Author Q&A: To Hear the Forest Sing: Some Musings on the Divine by Margaret Dulaney

Q&A with Margaret Dulaney, 
the author of To Hear the Forest Sing: Some Musings of the Divine and founder of www.listenwell.org.

1. Tell us about how you came to finding faith?

I don't remember a time when I did not have faith. Though my understanding of God, and how God works in the world, has shifted greatly over time. When I was young, I suspected God was either punishing or rewarding me when things went badly or well. I know now that this was a false notion and that God is love, comforting me in the dark times and celebrating my joy in the good times.

2. What do you do to maintain joy when life gets difficult?

Simply put, I walk. And, if possible, I do so in nature. Walking has always had the power to free my mind, and lift me. This is where I am most likely to commune with God. I walk and talk to God.

3. When you feel like life is falling apart, how do you keep from falling apart also?

I think the best thing one can do when things are falling apart is to run to the places, people, philosophy where one belongs. This could be your family, spouse, patch of woods, church, or the heart of a friend. We all belong somewhere.

4. Tell us about your book, To Hear the Forest Sing. What do you hope readers get from it?

I always hope, both with my spoken word website Listenwell.org, and my book To Hear the Forest Sing, to lift the reader to a place where they might find their own unique view of God. I don't believe that any of us has the exact same perspective. This depends too much on who we are and where we happen to be standing at the moment. I hope to walk alongside my readers, not lead them. I want them to turn on their own searchlights and uncover their own truths.

5. What is one message of hope and faith you would like to share with our readers this holiday season?

These are not times for cynicism and despair, rather hope and forward movement. If the point of this life is to awaken, enlighten each individual soul, then we must try and hold on to this understanding. We must continue to pray for the world, the earth, and the individual awakening of all of the souls on earth. The real progress on planet earth is measured by the tiny lights in the hearts of man. This is how God sees us.

It is possible to light one's heart with good thoughts: prayers, generosities, kindnesses, gratitudes, love. These are the true gifts of the season.

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