Ganesh looks like a cute happy elephant, but he's more than that. The elephant-headed deity is one of the most revered gods in Hinduism. We saw him all over India, and he's worshipped in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Jains and Buddhists are also devoted to him. Why is he popular? Ganesh has an important . . .
I was raised Catholic, although the religion never resonated for me. I'm no longer Catholic or even Christian, even though I think Jesus was a great man. That is, if he existed. Religious scholars seem to disagree on that. Some say there's historical record and others say there isn't, pointing out . . .
My spiritual journey has been going on a long time...a very long time. After decades of exploration, I ended up with a belief structure that's not particularly traditional, but it is what it is. And actually, it's more a "knowing" than a belief. I present some of my thoughts about it here with no . . .
A few years ago I made a confession about a deep secret I'd held, one that I acted on only in the privacy of my office. Just me and my computer. Here it is: I'm not Mormon but I read Mormon mom blogs. And I enjoy them. Avidly, I read about modest clothing and staying home to take care of the kids. . . .
"Don't let the terrorists win." How often have we heard that in the past 15 years? A lot. We're told not to succumb to fear because if we do, "the terrorists will win." And yet, here's what's also true: How can we not? Grim, gruesome, ghastly things are happening all over the world. We can't . . .
The Golden Rule--doing unto others as you would have them do to you-- is a major tenet of Christianity. It is quoted all the time. But how often is it practiced? Look around. Doing unto others seems to be...ignored....these days. And yet: Well, now, look at this. Judaism holds the same . . .
I want to be with those who know secret things or else alone. ~Rainier Maria Rilke We know a lot, it's true, but we don't know everything. Even though we act like we do. We worship scientific materialism--the belief that the only thing that exists is physical reality and we look for reasons to . . .
Pray for Peace I must interrupt regularly scheduled programming because the world has gone mad once again and terrorists of all flavors are running rampant, many in the name of religion. Children are being beheaded. People are being buried alive. These barbarous acts are worse than we can . . .
Who among us hasn't wanted to dress Jesus? For the price of just a few lattes, you can. This fabulous magnetic Jesus comes with a complete wardrobe — Jesus as surfer dude is irresistible. For the fashion lovers among us, the kit comes with a nice assortment of accessories, like loaves and fishes. . . .
I first encountered the Bhagavad Gita in my freshmen religion class, when it was part of our assigned reading. I can't say it made any impact then, but once I got to India, it came to mind again. I bought a copy and then this deck of inspirational cards with wisdom from the Gita. Here's the copy . . .
