...get this down. This is a limited version of the 'spiritual' post that's been rattling around in my brain for the last week.

I have a new hero, or rather, heroine. Her name is Karen Armstrong; she's an author but that's just not enough word for the woman that she is.

http://www.powells.com/authors/armstrong.html
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_armstrong.html
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_armstrong.html

Google her and read...she's an amazing woman, speaking of compassion with such clarity and good sense.

I was listening to an interview with her on PBS, abut her new book, "The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness." She calls herself a 'freelance monotheist' and that spoke to me. She talked about 'finding orientation' and that rang with clarity. It got me thinking about what I am, why I do things and whar sort of person I want to call myself.

You see, I've lately been calling myself a Pagan and that's not untrue; there really isn't a Christian term for how I feel about Power and Will and Magic and Love...so while I believe, no, I'm not going to get into a listing of what I believe, don't have that much time.

Here's the jist of it for me: anything that is loving is Godly and anything that is not, isn not. Simplistic? Perhaps. But I think that's true; anything else is semantice, pretty much. I most definitely beineve in the efficacy of prayer...call that whatever you want, meditation, focussing, sending energy, light...I'm all about light, too, as a Torch-Bearer. I hold the torch, pray, send light...whatever is needed for the situation that is needed; that's my purpose in life. Practical compassion; that means not sitting back and saying, "Oh, I wish them well..." it means getting up off your duff and working with compassion, whatever the task might be for the day, long-term goals and short-term ones.

She said in an interview, "It doesn't really matter what you believe as long as it leads you to practical compassion. If your belief in a traditional God makes you come out imbued with a desire to feel with your fellow human beings, to make a place for them in your heart, to work to end suffering in the world, then it's good. Nobody has the last word on God..."

Argg, just go read the interview with Moyers...I could cut and paste the whole thing. But what this woman says (I MUST get her books!) rings with truth with a capitol T; my own personal stamp of rightness which has never, ever failed me. Follow my instinct, who me?

Ok, I must get to work; lots to do but things are getting accomplished and that makes me happy. But I need to re-center myself by doing this; remember WHY we do everything we do. Had a lovely chat with Doug Jacobs last night; just simply love that man. I told him what Bruce and I are about; building bridges. He said, "hmm...I think I've built a few in my time." I ROARED and said, "Ya think?" Anytime we're adding to the web of positive enegy in the world, we're building bridges.

I'm all about energy, positive energy; you block it for yourself by being fearful or hateful or confused or too busy to pay attention to WHY you're doing what you're doing...you've gotten bogged down. Unblock it, breathe, remember the reason you're doing whatever it is that you're doing; then the energy starts flowing again, you feel joy bubble up and there you go. Call that what you want, I don't care what the NAME you use for it...it's all positive energy.

More on this later, but I didn't want to lose these trains of thought!

Ok...I'm off to work, need to update the to-do list...THREE MORE DAYS!