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It could be argued, when I couldn't find a religion with which I could agree, that I had to create one of my own.

That's not quite how The NRUCRD came into existance. Here's the real story.

Here's a few of the
influences I've experienced over the
course of a lifetime that have lead to where I am today.

	I studied for a time with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) until I learned enough to determine that they weren't a good fit for me. They have, however, provided me with some interesting insights to spirituality. For that, if nothing else, they deserve a link from my page.
	I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian church, with all that implies. My parents had us going to church twice on Sunday and prayer meeting on Wednesday nights. The phrase from The Psalms "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" took on a new meaning for me. As such, I have a very strong Bible background and know a lot about the fundamentalists and their belief system. This, too, has had a big impact on me. And I don't completely disagree with Christianity; we could all stand to be a little more like Christ. But, again, its not a good fit for me. Just as a side note, my father did admit to me on one occasion that he felt closer to God in the woods than he ever did in church. Even Jesus, when He wanted to talk to God, went to a garden, not a church. Church is where He went to drive out the money lenders. :)
	For many years, now, I've been a life member of The SOLAR Club, an outdoor activity club in Michigan. SOLAR wasn't the source for my love of nature and the outdoors, but it certainly has strengthened it. I truly believe that SOLAR has played a big part in setting me on this journey. As a side note, I was on a SOLAR backpacking trip when I took the photo that is featured on this page. Only after returning home and seeing the finsished pictures did I realize I should have taken one with the flash to expose the tree. Oh well. Guess I'll just have to make a return trip. :)