Monday, March 18, 2024

Happy Bird Day: An Angel Message

While visiting St. Augustine last week to celebrate Elliot's special birthday, the birds came out to make sure he had a very Happy Bird Day.  

A bald eagle perched on top of the 208-ft. Great Cross. A symbol of freedom and spiritual power when we take our consciousness to the next level. Focus on things spiritual, not material. 



A lone  hawk landed on a tree limb in the early morning sunshine.  Get ready for an opportunity coming your way. 

In the afternoon, a hungry lone pelican swooped down on the pier, tussling with two fishermen over a big silvery fish.   They shouted and shooed it away. That big beautiful pelican took to the blue sky, circling the inlet. I had a feeling he wasn't ready to quit just yet. He'd be back again. And, so it was fun to see him circle back toward the pier and land on the railing by the two men. This time the wise bird patiently waited with longing big eyes. I was going to buy a fish from them, but it wasn't necessary.  The men had a change of heart, and tossed a blue fish from their ice chest to the pelican who caught it in mid air and swallowed the whole fish in one hardy gulp.  His long neck stretched as shimmied and wiggled to force the fish down the hatch. Satisfied, he rested on the pier beside the two fishermen.   


 Pelicans symbolize renewed buoyancy. No matter how difficult life gets, or how deep down you plunge, you will pop to the surface, unsinkable.  A perfect message for the times we live in:  Rise above life's trials.   Water represents emotions, and often our emotions weigh us down.  The pelican teaches not to be overcome by them.

More birds were in the air.  Leaving the pier, a chorus of little cheerful song birds perched atop the dolphin gateway added joy to the day and looked like musical notes on a scale.  

And, a delicious lunch at an outdoor Mediterranean restaurant, our table was perfectly positioned by a tall  angel statue holding a little bird in her hands. All in all, it was the tweetest birthday for my favorite bird lover, a song bird himself.

By feeding the ducks first thing each morning the past six months, we wondered if that contributed to the trill of such a memorable Bird Day.  A wonderful reminder to watch where we put our focus because it will show up in our life.   Our thoughts are things...and what we feed grows, so look for the love and the harmony. 

Have a blessed day with your angels.  Remember GOD LOVES YOU.

Joy and peace,

Rae Karen  



Monday, March 11, 2024

Uncanny Leaps Forward: An Angel Message

 Sunday afternoon, I ran inside to grab the phone, when I returned to my green folding chair, my seat had been taken by an unusual visitor.  A large sandy brown grasshopper hugged the metal arm rest as if holding my place.

When our photo op was over, in one giant leap he made great strides in a single bound, and landed on a wild buttercup plant across the way.  Buttercup is a flower of faith and hope, and easily adapts to any environment.    

The timing of his animated behavior made me curious as to the angel message from nature.  Turns out, uncanny leaps forward is the keynote of the grasshopper. That is how it can escape.  With tremendous jumping ability they leap horizontally twenty times their body length.  When one appears it could mean it's important to get off your haunches and move.  Take a chance.  Leap forward.  Listen to your own inner voice to know when to make a move in any area of your life.

Remember a grasshopper always leaps up or forward, never backwards. 

Have a joyful day with your angels, and take a leap of faith when the time feels right.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Sunday, March 10, 2024

After the Storm: An Angel Message

 Heavy rain and thunder claps woke me up last night.  Protection prayers went out to all those little creatures caught up in stormy weather.  Rather than be fearful, I focused on the beautiful new dawn that was coming in the morning.  A special day when family will visit from out of state.  A long overdue reunion.

This morning I woke up to the sweet song of a bird outside the bedroom window.  And, later a glorious  golden-orange sunrise peeked through the trees in scintillating rays like a 4th of July sparkler.  

The storm was a distant memory.  I was not disappointed to greet the new day.

But more was to come...  

During a quiet time of reflection in the sun-room, our cat, Hei-Hei, perked up and dashed to the window.    

Curious, I took a look.

A young turkey had come calling...pecking at corn kernels on the lawn.  The first gobbler to visit this year. It's always a thrill to see a wild turkey roam free in the yard. A signal for me to give thanks for all things.   I was thankful the storm passed, and the morning was abundantly rich with the beauty of nature.

And to prove thoughts are things... no sooner did I mention missing the rabbits who haven't been around at all this spring, as if on cue, one appeared, then another, and another!  Soon there were four animated little cotton-tails hopping around the front yard.  Spring had sprung.  Renewal, rebirth, and resurrection are in the air.  Get ready. The best is yet to be.  



It's not easy to capture four rascally rabbits in action...but it goes to show there is an abundance of  hope  with our faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit and the angels. 

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Dabbling Ducks! An Angel Message

The angels were at again, adding a touch of humor to the morning.  Our favorite and only mallard couple were putting on a show.   Side by side, rear-ends up in the air. Heads down below the water.  Something was up as we watched their unusual antics -- tipping and dipping in and out of the lake.  A glimpse of Upside Down Life in motion--something we all are experiencing during these strange times.  

Their activity reinforced the cormorant message in the last angel blog.  A signal to go deeper if you would like to have a new birth. 

The comical sight of the two playful mallards was a heads-up. 

The message became clearer when I later learned they are called  Dabbling Ducks.  Rather than playing they're on a quest to reach as far under the water as they can for sustenance.  Dipping in and out of the water their bills are seeking for edible aquatic vegetation and insects. 

Dabbling Ducks, really?  On a personal level, I'm guilty of dabbling, dipping in and out of something, making little dips up and down, without any real determination to complete something that I know I should tackle.  Overwhelmed, I often just go through the motions. Dabbling.  

Today, hopefully I will begin to sink down below the surface, and work on finishing a project that interestingly enough involves my dear feathered friends.

Have a joyful day with your angels.  Remember you are never alone.  Expect the best, and go deep, and look for the good like you would a pearl of great price.

 Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Out of the Mists: An Angel Message

It's not often we wake up to a thick misty morning when the ordinary takes on an aura of mystery. The day's sunny complexion is veiled from the light of a sun rise.  A touch of mystery stirs the air as the familiar becomes strangely unfamiliar in a fog.  

This morning our usual trip to feed the ducks cast a different, yet lovely, vision of peace as I stood by the lake and looked out at the still waters.  A time of beautiful reflection.   I watched a lone cormorant stretch out her wings in a waterlogged tree to welcome the birth of a new day.   

Cormorants are known to be expert divers and swimmers.  When one appears in our life, it's a clue to dive in to what we have been hesitating about. Like this deep diver, we will be able to dive and swim in areas of our life where we wouldn't think possible. A cormorant, an ancient bird that dates back to the Bible, signals it's time for us to dive in deeper if we wish to have a new birth.   If you are willing to go deeper, answers will be found.

It's interesting that this bird must swallow pebbles to make itself heavy enough to stay under water.  So when a cormorant appears, it means a new opportunity or teaching will come our way to help us accomplish what didn't seem possible. 

The angels help us to do the impossible when we follow their loving guidance, and step out in faith.  God speaks to us through nature.  I was thankful for the message.  While things are a little foggy just now,  clarity will come if we keep the faith, and do our best to follow through on what we know we need to do. Love will always make a way, but we must be willing to venture out into the deep and cast our nets.  

The best is yet to be.

Love and peace,

 Rae Karen

Monday, March 4, 2024

When a Cardinal Appears...

On a gray Saturday afternoon, a sudden splash of colorful red feathers in the birdbath was no doubt an angel message.   

 The timing was in divine order.   I'd been praying hard, in the midst of an inner melt-down, trying to find peace in an annoying situation when my son called out to me.   

Come and see a cardinal...bathing in the birdbath.  

Immediately, my spirits lifted as if my prayer was answered.  A cardinal is my sign that my departed mother is near whenever one appears.  I ran to the window to see for myself.

 Whenever a bird or an animal crosses our path in a conspicuous way, it's good to pay attention.  Their behavior in the moment is part of the message or lesson.    

I grabbed my camera, and zoomed out through the living room window.  Not sure what I'd get, I asked the angels for help as I steadied the focus.  The red cardinal was putting on a show.  Heavy rains had splattered most of the water out of the bath.  He kept trying his best to squat down low and have a good soak in what water was available, which he enjoyed for a long time.     

I was in for another surprise.  Later the larger uploaded photos had captured more detail.  What a funny expression that little fellow had glaring up at me, with a look of annoyance. Was I disturbing his peace? I wondered.  Or, was his message, to choose again?  Focus on the best, and be thankful for all the good already present in each moment.

 Mom, known for her sense of humor, had done it again. My mood shifted, coming up higher.

In Animal-Speak:  "The cardinal's presence reflects a time to renew our vitality.  It reflects lessons in developing and accepting a new sense of our own true self-importance."

I was thankful for the cardinal visit.  Renewal of vitality...a time to immerse myself in a new way of developing my true value, and those around me as God truly created each of us to be.  

Have a joyful day with your angels.  Remember whatever you're going through, you are not alone-- no matter where you find yourself.  Right there in the midst, unseen heavenly help is waiting, ready to comfort, guide, and refresh. God loves you now and always.

Love,

Rae Karen


Saturday, March 2, 2024

Prayer for Peace

 Prayer for Peace

 ~Mother Teresa~

Lead me from death to life

from lies to truth

Lead me from despair to hope

from fear to trust

Lead me from hatred to love

from war to peace

Let peace fill our heart,

our world, our universe...

peace, peace, peace.




Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Waiting While Stuck: An Angel Message

Something amusing happened that brought a lesson on acceptance from our cat.  Elliot and I returned home from a morning spent running errands. We felt bad to find that Hei-Hei  had accidentally been shut up inside Elliot's office while we were out and about.   The office door is always closed to mischievous paws. Temptation to explore what is off-limits makes the playful kitten look for any opportunity to sneak by and slip inside in a flash, and the chase begins.    

On this occasion to find he had been trapped inside was puzzling.  Because the gray tabby sat on a reading chair, looking peaceful, and content.  Instead of shambles, the office was orderly, with no sign of chaos.   Nothing toppled off the desk, no papers strewn across the floor, or pictures knocked over.  


 What was up? His behavior was unusual.

A hidden clue surfaced a short time later revealing a bigger picture.  Elliot's furry little Valentine monkey had been moved. No longer on top of the drum where it belonged.  He found the big hearted chimp tucked behind his office door.  

 Hmmm....   

No doubt, fun-loving monkey business was at work during Hei-Hei's voluntary confinement.

 

You have to hand it to Hei-Hei, he marches to the beat of his own drum, making the best of a bad situation.   A lesson for me to look for ways to lighten up, find the fun little things around me in a moment of feeling a bit stuck. Choose love over fear.

Have a joyful day,

Love and peace,

Rae Karen



Tuesday, February 27, 2024

NEXT LEVEL: An Angel Message

 On Sunday afternoon, a large, bold sign on the feed store window caught my eye.  NEXT LEVEL.  

I was waiting in the car while Elliot ran inside to buy 50-lbs. of cracked corn.  I had a false claim I kept to myself.  Energy coursed through me, hyping me up like the rushing of spring. I tried to stay calm and find peace.  The NEXT LEVEL sign seemed like an angel prescription.   To rise above the temptation to believe that I was less than how God made me.  We are all coming up to the next level of consciousness.   

The timing was perfect as patience was needed for me to hold on to the truth of who God says I am, and dispel the illusion that I could be less than Spirit. Elliot had a long wait before he returned with help to carryout the heavy feedbag.      

Rather than hurry home, we spent time in nature.  

The feed store sign, NEXT LEVEL, soon played out again at a nearby parkA lone ibis was a perfect illustration.  The tall bird stood high up on an old oak tree, above the rest of the flock near the lake. I was taking his picture when he struck a pose.  He lifted one pink leg while keeping his balance on high with only a leg to stand on. What was the message?   To give someone in need a leg up?  Or, to take action, while you still have a leg to stand on? 

 

NEXT LEVEL popped up again on an impromptu visit to see the peacocks at the rehabilitation center. Turning into the parking lot, four peacocks were easily spotted, resting up high on the branches of a large old tree. Long iridescent feathery trains draped the oak like Spanish moss swaying in a soft breeze. 


These royal birds with their golden feathery eyes are all about watchfulness.  

Taking it up to the next level, going higher, to get a more expansive view of life. Watch what you're declaring about yourself and others.

Zooming in, this standing peacock in a tree, began to shake and unfurl his feathers but then stopped.  I got his advice though on not letting our feathers get ruffled. Take it to the NEXT LEVEL, above the tide of human drama and emotions. 

God is always speaking to us.  While taking pics of the beautiful peacocks, a bus pulled out from the entrance into the building.  I got out of the way, and couldn't believe the timely marquis, JESUS SAVES.  I gave the smiling driver a thumbs-up, as he rolled by.

Jesus Saves.

 

By the time we returned home, I was on the mend, thankful for the healing. What messages are the angels sending you today? They wisely guide us to take life up to the next level...to come up higher where love and peace reign. Jesus Saves.

 Have a joyful day. God loves you.  The best is yet to be.

Love, peace, and joy


Rae Karen 




Sunday, February 25, 2024

Seas the Day: An Angel Message

Angels can deliver any time, in any place, and with a good sense of humor. They love to catch us off-guard, tickling our funny bone to shake us awake. 

It happened on Saturday at the local farmers' market.  Our first morning back from a short trip to the beach, the sea was still rushing through my veins. Out of My Shell, and the angels' message on expansiveness was fresh in my mind.

I'd almost waited in the car while Elliot went to buy tomatoes from Louis.  The sun was bright.  The tree-lined park packed with vendors.  I wasn't interested in buying more stuff.  It's still fun to walk around.  See all the nostalgic items, unusual things that are hard to find anymore. Items that bring to mind the good ole days. 

Passing by a table nestled in the shade of an old cypress tree, I saw something amazing.  A mega GIANT seashell. LOL!  It stuck out on a vendor's table like a flag on a mailbox.  No doubt an angel special delivery. A zsst ran through me.  The seller, a gentleman about my age, reeled me in, hoping for a sale. Wide-eyed, I eagerly stared at the enormous whelk shell.  "This isn't real," I said, assuming it was white porcelain.      

The seller's eyes twinkled as he assured me not only was it real, but it was the biggest shell I'd ever see!

A doubting Thomas, I picked up the gigantic unwieldy Whelk to peek inside and see for myself.   It was the real deal. Someone had painted the exterior white many years ago. What a find!  The creme de la creme of gifts from the sea.  The Grand Mother of shells.  

Holding it close, I marveled at the creative work of the sea snail creature that once called this work of art home. A grand architect.   If you counted each spiral like you would the rings on a tree, the industrious sea creature must have lived a long, full life, always expanding and growing in the vast ocean.    

WOW I loved it, and the deal was sealed with a pair of glittery angel wing shells, and a Moravian star ornament for a grand sum of $17. 

 

Later on-line, I learned it was a TRUMPET Whelk. They can grow up to two-feet and live for 20 years. 

I was thankful to have this work of art fashioned by nature.  

Sometimes we may feel like we're going round and round, circling the same old surface, not making any progress.   The lesson of the Trumpet Whelk is worth remembering.  The trumpet sounds. Wake up! We're more than we know, we're coming up higher, expanding our consciousness, with each complete rotation, even though we may not recognize it at the time.

Now every time I look over at the GIANT TRUMPET WHELK on top of the bookcase next to the boombox, I laugh in amazement! What a find!  Far from the sea from whence it came.  A reminder to keep thinking BIG, and expecting grand things.  The best is yet to be.   

I love sharing these angel experiences with you.  What blesses one, blesses each of us.  My hope is that you, too, will begin to see an expansive view of the world around you.  You will begin to realize that angels are real and are here to help us grow in spirit, to remember our true identity.  

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Out of My Shell: Angel Message

Last week at the library book store, an unusual blue book popped up. A trivia book for shell lovers by Peter Dance.  The bold title, OUT OF MY SHELL, made me laugh.  It seemed like another angel hint on expansiveness. Sometimes we outgrow our current shell and must expand to create a larger one.  

But even more synchronicity came a few days later.  

On Friday morning, before leaving St. Augustine to return home, an angel nudged, Go down to the sea and find a memento of your trip.  

I doubted I'd find much, many beach-combers had already sifted through the sands outside our hotel.  But the nudge was so insistent, down to the sea we went.  The hard-packed sand showed little promise. Although several pools of tiny shells glistened like jewels on the damp sand.  They were mostly broken or as tiny as a finger nail.  But then I saw the gift.   A white angel wing shell, among a flattened mound of tiny jeweled shells.  A keeper!

  

Then, a little further down the wide expansive beach, I found another treasure.  A flat sea-rock, sprinkled with golden flecks of shells the tide had delivered.  A pirate's delight, the rock shimmered like gold dust among shiny pink, purple, and white shells.  I'd yet to find a sea rock like this one at the beach.  A conglomerate of little rocks, all shapes and sizes, embedded in the large wet gray stone to add strength.   Each little stone a stone of remembrance.  We all have them if we reflect on our past and recall the way God delivered us and made us grow stronger in our spirit. 

 


Happy with the gifts from the sea, Elliot and I plopped down on a sand dune to inhale the salty sea air, and expand our lungs. White and gray seagulls stood in a row by the shoreline.  A flock of large brown pelicans sailed by on the morning breeze.  The soothing rush of the sea, the silky white caps rolling in, and our faces touched by the warm rays of the sun were healing balms.  And, like two contented sea turtles, we hunkered down in a moment's repose on the sandy shore of time.

So many gifts of nature to be treasured as a new day begins.  And, then it was about to rain and time to go home.

Have a wonderful weekend with your angels and the Holy Spirit. Remember you are never alone.  God loves you, and the best is yet to be. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

 

 

 

 









Friday, February 23, 2024

More Expansive Views of Gratitude: Angel Message

 Last night's full moon shining over the ocean illuminated the rolling waves.   The expansive distance between the two was too great to capture them both in a photo. 

This morning's sunrise in St. Augustine opened up beneath a pink, feathery cloud cover...filling the sky with brilliant light. 


 

 A change of scenery is good every now and then...   Shakes me out of a fixed routine...and into the joy of unexpected blessings that pop up thanks to the Holy Spirit, and the angels.  Have a blessed day.  The best is yet to be.

Love and peace,


Rae Karen