A Surprise in a Box: An Angel Message

 Unexpected surprises may come in ordinary packages.  Last week I got a big one, along with a powerful angel lesson on perseverance and resilience.

While shopping for a new bathroom light fixture, I was sold on a store display of Amaryllis kits. It brought back memories of eager time spent waiting for the Christmas flower to emerge out of an ugly brown onion shaped bulb in a pot.  Watching the slow progress through many stages,  finally the Amaryllis  bloomed in splendid beauty, heralding velvet-red trumpet flowers.

 I didn't assemble the kit right away, thinking to gift it to a garden friend instead, but an angel thought nudged, keep it.  I was glad I listened.  Christmas would have been too late...  Because when I popped open the carton... what a pitiful, yet amazing sight!  Somehow the Amaryllis had adapted, and managed to grow from a soil-less bulb.  I gasped at her plight. With no sunlight, her long crooked stem was white and so were her flattened leaves pressed together in the cramped box.  Yet inspite of her dire circumstances,  a swollen red bud had opened on her head, humbly bent down low.  

Immediately, I was touched by her resilience.  But to be honest, I had a fleeting thought to return the kit for a refund.  In my heart I knew this wasn't about money. It was about love. And, that's what this struggling flower needed most.  I talked to her softly, thanking her for the gift of endurance, and  encouraging her she would have a second chance.  Quickly, I mixed the packet of loamy soil, and placed "Little Mary" in a proper pot to bask in the sunlight,  along with our prayers for the angels to help her heal and grow strong and tall. 

It's been wonderful to watch the transformation. Each day, pale leaves and stem are turning green, raising up, growing straighter.  And, more red velvet blooms are opening toward the light. A testimony to the power of prayer, light, and love in action.

I learned the Greek word "amarysso" means "to sparkle".  And, "Little Mary" has added sparkle and joyful inspiration to our Christmas holidays.   

Turns out, Amaryllis represents female energy, resilience, and motherhood. The name "Mary" is planted in the name Amaryllis, and this amazing Christmas plant has connections to the Blessed Mother who brought the world a precious Gift of Light and Love.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Angels Rejoice at His Birth

 Following a friendly angel nudge opened an advent door on Saturday. On our way home, an ARROW pointed down the road to a garage sale. Loving a bargain, we set off in a new direction.  The signs soon disappeared, and just when about to quit, another bold ARROW soon popped up, turning us down an unfamiliar street. 

Driving along the rural road, passing a lake, we somehow bypassed the turn to the garage sale.  But all was in divine order.    Because suddenly we happened upon something spectacular.   A field full of life-size white-winged angels! Rows upon rows--they gathered in white satin gowns, with gold ribbon sashes.  Gazing at the heavenly scene, it was as if a portal had opened in the presence of holy angels. A soft breeze ruffled their long-flowing gowns enlivening their presence with a touch of the divine.    

A large banner, between two old oaks, joyously proclaimed the reason for the season. 

A multitude of Angels marveled at His birth.

The Savior is Born! 

 Excited, I hopped out of the car and thanked the two earth angels (putting up their decorations).  "Look at our license plate!" I laughed.  Both women smiled at ANGEL LOVE.  Turns out, there are 39 angels, each one a memorial for a departed loved one--family member, friends, and some angels were sponsored in partnership with their local church over the years. 

 We accepted their invitation to drive by that night to see the lovely vision. Shortly after sundown, the pink sunset gave way to a darkened sky over the cow pasture.  We made the short drive to visit the Christmas story.    

 

Nearing the property, I rolled down my window as we parked to take in the holy night.  The babe in the manger, Mary and Joseph, the three Magi, shepherds, and sheep.  And, all those lovely angels aglow in the still of the night stirred cherished memories of my loved ones-- friends and family-- no longer here to celebrate Christmas with us. A palpable presence of love welled up as I imagined my departed loved ones, angels in the heavenly realm standing tall with the others radiating love and peace. My eyes suddenly misted with overflowing gratitude for the many gifts shared together through all the years.  

Those angels we'd first seen in the daylight now took on a more meaningful and deeper perception at night.  It's when times are the darkest, angels appear to light our way in our hour of need.  During this season of the year, the nights are the longest, and angels bend down close to the earth to celebrate the wonder of the Christ child, the Light of the World, and to share God's Love. His precious gift of Life eternal to the world.  

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

 

Thanksgiving at All Times

Yesterday, my efforts to blog about Thanksgiving were blocked by a computer glitch all day.  I recognize these hold-ups often serve a higher purpose to test my patience, and wait for further guidance. There is more to come.   Earlier "Happy people are thankful people"--a sign on a church marquis in the countryside had caught my eye. An inspiring  message from the angels to count my blessings.  Is the glass half-full or half-empty?  When feeling a lack of joy, I realize I've stepped out of gratitude, forgetting all the good that is already present.  Making a list of everything I have to be grateful for, brings me into a state of grace, opening up to receive and share more blessings.

The computer snag did serve a higher purpose.  Early this morning before getting out of bed, I was reminded that President Lincoln established a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1863.  A special day, celebrated in November, to give thanks for our nation.  Since then, every president has set aside a national day "to render the homage due to the Divine Majesty for the wonderful things he has done in the nation's behalf."  

Lincoln provided a model on how we can choose to walk in gratitude before God.  

"At all times, for all things, we can give thanks--in the privacy of our hearts and in our public spheres of influence.  We should never forget the Giver of every blessing and the Father of all good things.  Let's remember to be grateful, especially during the difficult times.  We can trust, like Lincoln, that God's higher purposes are being accomplished in our lives and that he will give us the grace and mercy we need."    

                                     (Walking with Lincoln, Spiritual Strength from America's Favorite President, T. Freiling)

President Abraham Lincoln issued more proclamations thanking God than any other U.S. president.  

With fresh insight, I eagerly got up to write this blog hoping for the best--and, what do you know--the laptop was All-Systems-Go! Glitch-free.   I'm so thankful to be able to share a touch of Thanksgiving with you.  Have a happy day wherever you are, and remember you're in the company of angels. God loves you.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

                    

Lincoln photo: on-line  

Angels are Here

"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."
                                                 ~Psalm 91

I'll never forget the morning I woke up to discover my ordinary angel statue on the dresser had created a living portrait of light on the bedroom wall.  Her silhouette was magnified by golden rays of sunlight pouring through the crack in the door.  I felt a peacefulness wash over me.  A renewed sense of hope and faith.  At that time, my spirits were at an all-time-low and I needed that spiritual boost. 

 

Expect the unexpected seemed to be her loving message. I gazed at the shift in my perception, thankful for the powerful reminder that more was happening than I could presently understand, but not to fear.  I was not alone. 

 

Our guardian angels, although invisible, may sneak up on us in moments of light-filled perception. Unseen, but not unnoticed, we feel the warmth and tender touch of our angels when we crack open the door of belief and let them enter. Through their guidance, we begin to see life through the lens of divine love.  It only takes a little willingness, a crack in the door,  to let our angels in to brighten our day with hope and faith.  We are never alone--even now your guardian angel is as close as your next breath.  Why not open your heart today. Then, get ready to expect the unexpected in joyful anticipation.  

 

Love and peace,  

Rae Karen

Chill and Be Still: Angel Message

                            
The angels want us to know that when things heat up, don't react.  The problem is never the problem. It's  our attitude regarding the problem that's the problem.  When we can willingly meet a situation, with any measure of acceptance--no matter how small--it's a healing step forward.  By not resisting but allowing, our reactive energy that would have ignited the issue dissipates to the degree that we can just let things be as they are.

 

 Now, the angels know it's not easy for us to move into a state of acceptance.  It goes beyond our comfort zone or our need to be right, but by calling on them for assistance, grace comes to take the place where error would have us be. We find a lifting and a lightening of our "load."   These tests are here to help us transform our lower nature.  A test of patience. They become a blessing when we can rise above the 3-D consciousness of the problem, and see the bigger picture at play. Then we can attune to divine wisdom and take the next step in faith and grace.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and blessings,

Rae Karen

 

 

    (Snow Angel - Wikimedia Commons)

Up a Tree: An Angel Message

When an animal or a bird catches your attention, it's helpful to pay attention to what they're doing at the time.  It could be an angel message. A clue to something happening or about to happen in your circumstances, and how to best handle the situation.  Saturday morning at the local market, a new vendor had a creative display of  decoupaged mason jars.  The autumn-seasoned red-tailed squirrel was a keeper.  Squirrel brings a lesson in giving and receiving, in work and in play.  Balance is the message. 

Synchronicity was in the air.  On our next stop, as I got out of the car, a cute baby squirrel was chattering in a tree.  Big brown eyes stared from the limb directly above me.  Chattering loud, he didn't let up. Was he stuck up a tree and had forgotten how to get down. The intensity of his constant squawking made me ask the angels to watch over him.   After a walk around the lake, I returned to find the tree quietly vacant.  

 Sometimes, we may be confused about a situation, long-term, or not, we've tried our best to resolve it harmoniously.  But we're stumped...up a tree...seeking refuge, waiting for answers. 

The next day the up a tree theme continued.  At the rehab center, the wild peacocks were missing. No longer strutting around sharing their beauty, I happened to look up. The flock was up a tree, waiting out molting season. Every year they shed their old feathers, and new one's grow in during the winter months.  The regal birds go into hiding, dreaming of a shivering new dance, regaled in a brand new full feathered fan, ready to meet a mate next spring. 

 Fall is a time of letting go--the old passes away to make room for the new...all part of a cycle.  Everything has a season.  I've been feeling a need to let go of all the things that I no longer absolutely need, to down-size, and not be weighed down by stuff.    

 To LET GO does not mean to stop caring, 

it means  I can’t do it for someone else.

To LET GO is not to cut myself off, it's the realization

      I can't control another.

To LET GO is not to enable, 

but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To LET GO is to admit powerlessness, 

which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To LET GO is not to try to change or blame another,

       it's to make the most of myself.

To LET GO is not to care for, but to care about.

To LET GO is not to judge, 

but to allow another  to be a human being.

To LET GO is not to be in the middle arranging all the

      outcomes, 

but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To LET GO is not to be protective, 

it's to permit another to face reality.

To LET GO is not to deny, but to accept.

To LET GO is not to nag, scold or argue,

 but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To LET GO is not to adjust everything to my desires, 

but

       to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To LET GO is not to regret the past,

 but to grow and live.

      To LET GO is to fear less 

and LOVE more.

                                                       --Author Unknown

 

Happy Autumn, enjoy your day with the angels.  Remember you're never alone.  You are in the presence of God's angels.  Keep looking up.  The best is yet to be.

 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen 

The Final Supermoon of 2024: Angel Message

 Last night an angel nudge interrupted our movie time and called me to hurry outdoors to look at the November supermoon. The last of 2024's four consecutive supermoons, November is named the Beaver Moon according to the Old Farmers' Almanac. That's because it represents a time when beavers started sheltering in their lodges, after preparing food stocked up for the winter.  

A funny thing happened as I ran to the end of the driveway to see the radiance of the full moon.  A swirling cloud closed in, shrouding her glorious illumination like a bridal veil.  Momentarily, her face disappeared, casting a soft, pinkish/blue halo in the clouds.  

It was worth the wait. 

A portal soon opened, framing her beauty in the brightest moon I've yet to see.  She lit up the sky in a peaceful stillness, and I was so grateful to have answered the angel call.  

Like the moon, we, too, appear to go through phases as we reflect the light in various degrees. But unlike the moon, our inner light is eternal. A gift from God through His beloved son Jesus the Christ who came as a Light into this world.   I was thankful for the lesson that although a cloud may temporarily block the Light,  it can never put it out. Only we can do that by turning away from our loving Creator and facing the dark alone. 

Angels are real...and we need them now more than ever.    The best is yet to be.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Upward on Eagles' Wings: An Angel Message

There are no ordinary moments.  Out of the ordinary, comes the extraordinary. On November 12, heading to the local post office early in the morning brought a special angel delivery. Off in the distance, I spotted two large white-headed birds on a barn roof out in the flooded cow pasture. There was no time to stop for a photo since a truck was tailing, so we drove on to the post office to beat the rush.  If they were eagles, which seemed highly doubtful, the powerful pair would be waiting on our return for a photo to share, I told Elliot.

The post office was empty, the errand quick. On the ride home, what a disappointment.  No big birds were on the old weathered barn.  Oh, well, now I would never know... I chided myself for even thinking eagles were around. A rare sight.

 

Turning onto the main road, the vantage point shifted.  I could see the other side of the water-logged barn.  The two big birds were on the roof, in plain view!  Elliot pulled over, and I ran across the country road, hoping for the best.  I stood at the barbwire fence, gazing off in the distance. Breathless. The camera lens wildly zoomed, bouncing over the grassy pasture. Snapping away, I asked the angels for help with the focus.

 Before long, I got it.   My eyes misted in the wind as they came into view.

Not one, but two bald eagles!   

God seemed close, and  I was humbled by the timing.  

Eagle has long been a symbol of spiritual power and illumination.   In early Christian mysticism, the bald eagle represented resurrection.  Immortality brought to light. Eagles represent Spirit, dominion, freedom, a powerful sign for the times we live in. 

Back in the car, overwhelmed by the amazing experience, I turned around for one last look.  

The eagles were gone.  The barn roof vacant.

More was to come though... 

 

When the photos were uploaded, the eagle pair had another message.  With their backs to me, they faced a utility truck with the word UP in big, bold letters.  Ha...what were the odds?

A grateful and timely message from God's angels to keep looking UP on-high, look to things of spirit, not material.  The best is yet to be.   When an eagle appears, it signals a time to take on responsibility and the power of becoming so much more than you now appear to be.  From a karmic aspect it reflects that events will now fly faster--and the repercussions for everything you think, do, or say (or fail to think, do, or say) positive and negative--will be stronger and quicker. 

 

Enjoy your day with the angels.  The best is yet to be.

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

 (Ref. Animal-Speak, Ted Andrews)

Keep the Flow Open: An Angel Message

 

One thing leads to another.  A much needed gutter cleaning happened spontaneously--late in the afternoon. A steady stream of acorns from a nearby oak had turned the gutters into a heavy-laden feeding trough for the squirrels. A messy job, years overdue, my son climbed up on the roof, and began digging out the nuts and storm debris with a  hand-shovel, tossing the heavy dregs overboard.  Soon the water was once again flowing freely down the spout. 

As it turned out, the timing of that job was in divine order.  An illustration for the devotional the previous day:

  "Many think it is humility to say they do little, and are of little value to My world.  To think that is pride.  What if the pipe were to say "I do so little, I wish I could be more use."  The reply would be "It is not you, but the water that passes through you that saves and blesses.  All you have to do is to see there is nothing to block the way so the water cannot flow through.  

The only block there can be in your channel is self.  Keep that out, and know that My Spirit is flowing through. Therefore all must be the better for coming in contact with you...  See this, and you will think it natural to know they are being helped, not by you, but My Spirit flowing through you as a channel."

Another surprise came from unblocking the pipe.  The mushy acorn debris provided sustenance for a young white-tailed buck who stopped by for lunch the next day.   

  It's been awhile since a deer has appeared, and this was a white-tailed male with antlers.  I learned that each year they shed their antlers, and grow in bigger ones.  Antlers are like an antenna-- a connection to higher forms of attunement.  A deer with antlers can be a signal to pay attention to your inner thoughts and perceptions, as they are probably more accurate than you think.

When a deer appears it's time to be gentle with yourself and others.  A new innocence and freshness is about to be awakened.  There is going to be a gentle lure of a new adventure.  An opportunity to express gentle love that will open new doors for you.

I'm so grateful for the angel messages that appear in nature.  Nothing happens by chance. They bring peace and comfort, and the more we pay attention, the louder the volume, and more beautiful the presentation. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen 

 

 

 

(Ref. God Calling, Nov. 7)

Animal-Speak, Ted Andrews        

Stumped For Good: An Angel Message

Maybe you've noticed how one thing may soon lead to another to help us connect the dots and see the bigger picture. Several years ago, I decided to move my little cherub statue to brighten up this old cracked tree stump in our front yard.  A gift from a friend, the peaceful little cherub holding a scallop shell could also be turned in a water fountain but I never used it that way.  

Several weeks after the heavy rains from the two hurricanes saturated our area,  Elliot noticed something unusual when he passed by the old tree stump near the driveway. Transformation had taken place.  A large white mushroom now billowed out of the cracks in the old dead stump.  The mushroom's expansive form resembled an angel's profile. Can you see the wing? He asked me.   It did appear as though now two angels were communing on the old stump.  And, a little wild plant had bloomed in the empty scallop shell. The power of Psalm 91:11 in action. 

Where there appeared to be no life, resurrection energy was present.  I recalled how the scallop shell is a significant symbol of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain.  For centuries, it has served as a symbol by pilgrims as a badge of completion and represents their journey toward spiritual enlightenment.  

While we may not all walk that long trek, it's good to know that on our earthly pilgrimage, we're in good company with the angels by our side.    And, through the storms along the path, our unseen spiritual companions lighten our load and help us to keep on putting one foot in front of the other on our journey towards spiritual enlightenment. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

 

Good News Among the Clouds: An Angel Message

 A rare, wonderful, sighting caught my eye while Elliot and I were on the road to run errands today. What joy and excitement to see THE GOOD YEAR BLIMP sailing slowly across a pale blue sky of large cumulus clouds. Thankfully, I had listened to an angel nudge to bring my camera.   

I was ready to share a Good News photo with you, if I could.   But things were touch and go. Before I got out of the car and ran to the fence by the community college, the low sailing Blimp disappeared among the tall green pines.  The sky was vacant.  I eagerly zoomed high and low, wondering if I'd actually seen the GOOD YEAR BLIMP.   I ran down the grassy roadside, looking up.  There it was again! But strong sunlight reflected off my LCD viewer, making it impossible to capture.   I raised my arms, blindly take aim in a hoped-for-direction, and called to the angels, "Help! I can't see anything!"as I snapped away, hoping for the best.  

Honestly, I didn't expect much. I'd settle for a big, blurry blimp as proof.  Against all odds, the GOOD YEAR blimp photos were humbling when uploaded.  I had asked, and received, to share good news with you.  I was amazed at how clear the GOOD YEAR highlighted in yellow appeared in dark blue, out of the blue.  Perhaps, a sign that there will be times of doubt, as clouds and obstacles temporarily block our view,  but this welcomed "angelic" omen for A GOOD YEAR did my heart good. And, most of all, I was once again reminded that the Good News is God has given his angels to watch over us, guide us and protect us.  God is Love.  We are never alone.  The best is yet to be.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

A Nutty Harvest: Angel Message

 

My crossword puzzle clue, oak nut, had a touch of synchronicity as I laughed, quickly filling in the word acorn.  Ping! Ping! Acorns were hitting the roof and rolling across the shingles in a steady beat. A loud thump hit the roof. No doubt a heavy-footed squirrel had made a daring leap from the tall oak and landed on the sun-room  roof to collect treasures.  Acorns pinged at all hours. A nutty harvest was in full swing. I love it.  Our flower beds are laden with an abundant layer of capped brown nuts inches deep.

Most gray squirrels I've seen are scurrying around with a nut in their mouths, like this one at Blue Springs on our anniversary. They gather a surplus for winter and hide the nuts in different places.  Sometimes they bury their provisions so well, the acorns are not found, but new trees and bushes are planted.    

Squirrel brings a message to stock up on provisions, not only material, but gather the fruits of life in this moment when plentifully available.  Joy, friendship, vitality...  Squirrel is a creature of lightness, movement and spontaneity.  The art of preparation is to take in the surplus of the moment, and also to give out freely in the same moment.  Encounters with squirrels are moments to consider letting go... It could be  an overflow of useless stuff you no longer need and can return to the natural flow of matter.  Or it could be events and thoughts stored up from long ago that block the flow of freely expressing your feelings in the moment. Squirrel could never survive if it tried to hold on to all its provisions.

In looking back, I fondly recall a memorable encounter.  A bushy-tailed red squirrel planted a seed to  let go of my stressful, demanding career.   At the time, I was on a much needed vacation, visiting my best  friend from childhood who lived in California.  Although decades have passed, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was lounging on the patio, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while reading a book by Ruth Montgomery.  That's when a happy squirrel pranced by me on the patio wall, and boldly stopped to loudly chomp on a big nut, while he sat overlooking the city of Oakland below. Oh how I longed to be free from tedious morning hours commutes on I-95, working in an office building with no windows... I wanted to breathe in new life.  I couldn't help but notice the animated squirrel was a picture of  health.  All needs provided--free to roam--plenty to eat, and a shiny, red coat.  I wondered, Why  I couldn't trust that God would provide for me, too?   

Two years later, it happened...I took a leap of faith, and let go of my so-called security to grab on to a new opportunity to work on an angel documentary.  Some thought I was nuts, but I've never regretted it, no not once. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen