Unimaginable Loss

I have written before about how spirituality can assist us when we lose a loved one. Within the last week, I learned of the death of a 15 year old girl. Her life took a sudden turn and she was gone within a week. The cause of the collapse was still unknown the last I heard. I hope by now the parents know the reason. They will surely need some iota of understanding to accept this horrible tragedy. As a nurse, putting a diagnosis to an illness can help to provide a ”justification” for an illness/death. But that is only for the clinical aspect of the case. What remains is purely personal and emotional, especially when the person who has died has some sort of connection to you. I didn’t know the girl personally. I have known her grandmother, D, for almost as long as I have known my husband. D is a kind, loving and beautiful spirit who is a treasure to many people. I haven’t spoken to her yet. I know the time will come when I will be in her presence. I already am searching for the right words to say to her. My heart just aches for the entire family. How do you reconcile such an event? There was no long illness or injury to justify it. Only loss. Only unimaginable heartache. My entire being suffers with her parents. I don’t know them well, but I know they are good and loving people. I hope that on some level that they know they will always be able to communicate with their daughter, but for now and for a long time to come, the loss will be insurmountable. It is times like this that I have the realization, that when everyday life is normal or boring, it is a great day. Everyday my husband, kids and family are ok, it is a good day. Even on the days when there are illnesses or bumps in the road, life is still pretty sweet. I know that life is good because there is love. Be sure to see the love and sweetness in your everyday world. Please send prayers and love to those who are suffering now. As the saying goes, “what goes around comes around”. Someday those prayers and love will be returned to you.

Emotions

Emotions are what connect us to spirit, our loved ones - past and present and our not so friendly acquaintances. It is amazing what feelings can be stirred when we hear a name, see a face or have a memory. Your blood pressure can even be elevated upon recalling a stressful event. So it is no surprise to me my reaction to my dream last night. My parents have been gone for a little more than 20 years and I dreamed that I was living at home and my parents were arguing. The most striking thing about this dream was that I heard my mother’s voice loud and clear! I did not see her, however, she was yelling from another room. I even stood to attention in my dream and said” Is that Mom’s voice?” This is surprising for me in several ways. It is rare that we recall our dreams and when we do we only remember bits and pieces. But this dream had clarity of sound! You see my mom lived with ALS for 10 years and her voice was pretty much unintelligible to non-family members after the first 2 years of her illness. To hear my mom speak so clearly and with such strength surprised me even in my dream. She always wanted to be heard loud and clear while alive and I guess she wanted to come through again. Well she did and with much success! So after 23 years I heard my mom’s voice again. What a gift! Don’t ever lose the voices of those you love while they are here with you in this world. Don’t let hard feelings or grudges get in the way of being positively connected to the important people in your life. Most importantly, tell the people you care for that you love them. It is much needed music to their ears and to yours!

The Power of Positivity

In today’s world, it is rare that a person of any age will get a pat on the back or be told words as simple as “good job”. Positivity unfortunately takes a back seat to the negative in our culture. It is infrequent that we allow ourselves to speak of our feelings. It is rare when a person shows displays of affection in public or private. And it is these things that are so vital to our existence as humans. Without signs or words of encouragement people wither. Children do not prosper in school or in life, young adults flounder with choices, older adults succumb to depression and people of any age succumb to thoughts of suicide. How did we let it get to this? Our desire for being the best and having more probably was the insidious start. If a person gets too far into this thought process, than all else personal can disappear. Our country’s desire to be the best has always been driven by the undercurrent of money. Don’t get me wrong, we live in a great nation, but our priorities got out of whack. It is time that we turn inward a bit and focus on ourselves and others with love. It is time to focus on the positive things in this life and brag about them on TV, radio and at home. It is time to allow ourselves to see and appreciate beauty in our landscape and cities. Most importantly, it is time to see the good and beauty in each soul on this planet. It is really easy, just start at home. Step back and look at the person/people you are with, whether significant other, parents or children. Look at them without any preconceived notions or resentments. Genuinely ask how they are and what may be on their minds. Be sure to listen….. really listen. Listen without your opinions getting in the way. Honor their thoughts and words. Honor them for who they are. Appreciate that God gave you these people to share your life with. Encourage them to be positive and risk takers. Encourage them to see the positive in their lives. Assist them in putting things in perspective. Most of all show them love and support. The ripple effects of that one moment will spread infinitely and bring the same love and support to others and then back to you. Imagine a world free of negativity? It’s hard to see but is oh so possible. My words may seem trite. This ideal may seem impossible, but remember nothing is impossible. You just need to start with the first step. Be that impetus…..change your world……change this world.

A personal milestone, Blog # 50!!

This is truly a milestone for me, considering I never even dreamed of writing a blog! My intention was to design a website to let people know of my tarot readings and Reiki services. As the website proved to be very puzzling to create, my eyes drifted and I saw the blog site page. And that is how Living an Every Day Spiritual Life blog page was created. Isn’t it funny how some of the best things in life started with no pain or stress at all? The same day I was inspired to create the blog, I wrote 11 entries with no effort at all. It was as if the words were downloaded to me and all I had to do was type them into the computer. I have loved every minute spent creating each page and have been humbled by your comments and your readership. I am much better at expressing my thoughts and feelings in written words than in face to face interaction. It is so much more intimidating to me that way. Many entries have allowed for dialog with family and friends that I don’t think would have ever taken place had the words not been written. I have also been able to explain things and make apologies which have given me peace and provided better understanding to those I have wronged. Most importantly, my intention has been to inspire you to see that when it comes to God, there is not just one way to worship, there is not one way to love and there is never just any one way to live your life. My father was my first teacher and he told me I am limitless in what I can create, what I can do in this world and in how much I can love. And so, my intention will always be to share these beliefs with you and let you know that anything is possible with the key ingredient in life….Love. With deep appreciation for your support, I look forward to providing more entries reflecting my Everyday Spiritual Life.

Is there a link between spirituality and science?

Sometime last year, a friend recommended I follow the Lilo Juicy Living Tour on FB. Lilo was born in California but spent most of her youth in France. Her mission is to spread joy and empower people to pursue their dreams. As she tours the U.S., Lilo interviews talented people who have tremendous insight and knowledge to share. However, these people are not considered mainstream enough for the Media to follow. All of her interviews have spirituality as their core interest; however, the range of guests can differ from quantum physicists to animal communicators. I seldom get to indulge in her videos but when I do I am never disappointed. I most recently watched an interview with quantum physicist Bruce Lipton PhD. Believe it or not, he was able to take the most intricate scientific details relating to cells and connect them to spirituality. And he did it in a fashion that anyone could understand. He was able to make the link from serious Science and connect it to spirituality. As you know, the scientific world wants nothing to do with God or spirit, they only deal with FACTS. Well, in Bruce Lipton’s research, he clearly connected science and spirit and related it to our human bodies. I know this is not the lightest topic I have written about, but I found it fascinating. I am not doing the interview justice. How could I? I am new to this realm of thought and am not able to spend all my time researching. But if you have the interest and time, it is worth every minute. Even if you don’t believe everything Dr. Lipton says, it will make you think. Thinking is never a bad thing. Opening your mind is never a bad thing. Life’s possibilities are endless. Your potential is limitless. Never underestimate yourself. Believe in yourself and most of all… LOVE yourself. Be well.

Surrender and Release

Angel cards have been one of the most helpful tools that I have used not only on my spiritual journey but also in my everyday life. Like everyone else out there, ladies especially, I would constantly worry about things over and over again. In my late 20’s and early 30’s, it was so bad, I would be unable to fall asleep at night. I was a wound up top just waiting to spin out of control. I did seek assistance from a counselor named “V” and I truly believe she saved me from anxiety and depression. “V” gave me the tools I needed to put issues large and small in perspective. Her objective eye enabled my heart and psyche to come to a level of calm I probably hadn’t seen since high school. Because we live in this space and are human, however, there will always be issues and concerns that need to be dealt with and some that may still be too much for us to handle. This is where the angle card Surrender and Release comes in. Our ever present angels are ready and willing to help us with whatever we need. All we have to do is ask. Surrender and Release means just that. Whenever I need to find a solution to a problem that is consuming me, I turn to the angels. In a prayerful manner, I talk to the angels and tell them what is bothering me. I ask for their help to find an answer or fix a problem in a way that is best for everyone involved. I visualize myself handing the issue to them and watch as they take it away, out of my sight. At this point, I trust that they will do what is for my highest good and I say a prayer of thanks. Now the concern is completely released and out of my hands. I place my trust fully in the angels and know that I can’t think about it again. I have completely surrendered and released it. Once this is done, I usually feel very peaceful and grateful. I feel like the weight has been lifted. This tool has saved my sanity. I share it because I believe it can help you find more peace in your everyday life. Namaste.

Faith

Faith is something you own. It can morph into different creations as you travel on your journey. It is something you can also loose. Faith is a belief system but it also can be what you know with every fiber of your being. I had a conversation with a lovely woman the other day at a soccer game. She is beautifully devout in her faith and teaches religion classes on Sundays to 6th graders. 6th grade is the year these students will receive the sacrament of Confirmation. She was surprised that many of these students didn’t have a grasp of some of the basics of this religion. She then said, “ Of course you want these children to know the basic beliefs of their faith”. And it hit me. Faith is a choice. Faith in anything , not just religion is a choice. And faith doesn’t have to be all about a structured religion. You can have faith in a person, a business, or someone’s talent. Faith in something is a belief you have and can feel into your core. When I have it I can feel it strongly in my 3rd charkra. It is a tangible feeling. It takes up space in my physical field. It is a knowing. I can feel it in my energetic field. But my spiritual faith these days isn’t written in any book or spouted from a pulpit. It can be found only within my heart and soul. My faith is that we are connected to a force that is infinetly larger and more loving than we could ever imagine. That this force is reflected in every living being on this planet. That there are other beings endlessly supporting us on our journey in this physical plane. That we are humans who are capable of things that our limiting mind can’t even comprehend. I believe that good is inherent in everyone. I believe that love is the most important element of life. I believe that love can be represented by understanding, good works, patience, kind acts, kind words and a smile. I believe that in honoring God we must love ourselves first and be as kind to ourselves as we would others. I believe that God made our possibilities limitless.
As I have grown in my journey, my faith no longer comes from an outside source but from deep within my soul. I find it much more comforting this way. I have created my own belief system and it works well for me. The peace I have inside is greater than ever. The key is to listen to yourself and follow you heart. You too can find your faith, all you have to do is love yourself. Namaste

** Permission for photo lovingly granted by Genevieve Shulick and more can be found at www.rosesformarie.com

Bunco

I have known one of my best friends since the 7th grade. We were very close through highschool, all the way into our late 20’s. We shared life’s joys and it’s pains. She was there for me through the illness of my mom and the deaths of both my parents. I supported her when her family’s home burnt down. We traveled together and just had a wonderful time being friends. “E” had a much larger friend pool, however. No surprise there since she is one of the most genuine people I know, but she is also so down to earth and makes everyone laugh, a lot! “E” was always wonderful and included me in her plans with others. Sometimes I participated and sometimes I held back. I knew most of her friends from high school but we traveled in different circles. Funny how something silly as social circles can prevent you from seeing the beauty and uniqueness in people. After my family and I moved 14 years ago, “E” and I never lost our bond but saw each other less frequently. Our friendship is engrained in my soul and I never considered her a lost friend. So recently, a mutual, wonderful friend hosted Bunco. I was invited and I said “Yes”. How wonderful for me? I got to spend the evening with 11 other funny, genuine women. We all have similar backgrounds but they each had their own senses of humor and perspective on life. The evening wasn’t really about the game but about sharing life’s stories, discussing life’s event and just enjoying being together. I really enjoyed the time I shared with each woman. I was fully present and was truly able to see the light in each of them. The evening was real. The women were real. Their concerns were real. The discussions were more than just surface chatter, they had “meat” to them. Bunco was an afterthought. Friends connecting was the main motivation for the evening. I am most thankful for my time with them and for my lifelong friend.

Forgiveness

I love my Angel cards by Doreen Virtue! One of my favorites and most freeing cards is Forgiveness. Since I have started my spiritual journey, the theme of forgiveness has intermittently been placed in my path. You see, forgiveness is multifaceted. There is the internal turmoil a hurtful act can cause mentally and spiritually. One can have anger over the hurtful act committed toppled by feelings of deceit. Of course you are entitled to your anger. But it is the anger that has the most effect on the victim. Holding anger inside not only causes tension and sadness, it can even cause illness if it festers too long. An act, unforgiven, can also damage our souls. In the past I would say something like” just screw them” and move on with my day. I realized that this was not forgiveness. It was avoidance and it is very damaging to our physical bodies and souls. Not being able to forgive an act is the type of baggage we can bring karmically into the next life. It is best to deal with issues as they arise. Our souls have enough to learn. Petty baggage is too expensive to check anyway!

In the past, whether someone hurt me deeply or even slightly, I would replay it over and over again in my mind. I wouldn’t let it go. So, not only was I avoiding the person, I was abusing my body /mind and soul by constantly reliving it. Reliving a hurtful event and not forgiving someone damages us more than the person who committed the act or the event itself. Hurting ourselves is just causing double injury. When we forgive someone, it truly is a healing for the person and most importantly, for us. Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting. We all need to learn from our experiences. Our experiences are what make us stronger and wiser human beings. Forgiveness allows us to find peace with ourselves and the other person. When we rid ourselves of the sadness, anger and despair that can linger when we are wronged, it makes us so much lighter. I know when I finally forgive, I feel like a weight has been lifted. I stand straighter. I can finally take a deep breath. I sigh less. I am finally able to think about happier things. I find I focus more on the people in front of me and be more present in each moment. Creative ideas form. The possibilities are endless when our hearts are free…
Anything is possible when we forgive.

Perspective

I had one of those Ah-Ha moments after returning home from my unexpectedly lengthened trip to California. I don’t know about you, but I find it stressful returning home after being away. This time was especially difficult because I didn’t expect to be away so long. I call this re-entry pain. Not only was my husband a bachelor with a puppy for a week, the house was pretty much in a shambles before we left because of 2 returning college students and packing for our trip. So, greeting me was a messy house, backed up bills, school supplies needed immediately and work the next day. Just normal stuff, but piled high. So in the evening, the day after our return, I found solace in walking my dog. I, however, in the desire to save time, found myself making phone calls on my cell. I was trying to maximize time and get things crossed off of my list. So I mistakenly took a peaceful time and created a stressful experience. As I was speaking to the person on the phone, I realized within seconds of speaking to him/her that they drain my energy. Literally within seconds, my head was shaking and I said “What am I doing? “ The energy of this person is just so different from mine and almost feels like an affront to my being. I have had these feelings before with this person, but being away, relaxed and out of my element for a time made this experience seem so much more intense. So I stood there, in the middle of my street and realized, I don’t need to voluntarily submit myself to this. I don’t need to have this person in my life if I don’t want too. It made me think of all the things I don’t need to subject myself too. I only need to surround myself with people and things that are good and positive. I only need influences that are loving, nurturing and good for my soul. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I am not sure if impatience, wisdom or spirit caused this moment of clarity, but I am grateful for it. Starting today, I will be purposeful in whom I have in my life. I will do my best to only choose people who are good for me. If I have to have dealings with someone I don’t resonate with, I will be respectful and just keep it to a minimum. I knew this mentally, this was just the first time I could feel it in my psyche and it hit me hard. So I will listen now, for sure. So can you……..

Hurricane Guilt

As I helped my second daughter, C, prepare for her sophomore year of college in San Francisco, I had the normal concerns a parent does. Does she have everything she needs: money, medicines, clothes, etc? She is living at a dorm that has a full kitchen but no food plan, so did I get her enough money on the Safeway card? Of course, there are always the concerns and hassles of flying and packing. This time, my husband and I decided it would be good for our youngest, B, to come along for a fun end of summer trip. We thought it would also be great for her to have more time with C and see the city. My youngest sister, T, still lives in San Francisco and as always, we planned to bunk with her. My girls have considered T to be the cool aunt since they were little and they look forward to our visits, especially in her cool apartment! I knew B would feel like a big deal, strolling in the city, taking buses, cabs and trolleys and staying in an apartment. Our original intention was to stay 4 nights visiting and getting C settled in. I regretted I wouldn’t be able to have too much sister time with T becausef she has a new job and wasn’t able to get off. But the universe had other plans. I knew as we were leaving Philadelphia, there was a hurricane in the Atlantic that threatened the East coast. The news reports still weren’t sure of the path Irene would take as we left the airport. I should have been clued in when the airport closed just as we were to go through security due to the earthquake that occurred in Virginia. It was at that time that I asked Archangel Michael to keep us safe from the start of our trip to the finish. I can always count on his assistance. Surprisingly, our plane left on time! Our stay in San Francisco went smoothly until Friday evening when our flight home Saturday was cancelled. I was able to reschedule another flight for late Saturday night and then that was also cancelled. I kept my cool until the airport representative said she couldn’t get us on a flight until Wednesday! My heart sank. I knew we weren’t the only ones in this boat but B’s school was due to start that Monday and I didn’t want her to miss too many days. As I maintained my composure and worked with the representative, I knew the angels had a hand in planning our trip home. We were scheduled on a non-stop flight home out of Sacramento, on Tuesday, First Class! I knew we couldn’t get any better and I gratefully booked the flight. So, we got 3 extra nights in California. My daughters got to have a sister day. My sister and I got to have our adult sister day and of course I got to pay for C’s shopping trip to Target!! It really worked out well in the end. I am still not sure why the universe didn’t want us to experience Irene with all the other East Coasters but I am grateful for the safety of my family on both coasts. As always Archangel Michael and the Angels, I am most grateful for your assistance.

Is the Bible Necessary?

I have discovered that I am not a person who needs a rule book. I don’t find I have the need to have volumes of information from the past to know how to live in the future. I mean no disrespect to all of the scholars out there who are immensely more intelligent than I am. I can appreciate a person’s desire for knowledge and the need to know what events have occurred bringing us to this present date. I just have never been overly excited with history. I can now relate my feelings for history with my feelings for the Bible. (Stand back! Lightening may strike!) Again, I have no disrespect for the written Word. I just don’t resonate toward it. I don’t feel the desire to know all about the old testament teachings and I don’t need to be able to quote the gospels to know how I want to live my life. Some people feel that this type of knowledge, direction and structure is essential for their relationship with God. I don’t feel this type of guidance is a good fit for me. The only guidance I need comes from my own heart and mind. I only need to follow my own writings that are already etched into my soul: God is love, God does not judge, God will give us more than one chance to get it right. God doesn’t care what house we worship in, or if we even choose to worship in an organized way at all. Frankly, God doesn’t even care if we choose love in this lifetime. God gives us free will to make our own choices. That is the ultimate loving gift and he/she gives us more than one chance to get it all right. So I will continue to follow my own drum and live by my commandments - love others, do not judge others for their choices, be kind to others always, seek peace at all times and always have hope.

Gratefulness

Every day I try to give thanks for this life and all that I am blessed with in this physical space. As a young teen and woman I never looked beyond what was in front of me – my mom’s illness and the constant stress imposed on the family. I just lived and tried to do it happily. I never thought of intention. Spirituality wasn’t even a budding interest. I just accepted life as it was and rolled with it, most of the time with a smile on my face. I was grateful for my education, my nursing job and my loved ones. My life was full. Fast forward to the present day… and I never could have imagined my life as it is. I am so blessed to have my husband, girls, family, friends, interests, the beauty of Chester County, a great job and my spirituality. I am humbled, thankful and most appreciative for the gift of life. Namaste

Transition Time Again

As the summer comes to a close, our home is preparing again for another transition. Like many of you out there, we have college students. The end of August is filled with planning, packing and preparing emotionally and financially for the return to school. I never lived away at college, so I can’t say that I had that “experience”. I imagine it to be all the freedom of adulthood without much of the financial responsibility or house rules. That is, at least until the loans come in and the student moves home. I grew up in a small town just west of Philadelphia. It can be likened to an island unto itself. The grocery store, the doctor’s office, the library and pool, the church and school were all within walking distance. The borough had 3 different ways to get to the city. Seeking a nursing education in Philadelphia, I didn’t need to move away from home. I couldn’t afford it anyway, so it was a moot point. My college experience was stressful from beginning to end. Some nursing instructors like to “eat their young” which is very unfortunate considering it is such a nurturing profession. Anyway, I didn’t get to develop my social skills or discover myself. I have to admit, I am a little envious of my daughters. They are having very different experiences, one in a San Francisco and the other in Bloomsburg, PA. Yet they are enriching their lives and getting to know themselves in ways I never had the opportunity to do. I love to live vicariously through them. I look forward to hearing about their experiences. I usually prefer the non-scholastic highlights; they are much more exciting for me. This year my youngest and I will be taking my daughter “C” to San Francisco to help her to get settled and have some touristy fun. Oh and we will also be visiting my sister who lives in the city. I haven’t had to accompany my oldest to Bloomsburg for the last few years since she has a car and is a very independent woman. I have to admit that I miss the solitary time with her. There is something so special about having uninterrupted time with one child. A parent can really relate to the child in a way that isn’t possible with the pull of other siblings around. The focus can be on solely that child and an appreciation of their uniqueness can be experienced. Adulthood is great for an individual but it can be difficult for parents to accept that their children are adults. The void of that distant childhood is an ache that is felt in the center of a parent’s heart. But life goes on, transitions ebb and flow and all we can do is cope. Here’s to coping….

Stop The "Me" Cycle

What does it take to realize that the things we want may not be the things that are always best for us? As humans, we can get caught up in the "me” cycle and get tunnel vision. It is so easy to do in this society. Getting wrapped up in this cycle can make it so easy to hurt the people close to us. The "me" cycle can lead to addictions, affairs and even ill health. For some of us, to break the cycle, it takes a punch to the gut. The punch comes when realize we have let our children, our parents/siblings or our spouses down. Seeing the hurt in their eyes is devastating. Immediately we want to erase the reality and pain of the situation but are paralyzed to do so. The weight of the internal hurt from the selfishness and the pain you have inflicted can cause you to crumble. You may wonder, “How do I go on”? “Where do I go from here?” “Will I ever be forgiven?” “Will I ever be able to forgive myself?” The key is to not get ourselves into these types of situations to begin with, at least not to the extent of the extreme scenarios above. The best way to do this is to realize we are a part of this great universe. Be active and take part in its’ wonder and beauty. Make yourself part of a group. It doesn't have to be a spiritual one, just a group with good intentions. Some examples are a church group, a neighborhood or parents group or even a book club. You could volunteer for a local charity, children’s club or food shelter. You could make sure you go and see your parents weekly and assist them or just listen to them. Seeing the world from another's eyes can do wonders to open up the world that you see and live in. This can end the tunnel vision and get us out of the "me" cycle. Spiritually we are all one. We just need to remember that.

Still Searching

As you may remember, I have had trouble recently outwardly practicing my faith. I still believe that Jesus is the son of God, I just have trouble with the way the church is non-bending on some of the current issues of the day. I also feel that the church is not empowering enough of it’s members. So I continue to struggle with not being a part of something that was a big part of my life for the last 47 years and is still a major part of my husband’s life. I am currently reading a book entitled Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Story by Todd Burpo. It is a lovely tale of a 4 year old’s visit to heaven while undergoing surgery for a burst appendix. It is hard to tell if the author, who is also Christian pastor, taints the story in any way but I have to say the words are compelling. I totally believe in near death experiences and the ability of the soul to travel to heaven, meet God, angels and past loved ones and then return to the physical body. The book gives me hope that I will one day see my parents and other close family members again. The story reflects on the boys very vivid experience of meeting God, Jesus, his great grandfather and the sister that his mom miscarried. It spoke of what heaven was like and what God and Jesus looked like. The boy’s words reflected much of how scripture described heaven to look like. This is where I have the problem. Is everyone’s experience the same? Did Jesus reflect heaven to look like what the boy could relate to as a Christian? Did he make it so that the boy’s loved ones would be able to relate to the descriptions the boy could give? Does this mean scripture is 100% correct and I need to get my butt back to church?? I am not sold yet but may be going to mass again with my husband soon. I hope it is not like the last experience I had when I could not relate to the sermon of a priest I really like and was offended by his words. I swear I heard the word “leave” in my head, and I almost did. I only stayed because my youngest was with me. Only time will tell if I will ever be comfortable with my faith of origin again. In the mean time I am still searching for what feels right and always have hope for better understanding and inner peace.

Family Vacation

My family and I recently went on a vacation far from home. I have to admit that the thought of too much togetherness had me a little nervous. I was quite hesitant about it until I asked the Angels for this to be a wonderful vacation with a lot of fun and love toward one another. I also went into the trip with no expectations. It was only the second day and I have to say, I was most thankful. By the week’s end, I was elated! The week was so much more than I had hoped for. I was so grateful for the chance for all of us together. I know that this may have well been our last vacation as a family. Believe me, there were squabbles and tense moments but for the most part, we experienced unity and the joy of being a family. As always, when we get together, we had to talk of all the silly things the kids did when they were little. These were mostly memories the girls would rather forget, but we laughed anyway. We discovered new things and most of all had a lot of fun!! I truly forgot what it was like to be away without the everyday responsibilities weighing on me. Guiltily, I have to say, I wasn’t even worried about our puppy. I knew she was in good hands and I truly relaxed. To top it off, I only had to cook 2 times that week!! My husband would laugh and say that is all you cook anyway! Perhaps that is true but being away really allowed for me to get my shoulders away from my ears and my body and mind to be at peace. It didn’t hurt that I had one of the best dinners of my life, went on a winery tour and had the absolute best time I ever had at a water park. This trip was truly rejuvenating and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with my family. I am truly grateful.

Do You Accept Yourself?

As I have mentioned before, I use Doreen Virtues’ Healing with the Angels cards. Before I go to bed each night I pick a card with the intention of guidance for the next day. The other night I picked Self-Acceptance. I thought to myself, the concept of accepting everything about me is a little unrealistic. I don’t know about you but as a woman I am constantly berating myself for having dessert, not fitting into last season’s clothes and feeling guilty for missing my daughter’s game. But when you think about self-acceptance, it really goes much deeper than vanity or guilt. It means loving everything you are. It means forgetting about your family order and forgiving yourself for the mistakes you made in high school and the car accident you caused last year. It means loving yourself unconditionally just like the angels do. The angles and God love you no matter what. The message in the deck says that we need to see ourselves the way the angels do, a perfect and holy child of God. The angels see past the mistakes we have made and only see the reflection of the Divine within us. So what would it look like if we accepted ourselves? Would that tape recorder in your head that constantly berates you stop? Would you be able to smile more and be more accepting of yourself and others? It is only when we stop criticizing ourselves that our mindset changes. When change happens, self-improvement can begin. So starting now, make a conscious effort to only think positive thoughts about yourself. If you find it this difficult, just pick one thing a day to be positive about. I have had to come to terms with the fact that I am not the quickest performer at work. I used to beat myself up and stress over my performance. But one day I realized that I wasn’t serving anyone with the stress, I was only driving myself nuts. Once I relaxed and just performed to the best of my ability, I was so much happier. Isn’t that the ultimate goal? Doesn’t love equal happiness? You bet!!!

Angelic Assistance

I unofficially named my business Angelic Assistance because I feel from time to time we could all use some help. I didn’t realize until I started my spiritual journey that angels are always with us and willing to help us. We just need to ask. We can ask them for any type of help; it doesn’t need to be related to a monumental decision or crisis. I ask the angels for guidance several times a day. The topics range from the mundane, i.e. where is the remote, to the more important issues, i.e. the best way to deal with a problem at work. The key is to ask for assistance, give thanks as if the matter is already settled and then release the issue completely. The angels have never failed me. The responses are not always what I would have envisioned, but I have gotten a response none the less. Time and space don’t matter in the angelic realm and angels can be at multiple places at one time. They have the ability to assist numerous people simultaneously. So, don’t ever think an angel is too busy to help you. A wonderful bonus is that you can ask for any number of angels to help you, even a million! You can also request angels to go and help another person or group of people. Another way to connect with the angels is to engage in dialog with them. The frequently you do this, the better. The dialog can be about your day, your concerns or the joy you are feeling in the moment. The angles are very lighthearted and enjoy silliness, laughter and fun! Don’t think just because you are communicating with spirit that you need to be serious. There is already too much stress in this world, it doesn’t need to be sent over to the angels and I think they would prefer it that way! One of my favorite angels is Archangel Michael, the great protector. You can call upon Archangel Michael to help you when you are fearful of a situation or when you need strength. If you want relief from a stressful situation, this is also a reason to call upon his help. I have requested his assistance with several matters regarding my daughter’s safety while at college on the west coast and when faced with negative energies while in social circles. I find it such a relief knowing I am not alone and always have helpful angels at my side.

Spirituality Is Freeing

What I love about modern day spirituality is that it is so freeing. Really. I believe we can praise God in all that we do and that includes enjoying oneself. Face it, when we are having fun we are lighthearted. What better way to connect with Spirit than when we are relaxed and feeling euphoric. How does that look for you and when was the last time you really felt free? I feel free when I am doing readings. I enjoy dancing and recently acted like a 21 year old and went out at 10:30 at night to celebrate a 21st birthday. What fun!! I won’t mention the slight hangover the next day. ( I must have been dehydrated!) That may be a topic for another blog. About a month ago, I found I had some free time, turned up the music and danced and sang my heart out for about 30 minutes. I never expected to do it, but really had a fun time and felt revitalized after. So, what are some atypical ways we can all let our hair down? Well, if you need some ideas, how about walking barefoot in the grass or taking a walk along the water’s edge. Play with your dog off of the leash. You can run through a sprinkler or take a nap. Spirit wants you to relax and enjoy the simple things in this life. A good friend of mine says “Life is not a dress rehearsal”. She believes she needs to be moving each minute. Another acquaintance says, “I will have enough time to sleep and rest when I am in heaven”, and proceeds to stay up all hours to get things done. Wow, I am glad I am not in their heads. I get exhausted just thinking about what they are saying and imagining what it is like to be them. Life is about loving yourself enough to slow down and enjoy each moment. Curl up on the couch and enjoy a cup of tea while rifling through magazines. Better yet, go lie on the hammock and read that book that is on your list. You can always nap after reading a few chapters. Just an added bonus. Enjoy!

Clearing Your Space of Negative Energy

In my early 40’s I wasn’t very happy at home. For a while, I wasn’t even aware of it. I just knew I was not a pleasant person at times and always felt the need to be out and about. It had nothing to do with my husband or daughters but I was unable to pinpoint the reason. I remember walking into my front door one day when the house was empty and saying out loud, “I hate this place”. I did not intentionally plan to say these words. I think I even scared myself. But as with many things, I went right on with my life and didn’t really think of it again. A few weeks later I was having an energetic reading from a very talented woman. As she was reviewing my chakras, she said, “You don’t like your home, do you?” I was taken aback and answered freely. I said I wasn’t happy there. She meditated a little on my words and then she advised me to clear the energy in my home. She said that there was stagnant, negative energy in the house. She instructed me to get a book on clearing my space and I did just that. I purchased Sacred Space by Denise Linn. The book had a wealth of information and many options on the best way to clear my home of the negative energy. After perusing the information, I chose the method that felt right to me. I wanted this to be very effective, so I even did the salt water bath and meditation ahead of time. I used bells and energized water to clear each level of my home. I paid particular attention to the corners where energy can remain stagnant indefinitely. The process took about an hour but was well worth all of the effort. I felt better immediately! I’m sure some of it was probably just the feeling of satisfaction that came with completing the task. But by the next few days, I found myself relaxing. I could tell I wasn’t as tense and I felt happier. You don’t have to wait for a reader to tell you your space needs clearing. If you or someone in your home is tense, depressed or unhappy, this is the perfect reason to clear your space of negativity. Cleansing your space can be done at any time. You can almost compare it to a spring cleaning. You will just feel better after it is done. There are many web sites that address this issue, you don’t need to buy a book. If your intention is for you or someone you love to feel better, try this. I just takes time and costs nothing. The results will benefit everyone in your family. When you are finished, you will wish you had an Easy button!

Animal Reiki

I have been a Reiki practitioner for about 6 years and within the last year completed training to the Master’s level. Reiki is truly a beautiful healing modality. Through touch, the practitioner channels healing energy from the universe and gives it to the client. The healing energy will support whatever the client needs most at the time. A client’s intention may be for a specific concern and certainly that issue will be supported but it may not be the sole focus of Spirit at that time. Let’s just say the universe through Reiki supports a person mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. All the client has to do during a session is relax and receive. I tell clients who haven’t had a session before that you don’t need to expect anything. You just need to take this time for yourself and let go. Reiki can be performed on people and our furry friends. Today, I had the pleasure to channel Reiki to a neighbor’s dog, Casey, that was just diagnosed with bone cancer. As a channel, I need to remain neutral and just be a conduit for healing. Naturally during any session, our human side comes through and I got distracted. The animal is in pain. She is frustrated that she can’t move freely anymore. Just a few steps were taken and she had to rest. Even then she was unable to get comfortable. It broke my heart. I can’t imagine how her owners feel. I have to give them credit, though. They are both right wing republicans and not very open to anything spiritual. Yet, they lovingly opened their door to me and let me work with their dog. I guess the human heart and mind opens when faced with extreme challenges and heart ache. I will not know Spirits intention for healing today with Casey, but I am honored that I got the chance to assist Spirit with this beautiful, hurting creature.

Who Do We Think We Are?

I saw an interesting quote outside a Christian church the other day and it intrigued me. “You make the decisions you make because of who you think you are.” Who you think you are,…..hmmmm. It sounds so limiting doesn’t it? We define ourselves by who are parents are, who we are married to and who are children are. We identify ourselves by where we work, what church we belong to and even what social circles we are in. We are FB followers and tweeters. We are football fans and cheerleading moms.
But who are we really? And do we measure our worth by who we think we are? I am sure in some respects we all do this. Are those of us with wealth really better than those who struggle financially? Does winning accolades from the cheering fans really make one a better person? We all know the answer to these questions and yet in this society we portray the opposite. Tabloid TV and journalism seem to be more popular than ever and 24 hour news stations are no better. The truth is we are all the same in God’s eyes. The love of spirit knows no bounds and has no favorites. This unconditional love allows us to be whomever or whatever we want to be in this life. All that matters along the way is that we love others and ourselves to the best of our ability. In the afterlife, no one will care what our careers were, what sports teams we played for or if we belonged to the posh country club. One of the most memorable things my father told me was to “never underestimate your worth”. In my mid- twenties, I took that to mean how I was compensated at work and I have to admit, it paid off nicely. But as I have aged, I see that he wanted this to apply to all facets of being. He was so spiritual; I had no idea of the depth of his message. We are all worth all the love that God has to give. We are all worth loving, no matter our status in life. After all, we are made up of the divine, so we are all worth the limitless possibilities spirit has to offer.
Most importantly, please remember, no one else can define your worth unless you let them.


Above photo taken by Tracy Irvine at www.tracyirvinephotography.com

Passion

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all make oodles of money and be happy doing what we love? I would love to have a bakeshop and make my favorite treats and do readings at the same location. I am working on this. Until then, I am working at my nursing job and trying to keep centered in all that I do. J would love to make beer. If money allowed he would even be an apprentice and clean out the vats of beer ooze after the brewer was done with a batch. His ultimate dream would be to go to Germany and learn from the hops on up in all things beer. He is not ruling that out either. Perhaps we can win the lottery but in the meantime….Here we are in this reality and we have to put roofs over our heads, feed the kids and pay the bills. So how can we live our passion and still meet our obligations? It is all about balance. Start by being the best you can be in each moment. Give of yourself without distractions in each situation you are in. So, when at work, be the best employee. When at home, be the best spouse and or parent you can be. But it is essential to make time for you daily. Even if it is only 10 minute that you can squeeze in, take it. You deserve it. I heard of a woman who gives herself 10 minutes each morning to mediate. She does this before she prepares for work and wakes the kids. She says this is what “saves” her. I take the time to blog a few days a week, use my tarot and angel cards daily and find exercising & walking to be my release. My husband exercises and makes beer occasionally. We need to be balanced creatures physically, mentally, emotionally, creatively and spiritually. When we deny one or more of these things, we are at risk for illness. We must honor each of these facets of our lives to be whole. On top of all this, we need to have fun! Believe it or not, fun is essential. When we are enjoying ourselves, our bodies and minds relax and we actually become rejuvenated. So make time in your day to create the balance where you need it. You and your loved ones will be better off for it and you will be a great example to others. I love asking the angels for help. I hope they haven’t tired of me yet. If you feel you don’t have time to do everything, you can ask your angles for help. Simply ask them for more balance in your life, give thanks, believe this has occurred and let the matter drop. The angels will do the rest.
Never stop dreaming…….

Inspirational Reading

I have written before about my dad’s and my teachers’ influences on me. I also wanted to take the time to share with you the more public influences that have assisted me in my journey. Some are very well known names and others more obscure. But each has enlightened me in varying and essential ways. Perhaps you can put a few of these on your summer reading lists!

Bruce D. Schneider - Relax you are already perfect. This was by far the book that helped me in the beginning of my journey and I recommend it highly to all of you who seek inner and outer acceptance.

Thich Nhat Hanh - Peace in Every step. This is a wonderful book that reflects the ease and harmony that can be your spiritual journey.

Michelle Livingston - Miraculous Encounters and Visions of Mary. Michelle is a medium and artist. She has channeled Mother Mary and her books bring clarity and hope for connection.

Doreen Virtue - Earth Angels: A Pocket Guide for Incarnated Angels, Elementals, Starpeople, Walk-Ins, and Wizards. This book is a wonderful guide that allows you to discover who you are in this realm and assists you in understanding others as well. Doreen has many books about Angels. I love everything that has to do with angels and I can never get enough information. You can’t go wrong with any of her publications.

I have also read wonderful books by John Edwards, Sylvia Browne and Carolyn Myss. You can peruse the numerous titles and see which ones speak to you.
Enjoy!

Aren't Parents Always Right?

I know I have touched on this before but I thought I was right! Don’t we always want to be right? Doesn’t being right make God love us more? Don’t we sleep better at night when we are right? Uh… yeah… sure it does until your kid resents you. They may not even speak to you for a while. Thank goodness it didn’t go that far with my oldest daughter. I just wanted her to have fun! I wanted her to enjoy her youth. I wanted her freely experience her years before reality and bills set in. I wanted her to just fly by the seat of her pants and enjoy life. I really didn’t get to do that, so I wanted her too. I wanted her to realize the only barriers to enjoying life are the ones set by law and more importantly, herself. That is where my thinking went wrong. This was what I was thinking, not her. I have no idea what life is like as a 21 year old woman in today’s world. I really don’t know firsthand the culture of her friends, her college or the apartment complex in which she lives. I don’t know what she considers a threat to her energetic field or the situations that exceed her comfort zone. Plain and simple, I don’t know. Perhaps for me in this instance, innocence is bliss. I have the feeling my head would spin if I understood everything about the culture of today’s 20 through 30 year olds. This situation brings me back to when I was a new nurse in the intensive care unit. I was caring for a gentleman who was in his 60’s and actively having a heart attack. I cared for him the same way I would have cared for any other patient. For some reason, the man didn’t see it that way and after he recovered, wanted to have more than a nurse/patient relationship! Dude, you could be my grandfather I wanted to say, and I respectfully declined. I later told my mother about the scenario. She thought it was hysterical and wanted me to be nice to him! Well, I only wanted to go by my definition of nice and run each time I passed his room. My mom had no clue of the circumstances in which I worked and what I considered a threat. How could she? She didn’t live in my body. All she could do was go by her own life history. That is all any of us can really do, advise from experience. Key word – Advise. Listen, advise, offer words of your own wisdom and lovingly let go. There is no one way to do anything. There is no right way for everyone. There is only what is in your heart & mind and ultimately it is between you and God. Thank Goodness!
Sorry kid, I will do better. Love ya!

Baking

I love to bake!! If I could, I would bake every day. My daily indulgence would look something like this- cinnamon buns, apple crisp, crumb cake , Jewish Apple cake, chocolate chip cookies, biscotti and scones.My mother baked several times per week. I learned recently through her friend that she baked when she was stressed. Well, 4 kids and a dog must have kept her stressed continuously. Everyone loved my mom’s pound cake. My dad would even toast it and put butter on it! No wonder he had a heart attack at the age of 45! But the memories of my mom’s baking still bring such a warm feeling to my heart. To my mom, baking and eating were love. In some ways I wish I could carry on her method of loving, but I know better for several reasons. #1 – There is soooo much nutritional data available to us now, to bake continuously would mean I was keeping my head in the sand. Just the elevated triglyceride levels alone would be enough to have a person on Lipitor asap. #2 – I am hypoglycemic. (My mom was too, but the medical community did not have today’s knowledge to treat it. I would be sabotaging my body daily if I ate sugar continuously. #3 Most importantly, baked goods are not a reflection of love. Occasionally, they are wonderful and make your heart sing. But love can be shared in so many other important ways, like playing a board game, supporting a sport, taking walks or sharing the love of a pet. But what does this have to do with spirituality? Well, I have found that if I do indulge in sweets that my mind becomes foggy and I can’t function. When I can’t function, I am no good for myself or my family. How can I be connected fully to spirit if I can’t function? To be the best channel, mother/wife or employee, I need to love myself enough to eat healthy. Believe me, I am not a role model, but I know my limits. I am much happier when I stay within my food boundaries. It is not worth the headaches or weakness. So what prompted me to write about this today? I just overdosed on homemade Muddy Buddy mix. I think it is going to be a long night!

Can a person change?

Our souls arrive to this physical plain as a blank page. We are essentially a clean slate. Our soul’s only agenda upon arrival is to learn lessons of love. Our souls have no predetermined path that we have to follow to learn these lessons. We can create ourselves as we go along. I was out with friends the other night and one of them said a person can never change. “Never”, I asked? “ Never”, he responded. Well, that’s harsh and I don’t believe it for a minute. I believe a person can do anything that they want to do despite any of the choices they have made in the past. Often times pain, hurt and shame prevent us from looking objectively at a person or ourselves. This prevents healing from taking place and thus seeing the changes that have occurred. When a person looks within and doesn’t like the things seen, change can take place on any level. This society is not very forgiving and due to this, our eyes are not as open to a person’s potential. I saw a quote the other day on a church billboard, “You make your choices because of who you think you are”. I am not sure of the message that the church was trying to convey, but to me it meant we limit the way we see ourselves. Being an accountant, an IT worker or a nurse doesn’t have to be the only way we define ourselves. Twenty years ago, I never would have guessed I would have had the interest in or courage to study the metaphysical. I believe if you have an interest in something and you put all of your efforts into it, you can accomplish your goals. I believe if you don’t like something about yourself, that you can recreate yourself. You can become the improved version the world needs to see. When we strive to be our best selves, not only are we praising God and healing our souls, we are helping others to see the limitless potential we all have. I want to share with you one of the most helpful things I took from Deepak Chopra’s book Quantum Healing. If you want to have a solution to a problem, picture the situation as already healed. So, for example, if you have a health issue, set your mind to believe it is already healed. Or if you don’t like a something about your job, see the issue as corrected and go about your day believing it. The power of your mind is endless. Thoughts can change your reality. One of my daughters suffers from a challenging, non-life threatening medical issue that has caused all us significant concern. Reading Deepak’s words were a God send for me. From that day on, I just saw her as healed. I found I dealt with her differently. I found myself smiling more when I looked at her instead of with constant concern. I also found I was more at peace with her situation.
Change your thoughts and you can change your life…

Astrology

My middle daughter (C ) is the consummate second child. Frequently she says things such as “I am always the forgotten one” and “How come I never get the car?” As she was commiserating with her 11 year old cousin recently, a new society was formed. Funds are now being requested for Second Child Syndrome. A cure is not needed and funds are always welcome!! So if you haven’t figured it out yet, C is a piece of work. Even at the age of 19 “No” is still her favorite word. She told me the other day that she lives to drive me crazy. Nice.
We started the college search 2 years ago. The first college she visited was an art school in San Francisco. My sister lives in the city and arranged a last minute tour while C was on vacation there. She was sold from the minute she entered the doors. Despite taking her to see many other alternatives on the East Coast, my husband and I knew where her heart was. I couldn’t tell her “no”. That would have just given her years of ammunition against me. I was nervous about her choice but had some reassurance that my sister would only be blocks from C’s dorm. I had my concerns and my husband had even more, but I realized I needed to trust spirit. I knew that she had her own journey ahead of her. So I asked for a sign. I wanted to be told this was the right choice for her.
Decision time was also the time I was learning about astrology from my teacher, mentor and friend, Lino. It was common in the classes for the students to do intuitive readings for one another. On one particular day, it was my turn to ask a question and it was my teacher’s turn to answer. My question was “Where will C go to college?” I had not discussed any of C’s plans with Lino at any point prior to this class. After just a few seconds, Lino responded “California”. Well, that was sure a sign. I thanked spirit and Lino and felt my heart sink. This was really going to happen and I needed to accept it. But what happened the next week really gave me peace of mind. Lino ran astrological charts from www.astro.com that reviewed where the best places for each person in my family to live were located. I was blown away when I saw that C’s sun sign location ran right thru San Francisco. How could I have any doubts now? What a relief! What reassurance! C has had many challenges this past year, but none of them had to do with her location, the school, her classmates or the city. Her grades were A’s and B’s. Not too shabby for a freshman. She will be returning for at least one more year. My guess is that she will be a full-fledged West Coast girl soon, just like my sister!

Keeping a Sense of Self

Stimulation is a constant in today’s society. Rare is the morning when we awake on our own and just breathe in the morning air. From the moment we arise, our body, minds and energetic fields are assaulted with stimuli. Alarm clocks, radios, televisions, computers and other electronic devices bombard us. Usually our minds go into high gear as soon as our feet touch the ground. All this occurs and we haven’t even left our bedrooms yet. Then, we have to deal with the energies of our loved ones. The hectic morning rush is not a good time to try to bond and connect with family. Lost items and missing the bus can wreak havoc on a peaceful breakfast. One can feel guilty wishing to be alone again and it hasn’t even been an hour that you have all been awake! Having to move onward, we start our day. Driving to work, stopping to get gas, listening to the news and dealing with traffic is enough to make anyone just want to crawl back to the comfort and security of their bed. All throughout the day, we hear what others think about politics, family values and the way little league needs to be run. We learn of others good news and the ill health of those close to us. The assault is constant. The stress it causes is real. Sometimes I just want to hide and take a deep breath. So while all of this is going on, how can you maintain a sense of self? How in the world can you even know your own thoughts let alone be at peace? It is not an easy task and it has taken me years to have the sense of self I have now. First and foremost, you have to want to be at peace and radiate peace for yourself and others. If you are looking for peacefulness outside of yourself, chances are you will be waiting a long time. I no longer own my families trivial concerns. I support them but allow them to handle the crisis and make their own decisions. I support my husband in his crazy, demanding job and pray for him, but I don’t carry it with me every minute of the day. I don’t absorb other’s opinions on religion and politics, as a matter of fact, I don’t even discuss them. I was never a good debater. I know my own thoughts on each subject. I usually just listen. Most importantly, I don’t allow myself to be hounded by constant external stimuli. I rarely listen to the TV news or radio. I walk away if a conversation turns negative. I don’t have Facebook up all the time on my computer. My cellphone just texts and makes calls. I find I can breathe and handle the chaos of daily living better, thus maintaining a truer sense of self. I know this won’t work for everyone but I just wanted to share what has worked for me.
Enjoy the silence!

Photo taken by Tracy Irvine @ www.tracyirvinephotography.com

Connecting With Nature

Walking was the first way I connected to spirit. I didn’t even realize I could connect this way. Connecting was never my intention. I would walk to have “me “time and to exercise. It was my escape. I live in an area that is wooded and I found solace in the shaded path I would take. Frequently when I first started walking I would obsess about the concerns of that time. I would worry about the kids’ health, money, lack of time, and my weight just to name a few. As I evolved spiritually, I started to use my walks as a time of prayer. I would also talk to my mom and dad, my aunt and to Mother Mary. Over the years, I have learned not to obsess that much and just enjoy being in the moment, enjoying my walk. Frequently, I’d meet up with neighbors and their pets. It is good for my soul to be in nature and just breathing in the beauty of the blue sky and beautiful landscape. Over the last few years, I have come to love another of connecting with nature, I now enjoy spending time in my garden. The use of the word garden may paint too pretty of a picture, how about I say yard instead. I have come to love watching God’s beauty come alive in the perennials that I have planted. I enjoy touching the earth and caring for things I know will bring me joy. When I am in the yard working, I find I am not worried about anything. My mind almost goes numb. It is a time of peace. I have angel statues in the front and back yards. Whenever I see them, I smile and am reminded that spirit is always with me. Being outside gives me the time to decompress from the tension that I feel and assist God in keeping this physical space beautiful. Sometimes my youngest will care that I am around and actually ask to play some sort of ball game with her. This is usually because I am the last resort, it means none of her friends are around. She knows I am quite uncoordinated but will take the risk anyway. I hate to say no to her, so I make a fool of myself once again. But we always end up laughing and being silly. This is an unexpected way for me to connect to nature and my daughter. Who would have thought?!

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Differences

Five days a week I get an inspirational and motivating message from www.tut.com. Each day I am empowered and reminded that my limits are endless and most importantly I am loved by spirit. I don’t think I have deleted any of the emails I have received. I save them all to a file and peruse them from time to time. The most current message I received prompted this entry. Age and I hope wisdom have called on me to evaluate my personal thought processes. We are all products of our upbringing and most of us blindly accept what our parents taught us as gospel. I was especially guilty of that. I just accepted whatever my parent’s feelings were about most subjects. My mother was a very strong Italian presence. It was her way or the highway. But it was also due to the fact that my mother was sick. Empathy most likely made me more sympathetic to her feelings and I absorbed them like a sponge. Emotions ebbed and flowed in our house and when they were high, it was intense. I am not proud of some of the things I agreed with them about. I know I hurt some family members’ feelings and for that I am truly sorry. It wasn’t until after my parents died that I worked on myself. With therapy and my husband’s help I began to explore myself and what I thought about things. Tut’s message reflected my feelings on current day religious doctrines. If the doctrine excludes anyone for any reason, is it worth celebrating? Shouldn’t we all be accepted for the way God made us? If we are all reflections of God, how can we reject someone because of their differences, religious, cultural or lifestyle? Accepting differences doesn’t mean we have to fully embrace the other person into our lives, it just means we need to respect them. Current day doctrines have caused me to shy away from organized worship. I tease my family that I am attending the church of “me” and that I like the sermons much better!
Be yourself. Listen to yourself. Love yourself.

Fear

Fear can be all encompassing. It can cause paralysis emotionally and spiritually. We can get consumed by worries over money, love and health just to name a few. Fear of the unknown can be daunting. That is, if we let it. In the spiritual world, fear equates to not trusting God. You may pause at that statement. “Of course I trust God”, you say. Our challenge on Earth is to learn lessons. Our souls have predetermined our path. All fear does is hasten our paths back to God. As humans, fear can be as innate as breathing. As I have said before, Earth can be a difficult place. With so much unrest in this world, fear is a natural side effect. We waste so much of our precious energy on fear. It can control our actions, causing us to miss things in life. Statements i.e. “I am too old to do that” or “I will travel when my kids are done school” are fear based. By choosing to not live consciously in the moment, we are surrendering to fear. In my case, fear overwhelmed me for several years before finally admitted I was a spiritual being. Initially, when I first started reading Tarot cards, I was very involved in the Catholic Church. I was active with the parish and with my children’s school. Knowing how the church feels about spirituality, I was scared that the pastor might find out. I felt guilty for exploring something that brought me great joy and clarity. I then found I enjoyed sharing this gift with others. It took me a while, but I realized Tarot and spirituality are gifts from God, just like creativity and talent at math are gifts. They are just manifested differently. I then realized we can praise God with any of our talents. I realized that by following my desires I became more alive. I liked myself better and I liked how my interactions with others changed. Singing, dancing, being good at sports are all wonderful ways of praising God. These gifts were given to us and if we aren't afraid to use them, we can enjoy our lives, bring joy to others and praise God all at the same time! God has given us a clean slate when we enter this reality. We can create whatever we want. If we don't like what we have done, we get to erase the slate and start all over again. Knowing this, is there really anything to fear? Go ahead, have fun......

Red Wine

Red wine is delightful, delicious and addicting. I could reason that I drink it daily for medicinal purposes but that would be a lie. Well, sort of. It started out that way anyway. I am unable to tolerate high sugar content alcoholic drinks and can't stomach the hard liquors. So, about 2 years ago I made a conscious decision to try red wine. It has the antioxidant resveratrol after all to benefit my heart. I told myself I would enjoy a glass when in social situations. A funny thing happened, I began to enjoy red wine! The drier the better! I never imagined myself to be a wine drinker. My favorites are Shiraz, Malbec, Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot. Oops, that is just about all the red wine choices in Pennsylvania for my very young palate. A wonderfully cooked meal and a glass of red wine is the start of a good night for me. Top it off with wonderful friends and it makes for a perfect evening. Such a night occurred last February when I not only had great friends, good food and red wine, I had inspiration! My friend (T) suggested taking a couples cooking class. T said she had taken one before with this woman named (S). It sounded like a fun adventure and my husband and I agreed. T had said in passing that S had recently been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and was taking a break from treatments. We arrived at S's home to find that the bottom floor of her home devoted to cooking and eating!! Prior to becoming ill, S ran a successful catering business and cooking classes from her home. The living room is occupied by a 10 foot wood plank table that she uses to teach new recipes, give cooking tips and of course allows for eating. The dining room had a standard size table but each corner of the living room and dining room were filled with dishes and cooking items mostly from Italy. This wonderful woman is Italian! I knew I liked her! S has a love for Italy, cooking and for life. Over the course of the evening, she generously shared the stories of her struggles over the past year. Some of the struggles dealt with getting diagnosed, choosing a treatment plan and her anxiety. She did all this with frank honesty and humor. This is not a very easy thing to do, yet she made us all feel at ease. S also openly shared her beliefs about reincarnation, meditation and the preciousness of life. I had found a kindred spirit! I never in a million years would have thought I would be taking a cooking course from someone of the same mindset as I have. It was a million dollar night- friends, food, wine and spirituality! It doesn't get any better than that!!!! Check out her blog when you get a chance. It is a beautiful representation of S's spirit, courage and love for all things food! http://livelaughcook.blogspot.com

Thoughts to make the death of a loved one easier.

Our souls travel in groups. We literally go through different lives with the same circle of souls or loved ones so to speak. God gives us the free will to come to earth to learn the lessons of love that we need to learn. Not all souls choose this path. It is completely up to us to make this choice. Earth is not an easy place to exist. Beauty and joy far outweigh the negative but just the mere existence of negativity makes this plane a difficult place to be. You see, we all chose our paths before arriving to earth. We preplanned the lessons we wanted to learn and who would be the best parents and family members to learn these lessons from. We chose when we would physically be born and when we will die physically. Our conscious, physical selves are not aware of these choices. They are engrained in our souls and energetic bodies. Sometimes our souls are here only briefly, while others are here for decades. Sometimes, we are here to help others learn their lessons, other times to pay back a soul that was good to us in the past. For example, I have been told that my grandmom and I were so close because I was good to her in a previous life. She returned to earth to pay me back by being a special person in my life. I can still feel the loving bond we had and she died when I was 5 years old. A special needs child may have chosen to come to this life with disabilities to learn how to let others love and care for them. This knowledge can help the logical mind justify someone’s death but never our hearts.
My good friend’s mom just passed last week. She was truly a beautiful soul. She was a loving wife, an adoring mother to 5 children (one died of leukemia when he was 8 years old) and a doting grandmom. Along the way she not only touched her family, she lovingly touched extended family members and friends with her smile, her laugh and wonderful hugs. Even in a brief encounter with her, she radiated her love to others with her kind words and supportive touch. My heart aches with her loss. I only saw her a few times over the last few years but as a child and young adult she was an important person in my life. My husband and I used her and her husband as examples of the type of loving marriage we wanted to emulate. I was blessed to know her and I know my soul was supported on this earth because of her presence. Anyone she touched received unconditional love and acceptance. Her spirit was genuine. She was truly here to be an “earth angel”. Now her gifts and love will continue to be spread on this earth by her children and grandchildren. We are all the better off for it.

Easy Spiritual Protection

I had the pleasure of enjoying lunch with my good friend the other day. We were limited in time and met in the café of a large local supermarket. Even though we were in a quiet corner of the café, my friend said, “You know I can’t stand it here, right?” “Every time I shop here, my heart palpitates.” We shared a chuckle but then spoke of the cause of her feelings. While the store is lovely and has the best selection of food around, it is always crowded. This is the problem. My friend is very sensitive energetically. I don’t even think she knows the extent of her energetic abilities. So of course, just walking into a crowded store would be an assault to her energetic field. You see, when a person is sensitive energetically, it means, they are feel all of the energy others are emitting, positive and negative. Even though a person may look put together and calm, all of their emotional baggage can be felt at some level by a sensitive person. Have you ever gone anywhere and just felt so ill at ease that you wanted to flee the space. Perhaps is presented itself as if the room was “stuffy” or an ill feeling in your stomach. You were most likely feeling the negative energies of the room. To prevent you from fearing going out in to public places, it is essential to protect yourself. If you don’t know how to energetically protect yourself, I have a very simple suggestion. Before entering the place you are concerned about, take a few seconds to breathe deeply. With your mind’s eye, see a pink oval of airspace surrounding your body. Make sure it is under your feet, above your head and completely in the front and in back of you, basically encircling you. Ensure that it extends out at least 2 to 3 inches away from your physical body into the airspace around you. The air space around you is actually your aura or your energetic body. This space is just as affected by energies as is your physical body. In the spiritual world, pink is a color of protection. By placing this intention, you will protect yourself. The energies will still be present but you won’t be affected as much by them, possibly not at all. I have used this method with much success while away from home and even in my home during times of ill ease. Using a tool like this can help you to have a stress free experience.

Permission for above photo lovingly granted by Genevieve Shulick-
www.rosesformarie.com