A safe haven

The world stands out on either side no wider than the heart is wide. —Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

Good Morning Nearest & Dearest,

You really are nearest & dearest to my heart and soul—because we can commune Together with One Heart—at the Soul level. In speaking to those who live only at the level of the world, have you noticed that at times it is as if you are speaking another language? 

You may remember this from the angels: Although angels speak another language from humans, they understand the language of the heart, so they can converse with anyone. The only language that really matters is the only language angels care about: The Language of the Heart. The language of the heart is the universal language of peace.

Some of you may know or remember that in January 2021, a Tuxedo Cat found me in a parking lot one icy cold night as I stepped out of the woods, where I had been walking (yes, I sometimes walk alone at night in the dark woods). I heard a cat crying and there he was, huddled in a ball of cold, as if he was waiting for me. He moved away each time I came near, and I gently followed him, pausing each time he did, around the entire parking lot, till we ended at my car and I was able to pick him up.

I stopped at a store to buy him food. He was nervous and slept somewhere in the living room when I went to bed. I was very aware of another presence in my house. And determined that I did not want a cat.

I tried very hard to find his home, but no one answered my posts, and I could not find him in any lost posts. And I fell in love with him. He had found a home where he would be loved and cared for—my home, which became his home.

He was very shy and would run and hide when anyone else came to my house. But he always trusted me. It was as if we were two souls who had reunited. I named him Emerson Charm. He was about 1 year or so old.

When dear sweet Emerson Charm came to me, he was at first afraid. He didn’t know how to respond to loving touch. His claws automatically came out and my hands suffered many scratches. I made a conscious determination to never be harsh with him. I continued to be soft and gentle and he transformed—or rather, he melted into his true being.

I wanted to give him a chance to be as he was, not confine him in a box of my definitions. I did it imperfectly because I am imperfect, but I did it. We had a close and loving relationship. He had the freedom to come and go and roam the woods and he always had a safe haven to return to. His home held no hostility or anger. I never spoke harshly to him. He died only a year and half later, from a fatal disease, though I tried hard to save his life.

I miss him greatly. He was so young, and so wise and true.

Can we create this same gentle loving home within ourselves, which I created for Emerson? Even when the world outside is not so loving? Even when people speak harshly to us? Even when it seems the world is speaking another language from us? Then you always have a safe haven to return to, no matter how harsh the world is. 

Much love, as always,

TURN WITHIN

The entire state of the world is in turmoil and confusion. Even while feeling compassion, doing what we can  — we must learn to detach  — to know that we are “in the world and not of the world.”

We can let the world situation drive us crazy, drive us to despair — or drive us within, away from the desires and woes this world presents. The world is so big and there is so little we can do — and still, we must “do.” 

We must not let the world drive us into despair and panic and depression, which is what it wants to do — the “world” being defined as the mass unconsciousness of egos. Egos run the world. 

There is deep sadness when we first see this — and this sadness can be transformed — when we let go of what we cannot control — when we cease to identify with the madness of an insane world — when we allow ourselves to seek shelter, seek calm, seek peace Within. 

We learn that Heaven really is within, in this present moment, and that nothing outside — nothing — need change for us to be in this Heaven. Heaven is always present — we need only turn our vision within and let it Guide us away from the insanity of the world, which is ruled by dark forces, to the Peace Within. 

Earth is a living sentient Being. In Nature we can find healing. Go to Nature. If you live mostly in the confines of a city, buy a plant. Nurture and care for it. The plant will bring nature spirits into your home. It is part of nature, of earth. Love a plant, a tree, a flower, and it will love you in return.

When you can, plant a tree somewhere on earth. 

Keep your feet on the ground. When you are lost in fantasy, lost in thought, lost in confusion, stamp those feet on the ground and bring yourself back into your body, here, now, alive with breath and bones and flesh and light. 

Rising above Despair

Stately Evergreens in my front yard

Dearest & Nearest,

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day in your country, or is it only a USA holiday? Normally, I post a special lesson here on February 14th. This year, time got away from me. So I will publish that lesson today, in another post. 

Some of you may know that I am caring for my 91 year old mother. And I help out my brother who has a disabling illness.

My mother, Arloween Mae, lives alone and takes care of her daily needs. She can still drive, though only under certain conditions and does so rarely. Here in NYS the winter has been harsh and she cannot go out alone in the snow and ice.

I do her shopping and paperwork, pick up her medications at the pharmacy, drive her to doctor's appointments, take out her trash, do her laundry, and whatever else she cannot do on her own. This all requires a great deal of time and energy, often in the freezing cold. 

I recently had to drive her to Pennsylvania, where we had to spend the night because she needed a procedure which took two days. I do not enjoy motels, but there we were. And the next morning, when we had to rise before dawn to go to the hospital, its was frigid and icy.

The point is, my 'time' is more limited these days. 

Life changes, doesn't it? This is what we can count on. And no matter how 'enlightened' we may become, there are still the daily tasks of living. The human body is still subject to cold and heat, accidents and illnesses. We still get worrisome mail we must deal with. There are still spam calls and spam emails. Wars and taxes. Rent or house payments to make. Loneliness and discouragement. Fear and hope.

Right now, as I write, all is peaceful. The golden sun is rising over the hills. The huge evergreens in my front yard are stately and beautiful. The snow is melting and the grass re-appearing. The laundry is in the washer. My cat is sleeping. And I am here in the peace with you. Well, actually I am here in peace with myself, since I am writing this here alone.

Remember I have written that angels are meant to do most of their work unseen by human eyes? Which is also true of the work I do...most of my angel work is done alone, in silence, then sent into the silence. Perhaps you read it; perhaps not. And if you read it, perhaps you receive and imbibe its message; perhaps not.

Anyway, since I began writing this, the sun has risen completely and the morning is in full swing—I stopped to let the cat out, hang laundry, complete other tasks. And soon I must add up numbers and fill out forms for my mother. 

The point of this message is that we must not despair because the ordinary events life continue. Despair not because the body grows older. Because a love affair ends. Because a friend deserts or betrays you. Because the tax office demands more money. Because your body becomes ill. Because your body is hurt in an accident. Because life seems overwhelming at times. Despair not.

And if you do despair, do your best to observe the despair. There is no need to try to stop it. Despair arises so long as it is within you to arise. The good news, the angelic news, is that you are not the despair, nor is the despair you. 

You can use the only real power a human being has—the power to SEE. To Observe. Even a blind person person has this power, because we are referring to a power beyond physical sight.

SEE despair when it arises. Learn from it. The false power that despair assumes is the power to take you over, overwhelm you, paralyze you with hopelessness and depression. Fatigue you. Turn all into blackness. As if you are drowning in it.

I have never almost drowned, but those who have say that at some point there is total peace—an acceptance that one is drowning. But these are stories from those who have survived drowning. 

My mother nearly drowned as a child. She says she saw her life go by in little glass boxes. Of course, she was only a child, so she didn't have much life to go by. Then, her brother, who was in the boat, grabbed her by her hair and pulled her out. So she never reached the point of seeing the Light or coming into peace. 

She never saw the Light, and so she was only left with the wonder of the little boxes—and a terrible fear of water. She never went into the water again. Still, what she most remembers is the wonder of little boxes.

When despair arises, even when you feel are you drowning in it—in the cold water of darkness—you have the power to SEE. Just as my mother, even while drowning, still, somehow, had the power to SEE—to see the little boxes which contained her life—going by.

She was seeing memories, actually, contained within her brain. Who was SEEING — even in the midst of drowning? 

YOU have the power to SEE. No matter how deep your despair may seem.

Please keep in mind: 

"I have the power to SEE no matter how deep my despair may seem."

"I am not the little boxes of memories."

"I am not the despair; nor is the despair me."

"The power of SEEING is stronger than any negative emotion."

"The power of SEEING is stronger than any negative thought."

When you truly See—you Understand. With understanding comes peace. We fear only that which we do not understand. Only that which we do not understand has the false power to control us.

Lin Chi, Zen Master Story

One of the greatest of Zen masters, Lin Chi, used to say, ”While I was young I was very fascinated by boating. I had one small boat, and I would go on the lake alone. For hours together I would remain there.

”Once it happened that with closed eyes I was in my boat meditating on the beautiful night. One empty boat came floating downstream and struck my boat. My eyes were closed, so I thought, ‘Someone is here with his boat, and he has struck my boat.’ 

"Anger arose. I opened my eyes and I was just going to say something to that man in anger, then I realized that the boat was empty. Then there was no way to move. To whom could I express the anger? The boat was empty. It was just floating downstream, and it had come and struck my boat. So there was nothing to do. There was no possibility to project the anger on an empty boat.”

So Lin Chi said, ”I closed my eyes. The anger was there, but finding no way out, I closed my eyes and just floated backward with the anger. And that empty boat became my realization. I came to a point within myself in that silent night. 

"That empty boat was my master. And now if someone comes and insults me, I laugh and I say, ‘This boat is also empty.’ I close my eyes and I go within.”

A GUARDIAN ANGEL STORY

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL

The angel had been bound to earth for hundreds of years, yet the angel lived in patience where time did not exist. For eons the angel had been speaking to humans, whispering words of love and encouragement into their ears. Most of the time, no one heard, though now and then, the angel saw in someone's eyes a glimmer of understanding.

    This angel was presently guarding a small child, whose skin was white as snow, though it was no fairy tale, for the child had been sick with some earthly disease for a long time. The child lay in a bed, blending into white sheets, surrounded by family members who were trying not to cry. And the child, who knew what courage was, whispered, “It is okay to cry because I am going away.”

    And the angel smiled and wrapped its love around the boy and touched the hearts of his parents, grandparents, and little brothers. As the angel touched their hearts, it knew the anguish in those hearts. The angel could have moved away, spared itself this pain, but it only moved closer, giving of its strength. The child's father forgot not to cry. Tears fell down his unshaven face. 

    The little boy wanted to reach up and touch that face one last time, but he had no strength. Sensing this, the unseen angel helped the boy raise his arm. As the child touched his father's scratchy wet face one last time, father and son felt a great peace, for the truth of tears is better than the pretense of smiles.

    Then the mother cradled her child in her arms. The grandparents cradled their own children, this mother and father. And the angel of God bound them all together with its love and spoke to the child, saying, “It is time.” The child heard a voice like bells and looked upon the face of the angel for the first time. The family could not see the angel, but they saw the years of pain and fighting the disease fade away as the child's face began to glow.

    “I will show you,” smiled the angel, forgetting everything now except the child. “Look!” The angel pointed to the light. Seeing the Light, the boy breathed a last sigh and closed his eyes in peace. 

    The angel departed with the soul essence of the child, guiding him to the Light. And the family was not alone. The room was alive with angels, embracing the family, whispering words of love, holding the sorrow, taking what pain they could unto themselves.

    As the angel guided the child to the Light, the angel felt the power of the Light, and longed to return to the Light, but its task was upon earth. The angel did not linger in pain or longing. It lovingly watched the boy merge into the Light, then turned and made its way back to earth.

    The angel did not stop to ask why, did not hesitate, did not question the way of the world or of God. It simply went on to its next task. It was just in time to catch a young teenager as she fell from a speeding car whose door had become unlatched.

    The girl would later tell a wondrous story of a being of light that caught her in its arms, saving her from the hard pavement of the road. And the angel was already gone, onto its next task, fully present in the moment.

    This story came to me in its entirety following the death of my young nephew, Sean, from leukemia. I was on tour in Europe at the time. When I received word that he had died, I sat down and wrote this story. It was a gift I received at his passing into another realm. When I returned home, I was told that although his father, my brother, was unable to make it to the hospital before Sean died, the nurses insisted, “But we saw you there, holding your son's hand and talking with him.”

nature

ANGEL WORDS

MY PAINTING

Dearest One,

Please find a comfortable position and relax as we embark upon a journey together following the course of these lessons. Remember we are not traveling alone! The angels are here, guiding us in their clear and simple way.

Peaceful Chant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC-n4HyeYRA

Good Morning Everyone, it is not yet 6:00 am in Austin and still dark outside. A few raindrops are falling. I have fed the cats (all 3) and have a cuppa hot green tea to sip.  Oh, and the tiny dog who also lives here just joined me. The link above is to a soothing chant I just came across, which I thought I would share with you, just because it is peaceful. And this is hanging on my wall. I used to have pink walls, now I have blue walls.

As the days grow darker, may your heart grow lighter . . .

Peace Like A River

This is a house in England which I posted here just because I like it so much. I grew up in the country, by a river. The river was a great teacher, just as it was in the book about the Buddha -- the book by Hermann Hesse, Siddartha (which you can read for free here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2500/2500-h/2500-h.htm)    

Now I live in the city, not so far from the ocean, but perhaps someday I will live by a river again. Oceans are vast and sparkling and some people prefer them. I prefer rivers that are always flowing to the ocean. 

Happiness

"To be happy, to possess eternal life, to be in God, to be saved -- all these are the same. All alike mean the solution to the problem, the aim of existence. And happiness is cumulative, as misery may be. An eternal growth is an unchangeable peace, an ever more profound depth of understanding, a possession constantly more intense and more spiritual with the joy of heaven -- this is happiness. Happiness has no limits." - Amiel
  
This morning I feel like writing about the above quote from the Swiss philosopher, poet, and critic, Henri Frédéric Amiel, who lived from 1821 to 1881. I am writing for my own benefit, using our open classroom to increase my understanding, which is making right use of the classroom. What is more important than spiritual understanding? As far as I know, nothing. By writing about a quote of spiritual Truth, I am exercising my spiritual mind. I am reaching higher and asking God and angels to help me understand. I am putting Truth first. When we put Truth first, Truth puts us first.

Below the line below :) are the rest of my early morning musings, although I am just now posting it. I awake very early, doing my meditations, meditative writings, which help take me within and prepare me for the day.

Are you a nemophilist?

How beautiful to be a nemophilist!

Deep peace of the running wave to you…

Deep peace of the running wave to you…
This poem comes from The Dominion of Dreams: Under The Dark Star by Fiona MacLeod (1895).  Fiona MacLeod was a 19th century romantic and Celtic visionary and also, apparently the female pen name of William Sharp. This is a prayer is taken from the longer poem that follows:

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.

And the full poem:

Words of Wisdom

Lord open my eyes wide so I can see

Dear Students,
Here I am sharing part of an email I wrote recently to someone, since it contains some words of wisdom we can all use...

Dear....

Time doesn’t exist except for us as personalities and physical beings, and can be transcended by our relationship with God, by cancelling the false me.

We must take what peaceful moments we can and drink them so we have enough water, like the camel, to carry us across the hot dry desert of human existence to the true oasis.

If we could only see, all suffering would be seen as nonexistent and self-created. Lord open my eyes wide so I can see must be a good prayer.

I pray for you that your anxiety and tension and stress be seen through and thus vanquished. And that you do not listen to self-harming voices but say no and take a different path to health and well-being at every level.

Praise and Blame

The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.  --Norman Vincent Peale

The Supreme Reality stands revealed in the consciousness of those who have conquered themselves. They live in peace alike in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, praise and blame. -- Bhagavad Gita 6:7

Who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same . . . such a one is said to have transcended the modes of nature. -- Bhagavad Gita 14:25

WORDS AS WEAPONS OR AS WORSHIP

Did you read today's message? I include it here, along with some affirmations you can use, if you like, to allow more peace to come into your life.

We may not even realize how many words come out of our mouth in a day that are hostile, threatening, defending, critical, hurtful, revengeful, accusatory, wrathful, and mostly, just unconscious. Practice being aware of the words that come out of your mouth. Notice when your words are warlike. And surrender -- as many times in a day as you have to. Lay down your weapons and surrender to a higher power. Let peace pervade your life.

• HOSTILITY is a weapon of darkness. It has no right to exist in my life. Hostility only attracts more hostility. I choose peace.
 

• THREATENING words are terrifying not only to my own heart, but to the hearts of other people. I choose not to terrify or be terrified. Threatening words are the act of a coward. When I am in my strength, Truth takes care of me.
 

• DEFENDING words mean I have something to defend. Truth needs no defense. Truth IS. Now and always Truth IS. When I notice myself defending, I can stop and ask myself, what on earth am I defending?
 

• CRITICAL words are stupid words. I can utilize discrimination without being critical of myself or others.
 

• HURTFUL words are unkind and unnecessary to my life. They are weapons of pain and destruction. I choose not to harm life in any way by my words.
 

• REVENGEFUL words vibrate at a very dark, low level. Revengeful words increase darkness within me and the world. I choose to forgive, to let go, to realize that the things of this world are passing away. There is nothing to hold on to, nothing to be revengeful about. I choose to simply stay far away from people who deliberately hurt me. I choose to rise higher than hurtful people. I know that when I rise higher, a higher consciousness guides all my actions and I live in peace.
 

• ACCUSING words are stupid because they do not know the answer to anything. I choose to connect with Divine Intelligence and find all answers in my heart.
 

• WRATHFUL words always come back to me.
 

• UNCONSCIOUS words mean I am living unconsciously. I choose to become aware of my words. I choose to become aware of the little wars I perpetuate every day with my words. I choose peace.

God, help me choose peace. Angels, help me choose peace. I do not know what true peace is, and so you must show me. Let the light shine more brightly that I may become aware of my warlike words so they can evolve into words of peace. Thank you, angels, for your continuous service.

returning to peace

I was recently asked to contribute some of my writing to a website called, think peace, by Leza Labrador, and you can find it here: http://thinkpeace.wordpress.com/ I included a passage Returning to Peace from my forthcoming book, The Clear and Simple Way.