Today, I heard this statistic again: 
 Heart disease is the # 1 killer of American women.

This time when I heard those words though, this thought ran through my mind faster than I could type it here:

That makes so much sense because 

women carry their burdens in their hearts.

Here are some affirmations for your heart health courtesy Louise Hay's Heal Your Body:

I lovingly allow joy to flow through my mind, body and experience.

I bring joy back to the center of my heart.

I breathe freely and fully.

I am safe.

I trust the process of life.

So, along with the recommendations from your physician to take care of your heart, please consider including heart healthy affirmations in your health plan.  Let's turn this statistic around.  It's our daughters' future, too.

I'm compelled to share this link ~

I have to share this link with you... please read...
http://nerdyapplebottom.com/2010/11/02/my-son-is-gay/


Thank you Kendra ~ you are right... bullying is learned from us adults.  It's time we recognize the bullying behavior that goes on in passive aggressive ways daily and that children watch and learn from us. 

I'm glad Boo's Mom spoke up in this blog and I stand with her.

Please read and share if you are guided.

Archangel Michael ~ You never know where he'll appear ~

I recently attended a conference for enlightened entrepreneurs at the beautiful Rancho Bernardo Inn.  As with most conferences these days, there was a segment geared to meeting the stranger next to you, so we can begin the bonding and networking process.   This is how I met Blake and his lovely partner, Emily within the first hour of the seminar.

In the process of sharing our stories, I said I was psychic and talk to Angels on a regular basis.  Over the next couple of days, we had a few more opportunities to visit and Blake and Emily both expressed they would love a chance to ask their guides and Angels a question.   Of course, we could make that happen!  My favorite thing to do!

We found a lovely little bench tucked away at the bottom of a staircase leading to our classroom.   Emily and Blake sat together, I stood behind them and began their session with some Reiki.  Their Angels came in, shared some messages with them and as I was ending the session, Archangel Michael appeared between them.  I shared this with them, saying "he's really strong between the two of you, as if he's holding you by your elbows and ushering you along."  I reminded them to call on Archangel Michael for anything - courage, protection, strength - all of his specialties! 

Blake, Goddess love him, accepted all the information but I could tell he still wasn't convinced.  I encouraged him to ask his question, and it was a good one "How do I know they're around?  What are the signs and how will I recognize them?" 

I explained about the feathers they leave for us in the strangest places, or the song on the radio that seems to answer the question you were thinking about.  But the biggest thing we can do to recognize our Angels are around us is to us pay attention - see the signs, and don't edit or discount them as coincidences.  I assured him that Archangel Michael is a very strong presence and he will make himself known to Blake- and more often than not, in a very obvious way.

Our session came to a close, we hugged and I went up the stairs to get ready for our afternoon session.  A couple of minutes later, I hear all this commotion behind me and I look up and there is Blake, wide-eyed and dragging a conference-mate behind him.  I see Emily coming in behind him, laughing with another conference-mate.

Blake says "Paula!!  You'll never guess what!!  I started up the stairs after you, Emily was busy picking up her stuff she had tucked under the bench.  Two guys started up after me and Emily came in behind them on the stairway.  That's when I heard Emily say 'Oh, Blake…look at his name' and look!"  There it was on his nametag - Michael.  That's when the other guy said "Oh, my name is Michael, too."   Two Michaels between Blake and Emily ~ I love the way our Angel Michael works.

And isn't it comforting he has a sense of humor, too?

Thank you Blake and Emily for giving me permission to share your Archangel Michael story with everyone.  They are the creators of Create Powerful Change and I recommend you visit their website and connect with these two wonderful life coaches.   Create Powerful Change

Money, Security and Spirit ~

Everything gives according to its nature; nothing can provide more than what it is. What is temporary brings temporary happiness or security, which is its full extent. Only That which is eternal can give lasting happiness.

--Ellen Grace O'Brian

 This inspirational thought came to me in this morning's mail.  When I read it, I immediately flashed on money - and how money is temporary and therefore, brings temporary happiness and security.  

That was eye-opening for me... 

I've been asking Spirit for more security, but after reading this, 

I realized in an instant that I was relating security with money...

Now to change my thoughts and relate my true security with what I know to be eternal - 

Love and Spirit.  

Image courtesy of melstweety 2000 at keen.com

http://media.photobucket.com/image/light%20fantasy/melstweety2000/light_fantasy.jpg

Diggin' in the dirt

Yes, this is my humble compost pile!

I spent some time with my compost pile today...not very pretty, mind you, digging down under all the yucky veggies, turning over the clumps of last week's leftover salad rejects, not to mention what I found in the bottom of the veggie drawer in the fridge.  But the focus, time, water, energy, leftover veggies and sun are all worth it because what you find underneath is this rich-healthy-bursting with life-energetic-perfect moisture-teaming with life-soil that is great nourishment for my flowers that brings smiles to our faces when we see the butterflys and humming birds feed off of them, and the veggies that make our meals so delicious!

If you haven't ever popped a little plum tomato into your mouth, still a little bit warm from the afternoon sun straight from the vine, you've missed one of the finest moments in life, in my humble opinion.

Very satisfying ~ very delicious ~ very nourishing for our trinity of bodies - physical, emotional and spiritual.

Yes, how symbolic - by giving some water (our tears for release and cleansing), focus (really looking at what's there), some sun (our energy) to our internal compost heap (all those issues that have piled up as we stuff them down) we can uncover a rich-teaming with inspiration-new ideas-new perspectives-energetic-newly nourished-Self ready to enjoy more smiles in our every day. 

I wonder if that's where we get the phrase "turning over a new leaf"...although it's more accurate to say "turning over the new pile" but that doesn't sound so poetic...

The Hummingbirds love this Petunia!

Spider and Infinite Possibilities

I was beginning to feel a little bit like Lil Miss Muffett...

It was Day 5 of my latest manifesting journey and I noticed I was finding spiders in the most unusual places...scooting across my living room rug (this guy was so big he cast his own shadow!) one scurries into the kitchen sink as I was doing the dishes, and another hovering over my hands as I was slicing cucumbers for our dinner salad!  Okay, I get it... time to check in on what Spider medicine (or totem) messages are all about.

Ted Andrews, a favorite author and I consider a teacher of mine who is now in the Spirit world, writes that Spider is at the heart of creation stories, and is related to the Wheel of Fortune card in the Tarot because both are about creating a balance between past and future, flow and flux, male and female, etc and the rhythms of it all.

Physically:
Body is the figure 8 = infinity symbol
8 legs

Taking this a bit further, with Spider's physical attributes being about infinity and the metaphysical message is about creation and the connection and balance between, then Spider's web-thread is that what connects human world with Spirit world or the above world with the below world, as in As Above, So Below.

After sitting quietly with this information, I checked in with Source and my Ancient Ones and here was Spider's message to me:

Infinite possibilities.

Remember we are infinite Beings who will continue to weave patterns of life and living throughout time.  

As Spider's thread connects the human world and spirit world, 

we are also connected through our threads of living to Source.

Is it easier to stay in the vortex, the flow of the Universe, if we remember we are infinite Beings and this lifetime is temporary?  Does it make it easier to embrace "this too shall pass"?  

Are so many afraid of spiders because maybe instinctively, at some level, we understand they represent our infinite Being, our infinite possibilities and that, quite frankly, can scare the hell out of us?!?

We want more structure, more things to weigh us down - could this be another slice of the pie to why we are an overweight society with too much stuff? (I have seen a change in awareness about this lately - I think we are beginning to understand the ramifications of material wants and needs being out of control.)

What if we all became energetically light as feathers, light enough to fly on our own threads from object to object always connected to Source and therefore, secure with our threads?

And the fact that we manufacture our own threads from within our own bodies, how cool and self-sufficient is that?!?

I am creating my own thread from my Heart Center today - how about you?

Thank you Spider for your wisdom and guidance ~ 

p.s.  you can leave my house, now...

Soul Mates - what's the deal?

South Carolina's Governor Sanford "My mistress is my soul mate."
Jerry Maquire  "You complete me."
Richard Bach (of Jonathan Livingston Seagull fame) "Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life."

For over a year now, I've been cogitating over this term "soulmate" that seems to get bantered around as easily as the proverbial ping pong ball.  This term, this sometimes unattainable-can't-possibly-live-up-to-missing-piece-person... do they exist or is this another form of Prince/Princess Charming that we read about in the Green Fairy Tale Book. (Yes, I have the volumes Brown and Blue, too, still on my shelf, along with Brothers' Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson...Brothers' Grimm...that should have been a clue for us!)

Personally, I've been in my relationship with Larry since 1974.  Others have called us "Soul mates" - I don't recall us ever referring to ourselves that way.  We love each other, we've figured out how to live happily with each other - first as a couple, then as parents with two sons and now, again, we are remembering what it's like to be just the two of us in the car, at the dinner table, with Matt and Nick having their own homes.  Our relationship has grown for over 36 years.  Does that make us soul mates?

When I first watched the movie "Jerry Maguire" I bristled at the now famous scene where Jerry tells Dorothy "You complete me"  What?!?!?  Is that really her responsibility to complete him???  My friends were all talking about how much they loved that scene...I kept quiet and thought "what's wrong with me?  I thought that was awful!"  Not just corny...corny I can appreciate.  There was something at the core of me that said "nope...that's not right".

Over the years, I've heard the "soul mate" card used as the great eraser to bad behavior.  Being a legal secretary in a Family Law office, I heard a lot of excuses - very similar to Gov. Sanford's - about how it wasn't their fault they found their soul mate and their partner wasn't it, as they sign the court documents, kicking their partner to the curb and arguing over the spices in the spice rack.

What makes a Soul Mate?  I've come to my own conclusion:  A soul mate is found within - not in the outer regions of someone else.  You are your own soul mate - and you are the only one to complete yourself. 

I'm not expecting Larry to complete me - that's my responsibility.  If I work on my own truth, my own self-care, then I bring my whole self along for this ride of life.  And that makes me a better partner for Larry, my kids, my co-workers - anyone and anything I do.

Here's one more quote for the road:  Jason Zebehazy "Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and familiarity breeds contempt.  According to this, my soul mate should be in Thailand."

It just made me laugh ~ that's all ~ and I hope it made you laugh, too.

Be your own Soul Mate - invoke some Bear Medicine and spend some time going within.  Introspection is a great step to finding your own inner Soul Mate, and bringing you to wholeness. 

Meet Blinky the Raccoon ~ a great messenger!

About 10 minutes ago, I got a phone call from my son, Matt.  He said "Mom, this raccoon just showed up at our door.  He's very content to just look in and watch us.  He's only got one eye so Nick (his brother who is visiting him) and I are calling him Blinky.  What's Raccoon medicine about?"

I pulled my Medicine Cards book off the shelf, read about how they are the Generous Protectors - looking after others, speaking up when hearing others gossip about someone, making sure you can give them a hand up not a hand-out, as you want to make sure you take care of your own needs, instead of wasting energy on self-pity do something nice for someone.

Matt thought it would be helpful for his friend, Jess, to also hear the message so he passed the phone to her and I repeated Raccoon's insight.

Once the message was delivered, I heard Matt say "thanks, Blinky!"  and off he went!  Just turned and walked away...message delivered... his job was done!

Here's a pic that Matt was able to take as I was talking to Jess - my son, Nick is the profile there - see how close they were?  The raccoon didn't seem to mind at all!

Love the messages from our Animal friends ~
Paula