One of our friends wrote me in response to our recent blog post, Forgetfulness. Here’s part of what she said:
“Can you talk more on forgiveness and letting go of the resentment…attached with those memories (of pain, anger, sadness)? Is there even anything more left to be said?”… Read more
I was born and raised in the Roman Catholic Church. I practiced my religion faithfully for many years. Then I began to “lose the faith” — literally. I became disillusioned with what I perceived to be a judgemental, controlling, closed society, almost a cult. So I left.
I realize that’s not everyone’s experience with Catholicism, or any other religion. Many of my family remain faithful Catholics, and their religion brings them a peace and sense of community they would not otherwise have.… Read more
This blog post is a bit “off the beaten path” as far as spiritual topics go. But not too far off, as it’s as story of loyalty and love. It’s excerpted from a book I wrote a few years ago,
Dogs: Heartwarming, Soul-Stirring Stories of our Canine Companions.
“In April 2001, I found myself wandering through remote northern Montana. I was writing an article on Lewis and Clark, and following their epic trail of discovery across country that remains nearly as remote and unspoiled today as it was in their time.… Read more
One of my favorite quotations is from Pablo Picasso. Here’s how it went:
“My mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk, you’ll end up as the pope.’ Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.”
Maybe I’m taking some liberties here in interpreting what Picasso meant. But I’d like to think he was saying he’d much rather be himself, doing what he loved, than to be a general or a pope.… Read more
Dr. Bernie Siegel tells a wonderful story about his marriage. Years ago he fell off his roof, hitting his head on the pavement. He developed amnesia from the injury. He said the amnesia dramatically improved his marriage with his wife Bobbie. But when his memory returned, he sought marriage counseling.
Fascinating story! After I thought about it, I realized what Bernie’s underlying message was. If we simply forget (or, in this case, cannot remember) all our past baggage, our relationships automatically improve.… Read more
One of the most common comments we get from Spirit is they cannot tell us humans anything we don’t already know. All they can do is help us remember what we’ve forgotten.
I love this quote from Neale Donald Walsch:
“Teaching is never about helping others to learn but about helping them to remember.”… Read more
I’m sure at least some of you have heard this remarkable story of Joshua Bell, one of the world’s greatest violinists.
As arranged by The Washington Post, in January 2007 Bell got off the Metro at Washington, DC’s L’Enfant Plaza Station. Dressed as a nondescript young man in jeans, t-shirt, and baseball cap, he placed himself against a wall beside a trash container. He put his open violin case at his feet and threw in a few dollars and coins as an enticement to passersby.… Read more
In Spirit’s and my work with others, in private readings, and in informal conversations, one of the major issues coming up for many folks is other people’s opinions of them. They get upset by choices others make. We see so much anguish, frustration, and pain over this issue.
People tell us they could be happy if only the others in their lives would do what they want them to. What they are really asking us is: “What is the secret to controlling other people?”… Read more
A Course in Miracles tells us “Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love.”
My spirit guides say what we call miracles are commonplace, nothing extraordinary. In fact, they are the most ordinary of events. But unless they find their way into the news media, they go largely unnoticed. And yet they happen every day of our lives.… Read more
Today we’re continuing our exploration of the Seth teachings, as channelled through Jane Roberts. Our earlier Seth articles were Life Is Supposed to Be Fun, Are You a Victim of Yourself? and Can We Travel to Other Dimensions?
Seth talks often of creating our own realities. In his 1974 book, The Nature of Personal Reality, he says “You make your own reality.” And “You form the fabric of your experience through your own beliefs and expectations.”… Read more
The word “blame” is used almost constantly in the news media, in government circles, even in churches. And certainly among individuals. Most of us have played the blame game at one time or another.
Here’s Spirit.
Spirit
This whole issue of blame is a diversion. A diversion many humans immerse themselves in.… Read more
One day last week, first thing in the morning, my internet service quit working. I was frustrated because I had a lot of work to do that day.
Then my telephone quit working. I was more frustrated. Fortunately, I have a cell phone which I’d never used. It was just collecting dust. But I was thankful to have it that day.
I spent most of the morning talking to my internet and phone service people. Nobody there could figure out the problem.… Read more
We talked about Seth and Jane Roberts in two earlier blog articles: Are You A Victim of Yourself? and Can We Travel To Other Dimensions?
Our title today is one of the Seth concepts I adopted when I first started reading the Seth books many years ago. It’s a tough concept for many folks to accept. How can this valley of tears possibly be fun?… Read more
I’ve had some excellent opportunities over the years to practice staying peaceful and loving under trying circumstances.
People occasionally criticize my work with Spirit. Even some of my family and friends. One lady even described it as “criminal” to be doing such work. I guess she meant I was doing the work of the devil.
Some of these folks don’t even know what channelling is. But they suspect it’s something evil, or at least very strange.
I’m pretty thick-skinned now when I get criticized.… Read more
For those who may not know, in the United States July 4th is celebrated as “Independence Day.” On July 4th, 1776 the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, a document declaring the 13 colonies’ independence from Great Britain.
A few years ago we wrote about another kind of declaration of independence — a declaration of personal independence.… Read more
Have you ever known anyone who unthinkingly and slavishly follows a particular teacher?
It doesn’t even have to be a single individual. It could be an organization, a religion, a political party, etc. A common characteristic here is the follower’s belief that everyone who believes differently is wrong. I know, because I grew up in a church that taught exactly that.
Sometimes the guru, whether it be one individual or an organization, pressures followers into this wrong-headed thinking. A good modern-day example of that is James Arthur Ray, the guru who’s been charged with manslaughter in the deaths of three people in one of his sweat lodges.… Read more
This is a true story. It happened November 25, 1854 on the shores of Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes on the US-Canadian border.
The Lake Erie Quadrangle is a 2,500-square-mile area in the central part of the lake. The Quadrangle has seen over 400 shipwrecks. Compare that to the infamous Bermuda Triangle with 14,000 square miles and about 110 shipwrecks.
The Lake Erie Quadrangle is a dark, dangerous place where brutal storms can rear up in the blink of an eye.… Read more
I was reading an article the other day by a well-known and successful businesswoman. She’s not only wildly successful but also a great writer. I thoroughly enjoyed the article.
But at the end of it, the author said something that really caught my attention. She said we must choose either success or happiness. But we cannot have both. She was clearly successful but, obviously, unhappy.… Read more
For whatever reason, quite a few folks I’ve spoken with lately are struggling with “bad” choices some of their loved ones are making. They’re also often struggling with other people’s opinions, especially if those opinions differ from their own.
I love this Dale Carnegie quotation:
“Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses.”… Read more
Where does the real peace we all say we want in our world come from? I love these two quotes:
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” Buddha
“The only peace in all the world that is sustaining is internal peace. Let each person find peace within.” Neale Donald Walsch
Inner peace is an issue people often discuss with us, usually because they’re wondering how they can find it in their lives.
I realize it can be challenging to find and maintain inner peace in the midst of the increasingly dramatic and frequent changes in our world today.… Read more