No matter how Faithful we are and how much Hope fills our hearts there are always moments that just don’t feel right or make sense after navigating through any major life change.
When changes come about suddenly the events that are happening may seem chaotic, random and senseless. Our mind and body seem as though they are functioning in a fog. Both movements and thoughts feel robotic and mechanical.
As the Spirit in us continues to lead us forward, our body sometimes stumbles with unbalanced emotions.
As we maneuver through the confusion, a random or chance meeting or event in our day can set off that Whisper from God that lets you know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be and doing exactly what you should be doing.
Along with the realization that you are where God wants you to be comes with a renewed amazement of the majestic unfolding of event that can only be explained as Divine Guidance.
By keeping our focus on moving forward and hanging on to at least a thread of Hope miracles eventually begin to unfold. Sometimes it is difficult to put into words the awesome beauty of that “Whisper from God” moment but you will know it for sure when you experience it.
It is the most amazing peaceful moment. You know from the bottom of your heart that all is well and this is where you are supposed to be at that very moment in time. In this moment there is a complete level of understanding within your heart that comprehends the importance of all of the events in your life that lead up to this unspoken level of compassion.
It is as if your heart is communicating without words with an absolute non-threatening level of understanding. The total peace that surpasses all understanding. We are more alike than different. When we quiet our thoughts and attempt to communicate with our heart this is the point when heavenly love reaches earth.
Pray that as a world we focus on moving forward and learn to quiet our minds and communicate more with our hearts to allow Heavenly Love to reach earth.
With Respect, Joy, Peace and Love, Carmela
We may not always see eye to eye but we can walk hand in hand and promote peace
Have you ever been in a situation where you are among a group of individuals that you have never met before and you feel drawn to a certain individual? As time passes and you have the ability to talk with them you discover that you share something in common with them. There would have been no way of knowing this through simple eye contact and a smile, but it was intuition that I like to refer to as a Whisper From God.
More times then not the truest and most beautiful messages come to us as a whisper.
During a lifetime, individuals will experience very deep hurts. Painful experiences that we carry within our hearts that we will never get over. Emotional heartbreak is not a wound that will ever really heal. You will always miss the loved ones that are no longer with you. We will always feel loss from tragedy. It lives beneath our skin as a secret message written on our hearts. This secret heart message acts like a magnet when God introduces us to someone who has a similar secret message written on their hearts.
I have found that in the most difficult times of my life God has introduced me to the most beautiful and helpful people. It is as if God has an Intensive Care Unit. I am protected completely from adversity and I am introduced to the most loving people who share wisdom that I need, and it is the magnetic ability of the secret heart messages that we carry that connects us with others living with major painful experiences on there hearts as well. This can only be explained as a result of Living in Love and allowing Divine Guidance to lead you.
Please pray that those who live in fear, turn off the noise of everyday life, stop reciting memorized prayers long enough to simply be in quiet and peace, open their hearts and lives to Divine Love and Guidance and listen for the Whispers of God.
As we celebrate Earth Day today we must keep in mind that in order to continue to exist here on earth we must search deep within our hearts to access a Love and understanding greater than our human selves. We must reach past the fear and allow our eyes and hearts to be open to Love, Respect, Hope and Joy. Human wisdom is limited by fear. Divine wisdom surpasses all understanding and is only attainable by reaching beyond your human ego and allowing the Divine Love of God to lead our hearts to Live in Love.
Many humans live their entire lives relying on their own wisdom. Believing that they know all and are wise enough to control their lives’ journey and in doing so their actions and attempts at survival trespass the boundaries of others they meet along the way.
Living in this human survival mode you are unable to see how your actions effect those around you. You will only be able to see what you feel you need to do to survive. When you are living in the state of survival you are living in fear. You will have a heightened sensitivity. You may react to situations as if you need to defend yourself. Often times when you are in this heightened state of fear you will react aggressively to situations that never even included any hostility or unfavorable criticism. Your mind is simply so heightened and ready to respond that you begin to identify any response as a threat.
This manner of living will bring only negative results. Can all of the hate and conflict that is going on in the world today be caused by human beings Living in fear and relying on human wisdom alone?
The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but, it is fear. Gandhi
Weather it is one individual in a destructive relationship, or a leader of a country, allowing another human to cause conflict, abuse, and intimidation and trespass upon other humans’ rights and boundaries is wrong and must be confronted and stopped. The only way to stand up against fear is with the power of Divine Love.
It is only after we allow our hearts to be open to Divine Love that we will be able to live and act in love, have empathy toward others and move beyond simple tolerance and embrace and celebrate the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each of us.
God provides us with the strength to keep going and opens our eyes to reveal awesome beauty and fills our hearts with Joy, peace, love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, and self control.
There will be many times in a persons’ life when they will find themselves in a state of mental confusion or fog. Survivors will often be in a fog or mental daze for days after a catastrophe.
Tapping into a positive vein of emotions and strength after an emotional or physical crisis is not always easy.
Fear, sadness and devastation are very big hurdles to overcome. Attempting to take on the challenge alone can be overwhelming. Depending on the events that we find ourselves battling back from, accepting and trusting another human being with our fragile, vulnerable emotional state of confusion takes a tremendous amount of strength and trust. The alternative of keeping calm and carrying on as if nothing happened and everything is ok, leaves you dealing with very big problems with only weak human wisdom as your defense. Sort of like a very naïve citizen attempting to defend themselves in a courtroom against a relentless attorney. Even though it may be possible it also may leave you to living with angry resentful and negative feeling for years to come.
Trusting in Divine Guidance and choosing to Live in Love gives you a power that is super natural and greater than all understanding. God’s wisdom will provide you with safety, clarity, strength and a wealth of support around each and every corner! The beauty of God’s loving kindness will fill you with unexplainable levels of Peace, Love, Joy, Contentment, Wisdom, Understanding and Hope.
Please pray for those in need, so they may look to the heavens for truth and wisdom to begin living in Love and not fear. It is not until you are honest with yourself that your life will be open to a Divine Love and Protection that surpasses all understanding.
Might it take being in the midst of chaos and pain that opens a heart and mind to a greater and deeper understanding of the love and connection that we share with every living being on this earth?
If this is truly the case no wonder so many people walk around this earth filled with such anger, hate, and animosity toward each other and themselves as well. This is a level of pain no one ever wants to endure. It would be much easier to simply continue on and remain at the same level of existence and conform to a continuance of being, rather than working toward a better existence.
Making a choice to part ways by standing firm against manipulation and intimidation is not an easy journey, but it is a journey that is necessary. No one should ever be asked to stifle their voice, beliefs and opinions.
Denying emotional responses to another is deeply abusive. Where there is control there is no love only fear.
In our lives we will come across many chances to compromise or stand up for what we believe to be right. As human beings we improve ourselves by increasing our level of consciousness by continuing to search for wisdom and enlightenment and living a more spiritual and Love based life.
Focus on the good. Stand up for what is right and choose to live in Love and not fear. People are fascinating. Our individual experiences and our individual opinions are what make us unique. Every time we meet someone new is a beautiful chance to learn and grow from each others’ experiences. Every human being on the earth has a story to tell. As we open our hearts and share our experiences we not only are teaching others by sharing what life has dealt us but also helping ourselves lighten the hurts that we may be carrying with us from those experiences.
I recently read an article on emotions the following paragraph is taken from their text. Be strong and chose Love, by opening your heart to divine guidance you will gain the strength to do what is right. It is your choice to make.
There are only two basic emotions that we all experience, love and fear. All other emotions are variations of these two emotions. Thoughts and behavior come from either a place of love, or a place of fear. Anxiety, anger, control, sadness, depression, inadequacy, confusion, hurt, lonely, guilt, shame, these are all fear-based emotions. Emotions such as joy, happiness, caring, trust, compassion, truth, contentment, satisfaction, these are love-based emotions.
“Pain is not a sign of weakness, but bearing it alone is a choice to grow weak” -Lorie Deschene
Unconditional love that comes from God is that which can forgive harshness, criticism, and disparaging words. It is only in Hope from the Love that we can draw enough strength to endure. As individuals if we look first to God for direction, strength and wisdom before speaking, acting and retaliating to a tongue lashing, our response may change significantly.
Could the major problem behind all the political difference of opinion, disparaging words and often childlike attacks be that we respond quickly, without contemplation with reasonable cognitive thinking? Does it make sense to respond to someone’s harsh unreasonable words with even harsher and more unreasonable words and blame?
I once read a bit of “drive by wisdom” at a time in my life that involved many major life changes. Because I had been tormented with grief and praying for help with anger and unrest, looking for wisdom, and attempting so desperately to find Hope, it wasn’t until I read this statement that I was able to see clearly that I was also an active part in all of the wrong that I felt was going on around me. The statement said very simply…. “When arguing with a STUPID person, make sure he is not doing the same thing.”
In my years as care giver to people with cognitive and behavioral disabilities, I experienced many disagreements daily. Often times even the smallest difference of opinion can unleash a massive war of words, accusations and aggressive actions. This is where another phrase of wisdom comes to mind, ”Hind sight is always 20X20”. How many times have we quickly responded to something only to later find out that we now feel differently, and wish we hadn’t said that?
As I write this I am humbly not claiming to have any solutions that will bring world peace or even at the very least an amicable election year. But what I do hope is, that everyone will remember, before they react or respond, this very simple bit of wisdom …. “When arguing with a stupid person, make sure he or she is not doing the same thing!”
In conclusion please don’t forget as human beings we improve ourselves by continuing to search for wisdom and enlightenment. We all may not go about it in the very same manner. The important thing is that we act with Love and not hate, and disagreeing with someone does not automatically mean they are stupid. Spend some time contemplating before reacting. We teach respect by acting respectful to others.
-What the Caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly- Richard Bach
When we are experiencing emotional pain we almost always feel we are alone, feeling great sadness, regret, shame, embarrassment. Our mind will tell us that we are the only one in the world who has ever had reason to feel this ashamed, embarrassed, or sad.. We feel as though everyone is against us. Although the real truth is that in our small corner of the world we are not the only one who ever feels these negative emotions! The opposite is usually true.
These emotions are very common however because they are negative and make us feel inferior we keep them hidden from others, and by doing this we give them power and allow them to pull our self-esteem even lower.
Many human beings that appear to be very confident, out spoken, social and happy, boldly being a comic, shaming, blaming or laughing at others, often times beneath the surface they are insecure people who are attempting to cover up the negative feelings of unworthiness, guilt or shame.
Human beings have many more likenesses than differences. Every human has vulnerabilities.
My heart goes out to those in pain, and I truly wish that no one had to experience pain and negative situations ever. If you have or are experiencing difficulties and negative situation, and have ever felt hopeless. Please take a moment to try to look at the situation in a completely different manner.
Step back from our individual pain and examine the situation as though it were happening to someone else. Negative emotions are universal and every living being is vulnerable to them. What if the uncomfortable experiences that we endure were a divine gift of understanding and compassion that we could use to help the many others who are feeling hopeless? When we use our experiences to reach out and help others, we can open our hearts and minds to become the pathway through which Divine Guidance can lead others toward hope. Blessings to you and all those who are in pain. Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Open your heart and allow Divine Guidance to lead.
With Respect, Hope, Joy and Love, Carmela
Please take a moment to listen. Many times songs will contain very important messages……. Please listen and share with others!
overcomer-Mandisa Gold-Britt Nicole I gave up-Mark Schultz
Many years ago my heart was awakened to the fact that when you allow God to take complete control of your life and genuinely live with complete trust in God with no fear of the world, amazing things do happen before your eyes. Although it may not always be completely as we would have planned it, when living “In and With The Lords Love” you need not fear!
I am feeling as though I need to tell you of an event that happened to me long ago when some may say that my heart acted with reckless abandon but the Lord “had my back”. I was working midnight to morning hours in a residential care home. This position was an awake overnight in a home where 4 individuals lived who needed support. There was a knock at the door about 1:30 AM and I answered the door finding a person who told me that her car had broken down asking to use the phone. I didn’t think twice about it, when she asked to use the phone to call her husband I left her in.
Soon after leaving her in she began to act suspiciously and raised some red flags to me. My intuition began telling me that she was there to rob the residents. She began telling me that she had worked at the home in the past, asked many questions, and asked to wait inside until her ride got there.
Because I had that internal alarm going off and I was sure she was dishonest, I immediately put all the keys to any money, valuables or medicine of the resident in my pocket. I very cautiously protected their belonging and was very comfortable in her company even though I felt sure she was being deceitful.
While she was making her call a resident woke and joined us. When my attention was distracted from her she went through my purse and took my wallet. She then asked me to use the bathroom. When I escorted her to the location of the bathroom she then commented about the renovations we had made since she was employed there. Asking details what is this door too and so on. This fact proved to me that my suspicions were right! She later came out of the bathroom and continued to chat and visit with me.
She seemed to sense that I was suspicious of her so she changed the story of why she was there. She then when into an elaborate story of how her husband beats her and she used to come there and they would give her shelter. The story went on, she stayed longer, and even asked me to make her a sandwich when she seen the resident getting himself a sandwich. Before she left the house she made one more request of me. She asked if I could get her a sweatshirt or something to put on because it was cold out. I immediately knew this request was simply to get me to leave the room, because my instincts still did not trust her Instead of leaving I offered her the Jacket I was wearing. She tried to put it on but it was to small. She then left. As she left I told her I would say a prayer for her and watched her cross the yard. I truly did say a prayer for her.
The next morning when the AM staff came in I relayed the incident to them being sure to tell them that I was sure she was looking for cash but I kept the keys on me and made sure she was not able to roam freely. I then collected my things and returned home.
Later that day I received a phone call from my bank telling me that someone picked up my wallet that had been thrown out along a nearby street! She had taken my wallet and went shopping at the local 24 hour store and then in the morning went to the bank and cashed a check for the remainder of the funds. She also had my drivers license and even though our appearances were as drastically different as possible they allowed her to cash the checks.
Police were called, and because she stayed so long and talked with me she was very easily identified by those who worked with her previously, and by me in a photo array as well. I had no cash along that night (other than 50 cents in the pocket of the jacket I tried to give her) but because of the way things transpired I was not harmed in any way and all of the money that she had taken through cashing checks was returned to me by the bank.
The bank had her photo, the signature on the checks were not even a close resemblance of mine and they admitted that it was their mistake for not looking at her identification to compare our photos. The police later told me that she was out on probation when she did this and the time before when she stole a check and cashed it she had signed her name to it.
After all of this transpired I was very upset and angry and as I was explaining the story to a coworker I stressed that I waved goodby to her and even went in and said a prayer for her! “Carmela, I think it worked” she said. “All is well ,no one is harmed and everything is coming right back to you!” The Lord “Had my back” 🙂
That was many years ago and although I did come across her picture not to long ago, I have not heard how she is doing. I wish her nothing bad and I truly hope that she has changed for the good.
Be faithful and do not fear-
Isaiah 8:9-10 9. Raise the war cry you nations and be shattered!
Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
10. Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted: propose your plan,
but it will not stand, for God is with us .
We can not control what other people do or how they chose to live. The only thing we can do is LIVE IN LOVE and Pray for other people.
Here is one of my favorite songs from The Sidewalk Profits
“Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.” – Aristotle
Courage
Being courageous is not allowing our limiting beliefs stop us from accomplishing what we want. It’s about following through with difficult procedures, tasks or dreams when everyone and everything around us says it’s impossible to do.
If Courage is a flower desire is the water that helps it to grow.
One cannot have courage apart from desire. The fire fighter rushes into the building to rescue someone with great courage only because he has the desire to help others. The desire to help is the very thing that gives him such great courage. The teenager that tries out for a role in the high school musical has the desire to entertain others. The student that studies medicine has the desire to heal people. Might this be an example of the awesome universal connection that is available to every living being? One apart from the other will fail.
Is the humble willingness of a person to open their heart to accept and ask for assistance from God what gives a Hero the amazing sometimes super human strength and desire to both endure and react heroically?
There are many places within the Bible that state “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
What if a very simple silent prayer for Divine help is all we need to fill our heart with both desire and courage.
The Immenseness of our universe is both unimaginable and magical. Simply take a moment to admire the stars on a clear night. Quiet your thoughts and simply be still in the moment. One persons’ physical presence seems so incredibly small and insignificant under the vast sky.
However if a person opens their heart and mind and asks for wisdom and guidance from the very maker of the stars the significance and potential increase immensely as a beautiful Divine light of desire and courage will glow from within. Might it be this connection, the companionship of human and divine that leads us to an unimaginable coexistence filled with joy, love, wisdom and peace?
Every day we are faced with situations that require courage. Some may be mild and others can be devastatingly harsh. Planning ahead and thinking through how we can possibly respond may be helpful in reducing stress and increasing courage, but most importantly always keeping your heart and mind open to and listening for the whisper of Divine guidance from within will give us the courage we need to stand up for what is right and just and possess the confidence to respond in a brave and compassionate manner.
Much time has passed since my last post. I seem to have been at a loss for words since the passing of my grandson. Grief is a very strange thing. There is much written about it and many thoroughly explained steps of grief are defined, but there is no quick recovery and each event is so very different.
Several months before Wyatt’s passing he was very anxious and afraid. He was having bad dreams and medications were causing some hallucinations. I happened to be wearing a thin silver band ring with the word PEACE engraved on it. I gave him my ring, and had a conversation with him. “This can be your safety ring. Do you remember in church how we share the peace with our neighbor?” Shaking hands and saying “Peace be with you”. “Yes” he answered. “Wear the ring to remind you that you are safe and fold your hands and say, Dear God, Please take all the scary stuff away.” The ring reminds us that we’re not alone comfort is just a prayer away. The ring and prayers brought him comfort.
We also talked about having a family ring made. He could chose what he wanted it to look like and say. We each would have a ring and wear it so even when we are not together we can wear and feel safe. He discussed the ring with mom dad and sisters and they decided on having a silver band with a small heart stamped on the band and inside the band it would say forever loved. We had them made and wore them. We were comforted by the connection of the ring and the reminder we are not alone. The ring continues to bring me comfort I treasure the daily reminder of my loving grandson’s presence and the comfort of our loving God.
Carmela Snelbaker 