Plans for the New Year

We've had a busy December with travels to Hiroshima and family coming in for Christmas. Now that things have settled back down, there are only a couple of days left in 2013 and I've been thinking a lot about what I want for myself and this blog in the upcoming new year.

I don't really know what I'm doing here, in this online space, but I do know that part of me yearns to be here. I have lots of ideas floating around in my mind... so many that I often find it difficult to stay with a single topic long enough to complete a post. I think it might be helpful (for you? or maybe just for me?) to outline the kinds of topics I'm thinking of taking on here at The Cultivated Faith. Of course, suggestions are welcomed as well. :)

Book Reviews

If you see me at the library, you'll most likely find me in the spiritual and religious section. I have stopped apologizing for liking these kinds of books... It's just who I am. I have a long list of books I'd like to read within these categories and that list seems to grow longer every day. So, I thought it might be nice for me to post book reviews of the books I've been reading. Maybe even to blog throughout a book if I find a particularly good one. The first up on my list? "Love Wins" by Rob Bell. I read this book on my Kindle, but bought a hard copy that finally came in the mail. Because I had borrowed the Kindle version, all my notes are gone so it looks like I'll have to read it again and highlight the hard copy. Darn. :) I have LOVED this book, and can't wait to write about it. You're welcome to get a copy and read along with me - I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

World Religion Spotlights

I minored in Religious Studies, and I still learn new things about the world's religions every day. I'd like to shine a light on one of the world's religions, maybe once a month, with information for adults who are interested, as well as resources for teaching children. We live in a global community, people. We need to learn more about each other.

Religious Leader Spotlights

There have been many, many people to influence the world's spirituality and religion. I'm talking religious leaders, thought-reformers, activists, missionaries, and everyday people who found themselves doing something miraculous. Let's learn about them! And let's teach our children about them too.

Parenting Dilemmas

Do you have children who ask tough questions? Are you clueless about how to answer them? Me too! It's hard to navigate questions about death, God, heaven, and hell, when you don't subscribe to a singular religion. And it's difficult even when you do! I hope to tackle some of these subjects by being honest about my own struggle to find answers, as well as by offering some suggestions on talking about these topics with our children.

New Ways of Thinking

I hope that every reader who happens upon or searches for this blog is cultivating their spiritual lives.  I believe that we always have more to learn, and I want to push my readers to continue their spiritual growth rather than letting it stagnate. We are on Earth to expand our consciousness, to live a more awakened life, and to fully realize that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I don't ever expect to know all the answers, but I sure do enjoy the search for them. On this blog, you can expect honesty, thoughtfulness, and a genuine desire to better understand those who may be different than me. This will not be a place for judgement and condemnation. There's enough of that in the world. It's high time we chose a different path.

Please let me know if you have suggestions for this blog. I'd love to hear them.