I consider myself one who struggles to follow Christ's example of how to live in this world. I am a sinner. I am certainly not boasting this statement. But I realize that I am a sinner. I also realize, no matter what others say I am, or what I may call myself, I am Gods. Just as sure as one of the little sparrows or one of the great whales, I am His.

When I was very little, I knew He was there. I would sing and look up at the sky and know He was there looking down on me while I played. It felt good. I saw Him in all things He created. Nature was the most beautiful thing I had ever encountered. I loved all His creatures and felt connected to them. I still am. Nature was my teacher. I always listen to her. Listen to her voice in the leaves, in the grass, in the wings of insects and birds. Listening to her, I am also listening to God. And, she has always loved me. Good or bad, she just loves me because I am.

I don't remember how I learned there was God. But I do believe that if we are never told of Him or His Name, He will reveal Himself to us.

As I grew older, I heard many things about God that didn't seem to fit my Companion or anything Nature told me about our connectedness. Before I was a teenager, I was told that there were only a chosen few that went to Heaven. And if you were not among that number, you went to hell and burned forever and ever. They, very seriously, showed me the place in the Bible where it was written. And the exact number of the chosen few was there too! Well, I thought, if this be true, I am going to hell.

Now I didn't feel right about what they said. It didn't settle well with me. After all, I didn't ask to be born. And what good news was in that! Why would I want to listen to it. It added to my purpose nothing. Leads me to no where but to a lonely, hopeless and deadend path.

But after that, I stopped listening to what others said about God. I didn't care what their credentials were. Didn't care what color of cloth he or she wore. If their words divided us as a community in the entire world, in any way, I knew it had nothing to do with God. If their words did not touch my soul with love and uplifting words that created hope in me, I wisely turned away. I had brow beaten myself enough. And so had others. And I didn't need to hear what a sinner I was. I already knew that.

Unconsciously, for years, at a gut level, I believed that I would go to hell. (I then believed there was a place called Hell.) You see, I thought I was nobody.  So I just hoped that I would be all right, somehow. I knew He was still watching over me. But I felt I had to keep my distance.

I didn't try, for a long time, to get close to Him. I surely didn't think I was worthy enough. I did believe He would deal with me fairly. I talked to Him, but I didn't expect conversation. I just accepted my lot in life and tried to live it my best. Always trying to follow Christ Jesus. And I figured it was His business of who He chose and didn't choose. That about sums up how I saw myself in His Light.

Later I learned, when reading the Bible, to take a look at who is talking to who. Learn what I can of their culture, and what they believed in when the scripture was written. Taking this into consideration, I have a deeper understanding, compassion and appreciation for the writer(s) and for what they are revealing to us today.

I am not evangelistic. Nor do I appreciate evangelists in any of their past or present "good deeds." As a matter of fact, I am, and have always been insulted by their endeavors to "save my soul." That, to me, takes a pretty big ego. That ego assumes I do not have a meaningful relationship with the Lord. That ego also assumes I need to be saved. If there are any souls to be saved, God will do it. Evangelism, I feel, we do not need.  It only destroys sacred culture. Strips us from what we are uniquely connected to. My humble opinion.

Evangelism is not my idea of going forward in our lives.  I cannot see where it helps anyone to know God on a personal level. For me, preaching and teaching the Good News is by living it. That teaches and preaches Love. There is no other way. And for me to assume that I have to save your soul, would be to play God. And besides all that, I certainly think that God is perfectly capable of taking care of His own. And by His own, I mean anyone that has or will be created.

I also do not believe that God has a rival. The concept we have named satan, devil, and other titles. Don't get me wrong. I certainly know that evil exists. It exists in all of us. Any evil deed you have seen or heard about exists in all of us. That's how far we can go down the wrong path. Think destruction, ponder on it long enough, and you will begin to feel it and want to do it. Pretty soon it even seems justified! Be very careful what you say and how you treat all creation. You are teaching and preaching to yourself as well as to others by your words and actions.

When Jesus said to Peter, "Get behind me satan!" He was not talking to an entity, he was referring to the concept of the thought this disciple had.

I also do not believe in the concept that we have to have a mediator, or a go-between, to talk with God. God created me, God will talk with me. He will listen to me. He will guide me. He will teach me all I need to know. He will use any means that fits my personality to reveal his message to me. This tells me how alike and yet how unique we all are. How dare I think this? Because I am God's belonging; Not man's.

I cannot even begin to conceive of the idea that this world belongs to us. Another flamboyant and egotistical idea. Man, and man alone has instilled this concept in himself and others. It kills. It is most evil. Most destructive.

I have more I want to say to you, but this is quite long enough. I will talk more later. But I want to say this: God does not want our sacrifices. He hungers and thirsts for our companionship. And I think those words are the most beautiful in all the world.

We are visitors here. One day we will go back home to Our Heavenly Father. While we are here, let us treat all things as Christ has shown us. With mercy, forgiveness, tenderness, charity, joyfulness, creativeness, honor, respect and with unconditional Love. Rebuking anything that is not loving and kind. Rebuking anything that separates us. It is a daily commitment. And each day a new beginning. If you triumph today, I rejoice with you. If you have a failure at present, the next moment is a clean slate! This is the day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!