Picture: Stunning seascape by Anton Gorlin (from www.cuded.com and www.inspirefirst.com)
AS THE SPIRIT MOVES ME
Written about 1999 (and is a record of some my thoughts along the “spiritual journey”, when I was in one of the frequent “valleys of life”.
Hope I’ve grown a bit since those early days…
As my close friends and family say: You’re not having a mid life crisis now, your entire life is a long on-going one, craig!
So will keep on laughing along the often extremely hard, yet always amazing and magical journey of life#.
c
* that’s a metaphor, btw *
from http://www.craiglockbooks.com (My American cyberpal Erich who kindly did this nice web site for me “many moons” ago)
*
So here goes…I’m NOT religious. However, in the last few years I have become particularly interested in spirituality and theology, (rather than religion ‘per se’, an impressive expression, rather fancy and foreign.)
But what does it mean? I began to realize that the spiritual aspect was missing from my life for so long. Unbalanced, like a lop-sided wheel, my engine of life spluttering and misfiring along
(Although I did believe in “some sort of” Higher Power (and included that in my earliest writings).
For most of my life I didn’t think much about God, Ultimate Source and definitely had not much God consciousness (like “direct” experience and appreciation of God’s Infinite Love and Grace).
Though my good friend Donovan (a “normal/crazy” Christian – you don’t have to be overly “straight and boring” to be one) had been praying for me for many many years – “poor chappie”, I didn’t know much about Jesus (having forgotten much of what the nuns taught in my young convent days at Star of the Sea, in St James, False Bay, Cape Town. Let alone how easy it is to “tap into” this incredible Source of Power and Wisdom through Jesus as conduit “spooky”, eh!
I’m certainly not another “Bible basher”. I like to think of myself (I don’t like “labels”, nor “trying to fit people into little boxes”)as a “free spirited, passionate, yet moderate” follower of Jesus Christ (and His teachings), who is most tolerant of other views and denominations.
“If Jesus were here today (in “person”), would He be a ‘Christian’??!!”
There are many doorways to God, our great Creator and life-force, I believe.
I know, I know.. but I got an answer to that one!
A hint- go directly to The Source)
You choose!
I think intolerance and adhering to “narrow religious dogmas” is one of the reasons why rigid ‘religious (note alliteration) types’ are perceived as being ‘weirdos’ by those on the outside, and why the world is in such a mess! And why traditional religion is losing so many followers in the Western world today
I am a new Christian, but with the sort of life I’ve led, “Someone up there” must have been watching over me all the time. Now my relationship with a Higher Power, The Spirit of the universe through Jesus Christ, gives me great peace of mind and joy, though I’ve still got my “L-plates” on in my walk with our heavenly Father, Infinite Intelligence, Life, Nature or Destiny
(or whatever you wish to call Him /Her/ It).
My relationship with Him is vitally important to me, (together with my dearly beloved sons) and through Spirit I seem to get closer to and get to know God, Ground of All Being better
day by day. The Lord through Jesus as conduit, a channel is the source of my comfort (and I need plenty) strength and inspiration. I believe I’m doing what I’m destined to do by following
my ‘calling’ and the deepest desires of my heart.
I want to follow His plan for my life and serve humanity in some way. ( Well, without Him what a ‘stuff up’ I made, going down my blind alleys and coming to numerous
dead-ends – ‘cul de sacs’ ). Showing off my French again!
Enough disclosure of intimate stuff – as I’m a very private part – ‘er sorry, person!
This is a very quiet, stable period of my life here in “Sleepy Hollow” near the bottom of the world, after much turbulence in the past decade. Probably extremely boring for someone like me. However, I really needed this time out after our unstable and stressful past decade – changing countries as often as my ‘underrods’.
Most importantly, I sincerely believe it’s time for growing (as I’m quite short!). But perhaps most of all, its my apprenticeship serving God, as I have a very strong feeling that I would like to spend the rest of my life getting to know Him better and honouring Him, as well as helping people in distress and “serving humanity in whatever way I can. In short,being the best person I can possibly be.
In my future works I have a strong compulsion (or is it inspiration?) to write on a more spiritual level; about what HE has done for me personally and what He
can do in all of our lives…if only we will open the door and let Him (the spirit/energy of the Universe) in. All you have to do is ASK.
Yes, I firmly believe we all need that firm relationship with The Creator. I strongly believe that relationship is not only for the weak, the poor and the “lame ducks” of society; but also for the successful achievers who can do much more with FAITH.
We don’t know when we will need His help…and when our whole world comes crashing down, like Humpty Dumpty, he is our ‘insurance policy’, our parachute.
How much more we can do with God’s help? We only have to ask Him to come into our lives. I truly believe God wants us to be good kind people (as most people are), to love ourselves as well as our neighbour; yet also to be successful (financially, but especially spiritually)…and to use our “wealth of spirit” to benefit others
Though ‘yours truly’ can’t speak from a position of strength – at least not yet!
Dream on, “sonny boy”!
“Without hope and a vision the people perish”
– Proverbs
Enough “heavy” theology and “preaching like a religious nutter, trying to “save and convert you”…
craig 1999
From http://www.craiglockbooks.com/spirit.html
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
– Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
WHO IS "THE REAL, THE TRUE, THE LIVING" JESUS? 
Reblogged this on Sharing Some Thoughts on Jesus Christ.
Thanks for the follow/link/like/reblog and/or comment
Hi
CAN’T KEEP UP…BUT THANKS FOR THE “THANX”
MANY MORE COMMENTS OVERNIGHT .. together with hundreds of thousands already on my various other blogs at https://craigsblogs.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/craigs-list-of-blogs-updated-sept-2011/
…true!) …obsessive or WHAT! *So hope it’s not slowing down your loading speed!). Am really pleased you are enjoying my writings, as the reason I write is to share.
Though I’m rather “driven”, I still get really, really fatigued, so sorry can’t reply individually to all you good people scattered around the planet, but DO try to read as many as possible daily (and even moderate a few when I get a “mo”), I got swamped with comments on my various blogs, so have had to close them off on all of my blogs, except for one or two of particular interest to me – sorry and hope you can understand..
* “Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
~ Franz Kafka
I do really appreciate your liking, linking to and/or following this blog (and “writing in”), so “thanks for the thanx”
“As we live and move and have our being, so from this vision, we create heaven in our own lives… and perhaps even heaven on earth.”
– craig (as inspired by Acts 17:28 and the words of Felicia Searcy)
“Aim at the earth and you may not get off the ground.a
“Aim at the stars and you may reach the moon.”
“Aim at heaven and you’ll have earth thrown in…
and you may even hit the stars.”
– craig (as inspired by the famous quote by CS Lewis – 24th May 2012)
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
– Leonardo da Vinci
When (or if ever) you arrive in heaven, let faith, hope and love be the wings that carried you there.”
– as adapted from the inspiring words of Jonathan Edwards, former minister in New England, Massachusetts
“The Greatest Race: Living by (with) faith, hope and love is the highest podium any person can reach, God’s podium that anyone stand on.”
– c
“Having pursued the goals, the dreams set before us and run the race with persistence and endurance, after giving it all. Then one day standing on the summit of life, breathing in the pure sweet oxygen of achievement, totally satisfied in running the greatest race, the race of life one that ANYONE can run and win.”
from http://racetothechequeredflag.wordpress.com/
and http://www.godandformula1.wordpress.com
“If a man is called to be a street-sweeper,
he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,
or Beethoven composed music, or
Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep streets so well
that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,
here lived a great street sweeper
who did his job well.”
– Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
PPS
Instead of trying to reply to each one of you, I’ll just keep on writing
“If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I’d type a little faster.”
The various books* that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=%22craig+lock%22&sitesearch_type=STORE
http://www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books
and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children –
MINE!
Don’t worry about the world ending today…
as it’s already tomorrow in scenic and tranquil ‘little’ New Zealand
PPS
”Since I can never see your face,
And never shake you by the hand,
I send my soul through time and space
To greet you. You will understand.”
– James Elroy Flecker (1884-1915)
LikeLike
Hi
CAN’T KEEP UP…BUT THANKS FOR THE “THANX”
MANY MORE COMMENTS OVERNIGHT and many many hundreds of thousands already on this blog…true!) …so hope it’s not slowing down your loading speed!). Am really pleased you are enjoying my writings, as the reason I write is to share.
Am having to remove many comments and so sorry can’t reply individually, but DO try to read as many as possible daily (in between writing new books).
So “thanks for the thanx”
“As we live and move and have our being, so from this vision, we create heaven in our own lives… and perhaps even heaven on earth.”
– craig (as inspired by Acts 17:28 and the words of Felicia Searcy)
“Aim at the earth and you may not get off the ground.
“Aim at the stars and you may reach the moon.”
“Aim at heaven and you’ll have earth thrown in…
and you may even hit the stars.”
– craig (as inspired by the famous quote by CS Lewis – 24th May 2012)
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
– Leonardo da Vinci
“If a man is called to be a street-sweeper,
he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,
or Beethoven composed music, or
Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep streets so well
that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,
here lived a great street sweeper
who did his job well.”
– Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://peacepursuit.wordpress.com/
http://breakdownwalls.wordpress.com/
The various books that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 and and http://www.creativekiwis.com/amazon.htm
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children –
MINE!
PPS
Instead of trying to reply to each one of you, I’ll just keep on writing
“If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I’d type a little faster.”
“Let not our different beliefs set us apart as human beings, but rather let the Spirit of our shared humanity be what defines and unites us as common citizens of our planet.”
– me
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for the follow/link/like/reblog and/or comment
Hi
CAN’T KEEP UP…BUT THANKS FOR THE “THANX”
MANY MORE COMMENTS OVERNIGHT .. together with hundreds of thousands already on my various other blogs at https://craigsblogs.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/craigs-list-of-blogs-updated-sept-2011/
…true!) …obsessive or WHAT! *So hope it’s not slowing down your loading speed!). Am really pleased you are enjoying my writings, as the reason I write is to share.
Though I’m rather “driven”, I still get really, really fatigued, so sorry can’t reply individually to all you good people scattered around the planet, but DO try to read as many as possible daily (and even moderate a few when I get a “mo”), I got swamped with comments on my various blogs, so have had to close them off on all of my blogs, except for one or two of particular interest to me – sorry and hope you can understand..
* “Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
~ Franz Kafka
I do really appreciate your liking, linking to and/or following this blog (and “writing in”), so “thanks for the thanx”
“As we live and move and have our being, so from this vision, we create heaven in our own lives… and perhaps even heaven on earth.”
– craig (as inspired by Acts 17:28 and the words of Felicia Searcy)
“Aim at the earth and you may not get off the ground.a
“Aim at the stars and you may reach the moon.”
“Aim at heaven and you’ll have earth thrown in…
and you may even hit the stars.”
– craig (as inspired by the famous quote by CS Lewis – 24th May 2012)
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
– Leonardo da Vinci
When (or if ever) you arrive in heaven, let faith, hope and love be the wings that carried you there.”
– as adapted from the inspiring words of Jonathan Edwards, former minister in New England, Massachusetts
“The Greatest Race: Living by (with) faith, hope and love is the highest podium any person can reach, God’s podium that anyone stand on.”
– c
“Having pursued the goals, the dreams set before us and run the race with persistence and endurance, after giving it all. Then one day standing on the summit of life, breathing in the pure sweet oxygen of achievement, totally satisfied in running the greatest race, the race of life one that ANYONE can run and win.”
from http://racetothechequeredflag.wordpress.com/
and http://www.godandformula1.wordpress.com
“If a man is called to be a street-sweeper,
he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,
or Beethoven composed music, or
Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep streets so well
that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,
here lived a great street sweeper
who did his job well.”
– Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
PPS
Instead of trying to reply to each one of you, I’ll just keep on writing
“If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I’d type a little faster.”
The various books* that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=%22craig+lock%22&sitesearch_type=STORE
http://www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books
and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children –
MINE!
Don’t worry about the world ending today…
as it’s already tomorrow in scenic and tranquil ‘little’ New Zealand
PPS
”Since I can never see your face,
And never shake you by the hand,
I send my soul through time and space
To greet you. You will understand.”
– James Elroy Flecker (1884-1915)
LikeLike