This Ramadan, seven-year-old Zara Aaliyah Nazrudin is taking a big step in her spiritual journey. For the first time, she is participating in her full fast, from dawn to dusk. Zara has looked forward to fasting during the holy month as it is an important rite of passage for her.

Daddy wakes me up at 5am for sahur. During fasting month, I sleep by 8.30pm so I can wake up in time for sahur. Sahur is fun because I get to eat some of my favourite breakfast treats like smoothies, fruits and pastries. I feel like an adult as I get to eat with my parents, says Zara, the eldest of three siblings.

Zara has been doing partial fasts since she was four years old. She first started out with half day fasts, lasting from sahur till noon. Last year, she fasted till 3pm. Its been over a week since she started doing a full fast, and so far she has done well.

Its not as difficult as it seems. The trick is to eat well and drink lots of water during sahur and when you break fast. Mummy has reduced my sports activities as she doesnt want me to get too exhausted during puasa month, says the friendly child.

Her mother, entrepreneur Sheahnee Iman Lee, 38, says it was Zaras decision to complete a full days fast for the entire month.

I gave her strict guidelines on when to stop, such as if she gets dizzy or dehydrated. But amazingly, she has managed to pull through. My husband and I are very proud of her, says the former Ntv7 news presenter, who embraced Islam after marrying fellow TV host Nazrudin Habibur Rahman, 39.

This Ramadan, Sheahnee and Nazrudin have encouraged their second child, five-year-old Zakry Aiman, to fast for half a day, from dawn till 1pm. Both children have coped well without any complaints.

Thankfully, they have been fasting pretty well. Although they are often lethargic by mid-afternoon, they are in good spirits and go about their usual activities without much hassle, says Nazrudin, adding that fasting isnt merely about depriving oneself of food and water but also cleansing the mind and soul from negative thoughts and emotions.

Sheahnee believes Zaras positive and driven attitude has helped her fast.

When she sets her mind on something, she really strives hard to achieve it. We were initially concerned if she could do a full days fast. But we noted her positive attitude and decided to give her our fullest encouragement, says Sheahnee, who also sends Zakry and Zara for Quran classes to deepen their understanding of Islam.

Sheahnee and Nazrudin have also given Zara and Zakry a Ramadan journal so they can keep track of their fasting experience. Besides anecdotes and prayers, the book contains activities to motivate children while they fast.

There are pages with smiley faces which children can colour if they have achieved certain goals throughout the day.

Something as simple as smiling is considered a charitable act in Islam and it is rewarded with a smiley face in the journal.

We also have a treasure jar where the children are encouraged to save money to donate to the less fortunate, says Nazrudin, who reads stories on Muslim prophets and Islam during the fasting month to his children.

Sheahnee hopes the Ramadan journal will help Zara and Zakry reflect on the spirit and meaning of fasting, rather than on goals like breaking fast feasts or Hari Raya festivities.

Fauziah Ismail (right) and her family members having light snacks, comprising bread, cereal and porridge, for sahur. Photo: The Star/Raja Faisal Hishan

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five obligations that every Muslim must fulfil. During the holy month, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and they are expected to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual acts.

Those exempted from fasting are prepubescent children, the mentally unsound and the elderly. There are also those who can postpone their fasting, such as acutely ill patients, and women who are menstruating or pregnant.

Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysias Ustaz Dr Sayyid Al Kazimi says Muslim children are encouraged to fast from a young age to ensure they grow up steadfast in their faith.

If a seven-year-old child can fast continuously for three days without any difficulties, the child is considered able to fast voluntarily. At 10 years old, parents can compel their children to fast. If they find it difficult, leave them be till they reach puberty, explains Dr Sayyid.

During Ramadan, Muslim parents are encouraged to teach their children how to read the Quran. Children are also encouraged to participate in Ramadan programmes and alms giving.

Muslim children are urged to participate in terawih prayers and celebrate iftar with their Muslim and non-Muslim friends. They are also taught to partake in righteous activities such as ziarah (visiting relatives and friends), says Dr Sayyid.

Mother-of-four Fauziah Ismail makes it a point to include her children in religious activities during the holy month.

After breaking fast, Fauziah and husband Ameer Alphonso, 45, take their children Aleeya Andrianna, 13, Aleesha Areanna, 10, Aleena Adreanna, seven, and Ayden Aaqeel, five for prayers at their neighbourhood mosque, Madrasahtur Rahmaniyah, in Kampung Medan, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Fauziah says praying in a congregation helps her children strengthen their faith and deepen their understanding of the religion.

At the mosque, they can listen to the khutbah (talks) and mingle with other children who are also there to learn more about the religion, says the 40-year-old management trainer.

Fauziah also helps to organise potluck gatherings to break fast, sadaqah sessions (the act of giving charity to the poor, single mothers and the disabled) and even muruku competitions.

Her children are actively involved in terawih prayers and Malam Tujuh Likur (a Malay custom in which oil lamps are lit), as well as praying until the early hours of morning on the last 10 nights hoping to witness Lailatul Qadr (the night when the Quran was revealed and when the angels descended).

My children are involved in charitable acts such as giving out food and donations to the poor. Through these activities, they understand their religious duties and the importance of acts of kindness during the holy month.

Their mother has taught Aleeya and Aleesha well about the the importance of charity. During Ramadan, the girls go the extra mile to help Fauziah with household chores and food preparation.

For sahur, Aleesha helps to set the table while Aleeya wakes up her younger siblings. We usually eat a light meal, with bread, cereals, eggs and porridge. Dates, a healthy energy source, is another must have during sahur and iftar, she says, adding her three eldest daughters are doing full fasts this Ramadan.

During Ramadan, it is important for children to have a balanced diet with sufficient calories, vitamins and minerals.

They also must have lots of fluids, especially water, to prevent muscle breakdown, support physical activity and health and avoid dehydration.

Sugary foods or drinks may increase cravings and cause fatigue while high consumption of salty foods such as processed meats, fast food and junk food may increase thirst, says Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospitals dietitian Major Razni Shauna Abdul Razak.

She advises training children to eat smaller meals, prior to the fasting month, and aim for balanced meals with protein, fibre, healthy fats and water.

Make complex carbohydrates the major source of carbohydrate in the diet. Whole grains should make up at least half of grain intake because they are more nutritious and slow digestion, says Major Razni.

Eating fibre during sahur keeps children full. The best source of fibre are beans, whole grains and brown rice. Eat sufficient portions of fruit and vegetables (five to 10 servings daily or half the serving plate). Protein delays hunger and provides energy. Include proteins such as fish, white meat, legumes and nuts, and seeds, recommends Major Razni.

Healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, nut butter and olives keep children full longer. Avoid excessive fat intake, solid fats, and food containing trans fatty acids. Include low-fat dairy products in the diet. Avoid unhealthy fats or fried food as much as possible as it may promote fatigue and lead to unhealthy weight gain.

Major Razni says it may be difficult for children to wake up early for sahur.

Get them to sahur at 6.30am instead of 5.30am. Encourage them to fast for a few hours, then gradually extend the fasting period. Distract children with activities such as drawing, writing journals and reading the Quran. If they manage to fast for a full day, reward them with books.

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Nurturing children's spirituality - Star2.com

By Jud Weiksnar SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

On Sept. 22, 2016, the Public Religion Research Institute released a comprehensive study titled, Exodus: Why Americans Are Leaving Religion and Why Theyre Unlikely to Come Back. It explains with charts, graphs and statistics the rapid growth of a group it calls the Unaffiliated, and cites several factors behind that trend. The exodus has certainly taken place in Buffalo, at least in Christian circles.

While Americans may be checking out of institutional religion, there has been a huge surge in the number of people bicycling. On Aug. 1, 2014, the Slow Roll bike ride was introduced to Buffalo. Since that first ride, thousands of people have participated, many of them returning consistently on a weekly basis. While Slow Roll is certainly a wonderful form of physical exercise, and a good excuse for an after party, there is an underlying spirituality to bicycling that may be just as significant in attracting riders as getting a good workout or enjoying a beer with friends.

Though Ive been riding a bike since I was a kid (the same bike since ninth grade!) and have continued to ride for recreation and as a mode of transportation, until recently I never thought of there being a spiritual dimension to bicycling. This reflection attempts to explore that spirituality, drawing mostly from my experience with Slow Roll Buffalo.

Many articles and books have been written about the spirituality of bicycling. These accounts usually treat cycling as an individual exercise. When bicycling by myself in nonresidential, noncommercial settings such as the Outer Harbor, I can experience a feeling of transcendence. Call it the ET phenomenon. Fresh air, wind in your face, freedom! There is a letting go, a connectedness with nature and a sense flat tires excluded that all is right in the world.

Recently, urban bicyclists have weighed in on their experiences. The dynamics of city cycling are different in that awareness of traffic and road hazards is a must. The sense of freedom is more of a liberation, the realization that you are passing cars stuck in traffic, and are freed from the grid.

Whether cycling on country roads, bike trails or city streets, whether for exercise, training, errands or commuting, the endorphins released while biking produce a spiritual feeling similar to runners high. Even the exercise of spinning on a stationary bike releases endorphins.

Yet the inner stirrings from Slow Roll seem to go beyond what is produced by the physical exercise. This reflection is an attempt to articulate the spiritual dimension of group riding.

Now one of Americas most famous group rides, the Slow Roll originated in Detroit as a way for friends to gather on a regular basis, ride through that citys wide boulevards, explore new neighborhoods and enjoy a cold beverage afterward. As Slow Roll grew in popularity, it spread to other cities, including Buffalo, where depending on the weather between a few hundred and a few thousand bicyclists ride each Monday between May and October, and even on a few winter Snow Rolls.

Slow Roll Buffalo is well organized, with over 100 volunteer squad members engaging in various tasks during the off season, as well as the week before the ride, and before, during and after the ride itself. Buffalo Police provide traffic assistance, and the ride includes two stops along the route and an after party.

Shortly after my return to the region in the summer of 2014, I saw an advertisement for Buffalos first Slow Roll. Though I knew of nobody else going, I joined in both the inaugural ride and the next. Then I chose to ride in the third and final ride of the year, despite the fact that it fell on the same night as an annual Franciscan religious feast I usually attend. Being an active and deeply committed member of a religious community, I wondered what prompted me to make that decision. It became evident that although it had no formal connection to any specific faith tradition, there was a deeply important, even spiritual, dimension of Slow Roll emerging for me.

What are the spiritual aspects? First, there is a sense of inclusiveness. As the bicyclists gather before the ride, it reminds me of a song found in most Catholic hymnals, All Are Welcome. Unlike the group rides of some riding clubs, where all the riders are in spandex on expensive racing bikes, Slow Roll embodies diversity. You see people, and bikes, of all ages, shapes and sizes. The only exclusionary rules are behavior-based: dont show off, dont litter and play music respectfully. Slow Roll Buffalo includes blind riders and their guides, deaf riders and the very young, though for safety reasons riders must be able to complete the ride without training wheels. Riders vary in age from 4 to 93, with toddlers, infants and dogs included in special carriers or trailers. Riders represent different races, nationalities and ethnicities.

However, unlike events that attract a diverse crowd such as a Bills game or outdoor concert, another aspect of Slow Roll is full and active participation. While top-level bicycle racing qualifies as a spectator sport, Slow Roll is anything but. Unless youre an infant (or pet) being pulled in a bike trailer or carried in a basket, youre pedaling. A similar phenomenon can be felt running in a road race, but in Slow Roll the goal is not the finish line, but the ride itself. The slow pace encourages conversation.

The spirituality of Slow Roll extends beyond Mondays through community involvement. What began as Slow Rolls preride sweeping up glass along the route on Monday afternoons has evolved into a Neighborhood and Streets Committee, with monthly cleanups of the most distressed neighborhoods. On practice rides the week before, Slow Rollers take an even slower pace through the community, advising neighbors what time the ride will come down their street, and inviting them to join in. Many people along the routes have asked if were riding to support a charity, but while Slow Roll has sponsored clothing drives for refugee resettlement agencies, and pop-up libraries, were really riding to support a community.

A few critics on social media have complained that Slow Roll is a bunch of privileged riders gawking as they go through distressed neighborhoods. My experience is that the ride encourages people to explore parts of the city that they may have never seen, or not been to in years or even decades. At the two rest stops, known as mass-ups, ride organizers give a megaphone literally and figuratively to block club leaders, neighborhood activists or anyone else with an important story to tell. Slow Rollers thus learn about the neighborhoods they are bicycling through, and the social and environmental issues affecting them.

An important aspect of Slow Roll is hard to capture in a single word, but could be described as a combination of solidarity, camaraderie and support. The dynamics of Slow Roll, especially for the more involved squad members, has brought about a sense of brother-and-sisterhood. It encourages social capital, the networks of relationships among people that enable a society to function effectively. On a personal level, Slow Roll has helped individuals deal with weight issues, depression, personal loss, injury and illness. On a societal level, while a simple ride through a neighborhood will not heal racial, economic or environmental woes, Slow Roll brings a street-level diversity and hopefulness that is in stark contrast to the vision that many people still carry of the City of Buffalo. The African Heritage Food Co-op now partners with Slow Roll and has youth sell healthy snacks at the two rest stops.

The ride itself is a counter-cultural statement, doing its part to reverse trends that encouraged people to flee the city, and that prioritized automobile traffic at the expense of neighborhoods, pedestrians and bicyclists. The best example of this was Slow Rolls first ride of the 2016 season, which included parts of the Scajaquada and Kensington Expressways, highways that ripped through the heart of Frederick Law Olmsteds Delaware Park and Humboldt Parkway, and devastated neighborhoods in the process. Many riders were overcome with emotion as they bicycled for the first time on a path that they had likely traveled hundreds of times by automobile.

Joy is also a key part of the spirituality of Slow Roll. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and the smiles on the faces of Slow Rollers, and neighbors who cheer along the route, are displayed on social media immediately after the ride. Squad members and other Slow Rollers post that they cant wait for Mondays ride.

However, the most profound dimension of riding with Slow Roll is the sense of being part of a mystical body, a concept central to Christian spirituality, though certainly present in other faith traditions. To feel oneself part of the mystical body of Christ is perhaps the most powerful spiritual experience a Christian can have. Whether through an adult being baptized at the Easter vigil, an act of solidarity or celebration of the Eucharist, a Christian knows he or she is part of something greater than oneself.

Slow Roll is not a religion. In fact, a great number of Slow Rollers are among those inactive, disengaged or disinterested in organized religion. Yet during a Slow Roll you cannot ignore the sense that you are part of a body that moves as one, that has a purpose, that strives for the common good, and that knows how to celebrate.

While Slow Roll is not for everyone its too slow, its too crowded, its too long for many riders, myself included, it serves a deep spiritual purpose, which can serve as a substitute for, or in my case a complement to, an institutional religious experience.

The Rev. Jud Weiksnar, ofm, is a Franciscan friar and chaplain at Hilbert College. In September, he will become pastor at Ss. Columba-Brigid Church in Buffalo.

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Viewpoints: Sense of spirituality permeates Slow Roll - Buffalo News

The heart of Celtic spirituality is hospitality. Indeed, from even before the coming of Christianity, the Celts recognized hospitality as a core value of their civilization.

This post is one of a series on Celtic spirituality. (Photo credit: Shutterstock)

The reigns of mythic kings were judged on their hospitality (or lack thereof). Once, when Bres, a warrior of the Fomorian people the bad guys of Celtic myth became king of the Tuatha D Danann, he quickly became renowned for his parsimony. Bards complained that visitors to his house could count on leaving with no smell of beer on their breath! Finally, a bard named Cairbre was fed up enough to write a satire about the ungenerous kingthe first satire ever composed in Ireland. Its effect was blisteringliterallyas it caused sores to burst forth on Bres face, blemishing him and making him unfit to rule.

I dont think the message here is about taking revenge on those we encounter who lack hospitality. For like charity, hospitality begins at home, and so the story of Bres is a reminder that if we want to live in a world of hospitality, we begin by opening our own doors (and hearts).

Severalyears back I attended a workshop featuring the Celtic author Caitln Matthews. At one point during the workshop, the question of religious tolerance came up. Caitln spoke for a minute or two about the many different kinds of people who attend her workshops, ranging from Christians to Pagans. She said Im willing to speak anywhere where a spirituality of hospitality is practiced. Those words gave me a clear sense of how Celtic wisdom transcends religious boundaries.

Hospitality does not erase religious (or any other) differences. But within the gracious gesture of hospitality, our tribal identities cease to become the defining factor of who we are. If I am focusing on how you and I are so different from one another, community becomes strained if not impossible. But when we choose to place our attention instead on our kinship and on what we share with open hearts, then our differences are reduced to the simple ways in which we embody diversity and distinctivenesslovely qualities, after all, for they have their roots in nature.

Celtic myth suggests that to refuse anothers hospitality is itself a breach of hospitality. A sacred vow or geas bound Cchulainn, the great hero of Ulster, never to refuse hospitality. Many such heroes had one or more geasa imposed on them, prohibiting them from certain acts lest tragedy ensue if the geas were broken. Alas for Cchulainn, he had another geas, never to eat the meat of a dog. The moment of truth came when he encountered an impoverished old woman who offered him a bowl of stew. The gruel contained hound meat. Faced with an impossible dilemma, Cchulainn finally accepted the food and ate the meat, even though this act set into motion the events that would claim his life.

Disregarding for a moment the larger themes of tragedy in that story, consider how Cchulainn, knowing that he would break his vow no matter what he did, chose to preserve his commitment to hospitality before he maintained his dietary taboo. Im not trying to suggest that a diabetic should eat a candy bar just because someone offers it; but simply that the Celtic path regards hospitality with such honor that even a warrior as mighty as Cchulainn couldnt bear to refuse it.

Celtic hospitality is not just a matter of folklore and legend. One time I was in Banbridge, Co. Down, and couldnt find lodging; I mentioned this to the owner of a pub and he spent the next half hour driving me around until I found a room for the night. An even better tale comes from a former student of mine, who had a flat tire once while traveling in rural Ireland. Stopping in front of a farmhouse and hoping to use the phone, he met the farmer who insisted on fixing the tire himselfand then the farmers wife invited my student and his family in for dinner. And of course, talk of payment was quickly squelched. No need for that, the farmer said simply.

Maybe in some parts of the world these stories would be unremarkable. But to an American used to living in a rapid-paced urban environment where too few people really reach out to others, such stories of hospitality are inspiring, precisely because they are sadly unfamiliar. May the wisdom of the Celts help all of us to reclaim a more welcoming way of life.

True hospitality can only be given freely, and it extends far beyond material generosity. A corporation will give away tremendous resources in its promotional campaigns, but its always done with an eye to future sales and profits. Meanwhile, true hospitality can be found in a moment of attention or a simple glass of water on a sweltering day.

Perhaps the single most important quality in hospitality is freedom. If I give in order to receive later, its not a free gift, and I remain indentured to my own need for self-protection. Only when I am truly liberated am I in a position to open my life to receive the stranger and support those who come to me with a need. Thats when hospitality happens.

How can we practice hospitality today? Perhaps two principles apply here: letting things be imperfect, and letting miracles unfold slowly. In other words, be hospitable toward yourself as you seek ways to cultivate hospitality in your world. None of us has to go from being Bres the Fomorian to becoming Mother Teresa overnightbut we all can find small ways to offer grace to others. Drive a little less aggressively. Invite the neighbors over for dinner. Take time to comfort an upset coworker. Visit your great aunt in the nursing home, and take her to church. And of course, be available to host guests in your homeif not total strangers, then at least out of town friends when theyre passing through. Remember, hospitality doesnt demand that your house feels like a five-star hotel. It just needs to be warm, clean, and most of all, loving.

Hospitality can only exist when we also maintain appropriate boundaries, not to mention common sense. Cchulainn hardly showed hospitality when an army invaded Ulster. Theres no point in becoming imprisoned by the role of host. The minute we feel obligated to be generous, what we are doing is something different from hospitality. Maybe its saving face, or keeping up appearances, or trying to please mom or God or someone. Such behavior may not be badbut its not true hospitality. So dont check your brain at the door. Youre only free to say yes when you are equally free to say no.

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The Heart of Celtic Spirituality is Hospitality - Patheos (blog)

Some may consider it mere conjecture to favour the view that longevity of the lands people in the distant past also meant healthy living. The reality in our times, however, is the all-too-familiar and all-too-clear scenario of a great number of people in the senior citizen category being bugged by a multitude of health issues, euphemistically described by the medical practitioners as age-related problems. The diverse features of aged people of the past enjoying healthy living on one side and their counterparts of nowadays suffering from you-name-it-they-have-it disorders/diseases/disabilities on the other side also go hand-in-hand with two other concomitant features namely a) a land with no hospitals/ trained doctors/allopathic drugs in distant past and b) surfeit of super-speciality hospitals/ high-profile doctors/drugs for remedying any and every disease and disorder nowadays. The culture of faith in divinity and trust in the power of praying to be free form suffering must have served people of past generations well in total contrast to people of our times, urbanites in particular, marked by faith in doctors and trust in the curative power of modern drugs, unmindful of their often deadly side-effects, giving rise to the idiom If there are no side effects, there are no main effects too.

One is at a loss to make out any meaning considering the conflicting points of longevity alongside very low life expectancy of people belonging to past generations and shortened life span alongside high life expectancy of people in our times. Maybe, the principle of survival of the fit-test among the former and hitech medicare at the disposal of the latter may be of some help in resolving the conflict.

READ ALSO Enduring subject, expanding matter

The parameters reckoned in determining life expectancy of given population and the method used in its estimation may both be flawed, given the accepted reality of those relatively small number of people who survived pestilence in the days gone by did live upto old age while a significant number of people nowadays live to wear senior citizen badge, thanks to easy access to medicare, never mind the cost. One is on strong grounds to argue that society of the past was marked by a mindset of relying on divinity for overall well-being to a much greater extent than society of our times. That took the former to places of worship to be mentally poised instead of being poisoned by medicines, particularly prescribed by medical practitioners with pedestrian knowledge.

Present generation has unwittingly got itself into the whirl of increased pace of life marked by fast foods, fast automobiles, fast communication and fast everything else leaving limited, if not zero, scope for pursuit of spirituality, adding to modern handicaps of polluted air, adulterated foods and lifes stresses. In short, the healthy elderly of the past were well served by their own choice of uncomplicated life and spirituality, both acting as a synergy as per finding of a recent study. Also, the government of our times tom-toming about the harmful consequences of smoking and consuming alcoholic drinks while playing into the hands of lobbies of tobacco and liquor is sham. The society is worse off for it.

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Spirituality for longevity - Star of Mysore

Q: Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, "God is spirit." (John 4.24) Does Judaism agree that God is spirit/breath? How would you describe spirit? I know what spirit is not: physical, material, visible, etc. After years of pondering, I still am trying to learn more about what spirit is, and by "spirit" I do not mean the Holy Spirit.

For years I have looked forward to reading your column, and I respect your wisdom and insight into some complex issues. I am a "resting" Presbyterian elder, so you can guess that "reconciliation" is a subject of great interest to me. I believe that you promote the cause of reconciliation for anyone who thoughtfully reads your column. May your readership ever increase. Very truly yours, H

A: Thank you, dear H, for your deep question and kind words. To answer it properly we must first remember that the Hebrew Bible came before Aristotle figured out how philosophy actually describes the nature of what is real. This contact between the Bible and Greek philosophy happened when Alexander the Great conquered Judea in 331 BCE and brought with him his tutor Aristotle.

Aristotle had a fruitful dialogue with Pharisees who would later evolve into rabbis. This group would take one big idea from Aristotle and weave it into the fabric of Judaism, and through Judaism it would become a part of Christianity and Islam. That big idea was that everything in the universe is made up of matter and form. Matter is the principle of potentiality, and form is the principle of actuality. Matter is like clay in the hands of a sculptor. Form is like the idea in the mind of the sculptor of how to shape the clay.

The religious translation of matter and form is easy to see. Matter is our body. Form is our soul. God is pure form. Spirit is form. God is immaterial because God's perfection never requires that God change. This is what John meant by, "God is spirit." God is not made up of stuff like every other thing in the world. The pre-philosophical biblical take on this in the first chapter of Genesis is that God is like a hovering spirit, "And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters." Though there is no notion of soul in the Hebrew Bible, there is an idea that God is like a breath of life, which is what God breathed into Adam to make him a living being.

Of course Christianity emerged after Greek philosophy bequeathed matter/form into Judaism's body/soul duality, and Christianity had to try to accommodate the contradiction that God is immaterial with the belief that God had become incarnate in the material body of Jesus. The belief in the mystery of the Trinity was the Christian solution to the Aristotle's assertion that God is "thought thinking itself."

The commitment to an invisible, immaterial God is the theological courage of Judaism and Islam. The commitment to a God/man who came to Earth to die for our sins is the theological courage of Christianity. So that is spirit. Spirit is the idea of goodness and love and hope and faith and all the other religious virtues that cannot be touched by our fingers but can be touched by our souls.

A word about spirituality, which absorbs and transforms the word spirit: Today you hear many folks say, "I am not religious but I am spiritual." What they mean is not always clear, but I think what they are saying is that organized religion turns them off, but the idea that there is a higher power in the universe that is not material makes sense to them. I get that and support every spiritual seeker in his or her journey to the truth of God and goodness.

However, I also think that organized religion has taken a bad rap. Try to teach your kids about God, or get baptized, or organize a church soup kitchen, or bury your mother, or get married, or study or pray regularly if you are just spiritual and alone. We can find a spiritual feeling alone on the beach at sunset, but we cannot make spiritual communities that will last through the generations and preserve ancient wisdom and scriptures for our children unless we come together to find God while we are also finding each other.

Organized religion has taken the world out of darkness to hope. Yes organized religion can be perverted, and that is abominable, but spirituality can also become just an empty word for people making their way alone through a broken world. There is wise old Maasai saying, "Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. Sticks alone can be broken by a child."

May the spirit of God help us all to bundle.

Send all questions and comments to the God Squad via email at godsquadquestion@aol.com.

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What 'spirit' and 'spirituality' mean to me - Plattsburgh Press Republican

Over the past several years Ive encountered so many men and women who have turned to abstinence and celibacy. Theyve become sick and tired of being sick and tired in their romantic lives or they are interested in nurturing their spiritual relationship with God. Ive recently adopted the concept and it is causing me to reflect on the decisions Ive made in past partnerships, ultimately determining best practices for moving forward when it comes to love. To gain more insight on this transition and the journey of celibacy from an outsiders perspective, I spoke with sex educator and pleasure expert Tyomi Morgan.

Tyomi formed Glamerotica, a sex education site for those looking to learn anything from tips in the bedroom to sexual health. Tyomi was extremely helpful in revealing how celibacy encourages personal growth and how masturbation during that time captures your sexual essence. She shared with me how her recent experience required a mindset shift, discovering a divine connection and self-empowerment unlike anything else.

Abstinence, not to be confused with chastity and sexual purism, is the act or practice of restraining yourself from an indulgence. This could be food, alcohol, impulsive shopping, anything that should be reined in because of your excessive participation or involvement in it. Statistic Brain pulled together data from several abstinence-related sources showing 42percent religious reasons to observing an abstinent lifestyle; however, that decision may not have as much depth or purpose associated with it as we believe.

Celibacy, for the sake of this article, is defined as the state of being voluntarily sexually abstinent for religious reasons. Practicing celibacy removes sexual activity from your lifestyle for a larger purpose, and Tyomi details why celibacy is more purposeful than abstinence.

When you are practicing celibacy, it is a personal journey and youre abstaining from sex for a purpose. The reason why the average person is so frustrated when theyre practicing abstinence is because it is forced on them. They are not having sex because they are not in a relationship, or they havent found someone theyre interested in, or whatever other reason they just decided not to have sex. Theyre frustrated because they are not practicing purposefully.

We have all hit a point in our lives where we decide enough is enough. After a terrible relationship experience left her at rock bottom, Tyomi decided that her approach to love had to change. With that change came an in-depth reflection on her romantic life and she was celibate for 16 months. The self-reflection that comes with celibacy is a b*tch! Tyomi exclaimed. I had to be honest with myself and I was the common denominator in all of these relationships that failed so let me work on me and figure it out.

There is constant conversation and controversy about masturbation during the celibacy period. During her time of celibacy, Tyomi had no question that masturbation was an option for releasing that sexual energy. There is no direct verse in the Bible that links the act of masturbation to sin. The act of masturbation when associated with lust is where sin comes in and there are strong recommendations that you do not do it before marriage.

Everyones journey is different and Tyomi views masturbation as a tool that can be used for a much greater purpose than lustful sexual release starting with believing it isnt a sin. Release the idea of sin in general when associated with masturbation. There is nothing sinful about connecting to your body and tapping into your essence, ultimately expressing that in the form of self-pleasure. Thinking of masturbation as sin does not serve your higher self.

Tyomi further recommends embracing the mindset required to shift thoughts surrounding masturbation from sin to self-love; transforming your sexual energy into victorious action that manifests your dreams.

Ive used masturbation as a way to manifest things into my life, Tyomi confirms.

Youre using your sexual energy, which is creative energy, to propel whatever thoughts and goals are within your mind. The goals that you spell out with your mouth or you write down in words. Youre using that energy to propel those things forward to manifest! Ive been consistently winning! You can call it magic or whatever, but were practicing magic everyday when we have faith.

And Tyomi is not the first one to teach this. A writer at sex education site Omooni recently posted the ways women can manifest through the womb. It is a thing.

Pushing out your negative thoughts surrounding masturbation and self-love is just the beginning in order for you to get to the next level in your celibacy journey. This period of waiting is a sure moment for personal growth, respecting yourself, and learning to love yourself first to the highest degree. Tyomi has learned her own lessons and continues to ensure her experiences with love are healing and good for her.

At first I was saying that I wanted to wait until marriage but I observed that idea was rooted in fear, which is not healthy. What if you go back to having sex and fall into the same patterns you were in? That was my ego speaking to me but Ive gathered that Im not the same person I was before this journey so Im not going to do that.

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Celibacy And The Spirituality Of Masturbation - HuffPost