The Light of Grace

On November 11, 2006, at 11:11 am, my friend, Shelley Yates, had a naming ceremony in Bedford, Nova Scotia, where she accepted her spirit name, Samoiya, in front of a small group of about sixty or so friends and family. It was a deeply touching ceremony, full of the most heartfelt emotion; I was most grateful to be a part of it.

That said, in the spirit of the last post, the parable, SAGE WOMAN DREAMS OF GOING HOME, written by Marjorie Garner, and in honor of the approaching one year anniversary of Fire the Grid (July 17, 2008), I am posting the following piece, THE LIGHT OF GRACE, written by Shelley Yates, and spoken at her naming ceremony.

The Light of Grace has found me,
Found me here, far from my true home.
It dwells inside me, within me, around me,
Alive, living, breathing connected and whole,
Divinely guiding my human to the peace of ages.
Swirling, divine light connected to source,
Feeding my loneliness for home,
Reminding me that this is just a journey,
Take not the ride too serious,
For one day soon I will be home again,
And these earthly experiences will be but a memory, a thought.

The knowing, the simple knowing that I am a piece of this Divine Light is sheer elation.
To wake and feel the connection; to know I live whole and that I will never be alone again.
This tickles my senses and spreads a deep joy throughout my body.
Morning tingles lead to daylight joy,
Sincere joy, alive in this human, relishing the moment, embracing the difficulties,
So I may learn something new today,
So that I may touch another and share this blessed light,
So that many may see my stride and know,
That peace exists even for those of us who have traveled the dark road.

I have found this joy in life, this light,
The warmest sun upon my face,
Reminding me that home awaits my return from this most difficult journey called life.
The human endeavor, surly my most challenging choice,
But the loveliest sensations bid me, find peace in the moment,
In the moment lay the sensations that make the journey worthwhile.

All this too shall pass and the lesson will be a piece of me,
To pass and share, to shine light for others,
So they too may find the peace of which I speak.
Joyous lighted peace of the heavenly Divine,
Holding me close simply through choice,
Seek and ye shall find,
Ask and it shall be delivered.

Know thy own light and the truth shall you set you free,
Free to be, alive on this plane with bliss in your heart sharing the journey.
Know thy brethren for they will assist in the tale; creating together.

With lighted joy I take the real piece of me to the front,
Pulled free of the human restraints I now find me,
I bring to you the very best of me, my full potential revealed,
I am Samoiya, warrior for the Divine, seeker, knower,
Sharing the knowledge, sharing the light,
So others too may find the path,
And light the way for those that follow,
Finally, One with Light of Grace:
One earth, One mind, One Light, One race.
Beautiful in our individuality,
Most alive when we share our light with another.

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A Beautiful Parable

The following parable, SAGE WOMAN DREAMS OF GOING HOME, was written by a new friend of mine, Marjorie Garner, of Butte, Montana. It was written at Notch Bottom, on the Big Hole River, near Glen, Montana --- population 7:

The sound of the Big Hole river --- lapping --- slowly moving --- October-like --- the color a deep navy blue. I could sit here and breathe in the smell of sage 'til I fill up with the fragrance --- so big, so strong, that I become part of the sky --- like quaking aspen leaves, floating in the air. And little pieces of me, little round dry leaves will float for miles, --- across the river, into the cottonwoods, over the prickly pear cactus, the juniper, the sage, the greasewood and rabbit bush --- over everything --- until the pieces of me --- the dry leaves ---finally reach the golden eagle rookery.

And a young eagle --- while soaring in the sky --- will say to its mother: “What are all these little dry leaves --- falling from Heaven? They look like aspen leaves, but they’re not.”

And his mother would answer:

“Oh, those leaves are just pieces of that woman who loves sage. I’ve seen her here before. I’ve seen her pick sage twigs and juniper twigs and put them in her pocket. I’ve seen her looking up at us when we’re in the sky, craning back her neck until she fell over. I’ve seen her sitting on the ground, holding sage against her nose, breathing it in. I have seen her tears. I knew something like this would happen to her if she kept doing that, and she probably knew it too.

She loves this place. She loves our sky, our river, the willow, the juniper, the greasewood, the rocks, the old bones, the wild flowers --- everything of the earth and sky she loves. She even loves the little high-tailed chipmunks that scurry around. Those tiny little chipmunks --- you know --- the ones we like to eat for dessert!

I know all this because I’ve watched from the sky, with my eagle eye. I’ve seen her on her back staring at our sky, watching the clouds roll across --- the dolphin clouds, the shark clouds, the lace clouds, the long finger clouds. I’ve seen her face down on the ground, kissing it! Can you imagine?

And that’s where she wanted to be --- a part of the earth --- and that’s where she is now. She breathed in so much sage she turned into floating aspen leaves and became a part of everything --- as we are.

So, my son, the leaves you see floating through the air, they ARE Sage Woman.

I’ve heard her pray for rain, a healing rain, and it would come. Whatever she asked for, it would come. She asked to be a part of mother earth, and --- so --- now you see --- these tiny pieces floating through the air --- these little aspen leaves, they ARE Sage Woman, and

SHE HAS COME HOME.

SHE HAS COME HOME.

*****

A note from the author:

Mathew, by all means, post the Sage Woman story on your website --- a great honor for me. It's odd, but when I first wrote the parable about 13 years ago, many connections of Spirit began to occur because of the writing --- I met people I would have otherwise never known --- people who saw the parable through friends who had copies --- I have never promoted myself --- it is always word of mouth. As it happened, my little grandson was with me and my older son that day --- he was fishing with his dad on the Big Hole river --- and I sat in the jeep or walked around looking at the exquisite beauty of nature in that area.

I had nothing to write on, so I found a big manila envelope in my son's vehicle and began to draw a chambered Nautilus on one side. Then, being fairly bored and too warm for comfort, I turned the envelope over and began to scratch out the feelings I was having at the time. Of course, the woman is me, and the sentiment was a deep feeling I had --- a sadness about what was happening to our Mother Earth, and what was happening in my life. A yearning to "go home." To go home is the yearning we all have, so I guess that accounts for the strong emotional response people have to the story. And the fact that we are all "connected."

When my grandson came back to the vehicle, I read the story out loud to him. He said, "Gramma, I loved the part where you fell over backwards." We had in fact been watching golden and bald eagles that morning, craning our necks back until we almost fell over. The area is filled with eagles, and other magnificent wildlife --- bears, wolves, elk, antelope, beaver, blue heron, and a river so pure and deep blue in color --- filled with native fish. A very, very isolated place --- to get there you must pass over a road filled with boulders and mud --- but, oh, the reward.

So my grandson asked me to type the story up (had no computer in those days) and I did, and sent it to him in Butte, where he was living with his mother at the time. He took it to school. All the English teachers at his grade school shared it with their students. Then someone at the college I was attending asked if they could publish it in a journal, and her husband, who was a filmmaker, wanted to meet me and find out who "wrote that?? Then, I was communicating with a lady who had a website called Sage Woman, and she asked to put it on her site. Then a friend of a friend asked to put it on her website, and a half brother asked to put it in his little magazine, and finally, the best thing of all --- a Japanese lady who was teaching Japanese at the college I was attending --- and who had experienced Hiroshima first hand --- read the story after I had given it to her as a birthday present (not having money to purchase anything for her). She was a very, very reserved lady, and so intelligent and spiritual. She came to school the next day and thanked me for the story, and then burst into tears. She said it touched her at a deep level. I was appointed her "guide" and assistant during her one year stay. It was magnificent to share with her --- I miss her to this day.

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Okay, So Where's the Miracle?

Back in early June I gave a brief account of how a series of fortunate events transpired that promised to keep me afloat until early July. Well, since that time, a series of unfortunate events occurred that worked against that promise. For starters, the two potentials I spoke of in early June both fell apart as easily as they materialized. Then, two other means of financial assistance that I had been promised and counted on, both fell apart without notice. Consequently, four days ago, I found myself in the unenviable position of having to ask my father-in-law if he was in a position to loan me some money. Talk about humbling. Not that he did anything to make me feel uncomfortable. In fact, he was surprisingly understanding, encouraging and kind, and actually offered me double what I asked for (and he is not a wealthy man by any means). So, in spite of my belief in myself and in my alignment with the universe, money did not fall into my lap in any of the ways that I expected it to. So now what? Was it wrong of me to expect a miracle? Should I revise my beliefs because I ended up in a position where I had to ask a family member for a loan? Or do I continue to follow my heart and my passions in the belief that there is no higher road that the universe wills for me to follow?

I would appreciate hearing your responses, whatever they might be. But I will tell you this -- over the course of the last several years I have had many conversations with my wife about this very thing -- especially when we have been close to the financial edge (and yes, there have been several times) -- and my wife has always taken the position that I should go out and get a job -- any job -- regardless of whether I like it or I am passionate about doing it. In her opinion, when you need money, you do whatever you have to do to make money. Funny thing is, I believed this too for more than twenty-five years. And I did just that -- I went out and made a lot of money at the expense of my happiness, at the expense of my relationships with my wife and my children -- and then the angels interceded in my life and slowly but surely, they taught me that there was a better way to go. Consequently, for the last eight years, I have been doing my best to follow their advice, and although it has not been easy, I am still standing, my family relationships are stronger than they have ever been, I have actually completed some creative pursuits that I have never been able to complete before in my life. And perhaps even, God willing, I will soon see some money from these pursuits. In fact, the day after I arranged the family loan, a potential investor in one of my projects materialized and requested a meeting for Thursday of this coming week.

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Finding Your Life's Purpose

Why should you Find Your Life’s Purpose? by Ineke Van Lint.

Many spiritual traditions revolve around one central question: “Who am I ?”

Even the business world ponders this crucial matter. According to business gurus, the first step on the road to success is asking yourself this very question:“What’s my mission? What on Earth am I doing? Am I in the right place?”

If you can’t answer these questions, then you are wasting 90% of your time and energy doing things that are neither your mission nor your business!

You will feel an inner anxiety, urging you to search for the deeper meaning of your life.

If you consider living to be painful, if you feel dissatisfied, if you feel “there must be more than this”, if you feel out of place in this world, then you have not yet found the purpose of your life.



If you are questioning the meaning of life, if you can’t find inner peace, if you are not satisfied with choices you’ve made in life, if you don’t know which way to turn, if you feel your life is stuffed with things that aren’t of your choosing and that don’t satisfy you, if you often feel burdened and bad-tempered, if you “have everything to feel happy” but don’t, then it is time for you to discover your true self!

Human beings want to feel useful. We long to give our lives some deeper meaning. As long as you have not discovered this deeper meaning, you feel frustrated and on the wrong track.

We want our lives to be worthwhile. This does not mean we need to achieve ‘great feats’ or become world famous. We just need to feel in place and do the right thing surrounded by the right people. It’s about finding out our mission. It’s about finding ‘inner peace’.

Our mission on Earth is twofold. The general aspect is that we are here to learn to bring more love into the world. The personal aspect is that everyone has its own peculiar, unique way of doing this.

Your mission represents the central piece of your life.

The surrounding pieces represent your family, your relationship, your kids, your job, your home, your health, your friend, and so on. The centerpiece holds all of this together.

That centerpiece, that’s you. You are the most important person in your life, and you came to this world to do something important. Otherwise you simply would not be here!

As long as you haven’t identified the centerpiece, you’ll be wrestling with dissatisfaction, powerlessness, frustrations and fatigue.

Some people solve jigsaw puzzles by first fitting all the pieces on the borders, and then squeeze in the piece in the middle. That’s putting the cart before the horse.

These people reason: “When I find the right partner, find the right job, get paid a good salary, have some kids, have my own house, meet some friends, stay healthy, then I will be happy!” But that’s not the way things work.

As long as the centerpiece is missing from the puzzle, you too will feel empty inside. It is your responsibility to discover your mission and get things under way.

Even the cells of your body react to this lack of purpose, this feeling of emptiness. They suffer from spiritual malnutrition, feel useless and bored, resulting in a physical state of sluggishness and lethargy. This physical state will eventually cause several physical discomforts and complaints.

Occupying yourself with “your disease” and “feeding” yourself with medication or other such products is just another attempt at filling the void inside. This is because the status of “being ill” allows you to identify: “I am allergic to this or that, I am a cancer patient, I am an Alzheimer, I am…” Once you have started identifying yourself by your disease, it will certainly be on your mind day and night.

If you are not in touch with your own desires, you will easily fall prey to expectations projected upon you by your environment. If you are not following your own path, then you must be following someone else’s! If you are not clear on your own life mission, you will find it hard to say “no” to what other people want you to do. This undecidedness makes you available for all who cross your path and want a piece of you, draining your energy.

As long as you are not clear on the shape of that centerpiece, you are submitted to others who may not care about what’s best for you. Just like disease, these kinds of negative relationships are a manifestation of low-level energy, showing that you have lost focus and have strayed from your own golden brick road.

Your self-esteem is probably pretty low and you suffer from serious doubts and fears.

The longer you put off the search, the more the feeling that something is missing will devour you. Your self-esteem will only decrease.

The best way to rebuild your fragile self and re-establish an inner sense of security is to make the search for your life mission your number one priority, and subsequently fully dedicate yourself to it.

Why is this so important? Because you can only find real joy in life by discovering and living according to the unique way of your personal evolution.

But, maybe you think, can’t I just continue living life the way I have been all along? My life may not be all that exciting and rosy, but it’s still doable. Can’t I just try to hang in there and keep the status quo?

The answer is “yes”. You can keep living your life in a monotonic, sad, senseless way. But don’t expect any real satisfaction. The need to feel useful is so fundamental that you cannot feel happy as long as you have no clue what you are here for.

That’s exactly the difference between humans and animals. For an animal it may suffice to just sleep, hunt and eat, but humans look for the deeper meaning of life. Humans “know” that we are here on Earth for something more important than just eating, sleeping and working.

Your mission gives meaning to your life. Your mission IS your very reason for existence.

You are not alone in this search. This mission is also looking for you. It wants to be fulfilled by you and by nobody else. It is your personal mission. Nobody else is equipped to do it for you. Your mission will keep haunting you until you take it seriously and start implementing it.

Going against your mission is going against yourself. This is the same as ignoring the call of your soul, as ignoring your strongest desires, as signing a contract for eternal discontent...

You can’t escape your mission. One day you will have to start dedicating yourself to it.

Has this day come for you now? After all, you are reading these lines which shows your honest desire to start looking for the deeper meaning of your being.


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Written by Ineke Van Lint. My main goal is to get your energy and excitement flowing again and to make you create a life filled with enthusiasm, by passing you my energy, experience and tools so you can find your passion and your reason for living and realize your dreams and yourself.

Ineke Van Lint is a practicing psychologist and workshop leader.

She holds a degree in psychology, is an International Facilitator in Kinesiology, an International Instructor in Brain Gym (which is sometimes called Educational Kinesiology), and is a member of Mensa International. She lives in Luxembourg.

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Miracles -- An Update

Just thought I would provide a quick update to my post about miracles. It's June now, and when I posted about my finances back on May 4th, I didn't know what was going to happen to allow me to cover my expenses into June. Well, although nothing major happened to improve my overall financial status, I did have a few minor happenings that are worthy of mentioning. For starters, two of my credit cards automatically extended my credit (without a request) -- so I am now able to cross the threshold into July. Also, because my wife and I patiently waited for four months for our apartment management to arrange repair of a minor plumbing problem, management not only fixed the problem, they decided to reward our patience with a substantial discount to June's rent. Taken together, these three things had a significantly positive effect on my finances. Would I be so bold as to call them miracles? Why not? I didn't seek any of it. And I certainly needed the help. And the help materialized. In the meantime, two other situations have developed that might also provide me with money. I don't wish to speak about them in any detail yet since neither of them are sure things, however, once again, both of these possibilities fell into my lap in the last two weeks without any effort on my part.

In the meantime, I hope you will come back to find out how my family and I will make it through to August. By the way, when I say "make it" I am not suggesting that we are by any stretch of the imagination scraping by. We are not foolhardy with the funds we have, but at the same time, we are not frugal either. For instance, I just made a trip to Toronto last week to help one of my daughters move. And the week before that, my wife travelled to Toronto and then on to Ohio for a Doll Making workshop. In other words, life hasn't come to a stop just becuase our finances are at an all time low. We are simply living day to day and trusting that all is well.

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The Lightworker's Prayer

From The Lighworker's Way by Doreen Virtue:

I choose to stay centered in the awareness of love, God, and my true self. In this center, like the eye of a hurricane, all is tranquil, safe, and peaceful. My power, wisdom, and peace comes from staying in this center, and I ask for spiritual support from God and his angels to keep my mind aligned with truth. I willingly detach from the material world, knowing that by so doing, I can effectively help others. I trust God to provide my every need, and I allow His omnipotent wisdom to direct me in all ways. I accept a steady diet of love and joy, knowing that I deserve happiness and health. I willingly and lovingly release all ego judgment about myself and other people, knowing that everything I want comes from my decision to experience the oneness of all life. I know I am meant to be a healer and a teacher for God, and I now accept my mission fully without delay or reservation. I surrender all behaviors that would block me from hearing my inner voice, and I happily trust my inner guide to lead me along the lightworkers way, where I joyfully serve as an instrument of love. I release any doubt or fears I may have about fulfilling my Divine mission, and I now commit to staying aware of my inner Voice for God. I know that this is the only tool I will ever need for my own healing and the healing of the world.

Amen

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Miracles… Do they really happen and is it wrong to expect them?

Having had only three months of paid employment in the last three years, my finances have finally come to the end of the line. Credit cards are maxed, assets have long been liquidated – there is enough credit left to wiggle through May, and maybe just maybe enough to cross the threshold into June, but truly, not a penny more. Game over. Done. Finished.

So what happens then in four, five, six weeks time? Will my family be evicted and forced to live on the street or will some miraculous solution save us? And what is my responsibility insofar as causing a miraculous solution to manifest? Should I begin to do something that doesn’t feel right in my heart just because I have run out of money? In other words, does the apparent severity of my situation necessitate compromising my beliefs and values? Or do I simply continue to do just as I have been doing for the last three years – that is, everything I can do to align myself with God/Love and the perfect/purposeful Universe? I mean, if God is truly the loving, benevolent, compassionate and perfect/purposeful Creator that I know Him to be, doesn’t it make perfect/purposeful sense that this same Creator will always provide me with a means to support myself and my family when I align myself with His will? Or have I completely lost my way on this one? I mean, am I naïve? Am I a spiritual Pollyanna? Is it also possible that I just think that I am in alignment (and that I have achieved some semblance of understanding) when truly, somewhere along the way my understanding has taken a calamitous turn into delusion?

Clearly, I see two choices before me: Continue to trust in my cumulative experience and receiving, or throw in the towel and go looking for a job – any job – just something to get me through this period of financial stress.

Well, believe what you will – but I see this period in my life as a test of faith. And given all that I have experienced and received, I am unable to abandon my beliefs/values/understanding (even if temporarily) just because the material plane continues to persist in reflecting lack and challenge. Thus, I am asking for a miracle. And I have no doubt that a miracle will soon take place.

All is well.

Peace.

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How to Make the Most of Work, Relationships and Love

Please Note: The question that follows was asked by a woman from Toronto, Canada. The responses were subsequently channeled from a celestial source known to me as The Guardians (aka The Guardians of the Light). For an answer to the question "Who are the Guardians of the Light," (plus other interesting questions and answers) please see this link. Thank you.

*****

Q: I would like ask a question! Or just have an opportunity to hear what your guides might have to say to me, especially regarding the type of work I should/could do and about relationships/dating/marriage. I guess I am interested in knowing how I can make the most of my life in those areas...if that makes sense?

A: (First session, April 11, 2008): Yes, Dear One, that does make sense. Indeed, we feel these questions that you are raising are important questions that many have on their minds. For to work and to love are fundamental to happiness. First of all, we would like to talk about work. Work for you, and not exclusively to you, is something that is a means to an end. You work because you wish to pay the bills, and working provides you with a salary in which you are able to do just that. But there is more to work than just making money, as you rightly expect. Work can be about making money. But it can also be about enjoying oneself and providing a service that one can feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, also known as fulfillment, for having accomplished such work. These are issues that are fundamental to the question of work. For when we work with a prime motivation of bringing joy to ourselves and providing service to others, first and foremost, before we think about the money, we will find that the possibilities for happiness expand in our lives. Whereas, when we work to make money, we find that possibilities for happiness contract in our lives. Therefore, the trick is to work for enjoyment and service, and see where the road takes you. Now, many feel they understand this concept, however, they quickly fall into a rut of working for money because they do not know what they enjoy (or at least they tell themselves this), or, they do not seem to have interests in areas of life other than what they have been doing previously. So, it appears as if they are on a well-worn track, and that there is no getting off. But this is never truly the case. This is a perception. And of course, once we have the perception that we are in it for the long haul and there is no going back, then that is precisely what we create for ourselves. However, believe that change is possible, believe that you deserve to be happy and fulfilled, and change will occur. Maybe not at the pace that you expect it, (at least not always) however change will occur. We guarantee this! So, with respect to your question about work, we would say that you should follow your heart in the direction of those things in life that are of most interest to you, not because they stand to gain you more money, or more fame – but because they stand to gain you more pleasure and enjoyment in your life.

As for love and relationships, and marriage, one always finds that these aspects of life are the most difficult to obtain because these aspects of life are reflective of the state of one’s inner being. If one is full of self-doubt and angst about life, one will usually attract a partner who has similar qualities, (although such qualities might not be readily apparent). However, latent or pronounced, these qualities that seem to mesh with one’s own personality are simply mirroring one’s most pronounced inner quality – the quality that needs most improvement – thus, the perfect partner to observe directly that which you don’t like about your self that you are unable to see in yourself but can fully appreciate in others. Are we making sense? What we are saying is that life is a perfect tapestry of energies of all sorts. Now, if one can see that within this tapestry, like energy attracts like energy, and as it does, exchange takes place for the betterment of all energy. This is the nature of the universe that we are all a part of. It serves to help us to learn and to grow, and it does so by consistently challenging us to be and to do those things that serve the greater good. Align oneself with that energy, and you experience a greater degree of fulfillment – in work, in relationships, in life. Fall into negative patterns, and all aspects of life will be less fulfilling.

We would like to thank you for asking us these questions. We hope we have answered them in a way that makes sense to you and is satisfactory to you. We wish you blessings and much happiness as you travel your path. God Bless, The Guardians.

A: (Second session, April 13, 2008): Greetings Dear One, We bid you a warm hello from the dimension of spirit. There are many here who wish you well, and who follow your life and progress with much love and interest. Your grandmother Clara? Sara? is one who comes forth at this time to wish you greetings and to send love and blessings. Also, your sister Charlene? Cheryl? Carol? comes through to send love and greetings. And there are many more. Guides and angels, friends and well-wishers. Love and Blessings to you. You are loved! We, The Guardians, would like to address your questions about work, and love and relationships. First of all, with respect to work, we would like to say something that no doubt you have heard before. Do that which you love and you can’t go wrong. Not sure what you love? Pray for guidance, and have an open heart and mind to that which unfolds before you. Try not to prejudge. Simply follow as if you are a part of a mystery theatre performance – you know not what is happening – only that there are things happening, and you have to find your way through. This is always our best recommendation for approaching life. Follow your heart, and when unsure, stay alert and trust your instinct.

In so far as relationships are concerned, we would simply say that the universe is perfect. All that happens, happens for a reason. And in very general terms, that reason is for our benefit. Of course, it may not always appear so, but life is a giant classroom, and we are all the students. And how we react to the situations we find ourselves in, determines our standing or our placement within the school. React with love, and you will find yourself with a set of new circumstances. React with fear and you will find another set of circumstances. The trick is, try to follow the course that love brings about as this is the course of highest satisfaction. Always. Stay on the course of love and everything in your life will reflect back that love. You will recognize the people and the situations that don’t reflect that love, and when you do, you simply wish them well and move along. When you find a place of comfort, settle in for a while and see where it takes you. This is all anyone ever truly needs to know to find the happiness and the fulfillment that they wish for. This is all that you will need to create a new situation for yourself – not only a new work situation, but a new relationship as well. We hope we have been clear. Blessings to you, The Guardians

*****

F.Y.I. During the second session (above), The Guardians name the questioner's grandmother as Clara or Sara. It was subsequently confirmed that the questioner's grandmother's name is Klara, although she is still very much with us at the age of 93, as opposed to "on the other side" as the channeling seems to allude. Nevertheless, to get the name right was very exciting and very satisfying to me. Incidentally, contrary to the information received, the questioner did not have a sister, and the names mentioned did not prompt any ideas as to whom The Guardians might have been referring to.

*****

Also: The Guardians provide two different answers to the same question (above) on account of an anxiety crisis that I suffered last week. In fact, it wasn't until I channeled a third answer to the same question (yesterday), that I finally felt I had received an answer I could trust. That said, after the third answer was complete, I went back and read the first two (I hadn't read them when they were originally channeled), and I was surprised to discover that all three were very much unaffected by my personal situation.

I elected not to include the third answer due to redundancies in content.

For additional channeled material from The Guardians, please see the post entitled Q & A with The Guardians.

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Fire the Grid and Project Cause Update

If you participated in the Fire the Grid (FTG) meditation as I did back on July 17, 2007 (exactly eight months ago), you are likely aware of the fact that ever since this event transpired, there have been no updates posted to the FTG website nor has there been any news about Shelley Yates. Consequently, many FTG participants have been left to wonder, "Did our actions make a difference?" "Will there be more meditations?" "What is happening with Project Cause?" "And why have there been no updates?" I know I wondered -- which is precisely what led me to sit down with Shelley for a face to face interview on February 2, 2008.

PLEASE NOTE: Although I have been friends with Shelley Yates since October of 2006, (as well as with Bradfield and Annie), this post is by no means an official update to Fire The Grid or Project Cause.

*****

To begin with, I would like to tell you that Shelley has lost a lot of weight over the course of the past eight months. I am not a very observant person (as my wife will often lament), however, even I couldn't help but notice the extensive weightloss, especially in Shelley's face. Nevertheless, because we had spoken numerous times over the phone before I came to visit, I knew that in spite of how great she looked, beneath the surface was a woman very much engaged in a struggle to find peace and happiness in her life.

As Shelley settled into her couch, I asked her to tell me about her life since July 17th and to explain why there hadn't been any updates to the FTG website. "Ever since Fire the Grid," she began, "I’ve been very focused on my health. I’ve been going to the gym and exercising and I’ve lost sixty pounds. I’ve also been diligently working at refocusing my mind and creating a healthy environment for my children, and in order to do this I had to take the entire spiritual world and set it to the side. I can’t be good to anyone if I’m no good to myself. So I’ve been concentrating on making myself healthy and happy and balanced. And when I finally step into that balance, I know I will be able to do anything. But right now, walking the path is a challenge and I’m like everybody else. I’m trying to meet the challenge head on and be the best person I can be. But it’s not easy."

As much as I was (and still am) sympathetic to Shelley's struggles (and impressed with her physical transformation), I was feeling unsettled and perhaps somewhat agitated by the fact that no follow-up information had been posted to the FTG website since July 17th. Was there anything Shelley wished to say about this I asked? "One thing I’d like to say," she replied, "is that just because someone has had a spiritual experience, it doesn’t mean they suddenly have it all together. That’s certainly not the case with me. You know, I have a real degree of respect for someone who’s walking the spiritual path without any real experience to hold onto. I mean, I’ve had tons of experiences – tons of tangible spiritual moments that I can go back to in my mind and go 'Wow. That was incredible.' And yet, the path is still a challenge to walk because I’m a really stubborn human and a really stubborn survivor. And trying to get my human to trust Source rather than allowing it to rely on its usual survival tactics, that’s where the greatest challenge lies. And I’d lay ten to one that for most human beings who want to be better people, the challenge lies there for them too. Because to surrender and say to Source energy, 'I know that I am being led to the place I need to be right now,' and to do so with faith and trust, that’s very challenging. And that’s why the walk is so hard."

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that several weeks prior to this interview, I was blessed to experience an unexpected surge of inspiration and excitement when I was granted access to the many thousands of comments that were privately posted to the FTG site in the days that followed July 17th. What an inspiration! In fact, I was so genuinely moved, I asked and received permission from Shelley (and Bradfield and Annie) to organize and prepare the comments for posting on the FTG site (minus full names and/or other personal information). Anyway, I did my part, however, as for when the comments will be posted, I honestly don't know -- I would only like to say that I hope it happens very soon because for anyone who might be uncertain as to whether we actually did a good thing by Firing the Grid, all they would have to do is read a few of the FTG comments to realize that something extraordinary and unprecedented happened that day.

Incidentally, given Shelley's state of mind since FTG, it should come as no surprise that she has not yet been able to read, let alone respond to any of the comments. In our interview, I asked her if there was anything she wanted to say to the many people who had left questions on the FTG site and of course, hadn't yet heard from her. "Only that my inability to respond," she said, "hasn’t been out of lack of respect for people’s experiences or for their ideas or their thoughts." (For purposes of edification, it was clear to me that she was making reference to the fact that by focusing on her health and family, she had literally no time or energy left for anything else. Also, strangely enough, ever since July 17th, Shelley has struggled to write -- even emails have been next to impossible for her -- thus, to write an update for the FTG website, or to respond to participant's questions -- it was (and still is) something she is incapable of doing).

Of course, Shelley's meditations and/or communications with the Light Beings also weren't without difficulty after July 17. In fact, Shelley told me that on the several occasions that she attempted to meditate, her attempts were mostly unsuccessful. As for her meditation on July 17th, Shelley had this to say about the experience:

"When the time for Fire the Grid came, I actually had to do what other people were doing which was to go back and find my simple joy. All I could think of was my children’s faces and their sweet little bodies, and just being near them and hugging them and kissing them and that’s what I spent my time thinking about during my meditation. I felt thankful and blessed that my baby boy was back in my arms, that my baby girl had me back, and that we were, you know, together. And that’s where I found my joy that day and I was able to say thank you. And at the end of the meditation, there’s this long tone [at the end of the "Light & Love" CD], and all I heard was 'thank you.' That’s what I heard. There was no download of information, there was no skies opening or turning pink. There was nothing but a simple 'thank you.' I think these Beings knew I had been through the ringer, and they were like I think we better leave her alone. She’s burned out. As soon as it was over, I went home and slept. That’s what I did."

As for Project Cause, I tried to engage Shelley in conversation, however, she was nowhere near the right frame of mind to think about it. Consequently, I was left with a very clear impression that until Shelley is a hundred percent, or until there is a mechanism in place (a new and free social network perhaps?) that allows all of us who participated in FTG to find each other and to communicate with one other, Project Cause should (sadly and for the time being) be referred to as Project Pause.

As for future FTG events, all I would like to say at this point is that Bradfield and Annie do have information about a second global meditation (in summer, 2009) and hopefully they will make it official very soon -- perhaps when they publish all the comments? As for Shelley, whether or not she recovers soon enough to promote the event remains to be seen. Nevertheless, having experienced this once already, I'm sure those of us who participated in the first meditation are more than capable of doing it again -- whether Shelley is positioned out front as the spokesperson or not.

As for the question, "Did our actions (on July 17th) make a difference?" As I said earlier, for anyone who is unsure in their heart, the FTG comments speak volumes. However, until those comments are made available for all to see, for those who are scientifically minded, I have posted (below) the summary results of Princeton's Global Consciousness Project (GCP) as it relates specifically to FTG. Although GCP is very much a study in progress, I found the results very exciting. Furthermore, for those who are interested in subjective experiences, on August 2, 2007, Dr. Meg Blackburn Losey posted a very interesting FTG follow-up on her website. I have taken the liberty of reposting it following the GCP material.

By the way, if you are interested to know how many people participated in FTG on July 17th, although there is no way of definitively confirming the exact number, based on the number of "hits" and "visitors" to the FTG website over the 45 day period immediately preceding July 17th, and based on the membership of the organizations that actively promoted FTG, it would appear that the number is somewhere between 6.5 and 22 million people. (I think 6.5 million, Bradfield thinks 10 million, Annie thinks 22 million!) Either way, a staggering number of people when you consider that three people organized and promoted this event with no money and no advertising!

Finally, in defense of Shelley and her actions (or inactions after July 17th), I would just like to say that Shelley is truly doing the best she can to deal with her life and to find balance. And whether or not she finds the strength and the inspiration to continue the work she started with FTG, in my opinion, she (and Bradfield and Annie) truly did a remarkable service for the world in bringing together the millions of people that they did. Furthermore, just to set the record straight, Shelley has never profited from FTG, nor was it ever her intention (or that of the Light Beings) to do so. "Billboards for the Cause" (the t-shirts and novelties offered for sale through the FTG website) was something that was implemented well after the launch of the FTG website on the suggestion of a FTG team leader who was looking for a simple way to promote awareness. And even though some profits were generated, those profits, along with a portion of the sales of the "Light & Love" CD, were exclusively used to cover the fixed costs of the website as well as to cover some FTG travel expenses.

*****

PLEASE NOTE: The following report has been copied in its entirety from The Global Consciousness Project:

Fire The Grid

The "Fire The Grid" event set for July 17 2007 brought a huge number, perhaps 10 times as many as for similar events, of notes from around the world, interested in notifying me of it and asking whether we would look at it as a GCP event. We decided early that it would be included in the formal series, and specified exactly the time defined by Shelley Yates in her presentation and descriptions. Here is an example email, which has the necessary information and some interpretations that help explain how the event is of importance:

Some of you may have heard of this, some may not. But it is simply this:

On July 17, at 11:11 Greenwich mean time (7:11 EST) there will be thousands, perhaps millions of people who will attempt to heal the planet by raising their own energy vibrations and sending them out to connect with those of others.

To join, you don't have to pray or meditate (although if that's what makes you happy, bring it on...:-) Simply engage in anything that brings you joy: listen to your favourite music, hug your children, walk your dogs and let the joy of life fill you up. Thank the universe for this special moment and imagine yourself spilling over with a brilliant light that you send out to connect with that of others.

The idea is this: Everything in the universe has a vibration. When you feel down and depressed, your vibrations are low. With all the problems that are facing us, humanity and our environment, we have all become preoccupied with our difficulties and their associated fears. Slowly, our own and our planet's vibrations have become depleted.

If we can all raise our vibrations at the same time, we can raise those of the Earth and start the healing process. Give it a shot! You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

To raise your vibrations on a daily basis do this:

- Be in the moment For instance, we all have put food in our mouths while being distracted. Taste it, feel it filling you up and savour the sensation. Do this with all things as often as possible.
- Give thanks to the universe, even if it's just for a great parking spot

- Love and forgive yourself.

- Live your life to enrich that of others

To learn more about Fire the Grid, you can watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqUAluDvuU4

Or visit:
http://www.firethegrid.com/eng/home-fr-eng.htm

The formal event was defined as the one hour period from 11:11 to 12:11 GMT on July 17. The Chisquare is 3731.7 on 3600 df, for p=0.062 and Z=1.542. This is in accord with the prediction, and is marginally significant.

Below, we provide exploratory analyses that give some context for the formal analysis, since so many people are interested. It is important, however to understand that single events are not expected to answer the subtle questions we ask in the GCP. Because the average effect size is small (Z ~ 0.3) we cannot generally interpret single events with reliability; we need repeated tests of the same type of hypothesis. That having been said, we see that the Fire the Grid event has a positive outcome, consistent with the prediction, and indeed shows a larger deviation than the average.

I encourage people interested in this and other occasions that bring us together to meditate or pray for a better future to trust your/our feelings and direct perceptions of the effects. The GCP analyses are a very interesting adjunct, but they should not be seen as a test of the intent or success of the gathering of minds for good purpose.


The full day of July 17 (UTC) is shown in the next graph, with the hour-long Fire the Grid (FTG) event marked. While the cautions about interpretation of single analyses apply here also, it is interesting to note that the FTG presents a notable "spike" of positive trend on a rather consistent day-long background trend that is negative. For a larger context it is instructive to look at a long term trend analysis that shows some suggestive correlation with polling data that in turn may reflect our communal state of mind. Here too we see a general trend that if regarded as the "true" expectation would make positive deviations more impressive.


Again, we do not believe it is appropriate to interpret single events even though it is tempting to do so when the "picture" looks good. The signal to noise ratio is way too small, and to make claims based on any single experiment in this domain is potentially misleading. It happens in this case that the FTG event is one in a decent size collection we have assembled over the years, and it is consistent with the general outcome. Good stuff, but just the beginning of learning about the stuff.

Numbers Engaged

We have modestly persuasive evidence that the effects in GCP data are a function of the numbers of people engaged. When millions are likely aware of an event and likely participatory in some sense, the effects are larger and more reliable. We don't have an objective count and have to rely on estimates and best guesses for the most part. The Fire the Grid event provided an opportunity to look at web-based counts, as a step toward a useful measure of N. Here is what Google and YouTube looked like over the time around the FTG event.

*****

PLEASE NOTE: The following article has been reprinted in its entirety as it was originally posted on Dr. Meg Blackburn Losey's website Spirit Light Resources :

August 2, 2007

Greetings to each of you! Much has transpired since our last transmission! First of all, the most asked question that I have had since July 17th is DID WE FIRE THE GRID?? The answer, unequivocally is YES!!! So what happened? What continues to happen? Ok, here goes ~ As we all came together to Fire the Grid on July 17th, the intensity on Universal levels was amazing. If you could hear it (which I could) our Oneness sounded like a huge humming that had a pulsing rhythm. We were not only addressing the earth grid, but the Universal consciousness as well. As the humming intensified, the fabric of creation slowly rose, like a huge wave. The wave changed frequencies, changing to higher and higher vibrations as it rose. At about the 45 minute mark, the wave collapsed from a convex rise to a concave trench-like form. Next, I watched as the convex format began to shift and change, the frequencies continuing to rise. And then it all smoothed out like calm waters. This was one of the most powerful events that I have ever witnessed. We unified the earth grid with the universal mass consciousness, something that has been lacking for eons. And as we did, the earth grid had its own reaction. Many described seeing or feeling blue lights that went on one right after the other. Every sector of the earth grid that wasn’t working, that wasn’t lit, awoke. The field of blue energy that occurred (which by the way is a very healing set of frequencies) expanded and then the entire grid glowed golden. That’s right. We brought the frequencies of our very source to the earth grid. We are powerful in our being and even more powerful when we unify for the greater good. We did this with intention, with passion, and with Grace. So now what??? I know that many who participated may have expected immediate results. In many ways we are seeing those. The earth has begun to rebalance. If you watch the earthquake patterns regularly (which I do) you would notice that the pattern has shifted slightly and that there is movement in areas that we don’t normally see. The intensity of the pacific ring of fire has changed as the ring has shifted slightly as well. The intensity of lightening has become greater, with huge lightening storms occurring as the grid balances. There have been great releases of the electromagnetic energies from within the earth. This is a sign of shifting and changing. In fact, these releases have been so prevalent that most of the people I have shared healing sessions with of late have partial or full reversal of their chakra systems. This has been consistent across the board. Before we fired the grid, I was only seeing this in the earthquake zones. And then there are the space time relationships. How many of you are seeing things? They are there, then they are not? People, animals, indescribables? The dimensional barriers have thinned even more, and there are communications going on that are easier to relate. And the elementals have been hugely active. Have you seen the little squiggly patterns in the air? Little spirals covering your entire field of vision? Those are the basic elementals and they are alive, awake and active in the way that they were when our original root races existed on our planet. And in the news, politicians exposed, injustices being made right or at least challenged. And this is just the beginning. Energetically, we have experienced many changes. Our overall frequencies have been amped up considerably. And we have been refined. Many of you might have noticed how much more sensitive you are to things. That is because you are more accessible. When we fired the grid, we experienced a major cleansing. Our particulates have a different mathematic ratio than they did before the event. The very fabric of our manifested selves in relation to all creation is now spread farther apart, allowing information to flow through us more freely, uninterrupted (unless of course we are kicking and screaming, resistant to the very changes we intended!). And speaking of energetics, remember that this kind of work always has a trickle down effect. As the energies of what we have done reach our earth and therefore our experiences, the effect will grow and grow, becoming more and more sound and obvious. Don’t think for one moment that you didn’t make a difference. That we didn’t make a difference. All I can say is I am honored and privileged to belong to the One of which all of you are a part. The most important part of this entire event was the unification of peoples across the globe for the intention of love. As we united, there were no boundaries, no differences, no fear or defenses, only LOVE. And that is huge. It is the beginning of the unification of humanity for the greater good of all. And what better service is there than to intentionally change the experience of every being in our world and beyond. We are Blessed.

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Q & A with The Guardians

Who are The Guardians of the Light?

Dear Mathew, The Guardians of the Light are pleased to have this opportunity to address this question. We are an energy that has been present in your plane or dimension since the dawn of time. The reason of our being is to oversee the progress and the evolution of humanity. Yours is a very special race that has been undergoing many trials and tribulations throughout the ages, and we, The Guardians of the Light, have been with you for all those trials, guiding and assisting in the many ways that we are permitted, always encouraging, always seeking to honor and uphold the tenets of free will that have been established for your plane, and coordinating our efforts with those of other realms as well, those of the realms of existence that are beyond the reach of the human capacity to communicate. So we are between two worlds, in a sense, bridging the human world to other realms, while acting as overseers of the human realm. This is who we are. God bless, The Guardians of the Light.

Please note: The questions and answers that follow will be updated and expanded as more questions are asked.

(Latest update: July 15, 2008)

Q1: I should have finished an academic report 8 months ago but every time that I want to finish it, I cannot write, I cannot focus on it, and I cannot devote myself to it. I just do not want to pay attention to it. What should I do in order to overcome my resistance to complete the report?

Q2: I have realized that I lose energy and become apathetic, too frequently. I suspect that I live with powerful "psychic vampires" that absorb my vital energy, my enthusiasm. Do I live with "psychic vampires"? Am I inventing excuses to avoid doing things? Do my fears and doubts paralyze me? What should I do in order to keep my enthusiasm?

A: (July 15, 2008) Dear Robert, It is with great pleasure that we answer your questions. Thank you for trusting spirit to resolve these issues for you. With respect to the first issue, the issue about completing your academic paper, it is indeed difficult to focus on such a paper because the subject matter, while appealing to your intellect, does not resonate at the level of your heart. There is a disconnect in this instance – which is very common by the way – between your heart and your mind, thus, your dilemma. We say this is common, because in this day and age, disconnect between heart and mind is far more common than integrated hearts and minds. The mind of humanity rules this plane and has been doing so for centuries. But times are changing, slowly but surely, the proverbial tortoise will win this race and the hare, which we are equating to the mind in this analogy, the hair will run out of gas and the tortoise, or the heart will overtake it. And all of this in a relatively short amount of time in your earth years. Times are indeed changing. In the meantime, how to resolve your issue? How does one find enthusiasm and inspiration when truly there is none there? This is a question without answer, for truly, inspiration comes from spirit, and spirit, or at least the clearest and most direct channel to spirit is through the heart. So if one has a disconnect, there is indeed no way to find inspiration without first fixing the root cause. In your case, you have followed the path that has unfolded for you, and you have found yourself at a crossroads. Now, you can go through the motions and complete your paper, or you can postpone indefinitely. These are your choices. However, at the root of the matter, at the heart (indeed, this is where the expression has its roots), you cannot manufacture inspiration and enthusiasm. These things originate organically, by being true to yourself and by following those feelings that stir within you, whether they are feelings that steer you in the direction of a certain event or circumstance or service, or feelings that steer you away from the same. When we justify reasons as to why we should do one thing or not do another, justification being the domain of the mind, we negate all the wisdom that is there within our very being, the very wisdom that is meant to guide us towards and along our truest course. Are we making sense, Robert? We think perhaps we have said enough on this subject. God bless you, Robert. This is not an attack on your character or your judgment. You are a very special man with many talents and a very astute sense of judgment. This particular line of teaching/learning that we are addressing is the single most major challenge that all human beings are faced with. How to discern between truth and falsity? The world has been propagating a certain set of beliefs for centuries, and these beliefs are well-entrenched within all societies. Therefore, to wake up as many of you are doing at this time, yourself included, and have feelings that lead you to believe that many of the systems and teachings of your ancestors and forefathers are incorrect or outdated, it is very difficult to have the strength, conviction and certainty that is required to stand up against those teachings and move in a new direction – the direction that your heart stirs you to move in. Therefore, we would like to commend you, in all sincerity, and say that we are more than aware of your many successes. They are numerous, and we are proud of them as you should be proud of them. There are many here in spirit that take interest in you and your life and participate in the ways that are permitted. You are loved.

Very well then, as for your second question, well, we note that it ties in with your first question. Enthusiasm as we have already discussed is not something that can be manufactured. It is something that occurs spontaneously in all human beings. However, it is sustained by making a practice of following the heart. It is like a fragile flower. Too much water and it wilts. Too much direct sun and it wilts. Too much of almost anything, and not enough of the same things, and it is there one day and gone the next. Thus, enthusiasm is a gift, and it must be appreciated and cared for on a daily basis to nurture it and sustain it. More often than not, it is terminated by our thinking and our choices. Not wrong choices, mind you. As you will see in many of our channelings, there are no wrong choices. Every choice leads to its perfect lesson. Therefore, all choices are good choices. All lead to understanding, eventually.

As to your sub-questions, you asked about energy vampires. Now, this is an interesting area of enquiry, and one for which we would like to say very little other than to say that indeed, there are people and spirit entities that do prey upon the energy of others. They, of course, are not energetically compatible with the vibration of unconditional love, therefore, they do not receive their energy from Source as do the majority of beings. They need to feed off the energy of others. Therefore, they use negative energy to sustain their own lack. This is very common. However, strangely enough, if you are someone who knows about energy vampires, it is most likely that you are not being affected by them. It is like the old expression, ignorance does not know of itself. Well, the same is true for those who are victimized by energy vampires. They aren't aware. Therefore, they are prey. These are traditionally people who exist in low energetic states – people who exist at a base line of anger, hatred, jealousy, etc. We know this is not you, Robert. Therefore, you can rest assured, your lack of energy and enthusiasm is not the cause of vampires. The lack of energy and enthusiasm is telling you that there are other avenues waiting for you to explore. These are the avenues that bring you the most pleasure and satisfaction in your life. These are the avenues where enthusiasm flows naturally, and will be sustained by you with very little effort. Therefore, we would encourage you to truly reflect on those things that you love, and find ways to explore those areas of your life, to give them more of a priority, and to start giving the areas that interest you less, less of a priority in your life. And you will find that your enthusiasm will return, and you will find that you will be guided by spirit in ways that amaze you – very clear ways that lead you to a greater sense of fulfillment, purpose, satisfaction and joy. God bless you, Robert. It has been a pleasure to offer you counsel on these questions. We sincerely hope we have been of service to you. Good day and God bless, the Guardians of the Light.

*****

Q: I am blocking my ability to achieve my full potential due to my fear of being vulnerable. Why am I not releasing this fear? What do I need to do? I realize I need to do this not only for my self to heal but for my daughters too.

A: (July 3, 2008) Dearest Monica, It is our pleasure to have this opportunity to speak to you this day. Your question is a very interesting one. You speak of vulnerability, yes, we sense this, and also, we sense the fear that prevents you from blossoming into the fullness of who you truly are. Yes, we see all this. We see in particular, much hurt having to do with relationships, past relationships, in particular, parental –child relations that taught you to feel a certain lack of respect for yourself, and for your views, and for your ambitions. These were damaging to your self-esteem and worth, and have been carried forward into your adult years. This is not at all uncommon. In fact, everybody shares some form of harm from parental or authority figures, especially as a result of those relationships during childhood. We have offered council to Mathew before on this by suggesting creative ways to express the hurts and the sorrows of the past. One simple way is to write about the pain and sorrow, in as much detail as possible, and if necessary, create some form of ceremony that may help release the invisible chains that the past holds over you. For instance, some people write everything and then burn what they have written afterwards. This is not necessary, unless the symbolism of the act appeals to you. Also, writing is not necessary if there are other ways of remembering that appeal more to you. Some might prefer to draw a picture, or create a sculpture, although, writing we have found is perhaps the easiest and most direct way to get to the heart of the matter.

Furthermore, Monica, we see a willingness to reach out to spirit for guidance. We would suggest creating time in your week for regular meditation. Simply find a quiet place to be at peace with yourself and the world and sit or walk or bathe, whatever is comfortable for you. The trick is to let go of all your cares and worries during this sacred time. Simply let go and be in the moment to the best of your ability. If this is difficult for you to do, try focusing on your breathing, in and out, in and out, so as to distract your mind from wandering back to the day to day issues that you face in your life. This is a very good practice to connect you with your higher self, and to assist in bringing your inner strength into the world in a physical way. Together, these two practices will create a foundation that should greatly assist you in releasing your fears, and finding the strength and courage to move in the directions that your fears have been blocking. God Bless you, Dear one, we believe in you and we know who you are, truly. You are a beautiful being of great strength and magnificence. Believe in yourself as we believe in you and you will find the peace and fulfillment that you know is within your grasp. Blessings, The Guardians

*****

Q: I found your site while searching for spiritual information and understanding and guidance for my life. I am at a crossroads, as are many on earth at this time. For the channeled guidance here is basic information about me: I am a 65 year old lady, mother of 3 sons and grandmother of 3 grandchildren. Have been divorced for 25 years, supporting myself and struggling financially. I have been blessed with many gifts, and among them are artistic and writing ability, and a natural healing capacity. I have an understanding of, and passion for the natural world. I love my family & friends, yet there is a lot of pain relating to the consequences in family of an alcoholic father and other dysfunction. There have been many, many miracles in my life, with manifestations, protections, healings of plants, animals and people. And there have been severe emotional and financial circumstances in my life, yet with Spirit I persevere and feel at peace. And grateful. My question: Like many, I would like to know a "direction" to take in my life --- one where I can be of greatest service through the many creative gifts of my life. Also, I'd like understanding of, and wisdom about, my confusing and painful relationship with my oldest alcoholic son --- he is 43. I would like to work through the old negative patterns which have held me back from fulfillment, especially now as I approach age 66. Also, I struggle with a decision about cataract surgery for my eyes. I do not want surgery, but am told there is no other alternative. I don't feel comfortable with the doctor.

A: (July 1, 2008) Blessed Be Dearest Mary, We, the Guardians, would like to first thank you, Dear One, for reaching out to spirit as you have. It takes great courage to reach out as you have and this is a big step for anyone to make. God bless you and keep you strong and courageous as you are, for our lives are full of many hurdles to cross. Fortunately, in most cases, these hurdles are spread apart and most often taken one at a time. Alas, there are other situations where it seems that the hurdles are insurmountable, or never-ending, and we have great sympathy for those of you who relate to those feelings. We understand how challenging life can be at times, and we commend all of you for participating in the grand experiment, for volunteering as you have to be a part of this momentous period of transition. It is a period of time like none other, and we congratulate you and applaud you for all that you do just by being present in the world, by sharing your light and your love with the world. God bless you.

Now, Mary, you have some questions related to your son, we want to say Michael, however, Mathew can attest to the fact that we are often wrong in our naming. Nevertheless, with respect to your son, we would like to say that until your son seeks to overcome his alcoholism, your relationship will continue to be strained and painful. This is the nature of the disease. It distorts and affects one’s ability to communicate in a clear and loving way. It is a poison and as such, it interferes in the proper function of one’s nervous system in such a way as to cause interference with motor function as well as neural function, and thus, nothing can be said to be true of the person who is thus affected. Apparently, it appears as though one is receiving honesty and true feelings from a person so afflicted, but all one is truly getting is lower force energy, and the hurt that has caused the alcoholism in the first place. We are truly sorry for your suffering, and for the repeated abuse that you receive from your son and his wife. We feel that distance from this relationship would be better than the attempts you make to offer support. Support is not truly wanted or appreciated in this instance. And as painful as it is for you to back off, this to us is a more desirable approach at the present time. We are sorry to break your heart further by telling you this.

We would like to address your other questions about direction, and also about poverty and isolation. First off, with respect to poverty, one is truly poor when one chooses to believe that the world does not recognize their talent and worthiness to live a life of happiness, fulfillment and abundance. This is the birthright of every individual on the planet: happiness, fulfillment, and abundance. So why then do so many struggle to make ends meet? Even Mathew struggles to make ends meet. Why? This is a pattern that has been learned from years and years of negative messaging, not only from persons such as parents, teachers, spouses and friends, but then, in time, it is maintained by the individual themselves. Patterning. It is a very powerful force, and once the counter programming is learned and applied, depending on the depth of that original programming, it can take a sustained effort to bring about an obvious change in circumstances. For Mathew, it has been eight years of constant reprogramming, and vigilance on his part. For you, Mary, we see a need to embrace the positive in your life, and accept the negative. We say accept the negative, but we don’t mean to simply accept as in this is my lot in life. No. We mean to accept as in, this is how things are right now, however, they are going to change, and I am going to deliberately take all the necessary steps to change them. Like the hurdles we spoke of earlier. Negative programming is a series of hurdles to jump, and they are seemingly never-ending, running in the background of all we think, say and do, and we must work hard and diligently to remain aware and conscious of them, and counter them with positive statements. For instance, when we say I am poor, this is a negative program. Truly, we are rich beyond our wildest dreams, we are just unaware of our riches, and how to tap into them. But they are there within each and every one of us. The trick is to believe with fervor that we are talented, worthy and rich, and that we know we are going to experience proof of this as we go through our day. We acknowledge that anything we don’t like about our life is a temporary reflection of our past beliefs and thoughts, and that given that we are working hard to change present perceptions and beliefs, we know that in the near future, our world around us will soon reflect our current understandings. Are we making sense? We are simply encouraging you and everyone to change the way you think about your self and your world, and guess what – the world will change. It takes patience and conviction and perseverance, but this method of creating positive change truly works.

As for artistic talents, and writing talents, we see this too, and we would encourage you to exercise these talents in all the ways that you are stimulated to do so. If you have the means to express yourself, express yourself. Not only is artistic expression helpful to release negativity, it also creates positive pathways forward as well. So we would very much encourage you to explore your creative self in all the ways that you can. We also see opportunities for income through the use of the computer. Especially for those who feel isolated in their communities, the internet is a wonderful tool to reach out far and wide and share your creative gifts in ways that a few years ago were unfathomable. So, given that you have access to a computer and are familiar with basic operations, we would urge you to explore creative ways to promote yourself and your interests through the internet.

As for isolation from family, also, if travel is too expensive at this time, once again, free services such as Skype offer ways for people to stay connected across great distances. Also things such as AIM and IM on your computer, these are very handy for staying in touch. There are even free video streaming services that offer ways to see your family and friends over great distances. All of this is helpful for reducing the feelings of isolation and loneliness.

As for your vision, specifically you have mentioned cataracts, we see this as being something that does require medical attention, but we would recommend looking for another doctor. Your intuition is telling you that the doctor you have seen is not the right doctor for you. We recommend you to trust that intuition and look for someone else. Is it possible that your family could be helpful in this regard? Perhaps there is a doctor nearest to one of your children/grandchildren, and perhaps there is some assistance that your children/grandchildren may offer. We can’t say for sure, however, we mention this as a possibility, of something to remain open-minded about. Perhaps there is something that could develop in this way, in this area for you.

Otherwise, we feel we have said all that we can at this time. We hope we have been helpful to you, and we would like to remind you that ultimately, no matter what we or anyone says in the form of guidance, it is always you who knows what’s best for you. There are no wrong choices to be made. Only the choices that will aid you in learning the lessons you need to learn. Therefore, you must always feel something for yourself before acting upon it. Follow your heart and your intuition in all matters, and trust that you deserve to live in peace, to love and be loved, to be fulfilled, and to live in abundance. These are God’s promises to His children. All that stops us from making good on these promises is our own faulty concepts. God bless you, Dear One. Love, The Guardians of the Light

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Q: Hi Mathew, My name is Sarah. I am deeply troubled with my older sister Wendy and how her husband Mark treats her. It distresses everyone in our family. What can I do to help her? Now, we've found out that she may have heart problems. Thank you.

A: (May 1, 2008) Dear Sarah, Yes, we see at this time a great difficulty with respect to your sister and brother-in-law. We see a volatile and potentially dangerous situation with respect to tempers and emotions and wish to advise you to walk cautiously with respect to Mark and his volatility. Sometimes it is best to give more room than less when dealing with potentially volatile situations. Thus, our counsel to you is to try to find alternate means of influence without confronting the situation head on. In other words, we see that spending time with your sister, and offering encouragement in areas of her life that are apart from the relationship issues would be strengthening and empowering, which is precisely what is lacking in her life right now. Her relationship and unwillingness to assume her strength and power and independence results from worthiness issues that stem from childhood. Thus, it is not something that can be bulldozed through or easily pushed out of the way. It is something that is quite fragile and volatile in a way that is commensurate with the antagonistic volatility that Mark is capable of displaying. Two variations of the same unworthiness, just displayed very differently. Nevertheless, as to ways of helping, we see a few possibilities. We sense an interest in improving physical health on the part of your sister, and to this end, we feel that perhaps there may be some receptivity on her part to activities that will strengthen her physicality. Do you know what we mean? Is it possible for you to explore yoga or pilates or similar exercises that also have with them, a spiritual aspect that can be nourishing and strengthening to the soul at the same time that the physical is also being strengthened? We see this as something that perhaps the two of you can do to repair the fracture that Wendy's marriage has caused in your relationship as sisters. We sense there may be some logistical or geographical considerations that may not make this easy, however, perhaps there is a way to do something, even to instigate something and then perhaps not participate together so much. Anyway, this is one idea. Another idea is to strengthen the physical through nourishment counseling. Is there some aspect of Wendy's diet that you wish to effect a change? Perhaps you can recommend some books that teach better food management and balance within the various food groups. We sense that your sister's diet may be in need of some assistance and adjustment, particularly with respect to the intake of processed foods and soda. This is an area that could be balanced with a little encouragement and assistance, and indirectly, this could have some bearing on your sister's situation. In any case, with respect to her relationship, and with respect to her heart, we see that there is no imminent danger as much as there is a slow degrading decline that could benefit from small favors – small encouragements – and direct participation in the ways that we have suggested. Otherwise, as we said, we do not see imminent danger - just frustration on behalf of those who see that changes are necessary and unfortunately, suggestions are not received with acceptance. Denial of the toxic nature of the relationship seems to be present in this one, however, we would not suggest saying so, as this will only create more distance between Wendy and family, and this will work counter to your concerns and intentions. Peace be with you Sarah. We are sorry for your predicament and we hope that we have been of some assistance. God Bless, The Guardians

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Q: My situation is this: I am married (1-1/2 years now) to a man who loves and understands me very well, but with whom I have not yet opened myself to completely, and I don't know why (I had, what in India is called an arranged marriage). I understand I have a lot of issues to work through within me, which maybe blocking love from flowing through me. Will I have children with him? I only want to have children when I am sure I can be true to him and myself. Can you shed some light on this and what I can do?

The