One of my classmates from seminary has posted a guest column at UPI's ReligionandSpirituality.com
The column is here.
We are a part of an NGO at the United Nations working toward interfaith education.  

I am quite curious about this work, how did you get envolved, what do you do, can you give us any anecdotes? Yes I hope you will give us a personal bird's eye view:)

Well, I'm afraid it's not terribly exciting yet.  The most interesting thing I've done in my post at the NGO (which stands for Non-Governmental Organization) is background support for the Women's Spiritual Circle at the UN's Commission on the Status of Women in New York earlier this year.   That presented a fantastic opportunity to meet women from all over the world and hear about their work for sustainable peace and stability in their communities.  That was the first such Circle we have hosted, but we hope to hold more.

Mostly, my work involves running to various UN offices for paperwork, and distributing information at the United Nations Church Center.  I also maintain our organization's website, which needs a bit of a revamp at the moment, and try to keep on top of electronic correspondence.

I have a full-time job that is not the NGO, so this is definitely something I'm squeezing in around the corners of a regular paying job.  One day I hope to have my day job and my ministry coincide on a deeper level.  For now, I have to concede to my need for a roof over my head and food in my belly. 

The New Seminary NGO is hosting an arts exhibition next January at the UN and in Washington, DC.  It is called "Faces of God" and represents an invitation for artists of all calibers, all over the world, to present their interpretation of the Divine at work in our lives.  Please take a look at our website, http://ngo.newseminary.org/ if you might be interested in participating.  There are a series of cash prizes as well as a trip to New York for the exhibition opening banquet for winners. 

I am leaving New York next month, but will continue my UN work remotely, as well as traveling to New York when necessary.  I hope to expand my work and my ministry in my new home as well.

p.s. How did I get involved? 

My graduating class at the New Seminary for Interfaith Ministry was very politically aware and active, and when the opportunity arose to take over some of the work of the NGO, we leaped at it.  I work with Rev. Speights and a few other folks from my class, as well as the board and friends of the New Seminary to promote and organize our projects.

How to participate: 1) Join holy memes and kosmic blog starters
and check it out every Friday for a different set of five questions. 2)
Copy and paste those questions (and this message!) into your blog. 3)
Tag your entry with the words "Friday Five" and post it. 4) Come back
to the pod and tell us about your post. 5) Message suzanne with ideas for next week. Let's spread the seeds! 

1) What is your philosophy on food?
Food is the body's fuel, a way to nurture ourselves and become closer to the earth.  The farther from the earth the food product is, the less likely it is to be nurturing.  That doesn't stop me from eating all sorts of things, of course, but I do try to be conscious of where things come from.  I worked for a while at an organic foods company, and I learned some important lessons about food politics, conventional farming, flavor, and health.  

 2) What's your favorite kind of food? Why?
Oh, tough one.  I'm a big fan currently of South Asian (Indian, Thai, Bangladeshi) and Ethiopian food, although cheese will always be a huge favorite of mine.  I am learning an appreciation of subtle spices.

 3) What qualities do you seek in the food you eat?
Fresh, locally grown when possible, organic when possible (and affordable).  I try to avoid lots of pre-packaged stuff, especially from conventional companies who load it down with chemicals.  I must avoid high fructose corn syrup for my own health, and that puts a big damper on how much packaged or restaurant food I can enjoy without worry. 

4) How can you use food in worship/ritual/spiritual practices?
Well, food is a part of my ritual practice, as "Cakes and Wine" are part of every circle.  It's a wise thing - chewing and digesting helps ground us back to the earth after ritual activity, and communal sharing strengthens the bonds within the group. 

5) What is missing in today's eating habits? What's missing in your eating habits?
A sense of proportion and a respect for the origin of the food.  I'd like to see a world where every child understands that beef comes from a living, breathing cow, a cow that has to be fed on enough grain to feed a small village in the Third World.  I'd like to see a world where quality was valued about quantity, and value given for value.  So many people, especially in America, eat three or four times the amount they need at a single meal.  Meat portions especially are often overdone, and no balancing vegetable consumed.
I'd like to see a world where local farmers were supported by their communities, and genetic diversity was maintained in traditional farming techniques, with no megacorporations trying to "trademark" a particular strain. This ensures a vibrant and healthy crop, and would bring more colors and flavors to the plate of any average person.    

Optional: 6) Have any favorite recipes you want to share? (Even if you don't cook…)
My best friend makes this one.  

Mushroom-Lima Bean Risotto
Slice several mushrooms.   Rinse one cup of large fresh lima beans.  Cook one cup risotto to preferred tenderness.  Shred two wedges of parmesan cheese (approx 1/2 pound) into risotto, stir until melted and well-mixed.  Add mushrooms and lima beans.  Simmer until beans are tender.  Serve with white wine or sparkling juice.  Serves 2, I think, although usually we just eyeball the measurements, to be honest.    

I'm late on the bandwagon, but liking this idea very much! 

1) Why is there physical pain?
Well, not to be flip about it, but my first thought on this sort of question is, because we think there is physical pain.  Pain is a sensation, a collection of chemical and electrical exchanges within our bodies.  Pain usually draws attention to something.  Oh, dear, I seem to have my hand on the iron.  Sometimes pain endures as a sign of an internal imbalance or alternative configuration - I think most chronic pain is probably a result of reshuffled pain receptors/neuron firings.  Whether they've been reshuffled due to injury, inappropriate use over time, or outside interference (mutation, chemical poisoning, etc) does not matter to the receptors/neurons.  They send sensation just the same.

2) Do you prefer western or eastern medicine? Why? 
So far my experience definitely gives eastern medicine an edge, along with certain western sports medicine techniques.   After endless trips to western doctors who ply me with pharmaceuticals even though they don't actually understand why I have pain, nor what the drugs actually DO, I had no improvement in my condition.   Acupuncture coupled with a more stringent attention to diet, exercise, and sleep has had tremendous effect to ease my pain and give me hope for recovery.

3) Describe your own personal experience with pain. Chronic illness? Trips to doctors? Shamans? Hospitals? Accupuncture?
I have chronic back pain after a sprain injury in college - it comes and goes, but has been greatly aided by stretches and careful posture exercises recommended by the sports doc at the time. I also found great success with Pete Egoscue's Pain Free book and the exercises therein. 
I also have a recurring gastrointestinal condition that doctors cannot diagnose.  They gave me a disease name that means, "We don't really know much about the GI tract or its problems yet," and put me on several samples of pharmaceuticals that had no noticable effect.  I am happy to be pharmaceutical free after all of that, although it would have been nice if I could have had a simple food allergy and moved on. 
After all that, I tried to manage on my own for a while, then began intensive weekly visits with an acupuncturist.  Amazingly, the needle treatment made an immediate difference to both my GI problem and my general quality of life. I sleep better, have more energy, and have been able to address my problems with some sense of hope.
Having a regular weekly (now moving to biweekly) meeting with someone who holds me accountable for my own wellbeing has also made a big difference.  I haven't, as an adult,  seen the same doctor twice in a row, due to various insurance and location differences.  Somehow I always end up having to explain my problems and family history over and over again, and then never seeing this person again.  Rinse, repeat.  There has never been any follow-up, or any sense that I could just call or stop in to chat about how my treatment is going.  The fact that I can now talk to someone who pays holistic attention to my health is in itself a great benefit.

4) Have you or someone you know been miraculously healed?
Well, if you count having a bunch of needles stuck into my belly, legs, and wrists during a particularly excruciating episode, and being pain-free half an hour later when I walked out, then yes. 
Otherwise, there has been no truly miraculous healing.

5) What is the biggest healing secret you have learned in your life?
My state of mind has a direct bearing on my state of health, and the more I pay attention to my body and mind holistically, the better I feel.

It seems like a good idea to start a new community blog at the same time that I am starting a new chapter in my life.

After 4 years of college in Poughkeepsie and 7 years of New York City (interrupted by a few months outside Philly), I am returning to the bosom of my family in Houston, TX.

I've done a lot in New York.  I met my best friends, I saw crises and surprises and joys and horrors.  I went to therapy, I went to acupuncture.  I had health insurance, lost health insurance, had it again, lost it again.  Same with employment.  I discovered a religion I could enjoy, and a collection of people in whom I could confide.  I went to school and was ordained as an Interfaith Minister, a step that will redefine my entire life.

Now, after all this time and change and energy and dizziness, I need to step out of the noise (spiritual, mental, and physical) of New York.  It's hard to think here, at times, and there are so many distractions.  A friend of mine told me that to survive in New York, you have to have a clearly defined purpose for being there.  I don't think I've had one for a while.  So here I am, planning logistics for a cross-country move and hoping that life's newest twist takes me in a positive direction.

 Ever since I made the decision to leave, I've felt really good.  Much better than I have in months.  I think that's a pretty clear sign that the decision was the right one.