What is your Concept of God?

"How would you define GOD?"

It seems that everyone has a different definition of God; but how would YOU define Him/Her/It?

"God is the creative life of the universe..."

"God is reality..."

"God is magical and mysterious..."

"God is infinite light..."

"God is consciousness - the Eternal Sea..."

“Think of God as an eternal power outlet. When you take time to plug in to his power, you automatically receive new energy, new life, new power. Trying to run on reserve can only be temporary. A run-down person is unproductive and ineffective. Just as our physical bodies need to be replenished, our souls also need to be revived."(Susie Shellenberger)

To me God is undefinable, God is infinite and pure love, infinite and pure joy, and infinite and pure peace... God IS. God is everywhere, around us and within us. God is the life force that surrounds us and the life force that is within us. God is consciousness, intelligence, creativity, beauty, harmony, all-goodness, all-knowing - an ocean of wisdom... LIFE. God is real. God is absolute. God is unique. God is eternal. God is ONE. God is transcendent and immanent. God is awe, wonder, mystery... God is an amazing energy or power source of infinite love and peace within our Universe, that we can tap at will when God is at the center of our hearts. We have the choice to choose "light" - God or "darkness" - Suffering (Hell).

Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel wrote: "God is the center toward which all forces tend. He is the source and we are the flowing of His force." Thomas Merton wrote: "At the center of our being is a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes our lives..."

We have the power to connect with God. God is like an amazing power source. We can choose to be connected to that source and be "in the light" or to be disconnected and live "in darkness." It's really up to us. We can be like a plant or flower who, desperately needs the sun and yet, never gets that needed sunlight because it was placed in a dark area (in darkness) – so it withers and dies; or like the sunflower who follows the light wherever it goes and gets enough sunshine. This plant will be beautiful, strong and happy, and admired by all.

God is infinite love and infinite joy. If we want to be truly happy we need to live searching and finding God. God is harmony...

Menachem Mendel Schneerson said:

“Connecting to God is the only way to truly free yourself from fear. By recognizing that you are an integral part of God’s plan, that your existence is significant and your participation is vital, you can wean yourself of the doubts that feed your fears.”

How can we see the beauty of creation, the beauty of all things and not believe in a power greater than ourselves?

How can I/we connect to God, you may ask? You connect through faith, prayer, reflection, and meditation. You connect to God by loving others, being compassionate, kind, forgiving, tolerant, patient, understanding, peaceful... You connect to God by communing with nature, and appreciating the beauty in people, in animals, in our universe, in our world.

I truthfully feel sorry for those who reject God; who reject the awesome spirit of love and peace that surrounds us all and that lives within us. I have a hard time comprehending their close-mindedness; then again, like I always say: "It is up to them!" I personally feel happier feeling closer to God. I feel happier believing in this amazing and mysterious power that is much greater than ourselves and that unites us all. I choose to believe in magic... I hope you do too!

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls."
(Mother Teresa)

"God is not confined to one mode of revealing his truth... God is not confined to our definitions nor to our structures."
(Father Ivan Kaszczak)

"As we look within at our natural powers, we see the imprint of God on our souls."
(St. Bonaventure)

"God is something greater than which cannot be thought. God exists in such a way that one cannot even think of him as not existing."
(St. Anselm)

"Love of God is not something that can be taught. As soon as the living creature (that is, man) comes to be, a power of reason is implanted in us like a seed, containing within the ability and need to love. Since we received the command to love God, we possess from the first moment of our existence an innate power and ability to love. The proof of this is not to be sought outside ourselves, but each one can learn this from himself and in himself."
(St. Basil)

The spirit of God (God's essence) dwells within us...
Wisdom and truth exist within us...
Our essence is of God...

Remember: There are many paths to God... God doesn't belong to anyone - no one has a monopoly on God. Unfortunately many believe they do. God is one to all. God is found within, in everyone (regardless of religion, race, sex, differences, beliefs, etc.) The irony is that men (men an women) driven by their egos create divisiveness; especially when they believe that their way is the right and only way. When arrogance, fanaticism, ignorance and intolerance is their mode operandi. Then again, we're only human and God understands this and forgives us; because God is love and love in forgiveness. People and religions interpret God differently - they have different concepts of God. The important thing is to be "united" by our belief in God and not "separated;" because whether we believe it or not "we are all one."

“The deep secrecy of my own being is often hidden from me by my own estimate of what I am.” (From No Man is an Island by Thomas Merton)

“There is a stage in the spiritual life in which we find God in ourselves – this presence is a created effect of His love. It is a gift of His, to us. It remains in us. All the gifts of God are good." (From Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton)

"We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone – we find it with another." (From Love and Living by Thomas Merton)

"Every created thing is a mirror of life and a book of holy teaching, for there is no creature so small and worthless that it doesn't show forth the goodness of God." (From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis)

"Yes, that mighty life force is ever at our side, but how do we tap into it? We do so by meeting it halfway, by acting as if we have the power, by taking the first step. As we move toward it, it moves toward us. This great power is always available, but like the sun, rain, or wind, we are free to harness it or ignore it." (Chuck Gallozzi) 

I love what Rabbi David Aaron says: "We are a Masterpiece - a piece of the Master. We're an aspect of His very self. God is the ultimate reality." Check him at: http://www.youtube.com/davidaaron.

Spirituality

"You don't have to be religious to be spiritual. Spirit is everywhere - in people and in animals. Spirituality is hard to explain; you can't touch it, but it surrounds you every day. You feel your spirit when something touches you so deeply it moves you to tears, when you are so excited you get goose bumps, or when you are just happy to be alive."

Beautiful words by Amanda Ford in her book "Be True to Yourself - A Daily Guide for Teenage Girls." Check: http://books.google.com/books/be true to yourself.htm

You can feel and hear your spirit, you can feel and hear someone else's spirit... It is essential to find some quiet time during our busy days to be silent and listen; to pray and reflect; to rest and listen to our body. We will certainly feel more relaxed, replenished, restored and at peace. Little by little we will discover our true nature and we will become more compassionate, kind and loving human beings. We will also feel amazingly HAPPY. Try it!

May You Be Happy...

Today I found a great little book called "Be True to Yourself" by Amanda Ford. One of the titles is "A Prayer for All Things" where the author mentions a well-known Buddhist mantra (prayer) that we should all say or think often to feel better:

May I be happy
May I be peaceful
May I be free...

We can also repeat "May (fill in the blank) be happy; may (fill in the blank) be peaceful; may (fill in the blank) be free." Add the name of the person you want to send loving thoughts to. We can actually change this beautiful mantra in many different ways. We could add "May I be healthy, or May I be strong, or May I be patient, or May I be confident, etc. We could also add "May I be free of suffering, or free of anger, or free of pain, or free of worry, etc.

The important thing is to repeat this mantra throughout the day. A sense of peace and happiness will fill our hearts. Let's remember that what we tell ourselves throughout our day affects how we feel, and affects others, in a positive or negative way. Our thoughts are powerful! Our beliefs create our reality. We are what we think... and much much more, of course! We are the awareness behind those thoughts. We are...

Also check www.HowToBeHappy.org for more great ideas on how to be happy... (you can download the e-book too).

“To become a happy person - have a clean soul, eyes that see romance in the commonplace, a child’s heart, and spiritual simplicity.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking

“The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.” 
~ Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking