Thursday, December 26, 2013

Jim Palmer - Your Life Is Your Spiritual Path

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/149372052X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=149372052X&linkCode=as2&tag=integraloptio-20

Jim Palmer is author of Notes from (Over) the Edge: Unmasking the Truth to End Your Suffering (2013), Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God (and the unlikely people who help you) (2006), and many other books. He is an ordained minister who has left behind the traditional structures of religion.

"The idea of "being present in the moment" sounds right but can be a little elusive and frustrating when seeking to apply it. It can come across as though one should stop and have some sort of deep or spiritual experience. Instead, consider the possibility that the spiritual life is simply responding to situations as they require. If you need to walk from your kitchen to your bedroom, it's not necessary to stop at each step and "be present in the moment" and have a "spiritual experience." Life itself is spiritual and no moment needs you to do anything to add the spirituality to it. There are some moments, such as catching a beautiful sunset, when you experience deep feelings and feel a greater connection to God and life. But no not suppose that such a moment is more "spiritual" than walking from your kitchen to the bedroom. It's only that the two situations were different, inviting two different responses. Your life is your spiritual path... every part of it."

- Jim Palmer

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