The more we talk with about people about religion or faith Stella, the more people we will find that share our beliefs, even if these aren't "mainstream". The mind can't prove them, but they are as real as a rock.
Glad you can relate. For me, it is not of utmost importance the name you give to a "higher power" or this "attraction" in this great big universe. Nor do I actually feel that religions clash, kind of feel like there is more common ground vs not. It just gets a little muddled, when others try to say their way is the only way or when others say if you do not share there exact belief system you are going to fail in life and go to a plane of hell. I think, it all boils down to compassion for others, especially when struggling and overcoming negative addictions.
Compassion is the right word, but we can only have compassion when we have love in our heart because if we don't we are selfish and we are only able to think about ourselves.
Since I can remember, I was trying to find a spiritual pathway even before addiction, but when I was into alcohol, I was already facing conflicts with my beliefs. I wanted to believe in God but feeling to having my prayers unheard, then not longer believing and trying to find something else to believe in. Mankind seems to need something to believe in, no matter if some individuals may not accept this publicly. The fact is that when I hit rock bottom with my alcohol addiction, and began to suffer those symptoms previous to death, I remember to have asked God for a second chance while feeling sinking letting my body fall on bed. After... a few hours? Not sure of the time passed in between but I'm absolutely sure this happened within the same day, I opened my eyes and saw my mom coming with a cup of tea made of a herbal remedy, but then I was not longer having any symptom that could reveal I was drinking in excess. In fact I was sober already an not feeling dizzy, much if I would never have drunk any alcohol on that day. If this wasn't a miracle, I don't know how to call it, and yet I can't help to have still concerns about if God exists or not.
With me it was the opposite. I was just wondering around in this world when drugs found me, but when I discovered a spiritual way I understood that way was not compatible with alcohol or drug consumption.
I find alcohol quite enjoyable, although I don't take it to the extreme case where I kind of worship it and consume it too much, I just thing it is a good thing if you have self control. Drugs is something to stay away from. Although in the end, they contradict spirituality which has the concept of love, forgiveness and calmness and full of life.
I believe in a God that is kind, that loves us and so on not the one that the Church is trying to portray. That being said, I pray to it from time to time and it does help a little bit. Praying is important for a lot of people because they feel a really tight connection with the one they're praying to.
Definitely praying will help on various ways if you believe in God. Praying can give hope that there will be better days and motivation to do good. It could help us believe that there are always good things that could and will happen.
When we look inside of us, we do know what we have to do, the problem is that we might not have enough strength or motivation to do it or we can reason that it's fine, when it's not.
That is something common of the human nature, we are always changing our minds and many many times we are unable to focus and we just drift in life, with no defined goal.
OF COURSE! Praying is how we connect with God. The power of prayer has been proven again and again and again. I honestly don't know how I got through my life before prayer (oh wait it was alcohol and drugs.) Prayer is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself each and everyday.
That is so true. I am susceptible to changing my own mind all the time, however, certain things I cannot change my mind on because I'm standing firm in the promises.
That is what we should do, we should define a goal we want to achieve and make all efforts to get there, don't get held or stopped by distractions, just keep that goal in mind.
I do not have any type of substance abuse but there are things that I struggle with. I am a Christian and I do believe that if it had not been for God and prayer that I would have lost my mind a long time ago. It is while I am praying that I am able to quench temptation. When I am at my weakest point God makes me strong because I believe.
We should always try to make a sense out of live. If something is not going our way we should think, why instead of being mad. If we are able to do so our live will improve.
If you believe it then it's true, if you don't believe it then it's not. All of us need something to believe in and if that helps us get through life and we feel it's beneficial then I see nothing wrong with that. Faith is important. Not just faith in God, but faith in yourself too. Having said that, I do believe that God is within all of us.
I think that if we don't have faith in ourselves we will not have faith in god because to be honest we are his creation so we should be thankful for being alive and make the most of it.
I disagree, I believe that the mind can indeed prove them and I say this because it all comes back to the same thing which is the same fundamental principle behind all the world's religions; consciousness. Consciousness is universal and omnipresent and doesn't just happen in the mind. We are all indiviuations of the universal "God" consciousness and are therefore all interconnected with each other in addition to us all being directly connected to God. Practice New Thought philosophy, combine it with the law of attraction, meditation and cosmic ordering, understand how these things work and that they do work and you will be able to make the impossible happen (including miracles). I have done this myself, not under laboratory conditions obviously, but have made virtually impossible things happen using the power of mind and this for me is absolutely irrefutable proof that there must be a greater intelligence at work.