On the verge of Mayhem

I'm packing. I hate packing.

I'm leaving for the writers conference (Meyhem in the Midlands) in the morning. I also am not a morning person.

All my clothes are already in the car. It's the "extras" that I don't have finished. Which earrings will go with which outfits? How much free time will I have? Should I bring one book to read? Or three? What about knitting? How much yarn should I bring? I think that's the stuff that confuses me more than anything.

I don't want to forget anything, but I don't want to take everything I own, either! Grrr.....

I'm excited and nervous. What if I go and find out that my writing isn't what I think it is? What if I find out that I suck? (Worse than just stinking!) What if....

Wish me luck and I'll try to post from the conference. (The computer is already packed, too!)

Becoming Ordained

Yesterday was amazing. I headed west with my dog and we ended up at Devil's Tower, Wyoming. If you've never been there, you are missing something wonderful. Photos or movies (like Close Encounters of the Third Kind) honestly don't do the monument justice. It is a very solemn area and it is easy to see why the Native Americans hold it sacred.

After a lot of walking and admiring the area and taking MANY pictures, we headed back.

Once home, tired and hungry, I read my e-mail to find a note saying, "It is my pleasure to welcome you into the clergy of the Coven of Christ Ministries." WOW! I was so excited!

I had read in "Clan of the Goddess" by C.C. Brondwin that we need to take those moments of pure bliss and relive them and cherish them. According to her, those are the moments that bring us closer to the Goddess. Those are the moments that we, as spiritual people, need to cling to in order to become all that we're meant to be.

Reading that e-mail, the one that said I am now a High Priestess in Coven of Christ Ministries, was one of those moments of bliss for me. It's something I've wanted and considered for many years (maybe not in COCM, since I didn't know such a wonderful group existed) and now that's a dream that has been fulfilled -- a moment of bliss to be relived and cherished. I'm thankful that I achieved this milestone and hope to be worthy of the honor.

Statement of Faith

I was raised Christian, although we didn’t attend church often — mostly just Christmas and Easter. As a teen, I realized I was missing something. I started attending church on my own, even walking to the church that was only a few blocks from my house. Eventually, though, I moved away, went to college and decided that sleeping in was more fun than going to church.

Eventually, I joined the military, got married, had a child, and got divorced. I wanted my daughter to have that spiritual family I felt I missed growing up. Once again I looked for a church.

Skip ahead a few years. We moved. I got remarried. We again looked for a church home. We ended up at a Pentecostal church that didn’t quite fit us, but it was close to our house. This church preached a very strict interpretation of the Bible. I was taught there that some of the gifts I’d embraced growing up — a talent for the Tarot; the ability to see, hear and sense spirits; an interest in things other than the Bible — were evil. Finally, I became dissatisfied with the “fire and brimstone” sermons. A disagreement with one of the staff pastors there led us to re-evaluate our situation.

We found a new church, one that embraced our family. The sermons focused on the love of Christ and reminded us of His love. It became a pleasure for each of us to attend the services! What a difference!!

Since that time — roughly three years ago — I have decided to embrace what I’ve come to believe are gifts from God and not something evil. I’ve come to realize that there is one God, but so many different paths to get there. The gifts I’ve been given are to be used to help others in any way I can. I’ve begun taking a Christian Witch course and also have been studying Celtic and Norse Goddesses to learn about my heritage (I’m about one-eight Irish) and how I can combine the Old Ways with what we now think of as Christianity. I want to show others how they can know the love of God and still follow their paths and dreams.

I believe Jesus was God’s son. I’m not sure Jesus was God’s only son. I look at Heaven as a boardroom. God is at the head, the CEO. On one side is the Holy Sprit and the other is the Christ. The rest of the table is filled with the other Gods and Goddesses and angels and saints who are ready and willing to help us along our own paths.

I am hoping to become ordained through Coven of Christ Ministries because I believe that I can follow the path set before me. I firmly believe that the Universe is calling me to help those who are in the position I was. I’m a good listener and I minored in both sociology and psychology in college. I’m able to assist people with their problems and find the answers they seek. (I can’t always do this in my own life, though!) Being ordained and associating with COCM is something that is “brought to my attention” often — through things people say or thoughts I have on my own. These are the signs I believe I’m supposed to be seeing.

In addition to assisting people face-to-face, I am a web designer and author. I know that I can use my gifts in both of these occupations, as well as in my personal life.

I see me closing my web design business in the next 10 years, and focusing on my writing, as well as creating crafts to sell on the Internet — soaps, candles, jewelry, clothing, each of them blessed and produced with love.

My family is my first priority. My faith is my second. I hope to continue to find love, peace and joy in both for years to come.

Simpsons & Harry Potter

Blessing the garden

So I've been busy.

Today was spent blessing the area where my herb garden will be. I asked the Earth Spirits to bless it and help the herbs grow. It will be a Kitchen/Culinary garden and I'm really looking forward to starting the planting. Unfortunately, I should wait another week or so to make sure the weather will hold.

I've also decided to take a class online that is in-line with my chosen path. I'm taking the Celtic and Norse Goddess course from the Magic Circle School. Started tonight and need to learn about the Holy Queen Epona and then do a "project" that relates to her. I'll also need to get a notebook or binder, I think to keep track of all this information. I also am thinking of taking an online tarot course, but who knows. I have so much on my plate right now that maybe I only need to do one class at a time.