Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Knockout Roses: An Angel Message




Between the hurricane in September and the freezes in December, the Knockout Rose bushes appeared to be down for the count.  Now a couple of spindly sticks stuck in the mulch-- literally knocked out by adverse conditions.  Then one morning this week, my attention was drawn to several little red buds that soon bloomed. I love the angel message,  a sure sign that it ain't over til it's over.  Be deceived not by appearances.  Nature's blue bouquet of wild flowers are spiderworts, (a favorite) perhaps deliver a heads-up to watch our ego thoughts as they tend to weave a sticky web.

In Genevah Seivertson's transformative book, The Christ Highway, we learn that if we want to unfold the rose of divine love in our heart, first we must correct our thoughts and think more lovingly toward others. Our thoughts go out to another, just like radio waves travel through space. Every thought reaches the person or the thing we have in mind, so we will benefit if we include "all" in our loving thoughts and prayers.

The author writes, "Broadcast thoughts of love, especially to those who have treated you unkindly, for unkind thoughts will antagonize them. Say silently: I love you with the love of Jesus Christ."

Also take time to send love thoughts to the nature kingdom.  Remember the animals and the birds.
Our loving thoughts sent out when linked with the love of Christ have power we little dream of. Our part is not to weigh, measure or discuss the power, but to link up with it and leave the rest in higher hands.  A great teacher of spiritual laws told his students that one loving thought sent to a single butterfly was felt by each one of them. Our lesser brothers are very sensitive to love vibrations.

Imagine how wonderful the world would be if we each mastered our own negative thoughts by choosing the love of Christ.   Enjoy your day with the angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

Monday, February 26, 2018

Heart Light - An Angel Message

Maybe you've noticed how simple little angel messages will pop up in delightful ways.  One morning when I got out of bed, I was surprised to find this unusual "heart light" on the floor.  The sun shining through the adjacent den window had delivered the love note through the open bedroom door.  Looking up, I could see it had been formed by a ceramic angel pen holder on the windowsill.  I had absentmindedly moved it there while cleaning up my work area a few days before.

I was so thankful for the message of love delivered by angel wings.  A loving reminder to stay open to the light. Our guardian angel is never absent from us. 

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

Friday, February 23, 2018

Fix A Flat: An Angel Message



I'm so thankful to begin each day by affirming the power of Psalm 91.  "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."

Angel thoughts are God's pure intuition coming to mind when I get quiet and listen. Earlier this week, Elliot drove our dirty white car through a brand new high tech car wash in town.  Sitting behind the wheel, as he drove through the automated wash, rinse and dry cycles was interesting.  Light rays of orange, blue and purple signaled the stages of operation. 

 Later, we were on our way to the garden center in our shiny, clean car when I noticed a large landscaping truck off to the side of the parking lot at Lowe's.   To our surprise, the driver shouted, "You've got a flat!"

Our rear tire was totally flat.  That was bad news.  But, I noticed a handful of  Jolly Rancher candies strewn across the adjacent parking space as if they'd been tossed freshly wrapped out of the bag. I smiled, at a reminder to take the bitter with the sweet. 

There had been no sign that the tire was flat. Our ride had been smooth.  Thankful for the heads up, the driver mentioned if he only had a can of aerosol sealant, he could fix the tire so the car could be driven.

Now, Elliot and I had a clue, to walk to a nearby grocery store to get a can of Fix A Flat.

Before long we had the remedy and were walking back to the car.  We had company on the return, a lone duck waddled along through the Lowe's parking lot. A reminder to let this roll off our backs like water on a duck's back! 

I'll admit I was at peace with a greater appreciation for our car.

The weather was picture perfect, bright blue sky, big fluffy white clouds, and cool temperature. Ready to roll, we had another obstacle. The cap to the FIX A FLAT wouldn't budge.  More patience needed as we wandered into the garden center.  A friendly helper tried several tools from his box before finally prying off the stubborn lid. 

Soon the flat was filled with foamy sealant, and before long we were home safe.  Thanks to the angel messages that guided us each step of the way.

The final step came when AAA showed up in our driveway.  A small nail had punctured the rear tire.  But the timing was crucial as all four tires needed to be replaced due to dry rot.  And, they weren't even that old. We were so thankful.  Angels were watching out as we were planning several long road trips in the spring. The small nail turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  Step by step, the angels guide and protect along the way. I'm so glad I pray Psalm 91 each day.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen


(Artwork: web)


Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Hmmm...A Fortune Cookie: An Angel Message


Last Sunday the take-out order from our favorite local Chinese restaurant had a surprise. I was hungry for a fortune cookie and discovered there were two tossed into the bag.  Digging down to the bottom, I found a third fortune packet. I wondered what it meant?  The sealed plastic wrapper had no cookie only a bag full of air. For an instant, I felt deflated, like I didn't even deserve a fortune, but then I remembered to move into gratitude.  It was an extra...it only means what you want it to mean for you. 

An angel thought came to me.  A reminder of the infinite invisible blessings fully present in each moment.  Love, peace, joy, the intangibles, but real things of endless value. 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the 
evidence of things not seen.  
              Hebrews 11:1

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

Monday, February 19, 2018

Amazing Grace: An Angel Message

                                       
Returning home, I noticed an unusual angel sign on the living room wall.  An angel silhouette in the afternoon sunshine.  You can't make these things happen.   It had been several months since my 96-year-old Mom had passed on.  Amazing Grace was her favorite hymn.  The "Amazing Grace" musical angel statue (here) stands in the upper window by the fireplace.  To my surprise, the little Angel had captured the sunlight in such a way as to project her silhouette onto the opposite wall. Now her essence appeared in two different places in two different mediums.  I love it when these love messages pop up out of the blue. I feel such joy and peace.

Amazing Grace.  I  laughed, getting a better view of the bigger picture; Mom is both here and there.  It was also a wonderful message to never underestimate the influence for good you may have on another.  With just the right amount of light, it will make an appearance in places you never dreamed possible.  Thank you, Mom for sharing the song of heaven.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.


Love and blessings,


Rae Karen

Sunday, February 18, 2018

A Frog Cloud: An Angel Message

A Frog Cloud


When I woke up this morning, and stood at the window, a thick fog had blanketed the garden. The familiar things I knew so well were shrouded in a mist.  I was reminded of  this photo, A Frog Cloud, that took a leap on my screen years ago while surfing the web. With a little imagination, I could see that this nebulous amphibian appears to be leaping for the light.  A lesson to take to heart during these trying times of spiritual growth.  

A healing acronym for F.R.O.G. is:

(F)ully
(R)ely
(O)n
(G)od

Thank you, Angels for the message; with faith and gratitude, to keep on reaching for the Everlasting Light and Love of God. 

Love and blessings,


Rae Karen






(Photo: Wikimedia Images)



Friday, February 16, 2018

Angels and the Holy Spirit



I call on the Holy Spirit whenever I lose my peace and react in a way less than loving.   A funny thing happened to teach me a lesson. Angels often use feathers as a means of communication.  My husband and I usually get along, but one day we had a spat. I retreated to the den to ask the Holy Spirit for help in seeing our circumstances differently.  During my time out, I asked  the Holy Spirit for a holy relationship with Elliot.  I recognized my ego had flared up, and so I asked for forgiveness.  With a lifting of my spirit, I came out to the living room. 

There was peace and harmony between us again.  I sat down beside Elliot on the sofa.  While we were talking, I noticed something unusual on the back of his shirt. 
   
A single feather had attached itself to where you would expect to see an angel's wing.  I started to smile, but discovered I still had a twinge of ego judgment.  This little feather was even arched like an angel's wing!  Silently, but gratefully I accepted the reminder to keep thoughts on high, to look for each other's wings. They're always there, even if not clearly visible in the physical.  

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen






Artwork: Giaquinto Corrado, The Holy Spirit (Wikimedia Commons)

Thursday, February 15, 2018

The Dance of Life: An Angel Message



Last weekend thunderstorms and rain were in the forecast.  My son was coming cross county for a long weekend.  Rather than give in to the gloomy predictions, I thanked God for the beautiful weather while my son was here.  For the ability to do all that was part of His plan. Now, I'm not saying it was my thoughts alone that brought the rains at night and the warm sunny days.  What I will say is that I'm learning to lean on the Divine.  So despite ominous clouds when we arrived at the state park to see the manatees, I was encouraged by a sign at the gate that three manatees had been counted in the springs that morning, quite a contrast to the 434 during the cold weather.  The ranger at the station warned now there were none, so we may want to go home, but I had a feeling we would see what we were supposed to see and to just enjoy the day. 

The clouds soon faded and it was a fantastic morning to walk the trails and be in nature.  Heading from a look-out deck, a young woman cheered, "I just saw my first manatee!"  With that note of encouragement, we made a bee-line for the crowded pier.

Staring out at the calm clear waters,  I spotted one! A lone manatee, resting in the bottom of the clear springs. These giant gentle creatures surface once every eight minutes for a breath of fresh air and then sink down in the comfort of the warm springs.

Before long, most of the tourists had departed, leaving us alone to watch.  A lady showed up, standing beside me, looking out at the waters.   "At least we saw one!" I said to my son and Elliot.

With a look of surprise, the woman asked, "Where?"

"Twelve o'clock!" I pointed beyond the cormorants perched on a fallen log, wings  open, drying off in the warm sunshine, to the large gray mass at the bottom of the clear springs.

In contrast to the stillness of the manatee, a sudden burst of unexpected joy crested the blue water. Black fins flapping in unison, a school of fish swam by like graceful ballerinas in an aquatics show.  Leaping out of the water, they danced back and forth in our area of  the springs. Moving so fast, I couldn't reel them in on my cellphone.  For a moment, I  entertained a thought the angels were putting on a celebration parade.

"In all the years coming here, I've never seen anything like this," I said aloud.

 To my surprise, the lady turned to me and smiled. "They are here because of you."  I was surprised by her words.

 "You, too." I said, smiling at the synchronicity.

We all had a good laugh, but I must admit that happy school of fish was a reminder to see the joyful dance of life.  I was so grateful for the gift to celebrate each precious moment.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen


Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentine Cookies: An Angel Message

Ike and me
Many years ago, the angels were at work, urging me to test my culinary skills, which were lacking.  One morning in meditation, the Holy Spirit put it in my heart to bake Elliot's father his favorite cookies as a Valentine surprise. Now these aren't your everyday cookies, but an old Sephardic family recipe handed down through the ages from Spain. Biscochos are hard sugar cookie rings with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. They are delicious with tea or coffee, and my father-in-law, Ike, had missed this special treat since his wife had passed on.

I had helped Vickie make these Biscochos just once when visiting Elliot's parents in New York shortly before her "graduation." I can still see her sitting at the kitchen table -- my hands became her hands as she talked me through the detailed recipe. I was amazed at her devotion. Anyone else may have stayed in bed feeling sorry for themselves, but not Vickie. She was always a giver with a full heart. That day I carefully wrote down the directions, and soon forgot all about it...until the Holy Spirit whispered.

With determination, I gathered all the ingredients and set them on the old oak table in the kitchen.  It  had belonged to my Grandmother, an excellent cook. I began. Beating the eggs with the sugar, I folded in many cups of flour.  Soon the electric beater slowed down to a whirr, unable to handle the stress of the heavy dough. It began smoking.  Suddenly the kitchen took on the ambiance of a lab experiment gone awry.  I scooped out globs of sticky dough wrapped around the metal beaters and plunked them in the big bowl with the clumpy batter.

At that moment, it was hard to imagine how these cookies would turn out to be anything worthwhile. I mused at how life is like that at times. We find ourselves in the middle of a big mess, but God isn't finished with us yet. I was hoping this was the case with the Biscochos. Working the dough by hand, it soon became pliable and easily rolled into six-inch strips. The secret was just pinching off a little bit of dough at a time, and not trying to tackle the whole thing at once. Another good lesson in life.

Soon the cookies were basted and baking in the oven. Much to my surprise, they turned out not only tasty, but beautiful as if from a bakery. Later while cleaning up, I noticed a tiny heart naturally formed from the leftover dough. There it was stuck on the pastry board.  I stared in amazement.  "Thanks, Vickie for the reminder. Love is the most important ingredient in all that we do."

With a smile of gratitude, the Valentine gift was soon boxed and on its way to New York with love.

Happy Valentine's Day. 

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen 

Monday, February 12, 2018

A Love Tap from an Orchid: An Angel Message

Have you ever noticed how you can pass by things day after day without really seeing them?  They tend to blend in with the background. Yesterday morning I had an aha!  Not paying much attention, I came in the back door through the laundry room, having fed our favorite stray cat.  Something called my attention to the top of the file cabinet.  I blinked, amazed to find the bedraggled spindly plant I rescued from the freeze had now bloomed! Truthfully, I brought it in the house wondering why as it looked like a goner before the cold temperatures dropped.

Not only did the orchid bloom, without any help from me, but it had stretched its long arm out beyond the flowerpot as if pointing to the whale breaching photo on the wall. Imagine the power it must take to backflip this heavy tonnage, and yet it happens.  An 180 degree turn in direction.   

I was so thankful for the angel message. First, I have no luck in getting orchids to bloom, but divine love had delivered. And four more buds are waiting to pop.

I took a lesson from the lovely purple orchid.  Let go of results.  Just keep stretching and growing, reaching out for the light, and you will bloom at the right time.  Sometimes less is more.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

Friday, February 9, 2018

Hammering Away, Up On The Roof: An Angel Message


Many years ago I learned a memorable lesson.  At the time, we were living in an upstairs duplex at Virginia Beach.  The beach cottages next door had been leveled, and construction was underway for   three-story condos.  A robust, young construction crew began work early one morning.  The radio was blaring as they hammered away. Waking up to the racket, I was really annoyed, but caught hold of myself. I decided to turn my anger into a blessing. When something disturbs my peace, the first person I need to work on is me. I asked the angels and Jesus to watch over the men while they worked, remembering that he was a carpenter, too.

The following week, Elliot and I arrived home to find a police car and ambulance in the driveway next door.  A construction worker had fallen from the roof.  The police and rescue workers were smiling, shaking their heads in disbelief. Turns out, the construction worker was able to get up and walk into the ambulance after a three-story fall.

A few weeks later, I saw one of the workmen outside.  I asked him how his friend was doing. "Pretty good." He said.  "He only chipped a tooth!"

"Sounds like a miracle," I smiled, silently thanking the angels.

He agreed, with a grin.

For many weeks, the crew quietly worked on the roof. Then one Sunday morning at 7 a.m. rap music boomed from the construction site. Elliot was ready to ask them to turn down the volume.  But we decided to call on Archangel Michael for help. These young guys were loaded with  testosterone,  and  perhaps unaware that others nearby were sleeping.  We also asked the Holy Spirit for a holy relationship with them. This way the answer would be a win-win, for the highest good of all.

The loud rap music continued, but we moved beyond our comfort zones, asking for peace instead of this. Later while I was taking a bath, I could hear the radio. It was now tuned to a different station. The words over the airwaves that Sunday morning were about the power of God. I couldn't believe it. I dressed quickly and asked Elliot to listen. I didn't trust my own ears. But it was true.

That experience helped me build more faith in the power of God, not only working in my life but the lives of others when included in prayer. In Psalm 91:11 we have assurance that if we abide in the Secret Place of the Most High, "He will give his angels charge of you to guide you in all of your ways."  Now that's a promise worth hammering into my consciousness every morning in gratitude.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen


(Reprint from September 2002 The Lighthouse of Peace)

Monday, February 5, 2018

Ladybug Dispatch: An Angel Message


Late Sunday evening I found myself organizing my writing desk in the living room.  While sorting through a stack of postcards, this little winged one suddenly appeared, crawling out from underneath a collage of scattered cards.  The old bird's eye maple desk has a closed top, so it was puzzling as to how she arrived.  I grabbed my cellphone for a photo.  The little red beetle with its bounty of black spots, is a sign of good luck. In French her name means "good God's animal;"  in Spanish it means "little Mary;" in German, "Mary's beetle," and also Lord God's beetle;" and, in English, she is also known as "ladybird."

A ladybird on a bird's eye maple desk seemed like a heavenly match to me. To see with the eyes of love.

So my ladybug love postcard arrived at the desk right on time.  I'd like to think of it is as a message from my dear mother, Mary, that all is well.  These little heavenly touches are so healing for the soul.  With a grateful heart, I offered this winged messenger a ride on a postcard.  Willingly, she climbed aboard and clung to the old sugar mill in Deleon Springs, Florida as I gently delivered her to a special spot near the bushes by the mailbox.  With words of good luck, I left her to be, free to fly away home in the warm night air.  Funny how such a little encounter can shift your heart in such a big way.  Afterwards, I had so much energy it was hard to get to sleep.  Later, I retrieved the empty postcard, happy that she had moved on to her next special delivery, but had left an indelible stamp on my heart.

Enjoy your day with the Angels. Remember to expect good things.  They come in all shapes and sizes when we keep love in our hearts.  Love is eternal.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen