Religion

E and I live a very devoted life to each other. We each have strong morals and we are teaching our children, and other children who play with our children, the right way to treat people and the things around you. When Dani asks theological questions we do our best to answer her and she has an amazing ability to reason out her own inquiries. We also read a lot on the subject. I have several versions of the Bible, including the Quilter's Bible heh, and a copy of the Koran. Let me just tell you; being raised as a JW really ruined me for any other faith. I don't hold to their teachings because they are too extreme for me, but I can't really find another faith that sits right with me.

My mom still practices the JW faith. And I leave it alone. I respect her decision. I don't send her holiday or birthday cards, I don't give gifts for those occassions.... I don't even bring the subjects up (My mom however refers to the Squirt as a Christmas miracle, and gives Dani holiday related presents). E and I do celebrate. I love to decorate for the season because I happen to have a creative nature. I love to make my own holiday cards and I love to hear people tell me how much they appreciate it. I love to show people how much they mean to me and a holiday is a good way for me to remember. Especially holidays like Father's Day, Mother's Day (for my friends), birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those holidays cement the celebration of the one thing in this life that is more important to me than any other. Family.

I celebrate my family. And that is why I celebrate holidays.

I usually have all of my books cloistered in my room. However, with the Squirt's arrival, we did some rearranging and the books ended up in the living room. My mom loves to read and was looking through and she saw all of the Bibles I own, and the other spiritually natured books that E and I enjoy reading. One morning while we were talking politics mom said to me, "The signs of Revelation are all around us. The Bible tells that the governments of the world will be destroyed. You and E are so clouded over by this stuff (fluffing her hands at our books) that you don't see that."

It's a big world out there. There are lots of interesting things and people and cultures and beliefs. I stopped looking for one for me to fit in. But that doesn't mean I'm not interested in learning about them. I think its fascinating to read other people's interpretation on things. That doesn't mean I'm going to go and join some cooky cult (which my mom thinks that any other religion besides JW's are..... ironic being that almost every Christian I've met says JW's are a cult). I guess that's what bothers me the most. There is an inability to accept.

Can we just live our lives the way that we want without everyone else telling us we are wrong?

Ghandi said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."

When I get attacked, then I feel the same way. I am a loving, and accepting person regardless of where you come from, or what you believe. If I don't like it, then I don't try to change who you are. If it is too caustic for me, I don't hang out with you often. If you can't accept me for what I believe and respect the path that has brought me here, then we just can't discuss the topic. Just don't attack me or make jokes about me.

This doesn't mean I don't believe in God. I do. I believe in Him in a very big way. I believe he is in everything that I do and who I am. And everyone else for that matter whether I agree with them or not. I also believe, contrary to Christian dogma, that I am in control of my feeling and decisions. And I am of God, so me being in control is also God in control.

And I have given myself a beautiful life.