Soul Searching Sunday: The Beginning

Religion is such an interesting subject encompassed by so many contrasting views and opinions. Some opt to consider themselves spiritual rather than religious, as religion seems to require a deeper commitment and conformity to a certain practice. Whereas opting to be spiritual seems to warrant more freedom.

I consider myself to be a spiritual person, as I believe that everyone is entitled to "customize" their spiritual path to whatever higher being they believe in. I believe in God. But I also respect the beliefs of other religions and their respective gods and strongly disagree with discrediting their beliefs because ours are not one in the same. Therefore, I am one of many who opt to steer away from a religious classification. Not because I don't believe but because the teachings of God are far to complex to be deduced to one religious tradition.

My spiritual path is never ending, taking twists and turnings; meeting roadblocks and dead ends. I was not raised in the church, as my parents believed in granting their children the freedom to develop their own spiritual soundness. Yet, when I became old enough to attempt to tap into and develop a connectedness with a higher power, I began to attend church as the first step. There I realized my commitment and faith in God. But I could not commit to the expectations of the church. Attending every Sunday. Attending bible study every Wednesday. Being told I was less if I did not do so. Judgements that I would rather be without.

Only you can determine what works for YOU. The statements above are only my opinion and experience. So as I continue to cultivate my spiritual wholeness and relationship with God, I seek solace in listening to the stories of others, their struggles, their achievements, and use that as inspiration and a teaching moment. I have decided to start "Soul Searching Sunday," as a means to spread the stories of others for personal lessons you can possibly apply to your life for the purpose of spiritual well being and development. On Sundays I'll highlight a story. This is the beginning...

Ed has ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. It is a disease that ultimately leads to death via respiratory failure, as the muscles controlling respiration are to weak to facilitate the act of breathing. It is a disease of progressive deterioration with no cure and death commonly occurring 3-5 years after diagnosis. To see the longer video, click on the link below:

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2012/02/11/eds-story-my-garden.cnn

You can also find more short films at http://edsstory.com/

Note: The topics to be featured on subsequent Sundays will be placed in the "Wellness" section.