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It Started with a Bottle Cap

We all have days when we wake up feeling a little blue. This past Monday was one of those days for me. It had been a busy weekend and I could feel that my happy energy was not flowing. I knew my mood would be elevated at our weekly A Course in Miracles study group at Unity of Houston, but I didn’t want to wait until 7:30 PM to feel better. 

Due to my ankle injury, I hadn’t been able to walk in Hermann Park for weeks. I knew part of my lethargy was my body wanting to get moving again. Monday felt like the day, so I did my best to overcome inertia, laced up my tennis shoes and got out there. I didn’t realize how much I missed those beautiful live oak trees draped with Spanish moss until I was underneath their graceful arched branches. It felt good to be there. 

Normally when I walk through Hermann Park I pick up assorted pieces of plastic and trash as I go. This particular morning I noticed that I wasn’t feeling very altruistic. However, I know from experience that one of the best ways to feel better is to be of service. With that in mind, I decided I could at least pick up the next plastic water bottle cap I saw on the ground. Sadly there is usually no shortage of them in the park. It didn’t take long before I spotted one. As predicted, when I bent down to pick it up and toss it in a nearby trash can I felt a little better. The shift in my energy was noticeable so I picked up a few more. My happy energy began to trickle again.

When I got home, I decided to watch a recording of the Ellen Degeneres Show while eating lunch. It’s no secret that watching, reading, or listening to something that makes you laugh is another great way to lift your spirits. Ellen’s monologues always amuse me. She has a gift for making something ordinary into something hilarious. My mood continued to improve.

Later in the show, Ellen shared a story about two high school football players who demonstrated an act of extreme kindness to another student who had been bullied his whole life. Their friend captured the incident on video and it went viral on social media, gaining the attention of other celebrities like Will Smith. Seeing their act of kindness be recognized and the resulting miracles that occurred for their entire school filled my heart with joy. You can watch the video by clicking this link. You might want to have a tissue handy. My eyes leak every time I watch it.

Needless to say, by the time Miracle Monday happened at Unity my happy was flowing. It must have been contagious because our group was full of laughter that night. At one point, my friend Joey was laughing so hard I thought he was going to bounce right out of his chair. The evening was also full of powerful miracle stories shared by the participants. I left there buzzing with even more happy, peaceful energy than usual. And to think it all started with a bottle cap.

Is your happy energy not flowing well lately? I invite you to try some of the things I did on Monday. Get outside in nature. Move your body. Watch, read, or listen to something that makes you laugh. Be of service in some way. Perhaps you will have an opportunity to demonstrate an extreme act of kindness. If you live in Houston, join us for Miracle Monday whenever you can at 7:30 PM in Grace Hall. You can also reach out for one-on-one assistance with one of my Life Coaching programs based on A Course in Miracles. For more information look around my website or send me an email with specific questions. It brings me great joy to help others get their happy energy flowing again!

Until next time, may your happy energy flow like Niagara Falls. And if it isn’t, try picking up just a small plastic bottle cap and see what happens. 

Yet even the little spark in your mind is enough to lighten it. Bring this light fearlessly with you, and bravely hold it up to the foundation of the ego’s thought system.

A Course in Miracles ~ T-11.In.3.6

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Not So Hidden Treasure

This past Sunday I attended the morning study group for A Course in Miracles at Unity of Houston. We read a section of the text called “The Treasure of God.” I trust most of you reading this won’t have a problem with the word “God” or will be able to move past it. What I’d like to focus on is the word “treasure” and how it struck a joyful chord with the people in our group that day. In paragraph 4 of that section, the Course uses a quick recap of the prodigal son story to illustrate that each of us is a treasure:

Listen to the story of the prodigal son, and learn what God’s treasure is and yours: This son of a loving father left his home and thought he had squandered everything for nothing of any value, although he had not understood its worthlessness at the time. He was ashamed to return to his father, because he thought he had hurt him. Yet when he came home the father welcomed him with joy, because the son himself was his father’s treasure. He wanted nothing else. T-8:VI.4

What would life be like if we truly saw ourselves as a treasure? Would we allow others to treat us poorly or agree to things we know are not good for us? Would we say some of the cruel things we say to ourselves? I don’t think so. When we forget that we have value just by being alive we often have experiences that reflect this. If this sounds familiar, let me remind you that you are a treasure!

Later that day while waiting for my friend to join me for lunch, I was pondering this powerful word “treasure” and some of the beautiful insights shared by the people in our group. Suddenly I noticed myself swaying to the happy, upbeat song playing in the restaurant. My jaw dropped as a wave of recognition washed over me. The song I was bopping with was “Treasure” by Bruno Mars! You skeptics out there may call that a coincidence, but I choose to see it as confirmation that we are indeed a treasure.

Are you having trouble seeing yourself as a treasure? It would be my great joy to help you embrace your value and live a happy, healthy, prosperous life. I offer four, eight, or twelve-week Life Coaching packages based on the strong principles found in A Course in Miracles and other New Thought teachings to assist you. I also offer private Family Constellations sessions to reveal and heal any disempowering beliefs or traumas you might be carrying for your parents or other ancestors. Sessions can be done in person or by telephone and computer from anywhere in the world. Please look around my website or send me an email for more information and to schedule a session.

Until next time, I invite you to watch the video of Bruno Mars singing “Treasure” and imagine that God or the Universe is singing this song directly to you! 

Yet you cannot make yourself unworthy because you are the treasure of God, and what He values is valuable.

A Course in Miracles – T-8:VI.5.13

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Happy Birthday, Mom!

Those who met my mother will agree she was anything but conventional. One afternoon a few months before she passed, we were reminiscing about a funny incident the happened on our last visit to Sea World. As we approached an aviary housing some kind of stork, my mother joyfully exclaimed, “Hello, baby. Here comes mama!” The bird promptly turned around, released something from under its tail feathers, and walked away. Oh, how we laughed! I didn’t miss this opportunity to point out that she sure had a way with animals. 

A little later that afternoon, our conversation turned to the topic of life after death. I asked if she would be communicating with me from the other side when she left her body. She thought about it for a moment, and then, with her signature eye twinkle, she told me I would know she was thinking about me every time a bird pooped on my car. That was my mother. No beautiful signs like seeing butterflies or cardinals, smelling roses, finding pennies, or hearing a favorite song. No. Bird poop on the car was her preferred means of communication. I’ll never forget August 28, 2011, her first birthday after she passed. I made the mistake of parking my car under a tree in Miami while I went for my beach walk. When I returned, my car was covered in bird droppings. And not just in a few places…everywhere! I had a good laugh before heading directly to the car wash. Happy Birthday, Mom! 

Eight years have passed since then, but I still think of her every time I am “blessed” by a bird. This year I warned my partner not to park under a tree on the eve of her birthday. Although he never met her, I’m sure my mom would be happy to “bless” his car just the same. I remember joking with her as I looked up to the heavens that evening. “It’s not too late to pick another sign, mom!” 

The next day happened to be the day before our departure to Montana for a week-long adventure at the Big Sky Retreat. As you can imagine, there was much to do. I remembered it was my mother’s birthday in the morning, but soon forgot as my day filled with preparations. How silly of me to think my mother would allow her birthday to get lost in the shuffle. That afternoon a major thunderstorm passed through Houston. The rain came down in sheets as the wind toppled over plants on our balcony. Thunderclaps shook the windows as lightning bolts crackled across the sky in rapid succession.

My mother loved thunderstorms. When I was a kid she would open the garage door, set up lawn chairs just out of reach of the rain, and we would watch Mother Nature do her thing as the storm passed through our neighborhood. That ritual taught me not to be afraid of thunderstorms and also created many happy memories with her. Even though I hadn’t finished packing and there were several things left on my “to do” list, I sat down next to our sliding glass doors with a smile on my face and my hand over my heart to watch the storm with my mother. I could feel her loving presence all around me. 

It was close to sunset when the storm finally passed. As the golden glow of the sun began to illuminate the clouds, something quite miraculous happened. I noticed a faint rainbow starting to emerge in the sky directly in front of me. Little by little its colors became brighter and more vivid. I snapped a few pictures with my phone, but as is often the case, the photos did not capture its true beauty. The rainbow only lasted a few minutes, but it sure felt like my mother had heard my request and delivered a beautiful new message on her birthday.

Are you ready for a miracle? It would be my great honor to assist you in seeing your current challenges differently. Whether you’re having trouble breaking free from repeating patterns in relationships, health, finances, or your career, Family Constellations, Life Coaching, or a combination of the two can help. Please take a look around my website or send me an email for more information or to schedule a session or series of sessions. I look forward to creating miracles with you!

Until next time, may your messages bring you great joy while not requiring a trip to the car wash. 

Communication is not limited to the small range of channels the world recognizes. 

A Course in Miracles – M:25.2.2

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Just Say “Yes!”

“Just say yes!” This was the invitation from my dear friend and teacher, Dr. Charles Geddes, five years ago this summer when he left a message on my voicemail regarding our upcoming trip. I had no idea what I was saying “yes” to, but that was my answer when I called him back. It turns out there were some last-minute schedule changes before the 2014 Big Sky Retreat and he was asking on behalf of the Board of Directors if I would be willing to facilitate a 2-hour workshop.

That was my first year going to this event, and I had never presented a workshop for that many people before. I knew saying yes was going to require me to move past my comfort zone. I also knew this was an opportunity to move in the direction of my dreams. It brought up some fear, but how could I say “no”?

Little did I know how those 3 letters Y-E-S would change my life. My workshop on “Forgiveness and Miracles” was very well received, especially the last 30 minutes where we set up a Family Constellation. That exposure led to other invitations to speak and facilitate workshops at other centers around the country. That first retreat is also where I met some of my closest friends and the man who would become my partner 2 years later.

After that first retreat ended, Charles and I rode the ski lift together behind the Big Sky Resort. Our chair took us up, up and away into that big sky with breathtaking views in every direction. Being lifted into that expansiveness was the perfect metaphor for the way I was feeling in that moment. Sharing those vistas and sacred time with my friend was more than my already filled-to-the-brim heart could hold. All of a sudden deep sobs bubbled up in me as tears of joy spilled from my eyes. Charles simply encouraged me to let the tears flow. It was as if someone turned a pressure-release valve on my heart before it burst with gratitude for everything that had happened over the previous 5 days. That precious memory with Charles will be etched in my soul forever.

Perhaps something is calling you to a more expanded version of yourself, begging you to say “YES!” True, it means you will have to venture outside of your comfort zone, but I assure you that’s where the juiciness of life is. Go ahead and take a bite!

Could you use some assistance navigating this new territory or breaking free of the gravitational pull of your old life? You don’t have to do it alone. I would be honored to walk the path with you. Look around my website or send me an email for more information about a series of Life Coaching sessions or a private Family Constellations session. Both can give you the tools and the courage to finally say “Yes!”

Until next time, let’s say YES to more miracles, opportunities, and blessings in our lives!

And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

~ Anaïs Nin

Prepare yourself in advance for all the decisions you will make today by remembering they are all really very simple. Each one will lead to happiness or unhappiness. 

A Course in Miracles – WB-64.5