good American Citizen, and to be considerate adults, also to make a difference in this world.”

Julie; “I feel called to help other animals, to care for them and to find a way to inspire others to work more towards a community view of loving all living beings. I found that my upbringing in Christianity didn’t offer all I needed, although the teachings of Jesus are so vital to my beliefs. The hypocrisy of the organized religion and how it didn’t seem very Christ-like, not reflecting the teachings of Jesus that I had learned, led me to other avenues. I was so blessed by finding the teachings of Buddhism, Sufism, Taoism, a Course in Miracles, continuing my teachings of Jesus. And I found many other great teachers and friends that have made my seeking more complete. I hope to always be a seeker and be tolerant and loving and caring and open-minded, always seeking a greater, more loving connection with God. I believe that God is Love, and that God, Universe, Spirit, whatever it can be called, loves us all and will ‘save us all’, however that is to be defined by God, I leave those details up to God and trust implicitly in that fact. I believe heaven and hell are a state of mind relating to how close or how far away one is from the Source, from God. I have made both for myself, and sometimes in the same day. I believe in honoring all paths and being tolerant and loving and learning from all the various traditions. My path may not be right for everyone, and I don’t believe in pushing beliefs on others at all, however it feels intrinsically peaceful and at home to my soul. I attend a variety of services, such as Unitarian Church, Episcopal Church, a wonderful place called the Oasis Center that teaches A Course In Miracles, and other places from time to time, wherever my soul calls me to attend. I have made a ‘quilt-like church’ that is full of beauty and love and lessons and mystery, it’s wonderful.”

Debra; “Over the years, I’ve thought my Path has been different things. Recently, however, I’ve begun to question all that I stand for and do. At this point, I believe that my life path is to encounter people, and make them question the norm. I believe I am here to get people to think outside the box; to expand their mental comfort zone… and to entertain them during the process. J”

Question #7)

If I could hold a mirror to your soul to see the ‘real’ you, the essence of your persona, the truth of who you are.. how would you answer yourself in that mirror, when asked, ‘Who Am I?’

Patsy; “I think in that mirror that sees my soul, you would see a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a daughter, and a sister that tries daily to make a difference, to love God with all my heart, to be a witness for Jesus and to bring as many to the knowledge of God that I can, so that they can spend eternity in heaven with my Lord and Savior. There is nothing that I love as much as I do living for Jesus, it is a very exciting life.”

Julie; “I hope I am one day the person my dogs think I am. J  If I have achieved that, then I have become the loving, accepting, nurturing, caring person I hope to be throughout my life.”

Love & Light!

Rev. Dr. Sandra Gaskin