Tag Archives: Spirituality

Its’ a Cardinal Thing

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I have a thing about cardinals. Not the baseball Cardinals, or the religious Cardinals, but those beautiful, red-feathered birds.

They are my sign that all is well when that is sometimes not the case. Just to see or hear one of these cheerful creatures immediately uplifts me.

One beautiful summer morning, while meditating in the garden, there appeared to be more birds than usual fluttering around the feeder.

They seemed to be performing some kind of ritual.  A few of them pecked away at the seeds while others hovered nearby, waiting their turn.

Then, I noticed the birds on the ground feeding each other with the seeds spilling from the feeder.

I sat spellbound watching birds splashing in the bath, swooping and diving, twittering and chirping; ordinary backyard birds; sparrows,  starlings, robins, a finch or two and one female cardinal. Time seemed to stand still.

I was entranced as I watched. Three or four sparrows splashed around in the bath, drank, shook a rainbow of water from their wings, and flew away while others took their place.

The female cardinal took over, vigorously flapping her wings, and sending sprays in every direction.

I remember thinking this whole show was being performed just for me, and that the beautiful, bright red male cardinal, would appear on my clothesline as the grand finale.

As I sat waiting, secure in the knowledge that this would be the case, I suddenly realized that time was not standing still, and I had to leave for work.

Reluctantly leaving the sights and sounds, I went into the house to prepare for the long day ahead.

Disappointed that I would miss the cardinal’s appearance, I was ready to leave when I heard his distinct whistle, “cheer, cheer, cheer”. I knew that when I looked out he would be there—and he was.

“Thank you!” I breathed to God and the red-feathered bird sitting on my clothesline.

It was going to be a great day.

 

Ask For a Gift

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scan0003A few days ago when I wrote the blog, Ned is an Angel, a new blogging friend asked me how I know my angels are around me. That’s a very good  question, and I even asked it myself one day a few years ago. I was recovering from a difficult chemo day, and not too sure of any angels at that point.

A Hay House Radio program was playing on my computer, and I sat back to listen when I heard the word “angel”.

A caller asked, “How do I know my angels are around me?”

The response was, “Ask them for a gift.” That surprised me a little, but then I said to myself, why not?

Feeling a little ridiculous, I nevertheless had the nerve to ask, “Okay, Angels, may I please have a gift?”

I actually voiced it aloud!

I listened to the program for a while longer, but finally gave in to the feeling of fatigue that chemotherapy treatments are famous for, and fell asleep.

The telephone woke me up a few hours later. It was my friend, and former boss at the Canadian Bible Society Book Store, calling to see how I was doing. I had often talked to Betty about my dreams, and how I tried to interpret them.

Now, she told me of a new book that had just arrived at the store, which she was sure I would be interested in: “Dream Language…The prophetic power of dreams, revelations, and the spirit of wisdom” by James W. and Michal Ann Goll.

Of course I was interested! I asked Betty to hold me a copy and I’d come in and buy it on one of my better days.

Her next words blew me away — “I am holding it for you, and when you are ready, come in and pick up your gift.”

I hung up the phone, smiling, and said, “Thank you, Angels.”

It was a one-time occurrence; I never asked for a gift again.

So, Laurie, that’s how I know my angels are all around me.

Ned is an Angel

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My angels are numbered. Let me tell you how Ned got his number.  It all began with a book I read in 1991, The Messengers, by Julia Ingram and G.W. Hardin.  In one chapter angels were making themselves known to four different individuals in the guise of the numbers 444.  As a matter of fact, the chapter was titled ‘The 444’s’.  In the book, a lady who supposedly could talk to the angels, told the main character that his special angel was number 4.  This triggered a memory for me.  Many years ago I had been told that the number 7 was very important to me.  Could it be that my special angel was numbered 777?  I believed so and connected the name, Celeste, with that number.  Before long I came to feel that many angels were with me and I identified some by numbers. ”

Once aware of the angels in my life it was wonderful the way they made themselves known to me whenever I called upon them. Presently, an awareness crept into my psyche whenever triple numbers appeared, whether on license plates, advertised telephone numbers on poles and billboards or even a particular hymn number on Sunday morning.  Whatever was happening, it was a good thing–but back to Ned.

I’m one of those people who makes a little time for quietness before the start of the day. I was reading an article in an angel magazine one morning, and the writer was describing an incident where she was mentally asking for help with a computer program she was working on which had to do with finances.  Suddenly, the name ‘Ned’ came to her.  Shaking her head at this imaginative voice, she continued trying to conquer the problem she was having–to no avail.  Once again she found herself mentally saying, “I need some help here” and once again the name ‘Ned’ popped into her mind.  The writer had a name book on hand and looked up ‘Ned’. It was a derivative of Edward, meaning prosperous guardian.  “Great” she thought, “I can live with that kind of help, thank you very much,” and soon found her thinking had cleared and the problem was solved.

Back to my angels. As yet I wasn’t aware of my prosperity angel and the number 999 suddenly came to my mind.  Wondering if Ned and 999 were connected I began to look for that particular number on my drive to work.

A feeling of vague disappointment enveloped me as I neared my destination and my prosperity angel had not manifested yet. Suddenly, a traffic tie-up occurred in front of me.  Knowing there was a short-cut I could take, I turned the first corner I came to.  There, parked at the side of the road to my right, was a car with the license plate N E D.  Awesome!  But that is not the end of the story.  That afternoon I entertained a business colleague who knew my penchant for angels and their numbers.  Nonchalantly, over a cup of coffee, she volunteered the following information, “By the way, on my way over here the car in front of me had 999 on the license plate–I thought you might be interested.”

That’s how I know Ned is and Angel.

Keeping Up Appearances

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How do I put this into words without sounding vain? One of the comments I hear the most is, “You don’t look your age…what’s your secret?” A technician in the Optometrist office once asked me if I drink special water, to which I answered, “Yes, living water.”

I don’t exercise on a regular basis and I eat junk food more than occasionally. When I was sixteen I could get into a bar without being carded. The legal age back then was twenty-one: not that I frequented bars or even drank alcohol. I smoked for forty-seven of my seventy-seven years and consequently fought a battle with lung cancer. I have two heart stents and am on meds for unstable angina, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. So what is my secret? I think I found it today when I came across a journal entry while pondering what my next post would be about.

Here is what I wrote after telling that technician about the living water. I must have come home and thought about that conversation because this is what I put in my journal.

Possible reasons for having a good appearance:

I drink the living water – (John 4:10)

I eat the bread of life – (John 6:35)

I wear the full armor of God – (Ephesians 6:11)

I rest in Jesus – (Matthew 11:28)

I breathe in the Holy Spirit – (John 20:22)

I gave up the worry habit – (Matthew 6:25) (This one really taught me a lot!)

I love to laugh – (Proverbs 17:22)

I believe these may be the reasons for my “keeping up appearances” but on the other hand, I also color my hair!

Does that make me vain? I hope not. But then, all is vanity as Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:2 KJV

The Bible on Birth

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To all my precious “unbelievers”, please don’t bale on me now.

As I mentioned in my upcoming book, “My Precious Life”, the Bible is one of my favorite books. I love what I learn from reading it, especially about my life and where I came from. There are some who can’t see the reasoning in this, but I for one, can see it clearly, especially when it is spelled out so beautifully. I have never doubted where I came from and because of that I’m sure of where I am going. Here then, is a smattering of the Bible on birth.

 

Psalm 22: 9-10 …yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

 

Isaiah 46: 3-4…I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you…

 

Psalm 71: 5,6…Lord, you have been my confidence since my youth. You brought me forth from my mother’s womb; from birth I have relied on you…(9) do not cast me away when I am old…(17) Since my youth oh God, you have taught me…(18) even when I am old and gray do not forsake me oh God…

 

Psalm 139: 13 &16…You knit me together in my mother’s womb. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

 

Jeremiah 1: 5…Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…

 

Job 1: 21 …Naked I came from my mother’s womb…

 

Job 10: 8…Your hands shaped me and made me…

 

Job 10: 12…You gave me life and showed me kindness…

 

1 John 3: 9…No one who is born of God will continue to sin because God’s seed remains in him…

 

Psalm 27: 10…My father and mother may abandon me, but the Lord will take care of me

 

Genesis 1: 28…Be fruitful and increase in number…9:7…be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it

 

Deuteronomy 28; 11…The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity – in the fruit of your womb…

 

Deuteronomy 28: 4…The fruit of your womb will be blessed…

Who could ask for anything more?

Tomorrow: The Bible on Prosperity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Wrinkle in Time (The Book)

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It is said that there is no such thing as a coincidence, but if that is the case, I would like someone to explain this life event to me.

In 1996 when I had my broken bones accident, as I like to call it, I spent a lot of time watching television when I wasn’t doing therapy.

One evening, author, Madeleine L’Engle, was being interviewed about her many books, including “A Wrinkle in Time”. I was entranced with her demeanour and the title of that book. It was an old book, out of print, and very hard to find now, she told the interviewer.

I promised myself that when I was out and about again I would go to The World’s Biggest Book Store in downtown Toronto, to look for it.   That store is renowned for having hard to find books.

One day, when I had graduated to crutches, I went to visit my Aunt in hospital. My husband dropped me off at the door and went to park the car. I meandered into the gift shop while waiting for him, and came upon a basket of books on sale for 25 cents each. They were in a complete mess from people rooting through them, and I decided to tidy them up.

The first book I picked up was A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L’Engle.

How do you explain that?

Found Money

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This dream goes back to 1960. Being the mother of four active children, ages six, four, two and a one year old baby, I  wasn’t journaling back then but I remember the dream as if it was last night.

It was another recurring dream where night after night I dreamt about finding money. I’d be cleaning the furniture and pull out a handful of coins from deep within the sofa.

The garden was another treasure trove. Buried in the soil where I was planting flowers, was another handful of coins.

There was money between mattresses, under beds, in the sugar bowl, and in the children’s toy box. In one dream, I lifted the lid of our large outdoor garbage can and a pile of coins lined the bottom of it.

I never tired of these dreams. They were a welcome relief from the daily burden of trying to make ends meet. We were a young couple raising four little ones on one salary and there were times when money was pretty scarce.

And then a very sad, but wonderful thing happened. My grandmother Lydia, who I introduced in My Precious Life, died and in her will, left me one thousand dollars.

Do you know what? I never again dreamt about finding money.

Hit and Miss

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I’m really glad I kept a dream journal over the years because those dreams have become a part of my life story, although they didn’t all make it into My Precious Life. It is said that dreams about flying are good, but this next dream was somewhat different in its message. I didn’t quite get it.

The airplane flying over our house sounded like it was in trouble. I could see it losing altitude, nose down, heading for our back yard.

I had this dream three nights in a row, and was due to fly on a bush plane to my daughter and son-in-law’s cabin on Trout Lake in a few days.

The night before leaving, I had this dream.

I was in the cabin alone when I heard the loud, droning sound of a plane in trouble. I stood stock still as it crashed into the cabin and stopped right behind me.

“It hit, but it missed!” I thought.

Once at the cabin, Brian, my son-in-law, took us for a boat ride around the lake.

“There’s Hit and Miss Lodge,” he said, pointing to a resort on a small island. I was astounded to hear those words, and told Brian about my dreams.

He smiled at me and said, “The cabin is on Hit and Miss Bay.”

And now, after all these years, I get it. The message was that there is a message in our dreams.

 

 

Fighting Fear

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Before I relate this dream, I want it known that I had long longed for “the gift of tongues”, a spiritual gift referred to in 1 Corinthians 12:10, but it was not to be for me.

This is the dream I had in February, 2002.

Some friends were gathered in the kitchen of one of my previous homes. Off this room was a door leading to the basement. Suddenly, strange and eerie sounds began emanating from that area. We all felt a wave of fear, and no one wanted to open the door to investigate.

Finally, I couldn’t bear the feeling of fear any longer and slowly opened the door as everyone backed away. I peered down into the darkness and saw our pet dog trying to bury himself under a pile of blankets on a sofa. A very eerie feeling penetrated that space, and an unseen force seemed to move towards the stairs where I was standing. I wanted to slam the door and run, but I didn’t want to live in fear, so I sat on the top stair and feebly yelled something into thin air.

At first, sounds just squeaked out of my mouth, but then got louder and louder, and the “something” in the basement tried to hide. By now the sounds seemed to be pushing out of my diaphragm, becoming a forceful chant and Kelly, the dog, came out of hiding and scampered up the stairs.

My husband woke me up asking if I was okay. He said I was shouting in a language he had never heard before.

Do I have the gift of tongues? In my dreams.

Dream Birds

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Dreams can be spiritual messages that you are being lovingly cared for by divine forces. They are like angels in that they bring both good news and urgent warnings. (From “Wrestling With Your Angels by Janet O. Hagberg)

A friend recently posted a cute and comic link on Facebook about birds which reminded me of another meaningful dream I had in 2000. The reason I remember these dreams is because I keep a dated dream journal.

And now for the dream birds.

Before falling asleep, I said a prayer to wake up at 7 a.m. for a church-oriented workshop in the morning. I am a very sound sleeper and don’t always hear the alarm.

In my dream, a hummingbird got tangled in my hair. I managed to get it loose and it flew to the top of  a birch tree in the yard.  As I watched his flight, another small bird nestled under my chin; then another one nuzzled one side of my neck, while yet another pressed against the other side.  They were nudging my face with their plump, feathery little bodies. I was getting annoyed with them when I felt one get under the hair at the back of my neck. I began to panic and tried to call for help when a fluttering little bird tried to get into my mouth. That’s when I woke up. It was 7:45 a.m and if those feathery little creatures had not invaded my dreams, I would have missed the 9 a.m. workshop.

I love birds and was very thankful for their most timely, although frightening, interruption of my sleep.