Growing Young

It takes a long time to grow young.~Pablo Picasso

Tomorrow is my 47th birthday and it is already the best ever! Through our conditioning, we have been taught to dread birthdays or not be too celebratory once we are "of a certain age," but I embrace them as growing young, not growing old. Life gives us many opportunities to overcome...to get to a place of realizing that we are victims only of our own fears, our own illusions that have been handed down to us and which we have readily accepted. But when we realize the Truth about our voluntary imprisonment, and that freedom is there for the taking, there is a joy that is beyond what we ever could have imagined. In that moment, we begin to grow young again. I have experienced this vividly, especially over the last 3 or 4 years, and I have watched it in others, so I know that it is there for each of us, as soon as we are ready to accept it.

Through letting go of the need to control, be right, or live life in that carefully measured box of what society says we should strive for - by being willing to color outside the lines, truly and not just superficially -- I have been given a new lease on life. Gifts have been opened up within me which were there all along, but I could not see, or that I was afraid to release because of being different. I have seen some relationships drift away or change or be revealed in greater light, sometimes painfully at first, but always resulting in the peace of Truth...and that void has been filled with new friends, new discoveries, and heightened relationships that are ensconced in real love, joy, and acceptance.

Living as our true selves makes us young again. It no longer matters what numerical age we are, because our real age is within our hearts, shining through the love we share with one another. God restores our youth and vitality in the instant we remember our perfection, our true beauty, our Oneness with Him and with the Universe.

Today, feel young again. Whatever your troubles or cares, whatever your financial worries, whatever your job stress, or whatever load you have upon you today, let it go, even if only for a little while. Let go, and let God renew. Grow young again, laugh for a moment, remember joy, and be grateful for all that the Universe has brought you, knowing that all of it is supporting your journey back to your highest and best self.

Happy Re-birth-day to all!

Love the...Oil??

A couple of weeks ago, as I visited the Gulf Coast with a friend, I wrote a post about the oil spill and how the most important thing we can do is "Love Them Anyway". Our anger at who caused it or who is to blame does not help generate the energy that is needed to create miracles and solutions. I believe that there will be time later to resolve what happened and hopefully learn from it, but the focus now needs to be on how we fix it and protect the ocean and the wildlife, also restoring livelihood fishermen and others who have been so hurt by the crisis. My thoughts about sending love to the BP employees who are working to find a solution - sending love to the "bad guys" cause one or two raised eyebrows (and accusations of smoking crack! :), but many understood that what we give off, we get back. If we want miracles, we have to heal first, with love...we have to BE the miracle, in our hearts.

My friend Cathy DiDonato sent me a message on facebook yesterday which I thought hit on such an important but forgotten part of this vibrational equation. While many of us are trying to lift up and heal this situation through positive thoughts and prayers, her thought was that we should not forget about sending positive energy to the oil, which is also from our Earth but just displaced. Knowing that EVERYTHING has vibration, she had a thought about the oil needing our good thoughts and prayers too. I think Cathy is on to something, not just with respect to this oil crises,but in the way we behave in general. When we open our minds to the good of every situation rather than the bad, it makes us better people, heals our hatred and fear.

Here is Cathy's message to me:

I am having this thought over and over again. Call me crazy...Please let me know what you think. I’ve been thinking a lot about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Collective prayers for the water are being sent by many. Research done by Masaru Emoto have proven that these prayers are well received. During meditation I was made aware of the fact that we are only praying for part of the issue. The oil that is spilling into the ocean waters also have its place in nature, in Mother Earth and is being displaced. Does the oil have its own consciousness? Its own vibration? Is it also in need of prayers? I think that including the oil that is spilling into the Gulf in our prayers and returning it to the Earth where it rightfully belongs is going to be key in coming up with resolutions. The water belongs where it is and the oil also belongs (somewhere) where it is not.

Wow! What a beautiful perspective.

Most all of us, in industrialized nations at least, use oil..whether it is to drive our cars, travel on airplanes, purchase goods that were transported by truck, or using plastic (not just in our food purchases, but in our computers, televisions, vehicles, and all around us)...we all use oil. Yet "oil" gets such a bad name and is spoken of with such a vile energy and vibration from so many. This spill has magnified that, as we see the images of "ugly" oil on birds and beaches, we almost automatically begin to feel that the oil itself is bad. Perhaps during this time where oil is considered the bad element, we should be grateful for all that it does for us, understand that we have created a need for oil drilling....and, as Cathy said, pray for the oil. Give gratitude for a coming solution, and thanks for all that oil provides us. We can make a promise to conserve it more, and do our part to make the demand less.

We are bigger than the crisis, if we will open our hearts to be so. When we look beyond the common snapshot in any situation, we are more likely to find truth, then miracles. Thank you so much, Cathy, for your inspiring thoughts...and being brave enough to share them!

Love Them Anyway

I am in Ft. Morgan, Alabama right now, on the gulf coast that has been hit hard by the oil spilling out deep at sea. This ares is such a special and beautiful place, and it has broken my heart to see the images of the tragedy and hear the grim news. I have always felt a connection to the ocean - to the dolphins in particular, as it seems they find me whenever I am on the beach or near bay waters.

This morning, I went on my first walk on the beach, not sure what to expect. I went there to pray and send love to the entire situation, for I know that what will make it better is not blaming and finger-pointing, but the willingness to BE LOVE - to ask, "What can I offer to make it better." I believe fully in the power of prayer - if it is backed by pure love - love that is forgiving and unconditional, rather than judgmental and resentful. During this crisis, I decided that what I could offer was an energy of love and goodness, laying down the need to blame angrily, knowing that it would not be productive toward a solution at this point.

Our tendencies in this world when things go wrong are to look for who to get mad at or who to point the finger at in blame or retribution. There are times when it is helpful to understand what went wrong and why in looking toward solutions, but when the crisis is getting deeper by the day, it is time to focus our collective energy on good, knowing that the problem is somehow here to teach us something, individually or collectively. Because I love the ocean, and particularly the gulf coast, I felt that urge to get angry at someone too, but then realized what a blessed opportunity this was to overcome those negative emotions and send love in a difficult situation. I remembered that at other times of my life, that practice had been so important in my spiritual journey, and each time I had been able to do that, I had gained so much peace in my soul, love in my heart.

Jesus taught followers to love unconditionally...to offer forgiveness even when it might not seem deserved. We often talk about following Jesus' example, but rarely do it in situations where deep emotions are involved. If He could forgive the unthinkable, then we should too, realizing that everyone involved in the problem is only human, and that mistakes do happen, even in controlled situations. When Apollo 13 had mechanical errors that meant its moon mission failed and disaster was impending...a nation and a world prayed and sent hope to those who were trying to fix it. We owe the same to this mistake...because it is our world together, and we have to be together in correcting the problems.

I believe that love and understanding are the energies that create miracles. At times, I have been accused of being a weirdo or a crack smoker for thinking so (smile), but I have seen so many miracles occur as a result of that thinking - that laying down of anger, resentment, judgment - so I know I am not the one off base here! In our thinking, blaming, angry world, we put out energies that only bring us more strife; yet if we can shift into a better energy we will reduce and often eliminate that strife, learning that it is all our doing - our illusion - created from our negative perspective.

When I sat on the beach and said my prayers, I sent love to the earth, the ocean, the animals, and yes, to the BP workers, asking that they be blessed with divine wisdom that would help them identify a solution, asking that they would be able to withstand the unimaginable pressure so as to think clearly and fix the problem. As I said my prayer, I felt a rush of peace and joy over my soul, and at that very moment, a school of dolphins appeared right in the waters before me, surfacing in pairs and groups. They had not come gradually down the shoreline, but surfaced right in front of where I was sitting, and lingered as if to tell me that they felt the love...that they need the love and good vibrations...affirming what I already knew deep in my soul. As I watched them in wonder, feeling that deep connection to them, I asked for a sign that we could do this - that we have it within us to find a solution and a miracle. They began to dart out of the water, not in their usual soft arc, but like race boats in pairs, jumping and leaping here and there, swimming at great speeds. It gave me peace. I believe dolphins are like our spiritual pulse-takers - knowing where we are in our hearts because they pick up on energy so keenly. The dolphins know something about this crisis - they know that it is an opportunity for us to change for the better, an opportunity for us to band together rather than bickering for political gain or lobbying efforts, for us to practice love and forgiveness, to appreciate our beautiful world and commune with it rather than working against it.

This experience brought up thoughts of one of my favorite quotes, one alleged to have been on Mother Teresa's wall in Calcutta, where she reminds us to forgive and love in every situation. The gift will be our own:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

This is not between you and them...or us and them...your choices in every situation are between you and God. Will you choose love or hatred? Kindness or revenge? Gratitude or resentment? Compassion or judgment? Will you offer positive or negative energy? The choice is yours...and your choice will determine your outcome in your own life. In choosing what you put out, you are declaring what you want back.

I hope that all will join me in sending sincere love and prayers to the gulf region, setting aside the anger for at least a moment. This is a grand opportunity to just BE LOVE.

Perpetuating Stereotypes

Our thoughts create reality. The more consistently we have a thought, the more likely we are to produce that event or effect. This works in our own lives and what we manifest for ourselves, but it also works collectively - in the collective consciousness of our world. That is why it is so important to begin to change our own minds, but beyond that, to encourage a change of thought in others - because the collective consciousness is so powerful in manifesting what we experience in our world.

It is sometimes said that stereotypes exist because there is an element of truth to them. It certainly seems that some behavior patterns can be true to groups - gender, race, age, nationality, geographic location, or other collection of people. But when I think about how our thoughts manifest our experience, I conclude that those stereotypical patterns may continue, in part, because of our collective thoughts about them. Judgment that we put out about things we disapprove of only creates more of the same...that energy of thought only feeding the situation.

When you look at the child in the ghetto and conclude that they will end up in a path of crime, consider that your thoughts may be contributing to that outcome. Change your thoughts. Put your energy into a path out of that despair - into a prayer that God give them strength to overcome a seemingly impossible situation, into a commitment of your love and compassion. Send gratitude for the fact that it is not you in that place, and RESPECT for those who endure it...because if God doesn't give us anything we cannot handle, then he must have great respect for what those souls are capable of. Give those that you might previously have passed judgment on the respect that God must be giving them through their heavy burdens.

We all have prejudices that have been heaped upon us by society. Because of our varying experiences, we inevitably have differing views of things. That can be a good thing, but we must first choose to let go of our negative views about things we know little of. In doing so and sending love and respect, we contribute to the solution, rather than to the perpetuation of the problems.

In the simple act of changing your thoughts - revisiting your ideas - you can contribute to a more positive collective consciousness, and one that will help change the world for the better. Be conscious of your thoughts, as they hold the key to change. Think in love, and you will be a healer.

Unconditional "Mother Love"

Today is Mother's Day, and I celebrate "Mother Love". It is that unconditional, nurturing love that sees the good in us, it helps us remember our attributes and what we are capable of. Those who have that kind of love from their mothers or others are fortunate, because it is the kind of love and acceptance that makes us better. Let's face it, everyone does not feel that kind of love from their mother, or from the world at large. Sometimes, a mother's love is about their own need to control, or need to feed their own ego.

I raised my children in a wonderful "family friendly" area - where people strove to be the most that they could be, to attain and obtain the best. It was a place where parents were involved in the lives of their children in a big way. In that sense, it was a very nice place to raise kids. But with that also comes the tendency toward "helicopter parenting" that needs to control and maneuver in order to make sure their kids "get ahead"...or the parents whose own egos are put upon the shoulders of their offspring. I will admit it can become contagious. As a parent, I sometimes fell into that trap, of expecting from my children what others expected of theirs, of sometimes trying to make them something they were not, all from the worry that if they didn't do something in the normal way or through a certain path that they would not thrive. I was never really at home in that place, nor were my kids entirely, because something inside told me it did not fit - yet it took me a long time to recognize and declare it.

Within the last few years, I have had many spiritual experiences that reminded me of not only my true nature, but that of my sons. And even though I sometimes wish I could do it over again in raising them, and adjust accordingly, I realize that it is never too late to make those adjustments. I have relearned how to read my sons, how to tune in to who they are rather than who the world says they should be. In my appreciation for my own growth and reconnection to my soul, I am trying to help them find their true selves, blaze their own paths - whether those be conventional ones, or not so conventional. I know that I do not want them to fall into cookie-cutter existences, so I am encouraging a path that might go against the norm. I know that at their young 20's ages, they too are bombarded with pressures of who and where they are supposed to be in their lives, so I try to impart upon them the courage to be different, to be true to themselves, to find their own path and follow their own calling.

Chinese spiritual philosopher Lao Tzu, said,
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."

Whether we are male or female, childless or with many offspring, the greatest gift that we can give as "mothers," to our own children and to the world at large, is the gift to be themselves...to love, accept, appreciate, and celebrate individuality in the world. When we give up the need for others to do things our way or see things as we do, we are giving unconditional love, we are giving "Mother Love" and birthing a better world. We are all aware of a loving mother's ability to heal - to make the hurt go away - and we can give that healing daily to those around us - to strangers on the street - and heal them through our compassion and acceptance. If you do not feel unconditional love from those around you, love yourself unconditionally - see your good, celebrate your uniqueness.

Share the Mother Love today. Feel the difference it makes around you. What you put out will be returned to you.

Happy Mother's Day to all those who share their Mother Love with the world!

Nature...God's Real Sanctuary

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

For most of us in Western culture, going to church means gathering in a specific building on a certain day and at a certain time. There can be merit in that practice, and certainly there is sometimes an opportunity to gain inspiration within those walls. I don't attend any certain church. I often randomly decide to attend a specific one based on being moved by spirit as to where to go or when, or how often. I do not automatically attend any place at those "church hours" of Sunday morning, but do my own personal "church" throughout the week.

This morning, when I took my walk and was heading back home, I glanced one direction down the street toward a little neighborhood Episcopal church and felt somewhat called to attend there. When I later went back in that direction, I ended up sitting on a bench in a park across from the church. While sitting there, I heard a loud flutter that sounded like a very large bird's wings flapping. I looked up at the large fir tree beside me, with multiple trunks which gave it a hollowness almost all the way to the top of the tree, and realized that the sound had come from inside that tree,not too far up, and it was likely a large owl near me. I laid down on the bare grass underneath the tree, soaking up the energy from the ground beneath, knowing that is was replenishing me, knowing that this experience was something beyond what my skin could feel or my eyes could see. I "listened" to the owl with my spiritual ears (the ones that require little sound, but are connected to your soul). I felt my heart open. I asked questions...and waited for the wisdom of the owl to wash over me. I heard its wings flutter loudly again. The owl felt me and I felt the owl.

The majesty of this tree...of this owl, hidden from sight but obviously there...the energy and glory of God's creation surrounding me front and center, gave me my sanctuary. I did not need the building across the street, did not need the message from another person, I simply needed to commune with nature, soaking up God by soaking us His creation. Find some time in nature and you will find time that is truly with God. You do not need a building or an organziation to touch God...in fact, you may be missing the truest miracles of God if you think that is the way to Him.

God's sanctuary is not brick and mortar, not steel beams and concrete...it is in nature and in our hearts. Return to that acknowledgment and you will enhance your spiritual experience, and deepen your connection.

A Challenge to Be the Change

Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. (~John Kenneth Galbraith)

We often look at the world in pain, wondering why there is so much strife, so much struggle, wondering if it is even possible to change it. I am telling you that it is, but the shift will come through those individuals willing to change, starting with their own thoughts and ideas about world around them…their thoughts about themselves and others. Think of what good could happen if we let go of the need to fight to be right or the need to prove that our way of thought is the best way or the only way. It is only when let go of judgment and needing to prove our way that we can grow individually and provide light to the world. We spend so much energy wanting to prove our way to another, and so little time just living it and letting it speak for itself. As I have said before, seeking to follow Christ, we should share light and spread it wherever we go, as Jesus did. By living this change, we change others. It is only our fear that keeps us clinging to our old thought, not allowing new in…it can be our fear of upsetting an angry and resentful God (which is impossible, since God is love). Fear has been implanted in our hearts, overshadowing the goodness and love that was put there at our creation. Love and compassion was showered upon us by God, fear was put there by man…by our own doubts, and by institutions that lost sight of love in seeking to be right, attempting to control others.

Each morning when you embark on a new day, you are making a decision, consciously or subconsciously, as to how you will approach the world. Will you support the old ways, that have supported old ideas, encouraged judgments, picking of sides, and needing to prove that our way is better…or will you support a new way that encourages exploration of thought, that examines other ways that may enhance your spiritual growth, one that allows acceptance of others who are different, or respecting ideas that are not exactly in sync with your own. Will you seek to accept every thought process or belief system that is essentially rooted in love, and discard those that encourage judgment or contempt. Can you recognize the flaws in your own thoughts, acknowledge and release them…making way for something better?

I challenge you to go through a day where you consciously examine every idea, every person, every group that you encounter that you may have previously been “against” or that gives you aggravation, and find one thing that you can agree with about them, or one thing that you admire. Find that single element, let it roll around, let yourself feel a connection to that idea/person/group, knowing that you have commonality on something. Perhaps it is someone who has vastly different political or religious views than you that has caused harsh disagreement or lack of respect, but you choose to step back and create a scenario in which you could understand why that person feels that way…imagining circumstances that have contributed to that thought, understanding that you cannot really know why they feel that way because you have not experienced the same things. Then put yourself in their place…and feel them acknowledging you. Imagine that you are the other person, accepting you exactly as you are, understanding your feelings, your fears, your concerns. Feel compassion in both directions.

This exercise requires nothing directly from the other person…it merely calls for you to open YOUR heart and mind; but by doing so, you will begin to open theirs, even if only a tiny bit. If you choose to be open and expect the miracles of healing, you WILL see changes and differences. For some relationships where there are vast differences, shadowed by anger and resentment, it may take practice, but by being committed to the healing, you will begin the process and see evidence of it, even if gradual. One heart can cause change in another, and another, and another. Make a commitment to change one heart at a time by changing your own, by sending love to another over and over again. You will then be part of changing the world. It does not require grand gestures or extraordinary effort, just small choices that create grand improvement.

If you have studied and followed the teachings of Jesus directly or indirectly, you will know that He taught through love and healed through compassion. That is all it takes to generate the energy for miracles. You can evoke miracles. You were put here to do so, encouraged by Jesus to perform things greater than He did. All it takes is a tiny shift and you will be on your way.

Where Is Jesus?

It is Easter morning and a beautiful day. Since Good Friday, I have contemplated what the symbolic meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection might mean to me right now in my own life. Instead of just holding the usual thoughts of "He died for me," I wanted to go beyond, and look deeper into what that death meant symbolically.

Unlike the Christian faith that I was brought up in and still celebrate in many ways, I don't see Jesus' death as punishment for my badness, but rather, as a message and example that as soon as we give up our old ways of judgment and become accepting of one another in love, our old and heavy self will die, allowing new life to unfold. To me, Jesus' death and resurrection demonstrated that the ways of this world are only illusion, that Heaven awaits us at any time. The key factor is judgment, and being willing to let go of that.

Religions teach us to judge (ourselves and others) with the idea that we are not good enough, not whole, and that we have to save everyone from their badness. We indeed are, at many times, lacking wholeness, but it is the judgment that keeps us from that wholeness. It is quite ironic to me that the rules and dictates that tell us we are incomplete without God are also creating many of the obstacles that keep us from realizing our place with God, by telling us we are less. Jesus reminded us that it is through love without judgment that we will instantly be whole. In other words, stop sticking your nose in other people's business and deciding that they are wrong and need saving...simply live in love and that will be all that is needed.

It also occurred to me that Jesus did not need to market or promote his message or draw people in through buildings, temples, lures or gimmicks to get people to see things his way...He simply relied on a message of love and truth. When others judged, he reminded them of their own hypocrisy or shortcomings, but he did not set out to judge others or to make them see things his way....people sought him out because he LIVED his message. He lived in LIGHT, not darkness. He WAS light. Nothing else was needed.

I think of the two Mary's who found the empty tomb and then spotted Jesus, while others could not see him. It made me think, "Where is Jesus now?" We are told that he will come again. In many ways we are seeking him, like the Marys, and in many ways the "tombs" - the churches and places where we expect him to be - are empty, lacking the faith to hold Jesus' great light. We often do not get deep and lasting comfort from visiting those places because they really do not contain Jesus's true light.

And I wonder, "How will Jesus come again?"...I believe that in the same way he was not in the tomb, he will not be in the places that we would conventionally expect him to be in...that we will find him when we are willing to look outside of those places, beyond those thought systems. I am not saying that those who do not look deeper for a greater connection to Jesus do not have him, but I am suggesting that perhaps he is not as present and glorious as he might be. Jesus represents NEW THOUGHT - so I seek to continue in his tradition of thinking in NEW WAYS to find more of him and be more like him. If you choose to look outside the tombs of your mind, opening your thoughts, I believe you might find a greater version of Jesus than you have ever known, and one that will be your own resurrection to your own perfection and true communion with God. I believe Jesus will come again through those individuals who chose to behave more like him and share light and love purely. Will you be one?

Happy Easter...make it your moment to shift into greater light and be more like Jesus...seeking new thoughts of a greater God...embarking on your journey to ONENESS.

A Very Long Goodbye

My dad passed away last week. He had been ill for a very long time with failure of most of his major organs. He also had suffered from severe alcoholism that made him a different person, not always easy to get along with. I remember Nancy Reagan expressing her ordeal with her husband's Alzheimer's as "a very long goodbye," and I think this has been a similar experience. It is the constant hope that the person you know is in there will emerge and be different. It is the delicate balance of not giving up faith, but also not being to consumed in hope. I think what helped me do that was changing my faith not to things getting better or going away, but to understanding that they were for a purpose, to teach things, or provide opportunities for growth. In that process, I learned to let go of hurt, to detach in a healthy way, and be grateful for the lessons learned from the experience.

I don't know if we ever totally outgrow the need for our parents' approval. As I sat at my dad's bedside in the hospital the day before he died, I took some time to think of funny stories and talk about better times that we had shared. I told him how much I loved him and thanked him for all that he had done for me or taught me, told him the things that I was proud of him for. And although I knew he had not been responsive for days, not truly coherent for months, or totally lucid for years, there was a part of me that hoped he would say it back or give some indication that he wanted to say it back. In spite of my growth and understanding that our approval comes from within, from seeking truth - in that moment, I wanted his approval.

When I think more deeply about this, I think it stems from our belief that we are not quite worthy of God's approval. We seek it from our earthly parents and others, in part, because we are longing for that unconditional love from God, doubting that it could be there for us always. We cling more easily to the things we have done wrong or our seeming imperfections, but not very easily to the things we have done right. We see ourselves as less than we truly are, as flawed and undeserving of God's rewards.

When I think of God in the metaphor of "Heavenly Father" that has been painted for us, I think of my own sons and how I want them to see and know the good in themselves. When I feel like they are down on themselves or feeling like they are unworthy, it breaks my heart. I know how wonderful they are and want them to always feel that and know it. There have been times over the years when I could not get through to them with this idea, as even kids can be very down on themselves sometimes, and the world around them not so gentle. It was a horrible feeling for me, as a mother, to think that they were hurting or that they did not see their own gifts or perfection. I can only assume that God gets the same feeling when we think less of ourselves than He knows He made us to be. It must be tough to watch over all of your children knowing that they cannot see their own talents, their own abilities, or that they go around feeling like they are less than worthy of all that you want to give them. If we want to serve God or serve the world, we should not burden Him by accepting any idea that we are less, but should see ourselves as he does...in our glory.

Throughout this week, dealing with my father's passing, I have looked to my own sons for love, and they have been there. My house lifted when they came through the door after traveling all day to get here. It makes me think of how God not only welcomes us home at any time, but probalby misses us being there with him. We can go home to heaven whenever we want by laying down our fears or our feelings of unworthiness, lifting ourselves up instead of tearing ourselves down; but we resist, thinking that we have not yet earned it. And God waits, ready to give approval, waiting for us to see ourselves as He does, perhaps broken hearted that we cannot.

I did not get my dad's approval at his bedside, or at least not directly, due to his state of unconsciousness; but I asked that he give me signs after passing, to let me know he was ok. I have received those signs that he is not only ok, but that he is thriving and alive again. My dad has heaven again...if he had only known it was there all along.

How Dreams Can Guide Us

“Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you.” (~Marsha Norman)

Our sleeping dreams can be great teachers and guides in our daily lives. Sometimes these confused dreams of nighttime are teaching us in a subconscious way even if we don't "get it" consciously. Recently, I had a dream that was so symbolic of things I was going through, telling me how to deal with them, trying to vividly alert me how to react or proceed. If you have followed this blog over the last few posts, you know that I have been engaging in some difficult, yet ultimately liberating, detachment from some almost lifelong family patterns and issues.

A couple of weeks ago, during the crux of this process, I had a dream that was unclear and troubling in the moment, but became crystal clear to me when I recalled it the next day. It was an eye-opening parallel. In my dream, I recall having a problem with water pipes being clogged, causing my water supply to be barely a trickle and drying up quickly. I discovered that the pipes were clogged with vines, so I set about cutting and pulling the vines in an attempt to clear the pipes and return to full water flow. I kept working at it, but the more I worked, the less it seemed to help, as the water flow continued to diminish. I was frustrated as I continued to cut and clear, but then heard a voice that said, "It won't do any good to keep cutting because they will just grow back as quickly as you cut them, and will grow bigger. You need to replace the entire pipeline in order to get water. If you do not, you will have no life source flowing."

Wow. That was a moment of truth. In the moment of the dream, it was all about pipes and vines, but the next day, I understood this symbolism perfectly because, metaphorically speaking, I had always tried to fix the existing "pipes" to return the flow of water by removing the "vines", even though they only kept growing bigger and more invasive over time, coming back repeatedly in increasingly damaging ways. I was gradually cutting off my ability to connect to source, because those continuously choking obstacles that I could not eliminate were blocking that connection. Water is a source of physical of life, just as God is the source of spiritual life. If we block or slow the source, we cannot thrive, we cannot be fully alive in our greatest capacity. I was already aware that the obstacles around me had been blocking my spiritual connection to some extent, but this dream made it clear that the two could not continue in this manner...the blockages were winning by disallowing the flow. As I have stayed committed to detachment, my connection to spirit and spiritual gifts has come back in full force, or possibly even stronger than ever.

Our dreams tell us significant things, particularly when we are seeking a greater connection to Spirit. If we seek answers and ask for them, they will be revealed to us in many ways, including through our dreams. And while we may not always understand or even remember the dreams, they are at work in reminding us where we need to be and what is in our way. If we are sincerely ready to follow, the path will be shown to us.

Some believe that the dream state is part of our connection to the Spirit dimension, and that it is actually more "real" than our waking state of human existence. I tend to agree with this idea, and believe that dreams can provide so many answers, as well as momentary relief from the things that trouble us in our 3-dimensional existence. I receive a lot of communication from angels in my dreams, particularly at key stages in my spiritual growth. Whenever I follow the advice from my dream state, I find that the communication and connection in the waking state gets stronger.

So if you are seeking a greater connection, start with your dreams. Prior to going to sleep, ask that your dreams be used to reveal things to you. They are probably already being used that way, but asking for it can make them more of a focus for angels or spirit to communicate with you. Try to write the dreams down to see if they will later have meaning or become clearer to you. We have often been told to "follow our dreams," but perhaps we should do this in more ways than one. Apply the advice and guidance that resonates from your dream state, and it may help lead you to your greatest waking dreams, and everything you desire in your life.