..:: Pieces of Mandy ::..

I remember a time when I thrived on my beliefs. It was a hard time in my life and I turned to God for guidance. I turned to the church for a place to go in the mornings before class started. At one point, I was going to church every morning because it helped me get through the day...and I was young too...no more than 12 or 13.

I wouldn't consider myself a very religious person but I do have a lot of faith. I have faith that good things will happen to good people and that everything in life happens for a reason... that everything will work out in the end.

I stopped going to church when I was 18. I found that I was going to Church for all the wrong reasons. And I realized that I could have faith even outside of church. I talked to one of the priests at my school and he surprisingly said to me: "Perhaps you don't need a religion. Every religion preaches about the same thing anyway - you need to be in touch with your spirit... and know that there is much to gain from life by being a good person." That's when I realized that spirtuality makes more sense than defining yourself by your religion.

I've been brought up with good values.. I've been in touch with my spirit for a long time. I know that I am a good person and I live my life wanting to help others - even sometimes to my own demise.

The one thing that upsets me is when others put down the idea of going to church and believing in God. There are people out there, like me, who are just trying to find something and someone to believe in. It's a journey, a process of self-discovery. Just because you don't understand it, you cannot be the one to judge.

I would never try to impose my beliefs onto someone else...I know that is not the right thing to do because everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs - righteously. But don't put down religion...because to someone else.. it could be the one thing that saves them.