Go With Joy

I was reading this channeled message called "Brenda's Blog" and I came across this sentence. It screamed at me. I thought I would share it just in case someone else needs to read it too...

The only paths that will delay your progress is to deny your joy by only meeting the needs of others or to punish yourself for something you believe you did wrong in this life or any other manifestation of your being in the Universes. www.LifeTapestryCreations.com: ”Burst into Bloom With This Solstice”

We all have things we believe we could have done better. I am a champion at second guessing myself. Could I have done this better? Could I have been a better mom and my daughter would not have had to experience such a challenging young life? Could I have done better at that reading, journey, message, class? Could I have been a better listener? Did I do enough to help that person? Did I hear that message correctly? Was that really a message from my ex-mother-in-law or did I imagine that?

Or, how about this scenario? I really don't want to do... (this or that) but I am expected to or I am worried about what so and so might think if I say I really don't want to do this. I will be expected to give a reason for saying no.

Of course I want to live a life of service to others. But not so much that I stop enjoying my life. When I get to the place that I am constantly giving to others and I am not taking any time to enjoy my life, then I have failed.

Today I spent time with a friend who was telling me about her triumph this past year of being able  for the first time  to say "no thanks" to what she had felt was her obligatory presence at holiday events. It gave her such joy to say, "I am sorry, I will not be coming over for Thanksgiving and Christmas," and not to feel obligated to come up with a reason why she was not attending. This was very freeing for her, and rightly so. How many times do we show up at events because we feel we are expected to? And if we don't, how many of us come up with shoddy reasons why we cannot attend?  What is wrong with saying, "no thanks" and not having to come up with some reason why?

The best way to tell if you are on the right path is to notice whether or not the particular path you are on is giving you joy. If it does not, then maybe it is time to rethink that path. I received a message years ago that I turned into a chapter in my book, Whispers of Joy, called "Supposed To's" in which I come to the conclusion that the only thing we are supposed to do is have joy. Over and over again when I ask my Guides which is the best path to choose or what decision should I make, they ALWAYS tell me that they will never tell me what to do. The feeling I get when I think of a decision is the guidance I am given. Does this decision give me joy?

I would like to encourage you today to think about joy.  Think about what gives you joy and what does not. If you are not able to make a big decision like deciding not to go to Aunt Mary's for Christmas, or not to take a particular job even though the pay is twice what you are making now just because it does not give you joy, then think about something small.

I will qualify this challenge by saying that sometimes unhealthy addictive behavior seems to give us joy for the time being. This is a different issue. Some things that are unhealthy or destructive could masquerade as joy. But true joy is deep inside and makes our heart sing. This is the joy I am talking about.

Just for today, do one thing that gives you joy. Don't allow your sense of obligation or duty dictate to you what decision you should make. Go with the joy. And then just see what happens.

The Watchers

I mentioned in a previous blog that I have recently connected with a group of Beings of the Light that told me that They would like to be called The Watchers. I believe that Beings of Light, be they Angels, or Guides or any other multitude of categories of non physical Beings like to connect with us on our level. Some other channeled messages that I have read have entities that give them complicated or Angelic sounding names, and that is fine. I am not really good at getting that kind of information. I seem to attract Light Beings who are a bit more practical and meet me on my level.

The Watchers have chosen to connect with me and give me practical information for everyday life, and that is what I think we need. In one of my recent blogs I told you the information they gave me about entities that are not of the light, and in this blog I wanted to include some other practical information they gave me.

While I was sitting connecting with The Watchers, a pair of mourning doves flew down very close to me and began their mating ritual. I was being very still and obviously the birds were not aware of my presence. They began cooing and playing with each other within just inches of the chair I was sitting on. I could not help but be mesmerized by their playful activity.

The Watchers told me that this was one of the benefits of my still meditations. They told me that they knew it was hard for me to sit still and up to now I had been successful connecting with Spirit while engaging in exercise or moving meditation, but there was a level that I had to attain by stillness. They told me that some things would only come to me when I was very still, and that I would not have to go chasing after them, that these things would come to me. I thought this message would benefit others who desire to connect with Spirit but find it difficult to get still. Yes you can meditate while moving but there is a level to be attained by stillness. When you are still you will find that you will notice things you never noticed before. Wisdom will come to you. Your guides will reveal themselves to you.

They also told me that the other message of the doves is that it is so important to be a person of integrity because you never know who is watching. The doves had no idea that I was there watching them play and that is why we must live our lives as if the world is watching. Of course it is impossible to be perfect all the time. We all lose our tempers. We all complain sometimes. We all get cranky or perhaps occasionally gripe or gossip. But we must always be moving forward and striving for that place where we will not slip. We must always be looking out for the best for others and treat them as we would want to be treated.

There is a message in every leaf on every tree. There is a message in every flower, every bead of water glistening in the morning sun. We just need to make time to sit still for once and listen.

Talking to Jesus

It occurs to me that I may have posted this or a part of this before but I was instructed that this was for someone so here it is again......

Recently I was out for my morning run and before I had even gotten a hundred yards from my house I heard the crows starting to cawk at me. This is normally what occurs when the Angels have a message for me. They will call to me to let me know to pay attention. This time I acknowledged the crows greeting and told them I was open to receiving any messages that might be waiting for me. I heard the message, “Jesus wants to talk to you.”

I had not connected with Jesus in awhile. I had not been avoiding him, but I had my attention in other areas I guess. But the evening before I had received an email from one of my readers who wanted to know how she could be sure that connecting with her spirit guides was not evil or sinful. I had thought about my days and years serving Jesus when I had believed the same thing. I realize that if she wanted to be assured that spirit guides were sinful, she would not have contacted me. She wanted assurance that they were not sinful. I related to her a dream I had had years ago before I made the decision to explore other religious beliefs.

I dreamed that I was standing in line to be baptized. It was a long line and I was near the back so I was settled back and ready for a long wait. Suddenly I saw Jesus and he was standing beside me.

“What are you doing?” he asked me.

“I am waiting in line to be baptized,” was my reply.

“Well, you can stay here if you want but I am leaving.” He said to me.

“Where are you going?”

“I am going to Greece.” He said to me. So of course I got out of line and followed him. And then the dream was over.

I remember that at first I was puzzled by the dream. I thought that maybe I should look into taking a trip to Greece. At that time I was struggling financially and barely making ends meet, so a trip to Greece was obviously not what Jesus had in mind.  Upon reflection, however, I thought about how in the Bible Paul had made trips to Greece and how he had had difficulty getting converts to Christianity there due to their love of exploring different philosophies. It dawned on me that Jesus was telling me that it was okay to expand my horizons and learn different ways of thinking and believing, and that he would take me there or he would go without me if I chose to stay. And it was okay either way.

At that time I was attending a church that believed in giving and receiving messages from the Lord. I had learned to hear messages from attending this church and in particular a woman who would become my best friend and mentor, but the minister at that time had given me a message that I did not need to go other places to receive guidance from the Lord. He had told me that all I needed was right there in that community of believers. This dream seemed to be a direct contradiction of that message he had given me. I remember I struggled with the message. But a lot of things were about to change.

Here it is years later. I have explored different ways of thinking and believing. I guess I have to say that my own belief system is constantly evolving. I connect with Jesus on occasion but I also connect with many other Higher Beings of Love and Light. Sometimes Jesus is with these other Beings, sometimes not. But this day he was calling for me.

“I need you to tell your story,” he said to me. “There are many more people who need to hear what you have to say.”

“What do I have to say?” I asked.

“I need you to tell them how you got from where you were to where you are now.”

“I don’t want to offend anyone,” I said to Jesus. “Those who are open to the things I have to say will listen to my story, but many may be offended. I don’t want to open up any wounds that have healed.”

“You don’t put a band-aid over a bullet hole. It is important to get the bullet out of the wound so it can heal properly. There are many walking wounded out there. It is time to get the bullets out.”

Jesus told me many other things that morning during my run. I tried to remember it all and write it down when I got back home but I am still in the process of compiling the messages from Jesus into one publication. One day I will have it all available to read. Until then, I will have a message here and there from Jesus. Yes, He still talks to me. What He tells me is sometimes surprising. This day was no exception.

The Boogie Man

A few days ago I decided to do my daily meditation in the backyard. We were having a particularly beautiful day and I couldn't resist the urge to enjoy it while also connecting with Spirit. I had just gotten home from the gym and a forty five minute stint on the elliptical machine, my favorite tool for connecting with Spirit as well so this was just a continuation of an ongoing conversation I was having with Spirit. I have to write down what Spirit tells me quickly or it is lost forever in the recesses of my memory (or lack of it) so here goes.

I was visioning myself on an elevator to the upper realms and when I got to the upper realms I was met by a group of Beings. They were all dressed in white and greeted me kindly. My habit is to always ask if the Beings I am connecting with are of the Light and I did so, even though it appeared that they were. They assured me that they were of the Light. For some reason I asked them about the ones who were not of the light. It had never occurred to me before to ask about them. My upbringing in the church I was raised in talked a little too much about the devil and demons and since my departure from that belief system I had not ventured into any thoughts of darkness or demons and I found this suited me well. I found it interesting what they told me so I thought I would share our conversation.

The Beings of Love and Light told me that the Universe is very large and to think that there were not any beings who were not of the light would be foolish. "Of course there are," they told me. "However, the laws of the Universe are true anywhere in the Universe, not just on earth, so they have to abide by those laws anywhere they are." I wondered what laws They were referring to and They told me.." the law of attraction of course."

These Beings of Love and Light told me that as long as I intended to keep my vibration level high and committed myself to being a person of integrity and love, that the beings of darkness would not bother me much. "You are too much work," They laughingly said. "They prefer to prey on those whose energy is low or who live their lives in default, and earth is filled with people like that." In other words, people who drift along with every breeze and allow life to pull them around by the nose are easier targets than those who live their life with intention. Also those who focus on darkness or see a boogie man around every corner is an easy target as well. Energy attracts like energy.

The Light Beings I spoke with assured me that as long as I focused on light and love that things would continue to go well for me. If I was to come across any energy that was not of the light, it was because that energy was looking for help. I could rest assured that I would not be harmed.

I asked the Light Beings why is it,then, that bad things happen to good people? Why do our cars or houses get robbed, why do we have identity theft? Why do we get sick? Most sicknesses, they replied, is not a result of an attack of a lower level entity, they replied. It is a result of the heavy energy of the earth, environmental factors, agreements that souls make before they incarnate, or a number of other factors. On occasion it is a result of an attack of a dark entity, but not commonly. A lot of the other things that happen to good people are a result of faulty boundaries, a belief that something bad would happen, negative relationships that as a result draw the bad experiences, or self imposed karmic repercussions. Many times, they said, good people live with a lot of subconscious guilt, which in turn releases a message that they have a need to be punished. Subconsciously they draw to themselves these experiences as a form of punishment.

I will save some of the other things They told me for another blog, but I will end with this. I asked the Beings of Love and Light if there was a name They would like to be called, because the name I was using was a bit long. They told me I could call them The Watchers, because They were always watching and would never interfere unless called upon. I like that name, so from here on I will refer to them this way. They have been around before, They said, and I have referred to them by this name before. I am not much for complicated or Angelic sounding names, so the Watchers seems like a good fit.

Thanks so much to the Watchers for the message and the information. I am looking forward to future connections with them.

Last Exit Before Tunnel

I got the title for this blog when my husband and I were going to and coming back from the beach. Only I didn't know it at the time. The beach we went to requires that you go through a tunnel. Right before you get to the tunnel there is a sign that says... "last exit before tunnel." In other words, if you are going to change your mind, you better do it now, because soon it will be too late and you are going to have no choice but to go through to the other side.  We had been to this beach numerous times, which means that I had seen that sign many times before. While we were actually on our trip the sign did not flash with neon lights or scream to me,  "Joy, this is the title for your next blog."

The message came to me a few days later when I was alone and doing my daily meditation. If you have read my blogs in the past you know that my normal way of connecting with Spirit is to go for a run or get on the elliptical machine at the gym. For some reason sitting still has never worked well for me. But recently I have committed myself to a half hour of meditation without the aid of exercise. Sometimes I have been successful and sometimes I have gotten distracted or went to sleep. But I have been obedient to Spirit and done it anyway. Including my few days at the beach.

So it must have been a day or two after the beach I am alone in my healing room and sitting with Spirit and I heard Spirit say, "last exit before tunnel." Immediately I knew that Spirit was telling me that something was about to change and this was my last chance to change my mind. You see, Spirit is not going to tell you what to do. You are always in charge of your own life. I had surrendered to Spirit and said, " I want to be of service." I had been following directions since then, not without some detours along the way, and sometimes I had gotten discouraged or frustrated, but still I moved forward. The most recent thing that I had been directed to do is to sit with Spirit for a half hour a day. No props. Yes I still have been connecting with Spirit during my daily exercise routine, but this was in addition to that. Some days I felt like Spirit had joined me and some days I was peeking at the clock every few minutes to see if it was time to quit. I tell you this because I want you to know that some days you will feel like you are connecting with Spirit and some days you will think that any Spiritual Helpers you have must have all gone fishing or something on the other side of the world and they didn't invite you. And it is okay. You just do it anyway. Sit there and wait.

The message that I am trying to get across to you is that it seems that something has shifted in the Spirit realm and the Angels and Guides are preparing for the next thing. And they want you to come along! But you have a choice. You can decide to go on with your life the way it is and the way it has always been or you can go through the tunnel, so to speak. It is your choice. But once you pass that sign, "last exit before tunnel,"  then it is no turning back. I told the Angels I am ready to go through the tunnel. How about you?

Changing Limiting Circumstances

The following is a message I received for a client and it was so good I had to post it for anyone else who may be going through a struggle and need a tool to recreate something in their life that they would like to change. I have changed any identifying information that would pinpoint the person for whom this message was given. I hope it can help others.

Okay. First of all the Angels told me that you have to change your vision of yourself. You have come a long way, They told me, but there is still more work to do. You have a subconscious belief that you are being judged for past sins. This has to be released or you will be forever subconsciously be creating situations in which you are being punished. So the first thing they told me to tell you to do is a releasing ceremony. This is a ceremony in which you will be releasing limiting thoughts about yourself. I will give you a few ideas of what these limiting thoughts may be but you are the one who must go within and find the true wording to what is in your heart. This can be discovered by getting quiet and alone with yourself.  Sit quietly and allow your consciousness to go within your heart. You could imagine a smaller version of yourself going within your heart and trying to find a hidden box containing all the negative beliefs you have about yourself. These are very strong beliefs that probably came to you in previous lifetimes. When you find this box, open it up and see what is inside. They could be hidden thoughts like.. "no one understands the true me."... or "I am always judged for past sins.".. or "I am never free from my past." Or "I always get the raw end of the deal.".. you will find the true thoughts.. these are just examples. When you have found these hidden beliefs I want you to write them on a piece of paper. Then light a candle and burn them. As you burn them, you send the intention out loud that you are releasing these limiting beliefs. You could say something like, " I now release these limiting beliefs I have about myself."

The next step is that if at any time these thoughts try to come back into your consciousness, you recognize the thought and replace it with a positive statement that is the exact opposite of the limiting belief. In other words you could say, " No, I have released that belief. It is no longer mine. I now believe that I am understood and loved for all that I truly am... I am recognized for all my accomplishments. I am exonerated of all charges against me." At this point it is important to visualize all those who you feel have let you down and thank them for the lessons you are learning through this experience and forgive them for their judgements of you. You could imagine their faces in front of you and say out loud that you are thankful for the learning experiences and you understand why they have misunderstood you.

The next step is to create a short sentence stating what you would like to create instead. The sentence should be seven words or less. It could be something like, " I create complete exoneration of all charges." or "I am loved and understood." or "My future is bright and successful." or "Those in authority recognize my true worth." You can use one of these statements or create your own.

Then I want you to create an object of some kind that would hold the energy of the statement that you can carry around with you. You will write the statement down on a small piece of paper and attach it to the object you create. I created an arrow that I don't carry around with me but I connect with every day. I wrote the statement on the arrow and I spend time every day with the arrow but the Angels told me that isn't good enough for you. You need something to carry around with you at all times that would fit in your purse or even your pocket. Hold it in your hand several times a day and say the statement either out loud or to yourself if you are out in public. I envisioned a small doll with the statement pinned somehow to the back but it could be whatever comes to you. Even a quarter with the statement taped to the back but it has to be something you will not lose and it is more powerful if you create it. It is even more powerful if you find something in nature that will agree to assist you. When I created my arrow I went outside and asked the trees if they would allow me to use a small branch for my arrow and then when one gave me permission I gave the tree a gift in return of a piece of my hair.

Anyway, when you have created your manifesting object you will carry it around with you for thirty days and connect with this object several times a day. Say the statement every time you touch the object. You can say it in your head if there are other people around. Continue to resist the temptation to allow limiting thoughts into your consciousness. When you think.. oh no these circumstances are so bad and there is nothing I can do to change them,  you could say.. what else is possible? I like that one. Keep saying.. what else is possible over and over every time you think.. oh no (whatever)....say...or think... what else is possible?

Just because your circumstances seem to be insurmountable doesn't mean it cannot be changed. Don't think this is set in stone. If you get a creative idea, act on it. Don't accept the sentence. Remember that you are the creator of your life and for some reason your subconscious has created this. When you have changed your subconscious beliefs about yourself, your circumstances will change. They have to.

I hope this helps the person it was originally intended for but I also believe that others can benefit from the ideas that Spirit gave me for this person. Now let's go out and create a more joyful life experience!!

Being In the Flow

I am on vacation from the Post Office this week and I decided it would be fun to spend a few days with my two grandchildren. Oh my!! My husband and I have been used to just doing our thing, since our children are grown and there has not been the pitter patter of little feet in our home, except sporadically, for the nine years we have been married. Clay suggested that taking on both grandchildren together might be a challenge for me, since mothering is not my natural skill, but one that I have had to work at over the years, but the faces of those babies just cried out to me and I could not resist bringing them both home for four days.

Well the Capricorn in me likes to plan out every second and I was trying to juggle my normal routine with the unpredictability of children. How am I going to get in my meditation time? How am I going to water the plants, get in my exercise routine, etc etc? The Angels kept saying, "just go with the flow."

I am used to managing just about every second of my day for days and even weeks in advance. I plan Thanksgiving dinner as soon as Labor Day is over. I am asking my husband what he wants for dinner soon after breakfast. I am really working toward at least a half hour every day of meditation time, and I exercise five to six days a week. Then the little ones come to visit and my schedule is out the window. And still the Angels say, "just go with the flow."

What I learned is this. If I didn't get my plants watered and my morning run in before 9 am, sometime during the day I did have the opportunity to work it in. Last evening I put the little one in the stroller and covered her up and went outside and ran my usual run, only pushing a stroller. I got my meditation in during the morning cartoons. I even had some time to play with the mountain of pictures I have taken in the three days they have been here.

One of the principles of manifesting your desires is learning to go with the flow. Let go of control. Don't think everything you plan has to manifest exactly the way you think it has to. Yes, have a goal, but be open to a change in direction. Control is one of the ways that dreams get stifled. So yes, having the grandchildren has been joy, not without exhaustion, and not without my spiritual lesson from the Angels.

Message from the Angels to me and whomever else may need to hear this: let go of control. Go with the flow.