spiritual wisdom
Reconnecting With Source In Uncertain Times
In uncertain times, it sometimes feels as though it is difficult simply to put one foot in front of the other, in order to get through each day. With so many stressors and concerns on the horizon, the hours can be consumed with worry and fear.
Although it is absolutely necessary for our survival to think ahead, plan and develop contingencies where necessary, it is also equally as important to carve out some time to meditate, dream or create, even if it is only for just a few minutes each day.
It can be truly rejuvenating to withdraw for a few moments into a serene state, where anything is possible and order prevails. If you can get out into nature to do this, all the better! If not, then use the mind’s beautiful power of visualization to surround yourself with the idyllic scenery of your choosing.
To get started, practice deep breathing to calm your thinking and relax your body. Do not worry if your mind becomes distracted. Just bring your focus back to your breathing, and enjoy the environment that you have created. If you are not in the habit of daily meditation, it might seem as though your mind never remains still, but the ability to stay focused for a little longer during each session will come in time.
When you have achieved a sense of relative peace and tranquility, call on your healing Angels and Guides. Ask them to quiet your mind and heal your body. Ask them to show you the full scope of your issues and help you find the answers that will work best for you, and everyone else concerned. Ask them to guide, guard and protect your friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers, to reduce their worry and help them to make wise decisions.
Manifesting – Does The Outcome Justify The Intention?
You probably know by now, from your personal experiences, that the metaphysical process of manifestation is not always cut-and-dried. Sometimes the results are disappointing, while at other times it truly is a matter of ‘careful what you wish for.’ One aspect of deliberate creating that I never before anticipated, was that it might bring up a personal moral dilemma! Let me explain.
When I was 11 years old, it was discovered that I needed glasses for better eyesight. Like any other normal child, I certainly was not happy about the situation. However, I was smart enough to recognize that it would make seeing the teacher’s writing on the school blackboard much easier, as well as enable me to recognize people and appreciate beautiful sights more readily.
So, I had no choice, but to put up with wearing those awful eyeglasses until I turned 16. It was at that time I started to work and earning my own money, which gave me the ability to make some important decisions for myself and determine what I could purchase on my own behalf.
A lot of people were beginning to wear tinted contact lenses at that time, so I decided I would also get on the bandwagon. Soon, I was exceptionally proud to transform my ordinary hazel eyes into an appealing vibrant green! However, the lenses on the market then were not as easy to wear as they are today. They were very inflexible and abrasive on the eyes and, even while being meticulous with its care, still very easy to tear.
I kept up with this struggle of constantly switching back and forth between lenses and eyeglasses, until many years later when I developed hypoglycemia. One of the side effects of this ailment is extremely dry eyes, and so my contact lens days were pretty much over. I simply gave up the idea and continued with regular eyeglasses for many years after.
Healing The Pain Of Losing Your Beloved
Understanding the true nature of our soul journey, how does one cope with the pain of physical separation when our loved ones leave the physical form? There is no easy way to cope with the grief of separation from a beloved. It opens the water ways of deep emotion that rise and fall like the waves on the sea.
Even in the super-excellent times of Radha and Krishna, the supreme divine feminine and masculine described in the ancient spiritual texts of Srimad-Bhagavatam, waves of love in separation were displayed and described to the ultimate pure degree. These transcendental writings identifies the eternal realm of divine love as the original clear source of all that we experience here in a dimly reflected form, including the pain of being parted from the physical presence of a dear soulmate.
So, what can we learn from this source that we can mirror in undergoing this heart aching distress in our own lives?
The first lesson we can take away from the transcendental example is that pain in separation is a gift of love. It arises in direct proportion to the depth of the soul-to-soul connection shared between two people. Thus, every pang, however painful, is like an ornament decorating the heart with the truth of that blessed union. It embodies a reminder not only of the person, but of the great treasure we were fortunate to hold in our arms…and still in our hearts. It invites us to feel grateful for the rare opportunity we had received to experience such deep love in this world. Continue reading
My Great Grandmother’s Mysterious ‘Sugar Cookies’
My great grandmother made incredible cookies. She called them “sugar cookies,” but perhaps a more appropriate name for them might have been mysterious mystical magic cookies! Everyone loved them – youngsters like myself, as well as our family’s elders, and every age in-between.
Those cookies still bring back so many wonderful memories. They had a special aroma of freshly-baked delight that wafted all the way outside her kitchen window and down the lane beside her charming little home, where she lived with my great grandfather. As a child I couldn’t wait to get to their house, so that I could partake of those delectable sweet treats.
They were round, but not perfectly round. They had that authentic homemade look, which made them even more exquisite to my childlike enthusiasm. And, there was a rather unique spiciness among the ingredients; it was a spice that I had never tasted before in anything else. Oh, my! I especially loved the barely charred edges they usually had, as a result of leaving them in the oven a bit longer than necessary. Those crisp little edges made them all the tastier to me.
I remember sitting at her kitchen table, watching her scoop up the ingredients, one by one, and adding them to her mixing bowl. I didn’t know how much of each ingredient she was using, because she never used a measuring cup. She just knew how much to add of everything. I believe this style of instinctively cooking from scratch is practically becoming a lost art, with all the digital recipes and modern utensils we use nowadays to cook even the simplest of things. And perhaps some of the true character and originality has also been lost in many of our ancestors’ recipes.