mindfullygratitude

Aussie| Minimalist| Acknowledging love, beauty and truth wherever I see it. Follow Me on Instagram @mindfullygratitiude

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Struggling

I've been getting over surgery this week and have had friends staying over. However, I have a newer friend here and it feels like technology has taken over coz maybe I'm too boring. I'm grateful for any of my friends that are still around after not going to church anymore. But I don't think this new friend understands why I don't have as bigger social life anymore. And it's really difficult coz he has kind of been making fun of me in a round about way.

A nice thing that has happened is that a few people on Instagram have messaged me post surgery. Unexpected but nice.

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Lunch with a good friend.

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Man, I love Frank Schaeffer.

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Zen

I just received another Alan Watts book in the mail. Very timely. I am fuming. Consequences consequences that's all I'll say.

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322 - "22 Vets A Day Kill Themselves" from Your Atheist Pastor

Listen to Your Atheist Pastor episodes free, on demand. Our featured atheist this week is James. James is an Army Vet. a dad, and just an al

I'm loving this podcast and community so far! This is a great episode.

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Not Knowing

I was having a good talk with my colleague yesterday and I have come to a point where I don't need to agree or disagree with something that will come up in conversation. While I was deconstructing a couple of years back I found things would grate on me because he is still of an evangelical influence.

Recently, somebody that he knows passed on. I guess he is still coming to terms with it while comforting his family.

I think that when a person commits suicide, even months or weeks before they lose the ability to reason properly and it's no different from when a person has any other disability and passes on. As somebody who sways between universalism and atheism, I think that being okay with not knowing or not claiming absolute certainty is a much more peaceful way to look at things when it comes to grief. How can we know? We can't. And what good does it do to fear that a person is suffering eternally because they had lost the ability to think clearly for a while? It does no good.

I said to my co-worker "I would think that in that situation, grace would have to be grace."

And I have made peace with not knowing much personally.

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The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves. 

Alan Watts

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Slight Sounds is my new favourite ASMRIST. I think I became immune to my other two favourites.

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Finding Out What Love Is

“Love is not something that is a sort of rare commodity, everybody has it." ~ Alan Watts

I was brought up in a fairly black and white, down the line Christian house. My parents had rules that I wasn't allowed to date until I was at least sixteen. However, even at twenty my parents still wanted a say on who I'd date.

I remember my mum being particularly opinionated about the no sex thing. Turned out she was being hypocritical anyway, now being able to piece everything together as I got older.

I was told that non believers don't know how to really love by my parents but also again when I took a trip a few years ago and was surrounded with a group of born again believers.

I have to be honest, I've been in some weird situations with Christian guys over the years. Down right manipulative, gaslighting sometimes, even trying to get in my pants while I was sleeping. I was just thinking about that the other day and comparing it to where I'm at right now. A couple of guys I've seen over the past 2 years, not Christian - have asked politely before even holding my hand. And non believers don't know how to love? Really? Respect is a big part of acting out of love. I'd say it's the number one thing. I've been unexpectedly waited on and cooked for, given choices, cared for while I was sick by a complete atheist. "You can't just say I love you, you have to live I love you." ~ Ben Harper

Funny, but I have been genuinely cared for in a much richer way than when I tried dating any of those Christian guys.

It can be hard to find the real deal but Christianity doesn't automatically spell out Master of Relationships. I still have a lot to learn and I'm so grateful for where I'm at.

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Film About the eXvangelical Movement

So I follow this guy named Andy Herndon on Instagram. He’s currently in film school and wanting to make a documentary on this whole exodus from church movement a lot of us are going through right now. This is the kind of thing I’ll get behind in a Crowd Funding situation, since he’s gone to school to build on his skills and there’s not a huge number of resources or documentaries on the topic. Look him up on Youtube. He has some interesting Vlogs too. 

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Hiking.. Carpe Diem

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We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.

Anais Nin

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Such a gorgeous evening to be outdoors..

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Sure, I feel like there's a lot of unexplainable happenings in life, but I don't feel the need to define them. It's okay to be open and not know something for certain.

Mindfully Gratitude

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Evangelical Christians are not sincere. It is all about making money.

Frank Schaeffer