The JS Spong entry in another thread got me to thinking?  Just what do you mean when you say, "God?"  Supernatural being, impersonal force, forceful expletive, what?  I'll edit later to include my definition.

If I knew that one, I wouldn't be here right now.

Probably not the answer you're looking for, but there it is.

As small, meager human beings, with the limited mental and emotional capacity we have, we cannot completely comprehend God and all of his capacity. However, we can see his work, we can talk/pray to Him,  we can have a relationship with Him, and we can recognize his holiness and greatness.

I try to think of God as pure greatness and holiness. This is nearly impossible to put into words. It's like, have you even been to the Grand Canyon? I have, several times. Every time I've been there, I stand on the edge and look out into the vastness of it. I feel so small and insignificant. Now, I attempt to multiply that feeling by 100, by 1,000,000, by 1x10^1,000,000, by 1-with-a-hundred-million-billion-zeroes behind it...etc, etc. God is infinitely greater than I am.

God is love. Think about that hard. He IS love. And he loves us so much he sacrificed his OWN perfect Son, to be killed on OUR behalf. How awesome is that love!?

We are beings in the "real" world/dimension/realm, but we also have souls. Our souls are in the spiritual world/dimension/realm. The spiritual realm is unseen by our eyes, but we can feel it in our heart--that is to say, in our soul.

God is in the spiritual realm and in the "real" realm that we know simultaneously. Another way to think is to contemplate your fear. For instance, what do you FEAR more than anything? Or, have you ever been scared? I mean REALLY scared. Like where you feel your heart weighs a thousand pounds and is about to thump right out of your chest and you have to gasp for air? Think about this verse, Matthew 10:28, in which Jesus is talking about being fearful of God:

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

I mean REALLY think about this: God can save or allow your soul to be destroyed if you refuse to acknowledge Him. He knows your deepest secrets. He knows every lie you've ever said; even to yourself. You cannot hide from God. He KNOWS you. That's some scary stuff if you really stop to think about how powerful he is!

I mean, he made me, he made the world, he made the DNA segment that organizes the 316,800,000 feet of blood vessels than run inside my body! How AWESOME is THAT!

God thought-up the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the electron and the Penguin. Did you see March of the Penguins? Pretty amazing what those creatures do to stay alive. God thought them up! How awesome is this God we barely know!

In the words of Bill Murray from the hilarious film What About Bob:

"He is so far above us, we're like ropes on the Goodyear blimp."

My definition:

God is my literal spiritual Father in Heaven.  I am the literal spiritual offspring of God, with all that is inherent to such a statement.

He governs our universe and is all powerful, all knowing, and just.  His work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.  By "eternal life", I mean to dwell in God's presence forever.

He is a glorious man posessing both a spirit and a perfect, immortal body.

A soul: a decision making entity.

The original soul and the creator of all other souls

a spiritual being that manifests himself in word and in spirit

The creator of all that we see

Wholy good, without evil.

What is G-d?

For myself, I would ask what is the nature of G-d!

How do we approach something that is incomprehensible?  G-d gave us Torah, and what has been known as the "10 Commandments."

What, then is the nature of G-d?  To live ethically, and with love.

What is G-d?

When I'm holding my wife's hand, either at synogogue or elsewhere....when we look at each other, and share the love we feel...for us, that is G-d.

Sorry.  Misquote.

Quoted: What is G-d?

Would somebody please explain to me the practice on the part of Jews (I assume) to spell God, G-d? I assume that it reflects a belief that it is somehow disrespectful to spell out his name but could somebody flesh this out for me?

It's a serious question. I confess I'm ignorant of this belief.

www.jewfaq.org/name.htm

has a good explanation

"I am that is."

One of two eternal beings who created everything, including the angels. (Jesus was originally called The Word, and was the one who did all the creating in the Old Testament at God's direction.)
God is the true Father of all, and has no beginning or end. He's also the God who set the Jews free from the Egyptians in the book of Exodus.

Quoted: www.jewfaq.org/name.htm has a good explanation

Thanks.

I try not to make statements that denegrate another person's religion and that is not my intent here. I admire the faith of people who keep such practices and know that they do these things because they believe it strengthens their relationship with God. I also understand that anything not done in faith is sin. Still, I'm thankful that I am not bound (in my mind) by such physical/natural understandings of the scriptures and teachings.  I'm sure that many, many people's lives are enriched by strict obedience to natural works. They, no doubt, get a blessing for them. Still, it does seem burdensome and being reminded of such things makes it easier to understand what's being said in the new testament when it talks about releasing us from the bondage of the Law.

I hope no one takes offense and my comments. I suppose I should have just said "thanks" and moved on. But I think it's a telling difference between faiths. I hope we can discuss these things and acknowledge and respect each other's faith and obedience.

As Paul said in Rom 14:

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's . . .
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.