Saturday, January 26, 2008
Explore cyberspace and your inner spiritual space through these Web sites.
www.shalem.org: The Shalem Institute, based in Washington, D.C., offers classes and resources to help people live in a way that is more aware of God’s presence and direction. The institute holds retreats and workshops, but you can also learn about the Christian contemplative life by spending some time with its newsletter archives. Articles from 1992 on are available, and you can browse by date or search by keyword. The soothing writings reflect the group’s mission of trusting God, respecting individuals’ unique spiritual paths and being aware of God’s presence in and around everyone.
www.invisiblechildren.com: A few years ago, three filmmakers traveled to Uganda and created a film about the nation’s war and its effect on the children recruited to fight for the Lord’s Resistance Army. The project has grown from a small film to an international nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of the country’s children. Visitors can watch a preview of the film and buy a copy to share with school, church and civic groups. The site also explains the history of the conflict, describes the project’s Uganda internship program and shares inspiring stories of Americans who have become involved with the project.
www.storybin.com: You know those inspirational poems, quotes and anecdotes that have been passed around the Internet for as long as most of us have had an e-mail address? You’ll find many of them here, as well as some that may be new to you. The inspirational writings are divided into categories such as “positive living” and “words to live by,” and there’s an easy-to-use keyword search function. Spend some time and you’ll find the tongue-in-cheek “Prayers of the Stress Impaired,” advice such as “Things We Can Learn From a Dog” and a Hindu parable about good and evil. Users can e-mail suggested additions to the site.
Combined wire sources