afterlife
The Mystery Of Mom’s Silverware Part II
At the time I was writing the first story about my mom’s silverware, I was trying to figure out what became of it. It cannot simply have disappeared? So, this time I did some research to see if other people also found that heirlooms would go missing that was handed down to them. And after talking to several people I came to the conclusion that for many of them items were also misplaced, or they had forgotten where the item used to be. Now, in my case we are talking about cheap silverware, not an expensive ring or ornament.
Where I live we have lots of farmland, but we also have many counties around us that offer festivals and fairs. Living out in the country it not as boring as one might think. There is one event my wife and I go to every year that has great food and many interesting vendors to browse, where you don’t mind spending money. As we were walking around, I noticed they had opened up an additional street, because the fair was bigger than previous years. Continue reading
The Mystery Of Mom’s Silverware
It’s been almost 19 years since my mother passed away and today I can still remember as if it was yesterday. I have wonderful memories of her, from her making her little cherry pies to Sunday dinners.
When I lived at my parents house there was a silverware set that I wanted, and nothing else. That was it. As a child I would rearrange this silverware set when she was not looking. I would place the forks where the knives were supposed to go, and I swapped the bigger spoons with the smaller ones.
The cutlery set was mounted on the wall and every time I did this she would get upset with me, because she had to put them back in order again. I continued this silly game into my adulthood, as childish as it may seem. After she passed away I didn’t know what happened to the silverware set and I ask my dad about it. He said, “Your sister had it and she was going to put it in the yard sale.” I was naturally very upset. I wanted something that I can look at when I was at my parents home and picture my mother pretending to get upset with me when I would rearrange her precious set. Continue reading
The Ghost Children Of San Antonio, Texas
Since it was Halloween a few days ago, I thought a ghost story would be appropriate. Although I could probably write a blog a day for months on my experiences with ghosts, I’ve chosen my favorite ghost story to share.
It happened around 18 years ago, while I was visiting a friend in San Antonio, Texas. I dropped my friend off at work and picked up her sister Lydia, who was from Texas. We set out to see the sites.
After seeing the Alamo and the River Walk, Lydia suggested we go see Mission Park located off of Military, a major, busy street in San Antonio. Lydia proceeded to tell me the story of a bus load of 1st and 2nd graders, some 50 years earlier, whose bus got stuck on the railroad tracks. The story goes that a train came and hit the bus, killing the children. Continue reading
The Angel At Friday Night Football
Friday night football is bigger and better in Ohio. Where I live everybody knows it is the best place to get away from your everyday work and enjoy the sports under the stadium lights.
My wife and I go with my in-laws, my sister in-law and my nephew to every home game where my nieces are performing as cheerleaders. We usually go to the top of the stadium to the far left, as far as we can go for the best possible view.
Last Friday night at the football something happened to me that I never ever thought would happen to me. An angel appeared to me and talked to me. She looked like a human in the flesh.
I often play an ‘astronaut’ game with my nephew at the football game, to try and keep his attention, while I watch the game the same time. Continue reading
Care Of The Soul
One radical difference between care of the soul and a great deal of modern psychological work is that the former offers a profound appreciation for the personalities who are important in our lives, even if they are flawed people and even if the relationship is not perfect. Psychology prefers to analyze with the goal of increased understanding, yet understanding does little for the soul.
Imagine telling stories of those that have crossed over, not for insight into ourselves, but simply to establish a deep, continuing relationship with them. The soul is given eternity in that exchange, while understanding offers it little more than another fragment of logic. It has nothing to do with establishing a home for the infinite within our finite lives. Continue reading
Addiction And The Calling
If my spiritual calling was masked by addiction once upon time, how many other people could also be masking their calling with such escapism?
As a recovering alcoholic, addictive behavior is something I know all too well – together with the co-dependency behavior that inevitably surrounds the addict. I actually credit my experience with alcohol, and the realization that there is no escape that way, as leading up to me heeding my calling. My life purpose was to work for spirit, and any time not being in touch with that calling left a huge void, or ‘hole in my soul’ type of feeling within me.
My initial training into the mystical was in the African tradition, whereby one is selected by the ancestors and called to the task of healer, priest, counselor and diviner. Channeling and the ancient art of throwing and interpreting the bones are used as forms of divination in this tradition. Continue reading
Ol’ Boogeyman Still Comin’ To Getcha?
In my line of work there is often an unhealthy obsession with the concept of evil. It appears we are simply not able to rid ourselves of this ‘thing’ we seem to have for the boogeyman (here in my country known as the tokoloshe).
Just the other day I was listening to a radio psychic scaring the living daylights out of his unsuspecting caller. She just wanted some career advice, but instead he was hell-bent on convincing her that her home was infested with evil entities. His charming co-host also jumped in to offer some old-wives’ cures for getting rid of all the demonic forces. Truth be told, the only disturbance I was picking up on was the fact that the poor, freaked out woman would not be getting much sleep for weeks!
Now, don’t get me wrong. The struggle between good and evil is very, very real. It is a fundamental component of the human condition. It is also the basis of all Creation. It stems from the duality found in every important aspect of our expanding Universe: dark versus light, life versus death, night versus day. Light needs the presence of darkness to be truly visible and meaningful. Continue reading