What Do I Think?

 I don’t come up with these ideas or conclusions without considering the facts... or without observing what is happening around me.  I do try to keep my eyes and ears open to what is happening on the “outside” as well as what I am experiencing on the “inside”.

I have a very fond... and eye-opening... memory of my friend, Sister Margie (SSJ), taking me by the hand and guiding me into a small private room of the convent.  As we sat opposite one another, she asked, “All right, what is going on with you?”  It was a legitimate question as she had been a part of my spiritual growth for a long time.

“I’m a seeker,” I replied.

Margie stopped and thought for a few moments.  “Yes,” she said, nodding her head.  “A seeker is a good thing to be.”

I don’t know if she interpreted the word as I did but I realized it didn’t matter.  Aren’t we all “seekers”?  

That was a few years ago.  A lot has happened in the world since then... and is still happening.  

Division is everywhere.  People are almost desperate in their yearning for something more... something they can believe in... a place where they are accepted and loved for who they are... a place where they can grow spiritually without being bogged down with dogma and laws... a place where they feel ‘at home’... a place where like-minded people share and feed each other.

In the Christian tradition, I see a few things happening.  Some are being drawn into the institutional traditions where they feel protected and comfortable, separate from the rest of the world.  (The Latin Mass is making a comeback.)  

Others are realizing our oneness with all... seeing all the earth as holy and necessary to our existence... living the premise it is only Love which will cure the world.  

I think that people are aching for God... experiencing an insatiable hunger... and the more we yearn for, and come to know, the God of Love, the more we see the evil manifested by those who are afraid.  Out of their fear, they make for themselves a god of money and power... no different from worshiping the golden idols of yore.

There will always be the struggle of good versus evil.  Both exist within each of us but I think Love will eventually win.

That’s what I think.

P.S. For those of you who may not be aware, my latest book... a novel of fiction called “Laughing Rain” (by Constance Townsend) is now available on Amazon.  

I am presently working on the sequel with the working title of “Called by the Wind”.

God Bless us all!

Connie

Making Coleslaw

 All I wanted to do was make coleslaw.  I already had a bag I’d purchased at Publix and I knew I wanted to chop it up finer so would have to use the food processor.  So I figured the preparation would take a little more than the 5 minutes the recipe promised.  Actually, that 5 minutes included the dressing I wanted to try.  Easy, right?  Wrong!

I am here to tell you never to believe the preparation time recipes promise.  There are many more steps involved and it isn’t nearly so simple as it sounds.  For instance...

Before I could start, I wanted a small Mason jar to mix the dressing in and store in the refrigerator.  That way I wouldn’t have to mix the coleslaw all at once, but only enough for the portions I wanted.  So... my first step (which was not mentioned in the recipe) was to get the Mason jar which I thought was in the bottom cupboard.  It wasn’t in plain sight, of course, so I proceeded to remove the stuff I was sure it was hiding behind.

This particular cupboard held different size storage bags, aluminum foil, parchment paper, clear wrap, packages of napkins (I won’t have to buy napkins for the rest of the year) plastic bottles, containers etc.  Because I am past the point of being able to sit on the floor, emptying the bottom shelf took a little more time and ingenuity.  After removing everything I could reach, I took my handy grabber and proceeded to pull everything out to the middle of the kitchen floor.  Lo and behold I even found my George Foreman Grill (which I forgot I had).

Once everything was in a pile in the middle of the floor, I had to decide what was to go back in the cupboard as well as find places for unopened duplicates and for things I didn’t use...like my George Foreman Grill.  That meant making room in other places...cleaning the shelf in the hall closet (for my George Foreman Grill), storing things in totes, etc.  I’m hoping I remember to check my stock before buying anymore storage bags!  

When that was done I went back to making my coleslaw.  (I did find the jar but it was in a different cupboard.)  To be perfectly honest, the actual chopping of the cabbage and making the dressing did take a little more than 5 min. but the total preparation was about one and a half hours.

God Bless!

Connie

The Healer Comes

One day, a couple of years ago, this painting happened.  I had no preconceived idea or picture in mind.  I simply put the brush to paper and this is the result.  I titled it, “The Healer Comes”.

Recently, this painting came into my thoughts and, in reflecting on all that’s happening right now, I wrote this:

The Healer comes

Whence shall she come?

Come she must

for we all are dying.

Will we know her 

when she comes?

Will we welcome her

in tearful gratitude

or will she be crucified

as another once was?

Will we recognize

her truth,

welcome her healing powers

or damn her

for her differences?

The Healer comes!

Are we willing?

Do we want to be healed?

“I am not ill”, you say

as your finger points away.

“It is he... or she.

It isn’t me.

How can it be?”

The Healer comes

for she knows

what we do not.

She sees

where we cannot.

The Healer comes!

She brings us Light

to overcome the darkness

in our minds,

   our hearts,

     our very souls

where our true illness lies.

The Healer comes!

It is her time.

It is our time.

We have need of her.

God bless us all!

May we all be healed!

Connie

What Can I Do?

https://eji.org/news/native-americans-killed-by-police-at-highest-rate-in-country/

When I read this article this morning, there was a pain in my chest, a lump in my throat and tears spilled from my eyes.  “What can I do?” I cried out in anguish!  “What can I do to help these people?”  Every time an innocent person is killed or tortured a piece within me dies. 

I would love to be able to rid all police departments of their bad apples.  I would want to teach people about “mob mentality” and encourage each person to think for themselves... to follow their own heart and conscience... to push down that evil hatred that rises up within but is not truly real.  I would insist they stand for what they know is right and not do wrong simply to be accepted by their peers.  

President Trump wanted to “Make America great again.”  Were we ever great, I wonder?  Does hatred and doing evil to others make us great?  Does our own personal greed at the expense of all else make us great?  Does the killing of protected species, polluting our air and water, importing from other countries rather than using our own resources make us great?  Does ignoring the needs of the populace in lieu of making the rich richer make us great?  Where is this greatness?

So where is this greatness our President speaks of?  I venture to say it is not where he thinks it is.  This greatness, my friends, lies within each and every one of US!  WE are the greatness of this country... this world... and we must stand up for injustice.  We must instill, again, the philosophy of our founders put forth in the Bill of Rights... into the hearts and minds of our leaders.  WE must do this through any means we can.  How much will we take before we stand and say, "Enough!"?

“What can I do?”   I can continue to pray for us all.  I can communicate through social media.  I can let my voice be heard in any and every way possible.  And... I can stand out from the crowd and speak my truth!  I can fight for “Liberty and Justice for all”!

What can you do?

God bless and help us all!

Connie

Black and White

Those who come to my classes will tell you that I tell them not to use black in their paintings.  “Black is not a color,” I tell them.  “It is the combination of all colors.  You can make black by combining all or opposite colors.”

I am so insistent about the non use of black it isn’t unusual to hear someone erupt in a rather loud voice, “Black?  You can’t use black!” when they see someone using it.  I am rather proud they have learned that lesson so well and are willing to experiment with other colors.  Eventually someone will come upon something that does require black and I insist they mix purple, or crimson with it to give it life.  Nothing is ever pure black.

As for white... Seldom is white used on its own.  White is usually used to mix with other colors to make them lighter in tone.  It is primarily a mixer.

My thoughts about black and white took me beyond paint to a remark I made just the other day, “It’s hard to tell good from evil when they don’t wear black and white hats anymore.  Remember,” I said, “when, in the early westerns, the bad guys wore black hats and the good guys wore white?  You could always tell what side they were on.”

We have been conditioned to think black is bad and white is good.  Phrases like, “There was a blackness in his soul,” and “She was as pure as the white driven snow.” put pictures in our minds.  Little children might be afraid in the dark and imagine they see monsters in the not so discernable shapes that are familiar and seen so clearly in the light.

Hollywood has done its share, too, of making us wary of the dark.  Isn’t it in the dark of night evil reigns... murder, rape and robberies are committed?  

Darkness verses light is in religion, the arts, music.  Black is worn for mourning the death of a loved one.  Widows wore black for extended periods of time.  Blackness related to death and Light to the Resurrection.  Hell is illustrated as the darkness of the underworld and Heaven, the bright, sun-shining sky.

I could continue making these comparisons.  My purpose in using them is to share with you my thoughts about how we have become conditioned by black and white.  Both colors, black and white, evoke an emotional response within us...one, I think, which should be examined closely.

But there’s one thing the colors black and white have in common when it comes to paint.  They can both be used to block out and cover over other colors.  They are the only truly opaque colors on the palette and in this they are equal.

I think we can learn a lot from paint... that black is never truly black, but the combination of colors.  White is described as the absence of color so one enhances the other.  Light always shines brighter against the shadows and darkness always has light within it.  We need both. Black and white together result in some pretty dynamic paintings!   

Black and white together...equally...side by side...with all their different qualities, tones and values... create a pretty awesome world!  Don’t you think?

God Bless us all!

Connie

Thimk or Think?

I first heard the terms  “Introspection” and “self-examination” when I entered the Community of the Sisters of St. Joseph back in 1974.  Though the Sisters’ teaching related both terms to spiritual growth and prayer, I soon realized I was more than familiar with their practical meaning.  

As a child, I had been taught to exercise both.  They came under the heading of ‘Learning how to think for yourself’.  

My father was insistent on our learning to think for ourselves.  We were taught, not only to consider and examine “facts”, but to determine whether we agreed with those facts or not.  What did we think about it?  How did we feel?  Had we looked at all sides?  Where and what was our truth? 

Other questions had to be answered too... “Why did you say that?  What did you mean?  Can you prove it or is that your opinion?”  Naturally, these questions would result in debate where thoughts and ideas had to be substantiated.  My brother could offer some pretty strong and valid points and was often forceful about trying to convince me of his viewpoint.  I wasn’t always convinced and, when I ran out of debatable facts, would retreat within myself and look there for my truth.  Once I found it, I stood firm and there was nothing anyone could say or do to change it.

I learned early on where my truth lived but I also learned that the gathering and sifting of pertinent information was necessary in discovering it.  I had to look at and examine the “facts” with my head and sort them out while listening to how my heart felt about it.

I had been taught, too, that God was everywhere and that He created all things.  This teaching of my father usually related to God’s presence in nature.  It was under the Sisters’ tutelage I came to realize God’s presence in myself.  It was in one of those ah-ha moments I realized I find God in the same place I find my truth.

Knowledge is wonderful!  I don’t think we should ever stop learning and educating ourselves.  But... acquiring knowledge isn’t enough.  Knowledge without truth is worthless just as thinking without feeling is worthless.  We must think with both our heads and our hearts in sincere seeking of our own truth.  We can’t find that truth within ourselves without also finding God for God is truth.  “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)

This is a global crisis we are living in and we are being bombarded with information.  What do we believe?  There is only one truth and that is the one we find within ourselves after we have answered the questions in our heads.  The important thing is for us to ask the questions.  The important thing for us to do is to THINK and consider all the facts...not just the ones which agree with preconceived ideas.  The important thing to do is to keep an open mind.  The truth cannot make itself known through a closed door.

And to those who are leaving it all up to God... please remember where God lives.  God lives within each one of us and we need to give Him/Her the freedom to express the truth through us.  We have to do OUR part in partnership with God.

God Bless you!

Connie

Finding the Truth

“You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32)

What is the truth?  Where is the truth?  Who and what do I believe?  There are some who are trying very hard to convince me of their version of the “truth” and get annoyed when I don’t accept their point of view.  Some have accused me of being confused.  Maybe I am.  The road to the truth is strewn with obstacles, overgrown with briars and vines that grab at me and rip my clothes as I pass.  The way is hard and rocky.  It winds around cliffs where it is barely wide enough for me to step and I can’t see ahead because of all the twists and turns.

Who do I believe?  What do I believe?  Who and what do I trust?  There was once a time when I could look to those in position of leadership roles as true leaders.  I can’t do that any more.  The truth has become clouded with lies, greed and hidden agendas.  Do I believe the politicians who are more concerned with their power and the economy than they are with the American public they are elected to represent and protect?  Do I believe the pharmaceutical companies who are more concerned with profit than public health?

Once in a while a light shines... with words spoken in true sincerity and compassion like those of Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany,,, and give hope to the world.

That light shines in so many places, through so many people even while those in authority try to make it shine only on themselves and misuse their power...power often without understanding and compassion.  I’m thinking of the woman in Texas who refused to close her salon because those who worked there needed to work in order to feed their children.  Think about that...  She was sentenced to 7 days in jail (where the virus was present) and fined $500 a day for every day her shop was open  until the day it was declared the opening legal. 

Here is a woman, a mother, trying to make ends meet and keep her and other’s children from going hungry being jailed and charged with a fine she could not possibly pay.  Who, then, would feed her children? 

Where have compassion and understanding gone?  What has happened to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?”  Or the commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”? 

Fear has become our enemy and it must be recognized and dealt with.  It is fear which makes us lash out against one another.  It’s not only fear of the virus, but the fear of not being able to pay the rent, the mortgage, the car payment... fear of not having enough to feed ourselves and our loved ones.  Out of this fear comes violence and abuse.  This fear is fed by many sources and it sneaks into our psyche.  No one is immune to it.  The greatest fear, I think, is in not knowing who or what to believe.  My greatest fear comes from not knowing the TRUTH.

Certain videos were posted on Facebook and later removed for being “untruthful”.  I consider myself fortunate to have seen some of them before they were removed.  I agree they weren’t entirely factual...that people were trying to push their own agendas.  However, I took exception to their removal...mainly because I like to think for myself and take exception when someone tries to do my thinking for me.  I agree those videos weren’t entirely factual (I did my research) but there were bits of truth mixed in with the untruths and I needed to hear those bits. 

What is truth?  Where is truth?  The only truth I know and can believe in is that which resonates within me.  I see the truth most clearly when I see it with my heart.  My mind can research, question, investigate and find what I may THINK is the truth but I cannot believe it until I know it within myself. 

THAT is where we find the truth, my friends... within our very selves where it is not tarnished with fear.

Stay safe and be well.  We will come to know the truth at the time of harvest when the weeds are separated from the wheat. (Matthew 13:24-30)  In the meantime, I hope you keep researching, keep questioning,  keep an open mind and Think!  The truth will make itself known.

God Bless you!
Connie


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King of the Hill

King of the Hill is a children’s game... one which some of you may not be familiar but, at one time was fairly popular.  For those who can do with a memory refresher, here’s Wikipedia’s definition:

King of the Hill (also known as King of the Mountain or King of the Castle) is a children's game, the object of which is to stay on top of a large hill or pile (or any other designated area) as the "King of the Hill". Other players attempt to knock the current King off the pile and take their place, thus becoming the new King of the Hill.

The way the "king" can be removed from the hill depends largely on the rules determined by the players before the game starts. Ordinarily pushing is the most common way of removing the king from the hill, but there are significantly rougher variations where punching or kicking is allowed.

Sound familiar?  As I remember it, there was usually a lot of shouting and little thought given to personal injury as we tried to get the king off his/her mound of dirt.  The main objective was to become “king” and hold that position no matter what.  It was not unusual to go home with scrapes, bruises and tears in our clothes.  The thing is, we were children and none of us ever stopped to think if it was worth the price some of us paid.

It came to me this morning that this game is still being played.  Our leaders have reverted to their childish ways and are so intent on the power struggle... pushing and shoving one another... they have forgotten their reasons for being on the “Hill” (pun intended) in the first place.  The media isn’t much better.  They are the children who stand back in a safe place enjoying the battle without participating in it but keeping things stirred up with shouts and catcalls... not caring who gets hurt.

While those we look to for leadership, honesty and integrity are busy playing King of the Hill, the rest of us are milling about in confusion.  We don’t know who to trust.  In fact, trust has become a real issue and fear an unwelcome companion.

This is a time for listening, my friends, not a time for the playing of games.  We must step away from the noise and confusion... go inside ourselves and listen to the one voice we can trust... the one voice which dispels all fears and points us in the direction we should go... the voice of Truth.  

This is what trust is about.  We must stand motionless in the darkness which envelops us because we cannot see even ourselves.  Yet we know we are there and we know the darkness will give way to light.  God is with us in the darkness as well as the light and the dawn WILL come!  So we trust in the sun's rising and wait for the dawn.

My prayer is that those who play this game grow away from their childish ways and listen to that voice of truth within themselves.  Only when they listen, hear, and put their trust in the one and only King will they be able to restore confidence and order. 

God bless you, my friends! 
Connie

A Message

What is a prophet but one who hears a message and is told to proclaim it?  This is the message as it was given to me and I am told to share it with you:

“You are connected to the Indigenous... the ancient ones who first populated this earth.  They have told you what you need to know... throughout your lifetimes.  Now it is your turn to tell others.  

We are very real to you and you must communicate that realness.  People need to know this is not your imagination at work... that the message you are receiving is real and true.

Yes, we too originated from the stars and the planets.  This planet you call earth was being birthed and we were sent to care for it.  The plants and trees who were sent before us share with us their wisdom.  They taught us how to live among them on this earth.

Humanity no longer hears us and is bent on destroying that which gives life.  We call on you to speak the truth as you hear and know it.  We will help you and show you how.  We are your ancestors and our message must be heard!

You must return to the past in order to have a future.  I do not speak of ignorance, but of the knowledge you have had from the beginning of time... the knowledge that existed when humans, animals and plants lived in harmony and helped each other. 

Humans have strayed from their path.  It is time to re-connect with all and again become the “one” you once were.”

I am told we...Starseeds, Planetarians, Indigenous peoples and all those who are open to receiving messages from the great I AM... are to join together in prayer on Saturday, April 4th at 6:11 a.m.  I have no idea what these messages might be as they are referred to as “codes”.  Please join us.  I am told the time zone doesn’t matter.  They (messengers) transcend time and don’t see it as we do but they realize we need a specific.  It is time we move beyond our fears and be instruments of Light.

God is with you!
Connie

An Opportunity

It’s been a long time since I’ve shared my thoughts with you in a blog.  Facebook takes over in so many ways... its best use, I think, is the instant communication we have with one-another.  But this is a place to share deeper thoughts... knowledge which comes from within... things known but not necessarily understood.  I am sharing some of that here with you now... things I seem to know but don’t know why or how I know them.  I’m sure, if you let yourselves, you realize there is some of that kind of knowledge deep within yourselves as well.

This time of self-quarantine is a gift... once we get used to living with ourselves and are comfortable in the silence.  We have an opportunity now to listen to our own hearts.  I also see a benefit in the closing of the churches... a hidden message, perhaps?  One which says, “It doesn’t matter how you pray... only that you pray.”  And if we all pray from the heart we are united as one regardless of religious definitions.

This is something the Indigenous peoples have always known and something, I believe, we must re-learn.  We must come to realize our connection with all humanity, our connection to, and dependency on, the earth. 

Throughout history one race has always sought dominion over another... insisting their way was the only and right way.  We were so busy pushing others down because their culture was different we never stopped and took the time to learn from them.  We were so full of ourselves we quickly judged and dismissed those who did not act or believe as we did.   I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.  Indigenous peoples are still struggling for equality and there are still those among us who want to take everything they have away from them... or simply eliminate them because they are “different” rather than work toward understanding and acceptance.

This time we must now spend alone is a time for the uniting of spirits.  It is a time of coming to know God... God within ourselves... God within all others... God within all living things.  It is a time to become reunited with one another and with our earth.

The Indigenous people know that all water is life, yet greed is allowed to continue to poison our waterways.  They know we depend on the plants and trees for life-giving oxygen, yet greed is destroying our rain forests.  They know of the healing powers of certain plants and how they should be used... and greed is harvesting these plants with no thought of sustained growth or proper use and turning them into drugs we must pay for.  Greed is raping the earth through fracking.  Greed is drilling in our National Parks.  Greed is stealing the water from Florida’s aquifer and selling it back to the people in plastic bottles.

There is suffering in this time, yes, and death.  But out of suffering comes rebirth.  It has always been so.  There would be no Easter without Good Friday.  There is always room for hope and this is an opportunity for transformation.

God Bless you, my friends and stay well!
Connie

Can You See?

“Can you see?” I asked my friend.  “Can you see all those who have died traveling the pathway to heaven... joyfully walking into the Light?  Can you see how their faces radiate... how it consumes them... draws them into itself... until they become one with the Light?”

"And as you watch them disappear into the Light, can you see those golden orbs... individual bursts of light... coming out of the Light and descending, floating back to earth?”  

I stepped back a bit then for a broader view.  “Yes,” I told her.  “It is the eternal circle of death and life.  For every soul which becomes one with the eternal Light is born anew.  Ah, it is a beautiful sight to see!”  

“Can you see?”

It was the morning of December 24th I was given this beautiful vision... the day before Christmas... the morning of the Eve.  It was a beautiful thing for me to see and I wondered at so awesome a gift.  

My wondering lasted only until I received notice that my dear friend, Sister Margie had passed on early that morning.  Then I knew!  I knew she was among those traveling into the Light for I had recognized her... so briefly it hadn’t registered in my consciousness at the time.  It was after being told of her death I knew.  I saw her in full habit.  I saw others, too... Sisters in habit... some I recognize and some I don’t.  

The vision is not gone.  It is a gift... a gift which can be unwrapped and opened at will.  It is a gift to be examined closely because the more I look at it, the more I see.  It is a gift I hold close for it is filled with love.

This is a hard time of year for many of us.  We miss our loved ones who have gone on and the sadness is a part of us.  But there is also joy... so much joy!  Joy in knowing those we love are safe and happy within the Light.

You might find it interesting too, to know my mother has been here with me these past few days knowing I needed comfort.  She didn’t do or say anything... just sat in her chair at the kitchen table and let her presence be known.  Yesterday morning (Christmas Eve) I noticed she had left and it was after my seeing Margie, I knew why.

Of course!  She was part of the multitude and had to be there to celebrate Jesus’ birthday!

God bless you all and Merry Christmas!
Connie

Death is a Door

I think perhaps death can be likened to a door... a door which stays closed until it is meant to open.  It is not an invisible door because there have been times in my life I have stood in front of it, willing it to open and being very grateful it didn’t.  

I wonder if the words, “I will raise you up” might really mean, “I will open the door.”

With my mother’s death a few years ago, I knew she was busy making contact with people before she died.  Friends told me of visions and messages received before her death.  Mom needed to say “good bye” and didn’t leave us until a good amount of time had passed from that of her expected death.

My friend, Sister Margie, is in hospice as I write this and has been off life support for more than 38 hours.  As family and friends continue to pray for a peaceful death, she is not ready to go.  I am sure she is busy tying up loose ends and saying “good bye” to family and friends she has loved and who love her.

This is the hard part for all of us, for as Margie makes her transition from this world to the next, we must also make a transition.  We must allow the love connection we share to open us up to receiving.  I have come to realize that the veil between is not as thick as we might think.  We can go through if we allow it and our loved ones can, and do, visit us from the beyond if we are open to it.

My mother’s visits have become less frequent through the years but every once in a while... when she knows I need her comfort... she comes.  This is one of those times.  She knows of my human sadness and understands.  But she also knows that I know of what is beyond the door... and reminds me of it.  

I grieve for myself for I will miss Margie terribly.  She has been a part of my life for more than fifty years and is firmly planted in my heart.  But I also celebrate with great joy the fact that she will be going through that door.  I... and she... know that our human death is our returning to the Christ from which we have come.  It is a going home after our sojourn here on earth.  Margie has done all she has come to do and these tears I cry are for both my sadness and my joy!

I am looking forward to her visits.

Love, light and joy to you all this Christmas season.  With every death there is a rebirth.  I think this might be one of the reasons so many make the transition this time of year.  As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us also celebrate our own... our birth into this world and our rebirth out of it into the next.

God bless you and Merry Christmas!
Connie

My Dear Friends...

My dear friends,

This is one of those times sadness, worry, fear, hope and joy are all mixed up together.  I received word yesterday that a dear friend was not doing well and had to be rushed to the hospital.  This morning I found she was scheduled for serious surgery and that it was touch and go.  She would definitely die without it and could possibly die with it.  Prayer was (and is) needed and I contacted everyone I knew on facebook requesting prayer. 

The thing I want to share with you is this... During church service this morning... the same time my friend was having surgery... I felt the need to speak with her:

“I am told by my friend who sees that you are happy.  Certainly you are, for now you are with your Beloved.  You know what awaits you.  You are bathed in warmth and light such as you have never before known.  I wonder... Will you stay there or will you return?  Is this your time or is it not?  There is love for you here as well... and that love sets you free to be who and what you are meant to be.  There is love and joy in my heart for you... and an underlying sadness for me and those who love you.”

“Yes, my friend, I can see you.  I see you rising above... looking down and blessing those of us here.  But... I see you suspended.  Will you rise or will you return?”

“Does it matter, Connie?” “I hear you say and I have to answer that question.....”

“My answer has to be ‘no’.  It doesn’t matter for I know friendship and love continue beyond the veil.  And because I know that truly in my heart, I want only what God wants for you.”

It was toward the end of the service I saw her returning and heard that her mission here is not finished.

You can imagine how relieved I was, not only when my friend who sees confirmed she had also seen, but when I got home there was an email waiting, telling me she had made it through the surgery and was in ICU receiving the best of care. 

Please forgive me for not going into more detail but my friend’s privacy is very important to her.  I do, however, ask that you continue praying for her.  There is much yet for her to do but she needs the use of her body to do it. 

Thank you, my friends!
Love, Light and Blessings to you all!
Connie

Saving Our Mother

I watch videos of dolphins swimming alongside a surfer, a whale making clicking sounds trying to communicate with a diver.  I read how scientists have “discovered” communication among trees.  All around us, if we are open to it, we see animals and plants trying to communicate with us humans.  It makes me wonder...  How is it they are able to communicate with one another, yet we can’t understand their language?

I find it interesting that indigenous peoples... those human beings who were first to inhabit the earth... understand and respect the ‘natural elements’ of the earth.  They live as one with all and believe it is their responsibility...their purpose... to guard and protect what was here before them.  They are even willing to die to that purpose... and many have.

It came to me, very strongly, that the trees were the first to come to this planet.  Their seeds were the first to take root and grow.  Where those seeds came from, I don’t know but trees and plants were here from the beginning.  Before the creation of Adam and Eve, the tree of knowledge was present.  Even without the story of Genesis, we can’t help but know that trees inhabited the earth.  And because they are the most ancient, they hold within them the greatest knowledge.

Indigenous people  know this and respect the trees enough to ask if they can use them to build their homes, make their canoes, supply them with bow and arrow for hunting.  They know how the tree helps to fertilize the ground for planting, how it takes poison out of the air and gives back life-giving oxygen.  Trees are responsible for the air we breathe.

For some, money is more important than breathing.

The earth is being raped in the search for riches.  Some countries still allow fracking.  The Amazon... the largest “oxygen factory” on earth is being threatened.  Court rulings are being ignored by big business and Amazon Indians are being killed trying to protect it.  Money and power have become more important than human life.

Here in Florida, the Everglades... the largest eco system in the world... is being threatened by those who see its “money making potential”.

I see thousands of trees uprooted to make room for a two lane highway... trees that were more than hundreds of yards from the construction area removed, forcing animals to find new homes.  Unnecessary destruction in the name of progress is everywhere.

We refer to our earth as ”mother earth” and she truly is our mother.  She gives and sustains life.  I am saddened by those who have lost their way and turn on her, but am heartened by those who continue to respect, care for and protect her.

To save our mother is to save all of life.

This Thanksgiving let us be thankful for all God has given... and take the time to come to know and learn from these gifts.

God Bless!
Connie

Another Beginning...A Personal Sharing

It wasn’t just the shift in the planets and the appearance of the Harvest moon that initiated this change in me.  I imagine my recuperation from hip surgery factored in as well. I feel myself going in a different direction and have no idea what that direction actually is.

One thing which surprises me is that I find I want to give my paintings away... not only to organizations which have a need to benefit financially... but to each and every one who expresses a specific connection.  I get a great deal of satisfaction in matching the right painting with the right person. 

“What good are they stored away?” I responded to a friend who questioned my actions.  “They’re meant to be enjoyed and that won’t happen if I keep piling them up.”  “I can always paint more,” was my standard response.

But, even though I have an assortment of blank canvases waiting, I realize I really have no desire to paint.  I think about hanging a blank canvas on my painting wall, hoping it might inspire me.  But I don’t. 

“Why?” I wonder.  “What am I being called to do now?”

Oh, I’ll continue with my classes and workshops because I love to teach and I love the women who come.  We are a family.  But there’s something else... something I can’t quite put my finger on.  I suppose that’s why I’m writing this.  Often, when I put the question to paper, the guides respond in the words I find myself writing... so here goes...

“What is it you’re asking me to do?  I have the feeling it has to do with writing but I’m not sure what it is I am to write about.  Does it have to do with writing?”

Yes, it does and you must go back to your childhood to realize where it started and what happened.  (I got chills as I wrote this.)

I was in the seventh grade and our assignment was to write a story.  I did.  Evidently it was good enough to draw the Guidance Counselor’s attention... who, in turn, called my father in for a conference.  I can only imagine how proud my father was when he was told I could make my living as a writer if I wanted.  I can imagine that now... not then.  It was that fatherly pride which led him to insist I write another story... and because of his insistence, I rebelled.  Oh, I wrote another story but, as my father laughingly said, it was the worst story he’d ever read. 

“Okay.  I remember.  What are you trying to tell me?” (Chills again)

We want you to write.  Oh, yes, the books you’ve written so far are all right but they’ve only served as introduction... practice writing... for what you are really to do.

“What am I really to do?”

You are to write of what you know... what you’ve come to know as truth.  Your friend, Father Paul, said he felt you needed to go deeper in your writing and so you must.  We have been patient with you, Constance, but now is the time for you to start.  We will help you as we are now... as we are in your writing this beginning.  We’ve showed you some of the things you are to write about... such as the maple tree you saw last night.  Why not start there and see where it goes?  We are always with you.

It was after I received this message that I wrote (and published) "The Maple Tree".

Love, Joy and Light to you all!
Connie

Letter to a Friend

Dear A...,

You seem to have come to a crossroads in your life.  Of course we always have crossroads... forks in the road where we must choose one or the other.  But there’s a difference in coming to what we may define as a crossroad and hearing a specific calling.  You, my friend, are being called.

The problem, as I see it, is your fear of venturing into the unknown... fear of losing control of your life (which you’ve never really had anyway).  The sad thing is when you and I allow these unfounded fears to direct our path rather than trusting and looking forward to the adventure ahead.  We make excuses and the words, “I can’t because...” become a constant part of our vocabulary.

I had to smile as I just said that.  Whenever we used those words as children, my father’s response was always, “There’s no such word as ‘can’t’.”  I know, as well as you knew him, you are smiling too.  Thankfully, I heard it so often I came to believe it.

Fear is a terrible thing.  It smothers us, takes away our ability to breathe, causes panic and paralysis sets in.  What are we afraid of?  Usually it’s the ‘unknown’.   We want to be sure before taking the next step.  We want to control... not only our own lives but the lives of those around us.

You are a fantastic artist.  The problem, as I see it, is that you haven’t painted for years...always letting life get in the way.  The more time that’s passed, the harder it is for you to get started again and you began with the excuses.  You admit you want to paint but neglect to mention your fear.  Fear, I think, of not being good enough... or as good as you were when your paintings were selling.  My response is, “Good enough for whom?  For what?”  How often we set ourselves up as judges and the person we judge the most often and most harshly is our self.  We set standards we feel we have to meet.  What ever happened to doing something just for the fun of it?  Leave the past in the past.  This is NOW.  A whole new beginning.

You and I are both in the twilight of our lives... a nice way of saying we are getting older.  Our aches and pains are our constant reminders.  We’ve made it this far, have overcome the many obstacles life has put in front of us.  There will be more.  There are always more.  But so what?  We’ve taken the detours but we’ve always returned to our path... the path that’s set before us... the path that has surprises around every bend... the path which makes our lives such a wild and wonderful adventure.

Should we sit in the middle of the path and not move because we’re suddenly afraid of what’s around the corner?  If we sit there, we will rot and die there.  No, my dear friend.  Grab hold of Life and continue your great adventure.  Your path is well lit.  There is nothing to be afraid of.

Most of all, my dear friend, do it for the FUN of it.  There is no one we have to please so there is no judgement.  Let the Spirit within you be in charge.

With love and great joy,
Connie

Come to the Water

This morning I was led to continue working on my book.  It’s time, I was told, to stop procrastinating and get it done!  The day was perfect.  I had no plans and knew (thought) I could work on it uninterrupted for as long as it took.  Actually I did get quite a bit accomplished in the first 6 hours or so...then things started to happen....

A friend texted me and asked if she could come paint tomorrow.  I hesitated for only a moment as I mentally established the probable times my physical therapist, a friend who wanted to see me and my neighbors might arrive.  “Come.” I told her knowing it would probably be in the morning and not conflict with the others.  I couldn’t help smiling as I realized how full my day would be with people.

I am learning that any amount of planning on my part is usually a waste of time and energy.  Those who come are meant to come at the times they do come.  Hadn’t I just read in my book that I’d seen them coming from over the hill?  Hadn’t I told the new minister that “They are coming”?  And... as I’m writing this... I am reminded of the painting I did a few years ago titled, “Come to the Water”.

Yes, they are coming!  Not in droves but one or two at a time because here they find a place of love and peace... a place to laugh... a place to cry... a place to be heard... a place to paint... a place to simply be.  The water in this painting is a symbol of love.  Come!  Here you are loved.

Love, Joy and Peace to you!
Connie

It is Love

I received a call Saturday morning that a friend had died and could I please come.  I went then, not because of Bonnie R’s passing, but because my friend, J.T., who lived with her was distraught and in need.  Her death was a shock to him and his grief terrible and real.  In the short time they had lived together, their friendship had blossomed into a mutual respect and dependency.  Each had needed the other in times of illness.

Bonnie had been ill when she moved in and I daresay it was the perfect place for her to be.  J.T. welcomed her with open arms and heart.  Funny... I had meant to write of Bonnie here but my pen keeps returning to telling you of J.T..

Bonnie has moved beyond her physical body and the pain she experienced there.  In fact, I did see her spirit yesterday during service.  She was smiling and laughing... her arms outstretched, offering to all the hugs she was famous for.

It’s the ones who are left behind who suffer and ask the question, “Why?”

J.T. was no different.  His feeling of loss was great.  It was then he realized how much he had loved.  He had not only opened his home, but his heart as well.  His anguish expressed in the wracking sobs coming from the depths of his being.  He had allowed himself to love and now there was a hole in his heart.

Here is a man who is not afraid of love... of loving... and of being loved.  What an example he is to me!  To remain vulnerable enough to give and receive pure love.  Yes, he is suffering for he feels the loss of his friend, Bonnie, deeply.  But this does not keep him from opening his heart to others.

Love to you!
Connie

Be Not Afraid

I haven’t personally counted them but am told the message “Be not afraid” occurs 365 times in the Bible... one for each day of the year.  What a wonderful message to bring to mind at the start of each new day!

That is a thought I jotted down after the shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.  I realized how easy it is to give way to fear and today, during meditation, this came to me... We cannot live in fear for living in fear isn’t living!  Following that thought, I “heard” this:

“Ah, my dear child, there is no need to fear for I AM with you always.  I will let nothing harm you.  All you need to do is keep your hand in mine and trust in me.  If, perhaps, you decide to let go and explore on your own, be assured... though you may not see or hear me... I AM with you.  Holding you.  Lifting you.  Strengthening you.  My angels clear the way before you and protect you.  You are never alone and your fears... which you, yourself, have created... are not real.  They are as phantoms in your mind.

Be not afraid.  Your fears weigh you down so that you walk with legs of lead.  See them as phantoms.  They are simply wisps of nothingness easily dismissed... and know you are free of all fear.

I AM Love.  You are Love because I AM within you.”

“In love there is no fear; indeed, perfect love casts out fear...” (1 John 4:18)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWpG7qHtB8g

Peace be with you, my friends.
In love, Connie

We are Mystics

The other day, during a discussion of spirituality, the words “We’re all Mystics.  It’s just that some have better P.R. (Public Relations) than others.”  came out of my mouth.  I believe the purpose of those words was to bring attention to the fact that Mystics are not only the “others” who have been written about or may have had their personal journals published.

Why do I love reading about the Mystics and what they have come to understand as universal truths?  I love reading about them and what they have to say because their words resonate within me.  The truths they expound echo and awaken the inner knowing within my own being.

I just read an excerpt from Wayne Teasdale’s book, The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World’s Religions and was excited enough to want to order a copy.  Why?  Because he wrote of what I already know within myself and his writing provided the affirmation I look for... that wonderful, “YES!” I feel when I realize I really do know what I think I know!  Well, I didn’t order it.  I don’t need to read about all the research he did.  It’s enough for me to know that what I know is true.

What do I know?  I know what many in the world are coming to know...that spirituality goes beyond religion.  Oh, it can definitely be a part of it but spirituality doesn’t separate us from one another.  It brings us together.  Spirituality is the coming to know our own God-self and recognizing the God in others... regardless of differences.  In fact, we realize there are no differences other than what we see on the outside and those don’t matter.

Spirituality is the searching for and the finding of God within ourselves and recognizing it in others. “...Nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:21)  

Yes, we are seekers for we seek the kingdom of God.  We are finders because we know where it is and we are mystics because we know it, live in it, learn from it and welcome others into it.

Love, Light and Joy to you all,
Connie