I am a male, 72 years old and the father of two girls and grandfather to four. I was in a relationship with my late wife for 55 years (married for 53). I was brought up in the Methodist church (protestant), but I didn’t have my own relationship with God until about 1978.
My first blog describes how this relationship came about. I think it is appropriate as the first blog page because I think we can only become our very best version of ourselves if we have a personal relationship with God. He is with us constantly through His Spirit guiding us as we listen to do His will which is to love everyone in the world.
When I first established a relationship with God, I felt burdened (from my own inner voice) to prove to God that I was good enough to be in a relationship with Him. I only learned later that there is absolutely nothing I can do to make God love me any more than He has since I was created.
What I write here is spiritually based. I was religious for many years even after I had accepted God’s love in my life. But I found it too confining. I realized that God loves everyone ever created with unconditional love no matter what religion they profess, the color of their skin, the political beliefs, there sexual beliefs or any other thing we can imagine separating any of us from God. God is love. Unconditional love.
I believe that being my best possible version of myself is dependent on me accepting God’s love and for me to be a channel of that love to everyone. I don’t believe that anyone should receive these thoughts as incontrovertible truth. Paul said we should check out prophecies as they occur to us and use critical thinking to determine if they are useful to each of us as individuals. (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). If it is not true for us, then we are to discard what we can’t use.
I write these things based on studies I have done in multiple books and the ultimate source, the Holy Bible. I spend the first part of each of my days studying God’s word that I might be inspired by the Holy Spirit to learn more about God’s love and how I can channel it.
May God help each of us as we set out or continue on the path to becoming the best possible version of ourselves.