Daily Awareness

Your prayers are needed

My dear friend, Lynne, has requested of many of her friends to send prayers. Knowing the power of prayer and the miracles that they create, I am asking my readers who do believe in the power of prayer to please include Lynne, her brother and mother in your prayers.

Here is the message I received from Lynne.

My brother David is in real trouble. He was feeling great in spite of his cancer and went to South Africa on a big game hunt, a life long dream. He got a water buffalo, which was his goal, so he was very happy.He got ill the next day, and thought it was infection. Long story short, he is in an African hospital about 3 hours from Johnannseburg. The cancer has moved to his brain and is very, very bad. Please pray that he can be strengthened enough to get home to Montana. He has to go by car to Johnannesburg, then fly to Amerstrdam, then to Atlanta, and then to Montana. The flights alone are about 20 hours. He has a friend traveling with him so at least he is not alone.

This is super hard for us, especially for my Mom.

Please feel free to recruit any other prayer warriors you know on this. We need a lot of divine intervention to get him home before the end. Thanks so very much

 Love you, Lynne

Please send your prayers, and pass this request on to others.

Blessings to all. Kathleen

Grieving doesn't end when we forget another's pain

Throughout the United States, family and friends are gathering for the celebration of Thanksgiving. Many will watch the big parades, football, play cards, eat to their heart's delight.

Yet, for many, today is a day of transformation. One that may include the pain around the loss of a loved one.

Likely there are many who will not know what this feels like. Others will know the feeling all too well.

Today is the first Thanksgiving many people will be without a loved one who has passed. Unless the loss directly impacts us, we can forget how raw the feeling in one's heart.

If you are sharing the day with loved ones who have gone through a loss in the last year, and this is the first holiday they are going through this, remember to be extra gentle, caring, loving and kind. We may forget the pain another is experiencing. 

With those who cannot share the day with us, a phone call to say "I love you", "I'm thinking of you", "I care" can be a welcome call and bring so much comfort. It is in the simplicity of reaching out, transformation continues to occur.

It is in the remembering we create oneness with our loved ones who remain. The loss of a loved one shifts our life forever. Make today a day of gratitude for the love we can still share and the memories we can continue to create.

Happy holidays to you and yours.

Please share your thoughts on how to help loved ones through the holidays if they have lost a loved one.

Is change making your irritable, restless and discontent?

How do you handle change? Do you readily adjust or do you resist?

I’m sure most of us would like to think we handle change just fine. We may think we take it all in stride until we find ourselves in the space of frustration for no apparent reason – other than the fact we are not taking it all in stride.

I had just such an experience over the last few days. A little over a week ago I broke my ankle while training for a marathon. Immediately I knew there would be no marathon in October and my activity level would be different for a while.

Although a very painful situation physically, I was convinced I could handle the emotional side of the sudden change; a change that literally stopped me in my tracks.

For the first few days I was very accepting of what happened. I thought, “This is a breeze.”

However, I wasn’t keeping up on routines that have become a very important part of my life; routines that keep me in a very balanced, grateful, peaceful, joyful and productive state of mind.

Here’s just a glimpse into what I do. Daily I pray and meditate first thing in the morning. Since the accident, this has not been the case. It got pretty sporadic.

Although I know anytime I pray and meditate is a good time, I had become very accustomed and found great comfort in my morning routine.

It didn’t take more than a few days for me to feel a bit out of sorts. Amazingly, I didn’t equate the lack of my morning ritual with feelings of being irritable, restless and discontent.

I figured things would somehow work themselves out. By Friday, I had had enough of “this experience is your signal to slow down.” Convinced I could handle a full day of hopping around on one leg with the sporadic use of my crutches, doing business as usual, and avoiding any focus on the increasing pain I was feeling, I decided to tough it out.

Here’s what toughing it out got me… flat on my back, leg elevated and thinking how unfair this is.

Whoa! That’s a red flag. Life IS often unfair. That’s not the issue for me. The issue for me is how I handle it.

Another issue is, “Am I using the tools available to me to get from the mindset of “life is unfair” to “okay, this happened? What do I need to do so I can move in the space of acceptance, serenity and joy?”

As I was preparing for yet another day on the couch my glance fell upon a James Twyman CD. I find great solace in his music. My two favorite CDs are The Moses Code and 12 Prayers.

Within moments of hearing James’ voice I felt a wave of relief cover me like a warm blanket on a cold winter day.

The next thing my eyes rested upon were Angel Love Cards my dear friend, Kimberly Marooney, is the author and creator of. These are very special cards with each holding a special message. On many occasion the cards have brought me comfort and insight.

The cards can be used a number of ways including selecting one or two cards to receive a message. The two cards I selected were Action and Grace. I was perplexed. Here I am unable to take many types of actions I had taken for granted and I get Action.

Obviously there was a mistake. But when I read the passage that corresponds to the card there was no mistake. It is all in divine order.

What the card Action indicates is change, transformation, and shift.

The card Grace is equally important. Grace is a simple reminder that I am loved unconditionally. It was also a reminder that I have let some of the most important practices of my day slip by the wayside.

Whether I want to acknowledge it or not, my life is in transition. But then, whose life isn’t.

I believe we are in more transition today than ever before. We are also in more of a position to embrace the transition if we choose. However, in order to embrace the shifts that are inevitable it is essential to use those tools available to us.

These are the tools that cost us nothing, yet hold such immense power.

Mine happen to be prayer, meditation, special music, books that uplift and quiet time to connect with my maker. Simple as that.

Another thing that quickly shifts my perception is to find a way to be in service to others. When we get out of self it’s amazing how our awareness changes.

What are your tools? Are you using them to their greatest benefit? If you know they can comfort you, why would you not use them?

If you’re like me, at times you simply forget. Now is the time to remember.

How rude are you? You may be surprised!

Recently I was watching an episode of Oprah in the middle of the day. This is not my usual practice, but since breaking my ankle much of my routine has flown out the window. I tend to spend a lot of time during the day on the couch with my laptop leg elevated. When I need a break from the computer I do something else to divert my mind. Thus the watching of Oprah.

The emphasis for this particular show was, "Are you rude?" Immediately I thought, "No, I'm not rude."

Amazingly, this is how most people will react and yet the great majority of us think others are extremely rude.

Here a few indicators of rudeness.

Are you chronically late? Being late simply means we think our time is more important than that of the people we are making wait for us. Rude!

Do you answer emails while having a phone conversation? We may think we are being more productive but in reality we are not giving our full attention to either situation. Rude!

Do you answer your cell phone for a non-emergency call while having a conversation with someone else?

Think of how you feel when you are in the middle of a conversation and their cell phone rings. They motion to you they will only be a moment and several minutes later are still on the call. Maybe they are on the call for a brief moment. It doesn’t matter the length of time, it matters how it makes you feel.

You probably think (and feel) they are rude even though you don't tell them; you give a polite smile and say it's okay. Yet, your internal dialogue doesn't match your actions of approval.

Think about that feeling the next time you are having a conversation and your cell rings. Unless it's a bona fide emergency resist the temptation to answer because to do otherwise is rude.

Another indicator is how you treat those in the service industry; waiters, waitresses, housekeeping at hotels, the cleaning people for your office, or anyone who you may deem in a job that is less important than yours.

Do you treat them with respect or do you treat them with abruptness, a commanding nature and as if they should be happy to have a job?

If you do not treat them with the same respect you give your peers you are beyond a shadow of a doubt RUDE! Simple as that.

So ask yourself this, "Am I rude?" Before you answer this, think about what you just read. Did any of the questions give you reason for pause and you thought, "Hmmmm, I have done that."?

It is in awareness we are able to begin the process of change.

Don't aim at success...rather ....

Both a concentration camp prisoner and world-respected author and psychotherapist in his lifetime, Viktor Frankl writes the following advice about happiness:

"Again and again I therefore admonish my students in Europe and America: Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run - in the long-run, I say! - success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it."

Of course, the important part is the "...in the long-run..."

Life is a gift

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her,’ Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'

The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Women of Wisdom Book Excerpt - Spiritual Courage: Put Love Into Action

Today I am pleased to post an excerpt of an amazing book, Women of Wisdom. The following addresses the issue of love in action. Enjoy.

If there ever was a time when we need to put love into action, it is now. Take a look at our world—it is so interconnected, not only by technologies of communication and transportation, but also by technologies of destruction.

War and terrorism can reach the other end of the world in a matter of minutes. So we really are at an evolutionary turning point. We have to join together to lay the foundations for a peaceful world. And this is what I have so much passion for—not only because of my research, but because I am a mother, and a grandmother.

How are we going to make a difference? How are we really going to heal this world—this world that is so full of suffering; where especially women and children are all too often brutalized? How can we even think of peace as long as that violence continues?

I’m not going to exhort, to preach that people should be kinder and better and more loving; because after all, spiritual people have been doing this for millennia. Instead, we’re going to look at how we can create the conditions that will support the kinds of relationships and behaviors we yearn for: relationships of mutual benefit, of mutual respect, of mutual accountability, of non-violence, of caring.

Who is Emmet Fox anyway?

The Hidden Power

"Strange as it may seem to you, there exists a mystic power that is able to transform your life so thoroughly, so radically, so completely, that when the process is completed your own friends would hardly recognize you, and, in fact, you would scarcely be able to recognize yourself. You would sit down and ask yourself: "Can I really be the man or woman that I vaguely remember, who went about under my name six months or six years ago? Was I really that person? Could that person have possibly been me?" And the truth will be that while in one sense you are indeed the same person, yet in another sense you will be someone utterly different.

"This mystic but intensely real force can pick you up today, now, from the midst of failure, ruin, misery, despair – and in the twinkling of an eye, as Paul said, solve your problems, smooth out your difficulties, cut you free from any entanglements, and place you clear, safe, and happy upon the highroad of freedom and opportunity."

Emmet Fox
(1886-1951)
One of the most influential New Thought authors of the 20th Century

Many people were first introduced to New Thought - Ancient Wisdom through channels such as The Secret, Wayne Dyer books, Neale Donald Walsch CDs, Hay House Publications resources to name just a few. Others had earlier introductions.

The fact is, New Thought - Ancient Wisdom has been around for centuries. One need simply go on a treasure hunt of sorts to discover how much is really available via the Internet. And much of it is free. You likely will be amazed at how old many of the teachings are. And the fact many of the teachers have passed from the physical plane yet their words continue to influence.

The core of many teachings is "our thoughts create our reality as do our words. The words we speak influence the experiences we have."

Therefore, if your words and thoughts are not congruent, this can mislead and confuse the subconcsious mind. We cannot say we are manifesting something on the one hand and discount our words through what may appear innocent thoughts.

Thus when some people try to "affirm" themselves into the perfect job, perfect car, perfect dress size or whatever they view as perfect they miss the mark by a long shot. You can mouth the words, but if you do not believe what you are saying, your thoughts will be such to discount the words.

Do affirmations works? They do when coupled with thoughts and feelings. Oh yes, and one tiny detail, more times than not our affirmations, thoughts and words must be followed by actions of some sort.

Are you on a diet or living a lifestyle?

On any given day countless numbers of people are either starting or stopping a diet.

Each time one begins the process of dieting, we are convinced this is it! It doesn't matter how many times we commit to our next form of emotional and often physical torture, the thought is likely, "this is the magic formula."

Each time someone commits and then stops they will likely feel more defeated than the time before. It seems to be a never ending process thus creating more self-defeating behaviors. 

You might be wondering why I am writing about dieting on my Daily Awareness blog. After all, isn't this supposed to be a spiritual blog?

Yes, it is. Truth be told, how we take care of our mind, body and soul all connects to our spiritual awakening. When we are bogged down by toughts of "I need to eat better or I shouldn't be eating these bad foods or someday I'm going to start that next diet" we mess with our spiritual well-being.

Rather than viewing a change in eating as a way to drop some magical number of pounds, what if we ate to honor our body, our mind and spirit. By doing this it is more likely we will get to the optimum weight and health.

I don't expect everyone to agree with me on that last statement. I can only speak from my experience.

The fact is, almost any diet will work to drop weight. But is weight loss alone what we want? Or do we want to be so connected with our mind, body and spirit that our level of consciousness rises beyond our current understanding?

I'll admit it; I'm one of those who has tried various diets or bought magazines with articles that "called to me" by way of a quick solution to losing 10, 20 or even 30 pounds in an unrealistic amount of time.

Do you notice the subtle blessings?

Do you ever have those days where it seems everywhere you turn, everything you see, every scent you smell, every sound you hear, you recognize as a blessing? Most amazingly, the more one recognizes their blessings the more they seem to notice more blessings.

Today has been such a day for me. It began with simply waking up. What a blessing to be on this side of the dirt.

Realizing I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, warmth from my coverings, running water to shower in, food to eat, a family I love and who loves me, I have no doubt how blessed I am.

As I was leaving home to drive out and meet a group of folks I am in training with, I came upon a site to behold. Not more than four hours earlier the neighbor's rescue horse had her colt. Randy rescued the pregnant mare a few weeks ago.

When the mare first arrived she was rail thin and in very poor shape. Randy’s focus was getting weight on the soon-to-be mother as well as gain her trust so he could touch her. The mare trusting Randy would be essential in case she needed any help during the birth.

It’s amazing what a lot of love, food, water and attention can do. Within a few short weeks the mare looked like a different horse. And the level of trust she now has in Randy was night and day from when she first arrived.

Fortunately, all went smooth as silk during the delivery. The colt is a healthy miracle of nature. The mother is protective, but not to the degree that she won’t let Randy near.

Content to watch from the side of the road for a few minutes, I went on to meet my team members and trainer. After a two hour work out that allowed me to take in the beauty of one of Oregon’s most beautiful rivers, I headed home in hopes of getting closer to the colt.

Not only was I able to get closer, I was able to gently stroke the colt with his watchful mother close by.

Again, the deep recognition of my blessing became apparent. Here I was, lying in a field with a beautiful animal less than 8 hours old that lay asleep in the grass.

Often our blessings are so simple we can miss them. With a blink of an eye we can miss something so profound OR we can choose to recognize each and every breath we take as the seed that holds our blessings.