Interfaith Spirit Quest

Body, Mind & Spirit: Healthy Lunch Ideas – Survival Skills – Happiness

Prayer for the New Year: To the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the One who makes all things new again; thank you for this new year, for new beginnings and new hope. As we come and go, may we be enlightened and enriched by your Spirit of Truth, may we find new ways toward peace and understanding, love and joy, giving and happiness. Thank you for our daily bread, may it nourish and strengthen us, thank you for providing all that we need. Hear our prayer, in thanksgiving and remembrance of Jesus. Amen.

The following information is provided for members of Interfaith Spirit Quest and is intended to be an outline for our local discussions. Feel free to use this format for your discussions, wherever you may be.

Interfaith Spirit Quest - Body  

Body – Healthy Lunch Foods: Some of you may prefer a big lunch and a light dinner (supper), others may prefer to have their bigger meal in the evening – either way – we just need to pay attention to our bodies and do whatever works best. Those who have a very physical job tend to require more food, whereas the rest of us can easily subsist on smaller meals. In addition to the ideas below, please feel free to share some of your healthy lunch ideas in the comments section.

(See previous and future posts for Breakfast & Supper/Dinner Ideas – this is an ongoing discussion.)

Healthy Lunch Ideas – Control your own portions and remember - everything in moderation.

• Soup or Chili with Hearty Bread/Crackers/Pita, Pickles/Olives/Veggies
• Salad with Veggies & Cheese, add Meat or Egg or Beans (or Veggies/Fruit/Nuts), with Hearty Bread/Crackers/Pita  
• Baked Potato or Sweet Potato with Butter and a side of Stir-Fried or Fresh Veggies
• Sub Sandwich on Hearty Bread or Pita with Grilled Chicken or Turkey or Tuna or Egg Salad with Veggies & Cheese
• Omelet with Veggies & Cheese, Toast & Butter
• Grilled/Baked/Broiled/Boiled Fish/Chicken/Lean Meat  with a Small Potato or Sweet Potato and Steamed/Grilled Veggies

Interfaith Spirit Quest - Mind

Mind - Brain Rule #2- Survival: The following tips are from the book:

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School - by John Medina.

We typically acquire knowledge through improvisation; we then build upon this acquired knowledge in a variety of ways. We could go way back to caveman days to explain how our brain developed, but we won't; we'll just stick to the present moment. Suffice it to say that this acquired knowledge through improvisation is how we learn to survive. Given that the rules have changed since caveman days, we are now free to unlearn some of the conditioned responses we are currently using to survive – such as symbolic reasoning and manipulative methods.

What are some ways we might unlearn some of these behaviors? Our emotions play a large role in our learning process. If we can begin to consider the desired outcome that includes a result that does no harm to others, yet is beneficial to you and others, we will have placed ourselves on the right path to learning new and helpful methods toward living a happy life.

Interfaith Spirit Quest - Spirit

Spirit: 

Contribute to other people's happiness & you will find the true goal, the true meaning in life.

—the Dalai Lama

Happiness: In the same vein of eating healthier for our own good health and with the spiritual realization that our bodies are the temple of God – that manifests itself as a force of energy, as a vast storehouse of Godly wisdom awaiting our inquiry, and in the same vein of changing the way we use our minds to produce more fruitful survival instincts and habits; we come now to the Spiritual Module portion of our discussion, which will center around the idea of Happiness.

While our old survival instincts push us to seek and hoard, our new survival instincts will guide us to seek and find. Find what? Happiness, joy, love fulfillment, inspiration, meaning, strength, wisdom, understanding, peace, zeal for life, generosity, service and giving. Teach yourself to overcome pain, guilt, conflict, fear and moods by changing your attitude, your mind, and your heart – by changing the obstacles that keep you from enjoying life fully.

All these things can be ours, if we only seek them with the right motives. The right motives must include sharing, giving, service or assistance to others – people within and outside of your immediate circle. You must give away that which you wish to receive. Our motives must come from our higher self, we must shift the consciousness of our own minds, and we must be the force that moves mountains – if God lives within, can He not do this?

Interfaith Spirit Quest Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think is keeping you from having more happiness, joy, love, fulfillment….etc? _________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Does being successful scare you or do you believe you're unworthy of success? Why? _________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Does the person with the most toys win? Why or why not? _________________________________________________________________________________________
4. How can we tap into our higher self?

   _________________________________________________________________________________________

The Prayer - Josh Groban & Sissel Kyrkjebö - with Lyrics

Listen to this beautiful rendition of The Prayer by Josh Groban and Sissel Kyrkjebö - see the lyrics below the video. 

The Prayer - Lyrics

I pray you'll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don't know

Let this be our prayer
As we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe
La luce che to dai

I pray we'll find your light
Nel cuore restero
And hold it in our hearts
A ricordarchi che
When stars go out each night
L'eterna stella sei
Nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede c'e
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we'll be safe.
Sognamo un mondo senza piu violenza

Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace e di fraternita

La forza che ci dai
We ask that life be kind
E'il desiderio che
And watch us from above
Ognuno trovi amore
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro a se
Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer
Just like every child
Just like every child

Needs to find a place,
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
E la fede che
Hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salvera

Give People of Faith a Break

Exclusivity?  Muslim - Jewish - Christian.  

Inclusivity?  Interfaith - multi-faith - inter-spiritual - inner spirituality - new thought - new age.  

Do overly religious people bother you? 

Before we criticize how people practice their religion, their faith, perhaps we should note that we stand where we are today because of their faith.  It is precisely because those who came before us stood for something, something righteous and good in their mind, that we can look forward with new thoughts and new visions.  The ones who stand for nothing, sometimes they're the ones you have to watch out for because sometimes, they're only in it for what they can get out of it.  When someone shares their faith with another, they're really trying to help, if they knew they were wrong they probably wouldn't bother.  Just for the record, people of faith are not wrong about everything, we should all strive to find the truth wherever it may be found. 

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.   Matthew 7:7-8

Give people of faith a break!  Stop critizing and do something good and righteous for peace sake.

~ ~ ~

I Can Do Bad All By Myself - Tyler Perry Movie

Spiritual Movie Recommendation:   You'll sympathize, you'll empathize, you'll laugh and cry, and you will be moved.

I Can Do Bad All By Myself

When Madea (Tyler Perry) catches sixteen-year-old Jennifer and her two younger brothers looting her home, she decides to take matters into her own hands and delivers the young delinquents to the only relative they have: their aunt April. A heavy-drinking nightclub singer who lives off of Raymond, her married boyfriend, April wants nothing to do with the kids. But her attitude begins to change when Sandino, a handsome Mexican immigrant looking for work, moves into April's basement room. Making amends for his own troubled past, Sandino challenges April to open her heart. And April soon realizes she must make the biggest choice of her life: between her old ways with Raymond and the new possibilities of family, faith ... and even true love.

New DVD release:

Buy it now: