What I think I believe, for now.

I try not to get in these conversations about spiritual/religious practices.  But sometimes I do, and I'm trying really hard to figure out how to say what I mean.

I think a relationship with God is very individualized, so it isn't supposed to look the same for each person.

I don't think rituals are necessary.  They can be helpful to some people, but for other people they just get in the way.

I don't think you have to be a great scholar or theologian.  I think God meets us where we are, who we are, and works with us to be our best self.  Some people do that better with books and deep study and convoluted theories, other's don't.

I don't think you have to go to a regular meeting, but if that is useful to you I think that is great.

I think God is love and the opposite is fear.  I find myself highly suspect of any spiritual system that seems to build more fear.

I think people are born/created with natural gifts and talents.  I don't think we understand all that much about them, have not begun to imagine our possibilities.

I think that spirituality that denies science is not well informed.

I think science that denies spirituality is limiting the scope of study.

I think it has always been about relationship with God.  People often need to make it more complicated, and he/she lets us because we are completely understood.

And I understand about being hurt by other people and wanting them to get what is coming to them.  I understand about thinking that there needs to be clear rules, right and wrong, lightness and dark.  But on this earth, in this life, we have been asked to walk this path between the mount of blessing and the mount of curses, and that path is a path of trust.  Sometimes there is ambiguity, because that is part of learning about the ways that it is not just about what I want.

And I know that I have more path to walk, more to learn, some of this may change, and your milage may vary.  More and more I think it is also about being ok with that as well.  In the end, I don't think it is about how far I get on the path or the end of the journey, but rather about trusting the next step and being at peace with my traveling companions.