Working Out Spirituality

Sitting alone in church on Sunday, I found myself actually pondering matters of spirituality instead of being distracted with my company.  Sometimes I love distractions a little too much.

I always squirm at the phrase, "All or nothing," when it comes to spirituality, no matter the religion.  Every week I hear from a speaker or someone commenting in class something like, "I know it is hard to read your scriptures every day, but we've got to.  If we don't, we can't be close to Heavenly Father."

I cannot speak for everyone, but the God I believe in loves all of us.  The God I believe in is my father and my creator.  The God I believe in is like my own earthly father in that He will welcome me into His arms whenever I run to Him, even if I've been gone awhile.

I sat there, listening, trying to make sense of it all.  Trying to find a way to talk with people when they come to me with heartbreaking questions like, "If I can't be all in, then I guess I have to be all out?  I want this, but I just can't do it all."

We are human.  We are prone to err.  Isn't it ironic that we find ourselves constantly striving for perfection while realizing that "perfect" is a goal we will never reach?

Thinking of the perfect spirit lead my thoughts to the perfect body to house that spirit.  Honestly, I've been struggling with my dear Gym lately.  Oh, I still make it 4-6 times per week, but due to the medication from my recent diagnosis (which is totally minor, I'll admit, but a doozie of a blow on the body of someone who has N-E-V-E-R taken medicine), hunger is my constant companion no matter what I do/don't eat, my digestive system is a hater, and exhaustion plagues at least half of my day every day.  What do all those things lead to?  Disappointment and lack of motivation. The crazy thing about disappointment is that it leads to more disappointment.  You've got to just pull your head up and keep fighting and plugging along or you'll succumb to a world of downers.  Doggoneit, I'm tired.  I wonder if all these doctor's appointments and medicines are worth it.  I never felt any pain except a sore throat after singing too long before the medicine and now I feel crummy most of the time on this medication.  At my last exam the doc hadn't noticed any improvement in the state of the acid damage around my vocal chords.  Um?  Don't worry, I have my first vocal therapy session on Thursday and I will sure as heck be talking about it.  In the mean time, I've been pretty down on myself and struggling more than I care to admit...which is still quite minor when I compare myself to most of the world's population.  The hope is that the medicine will heal the damage and the therapy will help my vocal chords and then I can learn to adapt my life to the world of laryngopharyngeal reflux without medication.  Fingers crossed.

Back to the point.

How do we achieve the perfect body?  Eating right and working out.

How do we achieve the perfect spirit?  Partaking of the spirit of Christ and seeking additional opportunities to use that spirit to lift the world around us.

Kind of the same.

Just as you don't immediately die if you don't eat right or work out all the time, your spirit doesn't immediately die if you aren't constantly reading scriptures and praying.

Will you feel more physically healthy if you eat right and work out one day per week versus zero days?  Absolutely.

Will you feel more spiritually healthy if you read your scriptures and pray one day per week versus zero?  Absolutely.

Do those benefits increase with each additional day of trying to increase your physical or spiritual health?  Absolutely!

Do what you can.  If all you've got, if all you can possibly muster, is three days per week, then, by golly, you are doing three days per week!  God's love for us is not, and has never been, "all or nothing."

Obviously the way to be closest to your Father in Heaven is to be working your hardest daily.  We must recognize we are not all on the same level.  Would you ask a 50-year old overweight man to do the same routine as an Olympic gymnast?  No.

Do your best.  Only you and your Father in Heaven know what that is.

Live long and prosper.

 

Yeah Samake

Yesterday evening, I had the great privilege of listening to the man who I hope is the future president of Mali.  Yeah Samake.

I cannot put into words the inspiration I felt listening to this man.  He truly is a selfless servant of the people who is willing to give everything to help his country.  Rare is a person who loves their country so intensely.  His history is remarkable - where he has been and where he is going.  He is also a man of God who uses LDS gospel principles to help govern.  These principles have helped bring about great change in Mali - a country that is 90% Muslim. 

I highly recommend listening to him - you will feel grateful for your life and inspired to make things happen. 

The Pornography Problem

Pornography addiction destroys families.

Pornography addiction destroys lives.

Pornography addiction destroys.  Period.

My question is this: Do you think that some folks in the LDS faith, or any religion for that matter, are too quick to state that any consumption of pornography is an addiction? 

For most religious people, there is a shroud of mystery surrounding this thing that is constantly referred to as one of the biggest problems in our society today.  Of course curiosity is going to catch hold of folks - male and female.   I believe that almost all adolescents have been exposed to pornography in some form, whether on accident or intentionally seeking it out.  I have heard many women state that any man who has ever looked at pornography in any way is automatically disqualified as a future spouse candidate.  Call me a fool, and good for these gals for holding out, but I truly believe the percentage of men who have never been exposed to this would optimistically be somewhere between 1% - 5% - and that is within religious congregations.  (this is my own random, non-fact based statistic - don't judge)  We are viewing the world through rose-colored glasses if we truly believe the majority of people have not been exposed. 

I know men who are not particularly religious who will consume this type of "entertainment" a few times a year and have perfectly normal, healthy, well-functioning lives and relationships.  Yet it often appears that any consumption at all of forbidden substances is illogically dubbed an "addiction" by religious onlookers. 

I do not condone pornography.  I think the effects are disgusting, immoral, demeaning, and inappropriate.  I do not want it in my home.  I do not, however, believe a person is disgusting if they viewed pornography.  I support and agree with what the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints have to say on avoiding pornography.   However, I believe many people too quickly judge - too quickly jump to illogical conclusions. 

I cannot state that I think a person who has ever or currently does watch pornography is not or will not be a good husband or wife.  I do not believe that.  Yes, I have seen real addictions literally destroy families, relationships, and marriages - several very close to me.  Yes, I have seen a person talk to their bishop about a potential problem and be talked down to to such a point, even called disgusting, that they left the church.  Yes, I have also seen real addictions overcome and beautiful futures grow.  And I do mean any addiction here as well as pornography - alcoholism, obesity (food), video games, drugs, etc.  But, I will state again, any consumption does not mean there is an end-all problem. 

And here I come into the definition of what exactly pornography entails.  
Pornography: writings, pictures, films, etc, designed to stimulate sexual excitement OR the production of such material.  Pornography comes from the Greek pornographos, meaning "the writing of harlots," from pornē,  a harlot + graphein, to write.

I think each person needs to figure the line of appropriateness for themselves.  I have a friend who struggled with an addiction and, in order to keep his mind clear, will not even look at nude artwork, which is something I find beautiful.  For the ladies?  I'm not even going to get into what I've heard about Fifty Shades of Grey.  

Now that we know the definition of "pornography," what about "addiction?"  
Addiction:  the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

Under this definition, someone who has viewed pornography is no more an addict than someone who has had a drink of alcohol is an alcoholic.  I am not condoning these behaviors in any way, don't get me wrong.  I believe these are not healthy behaviors.  What I am saying is that I do not believe a religious person has an addiction simply because they have a behavior contrary to what their leaders teach.  I've seen at least one man fall off the wagon completely and into an addiction because he felt that after his first experience he was already doomed.  I'm sure there are deeper psychological issues behind that decision, but no matter the reasons, the thought pattern disgruntles me.

We need to keep our eyes open and our attentions alerted to avoid temptations.  However, I hardly think that because an individual consumes one bad thing, they are on their path to destruction.

I am not saying to run out and rekindle a relationship with someone you left because of an addiction.  What I am asking is to please not be so quick to jump to a conclusion about someone's moral integrity and mental state.  Please do not exacerbate problems or blow them out of proportion.  Please love people as much as you can.  Please know I put a lot of thought into this post and I hope it reads as I intended.

Post-article, I found this article about women's addictions, which is fascinating: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-dubinsky/porn-addiction_b_1686481.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008