Where is your favorite place to seek guidance?

“I come to the garden alone While the dew is still on the roses And the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses. And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known. He speaks, and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing; And the melody that He gave to me Within my heart is ringing.”

My grandfather was a Methodist preacher. Any time the church doors were open, we were sitting in the pew. My favorite services were evening ones, the “request nights”. One of the little old ladies sitting near the back would have this on their list, number 62 in the Cokesbury hymnal!

I never lost my faith, but I fell out of religion several years ago. Two bad experiences with two different pastors who were much more interested in how I could support the church rather than how the church could support me left me with lots of questions and few answers. I stumbled, reaching out to other denominations, but nothing felt right. As I plodded along on my own, I found the The Seven Celtic Christian Distinctives I knew I’d found my path and my way home.

I am a Celtic Christian. I believe in:

1). Hope - Looks first for the good rather than the evil in all things.

2). Equality - Of men and women, clergy and laity.

3). Mystery - The Infinite God cannot be fully comprehended or explained by finite man.

4). Environment - Stewardship of God's Creation.

5). Holism - Awareness of the sacred in all times and places; refusal to compartmentalize life.

6). Immanence - God is present with His Creation.

7). Simplicity - Emphasis on the "main and plain" basic essential doctrines.

"HeMeHis": An acronym composed of the first initials of each of the words: Hope, Equality -- Mystery, Environment -- Holism, Immanence, Simplicity.

So where is my favorite place to seek guidance? In nature, in God – He’s everywhere. My inspiration comes from the water and that’s where I find peace. There’s a windchime just outside my window and each time I hear it, I know He is near. My sister and I planted a moon garden years ago, and there’s a bench where I can “Be still and know….” God and I are in constant conversation; I know He’s guiding me if I will just listen...and if I don't, I know He will hit me on the head with a skillet (or something just as drastic

) to get my attention.

“… He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own…” HeMeHis!