Posted on

No Time for Fear

I had an unexpected opportunity this week to once again move past my comfort zone. By the way, in case you didn’t know, that’s where miracles happen. I was scheduled to be the platform assistant for the Wednesday Night Experience at Unity of Houston. This person welcomes everyone, reads the announcements, and guides the love offering after the message. When I woke up on Wednesday, I found out Rev. Jeanmarie wasn’t feeling well. She asked if I would be willing to share a message in her place. I have given talks in other communities, but this would be the first time at Unity of Houston. I’ll be honest, it brought up some fear.

That fear wanted me to say “no thank you” and let one of the other Associate Ministers share the message. Then I remembered something that happened 5 years ago just two weeks before my first Big Sky Retreat in Montana. I was planning to attend with my friend and mentor, Dr. Charles Geddes, who has been on the Board of Directors since the retreat began in 1976. There was a last-minute schedule change and Charles asked me if I would be willing to present a workshop. In typical mischievous and loving Charles fashion, he told me that he had already sent my photo to the printer to be included in the program so I’d better say “yes” and come up with a title and description for my workshop quickly. It freaked me out a little bit, but I knew I had to say “yes” to this gift from the Universe. I’m so glad I did because that answer has blessed me many times over in a multitude of ways.

When I had to make a similar decision on Wednesday morning, I knew the only answer that I would feel good about in the long run was “yes.” The good news was I had less than 12 hours to fret about it. I already had a full day of yoga, coaching, and constellations sessions scheduled, so there was no time for fear. I decided to tell the story of my first experience with Family Constellations, share a little bit about its origins and philosophy, and then end with my own recent experience of inherited family trauma. Backstage, I asked Spirit to give me the words that would be most beneficial to everyone listening, and then I read my go-to prayer from A Course in Miracles:

I am here only to be truly helpful.

I am here to represent Him Who sent me.

I do not have to worry about what to say or what to do, because He Who sent me will direct me.

I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing He goes there with me.

I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.  T-2.V.A.18

I repeat this prayer before every workshop, coaching session, and event I do to get my “self” with a little “s” out of the way and let my Higher Self with a capital “S” lead the way. If the words “Him” and “He” in this prayer don’t sit well with you for any reason, you can replace them with the word “Love.” Use whatever words resonate with you. The point is to know there is a power greater than ourselves that we can rely on to help us in any situation that brings up fear. Even though I was nervous, I feel really good about how everything flowed and came together that night. This experience was a great reminder to not get caught up in my head where fear and anxiety live and remain in my heart where love and trust are always waiting to flow. 

If you could use some assistance moving through fear and anxiety, it would be my great honor to give you some tools to stay in your heart with a series of Life Coaching sessions based on the strong principles found in A Course in Miracles and other New Thought teachings. I offer 4, 8, and 12-week packages to suit your needs and budget. If you are curious about Family Constellations and would like to hear the stories I shared on Wednesday evening, you can watch a replay of the service on Facebook by clicking this link. Then join me for an upcoming workshop to experience this miraculous process for yourself. For more information about Life Coaching and Family Constellations, look around my website or send me an email. 

Until next time, may you find yourself residing in your heart space more and more each day.

Posted on

May the Force Be With You!

I’ve just returned from Galaxy’s Edge, the new Star Wars themed area at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando. (**Spoiler Alert** Best not to read paragraph 4 if you want no information about the new rides.) My inner child was thrilled to have the opportunity to pilot the Millennium Falcon, the spaceship featured so prominently in the movies. Of course, my inner child is happy whenever I get to spend time in a Disney theme park, which is why my partner and I added a day to our business trip to Central Florida last week. This was an especially fun Disney visit because my sister, her husband, and my dear friend Carrie drove over from Florida’s west coast to join us. What a fun group!

Whenever I’m in a Disney theme park with a group of people, I feel slightly responsible for everyone having a good time. I know it’s a throwback from my 7 years as a cast member in the 90s. When friends and family would visit, I was the one who organized and planned our day because I knew the lay of the land. Over the years, I learned it was best to not plan too much and simply allow the day to unfold. It’s okay to have a guideline, but you need to be flexible when things change. Not only is this a good strategy for a day in a theme park, but it’s also pretty good advice for life too.

Flexibility came into play from the very beginning. On the evening before our visit, I found out the park was opening an hour earlier than was listed on the website. To ride the newest attraction, “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” together, my friends and family would have to get up super early to meet us at the front entrance by 6:30 AM! I gave them the option to meet us later, but they were all in for the full experience. It turned out that extra hour helped them avoid Tampa traffic on the way over. We all converged at the perfect time and I was able to get us a highly coveted boarding pass for that ride at precisely 7 AM. Even though we were very tired at that early hour before the sun came up, it was quite an exhilarating moment!

After that small triumph, we followed the masses to Galaxy’s Edge to ride “Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.” Despite signs claiming a 75-minute wait, we were in the cockpit just half an hour later. What a fun way to start the day! It set the tone for the rest of the day to flow beautifully. Even our late lunch reservation turned out to be a blessing. Our boarding group for “Rise of the Resistance” was summoned shortly after twelve while most park guests were eating lunch. We breezed through the cue area and onto a shuttlecraft to begin our recruit training. It was a heart-stopping moment when we were captured by the First Order and the doors of our shuttlecraft opened to a cavernous room on a Star Destroyer filled with rows of stormtroopers in front of a huge window looking out into space. I won’t share what happened next, but you can safely assume we escaped since I’m writing these words.

Earlier in our day, we had a moment of indecision over which of two popular attractions to visit next. According to the app, both had a wait time of about an hour. One was steps away, the other was on the other side of the park. One might say I used the Force to determine which way to go. I closed my eyes and asked Spirit which ride was our highest choice. I got tingles through my body when I thought of the closer ride telling me that was the best choice. No tingles for the other one. That guidance proved to be spot on when the other ride’s wait time decreased to only 25 minutes later in the day. True, this was not a big life decision, but it was a great reminder to ask for guidance whenever I’m in doubt.

At the end of the day, I checked the wait times on the app one last time. I was shocked to see the wait time for “Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run” had dropped from 75 to 30 minutes. We all loved that ride, so we decided to end our day the same way it began. This time my sister and Carrie were the pilots. All I can say is, “Sorry, Chewie! I hope you can fix the Falcon!” We had a wonderful day, albeit a tiring one. It was truly a testament to what can happen when we don’t plan every single minute and leave room for Spirit to guide us. My guidance to write about this experience was confirmed when I received this message in a daily inspirational email from Neale Donald Walsch that very morning:

It is okay to want to make lots of plans, but it is also okay to make lots of room for that which planning can never produce.

If you could use some assistance in making room for that which planning can never produce, consider giving yourself the gift of Life Coaching or a private Family Constellations session. Both produce miracles. Please look around my website or send me an email for more information and to schedule a session.

Until next time, may the Force be with you…

Posted on

Eagle Connection

It had been over 3 months since I last rolled out my yoga mat. My ankle injury in August and my dermatology journey this fall prevented me from doing my yoga practice. The thought of beginning again was a bit daunting. Would I remember what to do? How much flexibility had I lost? Would I be strong enough to do some of the poses? Would I be sore for days after I began again? These questions tried to prevent me from rolling out that mat. I took a deep breath and rolled it out anyway.

Some of those questions were answered fairly quickly. Yes, I remembered much of the routine I had been doing for years, but not all of it. No, I definitely wasn’t strong enough to hold some of the poses very long. And yes, it seemed like I lost quite a bit of my flexibility. I decided to be gentle with myself and practice for no more than an hour doing whatever I could remember. It felt like trying to start an old car that has been sitting in a barn for years. The engine sputters and resists the first few times you turn the ignition key, but eventually, with persistence and maybe a little tinkering, the car comes to life. That was my body that day.

By the time an hour passed, I was ready for my favorite yoga pose…Savasana, the corpse pose! There is something so rewarding and peaceful about simply being on my back with my arms at my sides after twisting and turning my body for an hour. Some of my best meditations have occurred during Savasana. Before Savasana, however, I do one last stretch for my lower back. Before dropping my knees to one side, I cross one leg in front of the other and hook that foot on the other side of the shin of the stationary leg. This leg configuration is called eagle pose. I managed to do this easily with my right leg, but when I attempted to hook my left foot on the other side of my right shin, my legs rebelled. I must have looked like a fish thrashing on a dock as I tried in vain to lock my foot in place! Eventually, I surrendered to the fact that it wasn’t going to happen, at least not that day. This was truly a blow to my ego, but there was nothing I could do but let my legs drop as they were and breathe.

Three days later I rolled out my yoga mat for the second time. I was a little more optimistic this time. My body was only slightly sore from Saturday’s practice, so I felt like I found the right balance between pushing myself past inertia but not far enough to injure myself. Indeed, my body felt just a little bit stronger. I also remembered a few more poses than I had the first day. When I felt complete, I prepared for Savasana with that final lower back stretch. Once again, my right leg clicked into place for eagle pose with very little effort. With a slow breath and not much expectation, I wrapped my left leg around my right and attempted to hook my foot on the other side of my right shin. To my surprise, it found a holding place there as I dropped over to the left. A wave of relief and gratitude washed over me. The old car engine was coming back to life little by little, and I would soon be able to enjoy the ride.

The significance of this being “eagle pose” occurred to me later. “Within the belief systems of Native American tribes, Eagle represents a state of grace achieved through hard work, understanding, and a completion of the tests of initiation which result in the taking of one’s personal power. It is only through the trial of experiencing the lows in life as well as the highs, and through the trial of trusting one’s connection to Great Spirit, that the right to use the essence of Eagle medicine is earned.” This quote from The Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson sums it up perfectly. I felt like I’d earned the right to the essence of eagle pose. I had to embrace all of my journey and find a place of acceptance for it all. This is possible only by remembering that we are always connected to Spirit. Thank you, Eagle, for this beautiful reminder.

If you find yourself experiencing one of those lows, it would be my great honor to remind you of your connection to Spirit through Life Coaching or Family Constellations sessions. Please visit my website for more information about both and to make an appointment.

Until next time, may the wings of Eagle lift you up and over any of life’s challenges!

Who would attempt to fly with the tiny wings of a sparrow when the mighty power of an eagle has been given him?

A Course in Miracles – M-4.I.2:2

Posted on

Communication, Timing, and Sunflowers

My friend Maggie Cole has been a Science of Mind practitioner and Spiritual Teacher for over 20 years. I’ve heard her say many times that everything comes down to communication and timing. Just this past week I had an experience that demonstrated the truth of this insight. Since our move in July, an entire corner of our garage has been occupied by 3 large wardrobe boxes and several large artwork boxes. We gave away dozens of smaller moving boxes using the LetGo app in August, but no one took these large ones. Anyone who has moved recently knows the cost of moving supplies adds up quickly. I knew someone could use those boxes. I kept telling myself I would take pictures and post them at the end of the month, but each month I was busy with other things.

As the New Year approached, my partner began talking about cleaning and organizing the garage to make room for both of our cars. One morning over the holiday break, I finally felt inspired to take pictures and post those boxes on the app. When I checked the app the next morning, the first person to respond had already removed their interest, but I got a really good feeling about the second person. This young woman had a sweet profile picture grinning ear to ear next to a sunflower. There were other messages, but something told me she was the one who would get the boxes. 

We messaged back and forth a few times but could not find a time for her to get them. She said she could come later that evening, but experience has shown me that most people on these apps don’t follow through if you don’t set something up right away. I told Sunflower Woman to let me know when she was on her way, but I didn’t expect to hear back from her. I went about my day not giving the boxes much thought. To my surprise, during dinner I received a message from Sunflower Woman saying she and her husband were on their way and would pick up the boxes between 7 and 8 o’clock. I replied “Perfect! Just let me know when you arrive.” That gave me plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely meal with my partner.

I’m happy to report Sunflower Woman and her husband arrived exactly when they said they would and what a delightful couple they were! She was as bright and cheery as a sunflower and he was very friendly too. I learned that he had been out of work for a while, but just got a job in Illinois. They were packing up to start a new life in the new year. Money was tight so they were extremely grateful for the free boxes and packing materials. I couldn’t believe they were able to fit all but one box in their car. They thanked me again profusely when they finished loading up. I told them I was glad the boxes were going to good use and wished them well as they drove away. Moments later, my phone chimed with another message from Sunflower Woman. “Thank you!  God bless both of you.” 

Now I understand why those boxes sat in our garage for six months. I was so happy they went to that sweet couple and so grateful to have more space in our garage to start the new year! It was a win/win, the only kind of win in the eyes of Spirit. Letting go of boxes may not seem like a miracle to you, but it was a shift from fear to love. It was beautiful the way it all unfolded. It just goes to show that when our communication is clear and the timing is right, miracles can happen. Take Maggie’s advice and be mindful of these two ingredients in all of your interactions. For more wisdom from this wonderful teacher, follow Maggie’s blog at https://maggiecole.blog/.

Speaking of communication and timing, I’d like to share one more thing that happened over the holidays. During one of my meditations, I received unexpected but clear guidance to lower the prices of my Life Coaching packages in 2020 so that more people might be able to experience miracles from the life-changing principles found in A Course in Miracles. I absolutely love how Spirit reveals what needs to be revealed and heals what needs to be healed during each sixty-minute session. If you would like to make 2020 a year of miracles, please look around my website to learn more about my 4, 8, and 12-week Life Coaching packages. I have a few weekly appointment times available starting at the end of January.

As we begin this new year and decade, may you remember two key ingredients for miracles: communication and timing!  

Your passage through time and space is not at random. You cannot but be in the right place at the right time.

A Course in Miracles – W-42.2:3-4