Hey everyone,
Perhaps a year ago I made a few posts, but then I stopped. So here is as concise a story about what has happened to me as I can make it. (because it does have some relevance )

In the time of absence, nudism seemed to lose importance to me to the point that I almost surrendered and gave up on it. I was only an at-home nudist, and except for a very few instances of skinny-dipping, I had no real social nudism at all. So it lost importance to me.

Also, during that time (and having nothing to do with nudism) my wife of two years threw me out and left me for another man. This was devastating to me at the time, but I have come to terms with it now. When it happened, my Dad said to me "you have to focus on God" and I listened to him this time. I have grown spiritually very much over the last 8 months. I have joined a church, and gotten involved in it on several levels, and I also go to another church when my main church has nothing on.

So out of a bad situation I have got spiritual stability and growth, also, I now have a job, and I am completing my studies this year (this semester even). And I also have a car now. It's like everything is going right from now on.

I just thank God that I did turn to Him in my despair, because He comforted me, and He has blessed me greatly.

I recently had an opportunity to go on a road trip to Sydney (Australia - I live in Brisbane). I knew about a nude beach at Byron Bay, and it was on my way, so I really wanted to go there and see what it was like.

It was a great experience. The first time (on the way south to Sydney) I was there at dawn, and there were few people, maybe three, and the beach is really really long, so we all had our own 100 metres of beach per person. All the people were male, one guy was fishing, one was walking, and I decided to have a swim. This was the first time in my life I have been naked in a public place (though it was nearly deserted).
It really was a magical experience, and I am thankful for it. I found myself swimming with dolphins - how amazing that was. The sense of having no barriers between me and all of nature was fantastic, and very peaceful too.

On my way back to Brisbane I also stopped at the beach. This time it was 4pm and very busy by comparison. People were even walking around the carpark nude. It is entirely unmarked, and accessed down a dirt road. There are no signs indicating that its a nude beach, it merely say "Blah-Blah Nature Reserve".

So anyway, I am very encouraged by this experience, and I am back into naturism without regret. I hope to become a bit more involved in this forum also.

Andrew

We're glad you've found a good church life. Sorry to hear about your wife.

I've gone nude on the little beaches just east of Noosa Heads on trips there. Byron Bay is south of Brisbane? Think Noosa is a bit north.

We went to Oz a few times to and from the Far East and went down there a half dozen times when living in Singapore. Would have preferred to live in Oz. It reminds me of the way the US was back in the 1950s and 1960s but with today's modern conveniences. Outside the big cities, still a place where you seem to be able to leave cars and houses unlocked.

Ralph

Hey Andrew,

I've been separated 5 1/2, almost 6 months now and she is promising divorce. As a result of her poor money management the last 2 1/2 years of our marriage, I am having to file bankruptcy as well. I began looking into nudism a few weeks ago. It seems your divorce turned you away from nudism (at least for a little while) and mine is turning me to it. I have never gone social with it, but I look forward to that time. I guess the closest I have come to social nudity was with webcams yesterday evening with a few other new to nudies. Please feel free to email me if you like or IM at yahoo: high_c_tenor

MSS

We are so glad you are back, and even more glad, that you have turned your life back to God and sought him!

I did note that you said "and I listened to him this time"...It's amazing how smart our dads get as we grow older! You have an awesome dad who can sit down with you and help you get your life back on track! You are blessed. And his suggestion is to get back with God, The Ultimate Dad!

So now, you are going forward. We hope that you visit us more often. Yes, we have our slow times, but if you read down the history for the last few months, you will find that we had a sudden growth of all kinds of people. For a while, it was just us old fogies. But now, we have whole families with teens and children (and twins) who are very excited about what we have going on here! And to witness all of this in just the past two or three months, has been very humbling to me.

And now, after a long absence, you decided to come to this forum and become part of us once again. Thank-you!

We all go through doubts. There are times I doubt too.

I do have a confession to make:
I have been heading up a "Prayer Tag Team" inspired by what I heard at a Promise Keepers about two or so years ago. What we do is start out services in another room (one person at a time) and pray - pray - pray - pray - for the church, pastor, what is going on, singing, whatever, as long as it pertains to the services going on. We "Pray our way through services". When the first is finnished (I ususally start it) I go in to join the congregation, but stop to the next person in our team, tap them quietly on the shoulder (thus "tag team") and they get up quietly and go to the back room and continue. This goes on throughout the services. We have five on our team and it stretches out perfectly to the end of services.

My point in all this? Well, sometimes I lock the door to the room and pray in the nude. Yup. Pray at church...in the nude! I only did it three times, today being one of them. Hope to do it more often.

But there are times when I don't because of my doubts. And my point is, we all have doubts, especially when we feel like we have been abandonded by God. (Note: If God seems far away, it's because we moved.)

I seem to be long winded today. Maybe it's because we had a great day at church and I felt better after todays lesson and worship service.

Well, anyway, welcome back, glad you are on the right track, and enjoy the summer while it lasts. It's turning spring here, summer is on it's way. Stay warm this coming winter (down under)!

May God continue to bless you,

Boyd