No one can exactly accuse me of being religious. My mother was Catholic and my father Methodist. My Grandfather might have been Jewish. Maybe that makes me a little of everything and a whole lot of nothing exactly.
One of the many things that I learned from my grandfather was about American Indians....not that his knowledge was extensive but he had several friends who were Seminole from Florida. He talked about the great spirit and what it meant to be "spiritual". I always thought it was his way of covering what ever bases he felt my parents had missed when my mother pulled me out of Catechism one year when she was particularly angry with the priest (and for good reason I might add). It made things pretty confusing when I occasionally bounced between churches and ideologies so the "spiritual" thing stuck the best, not that any of us attended church all that much.
Bubba (my grandfather) instilled in me that whatever God was out there didn't care if you went to an organized house of worship since his church, like him, was everywhere - all the time. It used to laugh when the kids I worked with used to say 24/7/365...it always made me think of my Grandfather and "the big picture".
My mother, hence the photo of the candles, always lit candles. It was a carry over from church and we always thought she'd eventually burn down the house. Now, I do the same thing. I always purchase the Virgin of Guadalupe candles from the store. In my kitchen one is lit most of the time when I am home. It's kind of a silent reminder to be thankful and mindful of that big picture. Sometimes it's lit because a friend needs a prayer - today is one of those days.
A friend of mine, and more than likely someone you are acquainted with if you are checking in on this blog, is in need of a prayer. Her daughter isn't well. She has been a friend to many in the bead making world (and an exceptional participant in Beads of Courage) - a cheerful - kind - role model. Maybe you can make an origami crane, or light a candle, whisper a prayer, cross your fingers or eyes, whatever it is that you do when you ask for a little divine intervention on someones behalf. Energy everyone!!!!....power up and send a positive thought into the universe. The spirits will know who it is for and what it's about. My prayers and thoughts are with you my friend.