Amaryllis - Expectation of JOY: Angel Message

 

Watching an amaryllis plant grow and bloom during the holidays has become a fun tradition. 

Usually the big dull brown bulb comes in a box, you mix the soil packet, and plant the bulb, partially exposed, in a pot.   Day after day, with tender loving care, you watch and wait with no visible change. Then, finally a tiny green shoot peeks out of the drab bulb.  So insignificant, it's easy not to expect much from such a stark beginning.  Yet appearance is deceiving.  Below the soil, the energized bulb is hard at work creating a strong root system to prepare for blooming.  Once the roots are firmly anchored, everything speeds up. The stalk suddenly grows tall fast.  And, within a few days, four trumpet-shaped large red blossoms open wide to welcome the holiday season. 

Our prayers may seem that way at times, especially when a longstanding issue seems to be hopeless.  Discouragement may take over. It appears as if nothing is happening. We may lose faith and give up, but the Amaryllis lesson is a sign to take heart. The best is yet to be.  When our thoughts are rooted in God's Love,  don't think for a minute that nothing significant is in the works.  Although hidden, BIG changes are steadily taking place within.  

A reminder not to be deceived by appearances.  Unseen spiritual growth is in the works transforming us to suddenly bloom at the right time.   So keep on having faith, doing your best. With God all things are possible.

In the Victorian Age, when someone received an amaryllis, the interpretation was "success after a struggle".  This amazing flower also represents a job well done.  When gifted to an artist, it's a way of encouraging their creativity.

This year our new amaryllis bulb grew not one, but two budded stems. A promise of a double gift.  One to share with you. So, take heart from the amaryllis that your efforts are appreciated, and when you least expect it, you will benefit from the blossoms of a job well done.  

Love and peace,

Rae Karen 

 

 

Keep Your Goat Tied: Angel Message

 Sometimes angel thoughts come winging in with a helpful hint to pass a major upcoming test. A heads-up, pay attention and learn message. Last week I listened to an old radio broadcast on Reacting with Fear or Anger? 

These days we may be feeling weighed down by extra large responsibilities or financial difficulties, and react out of fear and hopelessness that there's nothing we can do. Rather than feeling beat up by circumstances, there is hope in turning to God.   A man, tired of reacting in anger and fear at work, always expecting the worse, called for prayer support from a healing practitioner.  She advised him to keep your goat tied.  In other words, don't react...and butt heads.  Be still and listen for inner guidance by not reacting.  Pray, listen and respond after opening your thought to the sustaining power of God.

The client took her advice and kept his goat tied. Quietly in prayer at an important meeting at work, he patiently listened and was able to respond with positive results for all.  In the long run, by breaking his old reactionary pattern, he found peace knowing that God's Love is the Source of all good.  His health  improved as he no longer experienced physical symptoms after his outbursts such as fever and colds.   He was living in a consciousness of harmony. 

Keep your goat tied  is good advice. I liked the humor and would picture my goat tied before opening my mouth. In the heat of a moment, I found peace and patience by turning to God and opening my thought to inner wisdom.     

Keep your goat tied.  I silently told myself, stemming the tide of reactions. And, it worked.  I became more aware of my behavior. 

Then, the angels added a playful touch of visual synchronicity to cement the tied goat message. LOL While looking through old photos festive holiday goats appeared, tied up waiting for the parade to begin.  Memories of a Christmas parade in 2012, I'd taken our first Christmas in Florida.         

The angels' hints were helpful.  A few weeks later, a BIG test came up. Out of the blue... But the picture of the goat tied helped me to not react but silently pray and then respond. A  peaceful discussion brought harmony and healing.   Now, whenever my goat gets loose, I'm vigilant to reign her in, and peace returns much sooner than later.    

The angels want us to keep our goat tied during this holiday season.  A time of peace, love, joy, and light.  Remember you are never alone. God has given His angels charge over you.  

Love and peace,

Rae Karen   

Dutch Shoes, Santa's Elves, and a Heavenly Kiss

Christmas holidays bring out the child in me.  Years ago, a glimpse of Christmas past was at the heart of finding these old wooden Dutch shoes at a neighborhood yard sale.  Just my size.  Childhood memories of colorful fields of tulips in Holland, windmills, and a love of cheese made it a done deal.  

Anxious to restore the patina, I grabbed a bottle of lemon oil and swabbed the old wooden clogs. Soon dark ugly streaks stained the wood, hardly the look I'd wanted. Why hadn't I done research on-line before jumping in thinking I knew best.  Oh well, it was too late. I'd ruined the natural wood.

 

Hoping for the best, I let the pair dry out in the warm sunshine. The old Dutch shoes were salvageable, and, on a whim, made cute holiday "boats" for my childhood elves to ride around the Christmas tree.  

 

Caught up in a wave of holiday decorating, I found Mom's old Santa Claus stocking tucked away in a box.  Wonderful memories of Christmas flooded in...

 

And, it was our first Christmas since her passing.  

 

 I found my hand reaching inside of that empty Santa stocking with childlike hope of finding a surprise from her... What happened next caught me by surprise, I pulled out a tiny piece of crumbled paper.  It was a Hershey's Kiss banner from a foiled candy Kiss. I laughed. Mom always had a sweet tooth. The chocolate was long gone, but in that special moment I felt a love that went beyond time and space.  A sweet heavenly kiss.  Thanks, Mom.  I smiled, through grateful tears, feeling lighter and  brighter.  

 

Yesterday at Angel Thrift, this smiling red ladybug planter was a sign Mom was near.  The bright red planter now holds my  Christmas cactus, the one I thought was a goner last year.  It resurrected with little help from me bearing a gift of a big pink love blossom. During the holidays, it's comforting to know that our departed loved ones are with us in our hearts, now and always.  Life will blossom again.  And, our loved ones, like angels, draw near and bless us with love pats, heavenly air kisses, and moments of surprising joy.  God is Love and has sent His angels to watch over us. 

Love and blessings,


Rae Karen

Let there be Light! Angel Message

      O Christmas Tree

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

You set my heart a singing.

Like little stars, your candles bright

Send to the world a wondrous light.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

You set my heart a singing.

 

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

You come from God, eternal.

A symbol of the Lord of Love

Whom God to man sent from above.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

You come from God eternal.  

  (English version by Ruth Heller)

 

When our Christmas tree is decorated, I like to sit in stillness and bathe in the beauty of its glow.  A quiet time to be grateful for the gift of Light.  Angels gather round in an atmosphere of peaceful joy.

Years ago, I learned about the entanglement phenomenon.  I'd just hassled with unwinding our tree lights that somewhat dimmed my joy in decorating the Christmas tree. 

 

Funny how my entanglement phenomenon lesson was a sign to lighten up.  I laughed, welcoming a brighter perception.  Gazing at the tree, I could see how each Christmas light-bulb seemed to be individual and separate, but in reality they were united and powered by light from the same source. I could plug in one cord and light up the whole tree at once. 

 

In quantum physics, the scientific term entanglement explains how at one level all light particles seem to be in touch with all others. Experiments to measure this entanglement phenomenon revealed that light photons in one location are immediately entangled with ALL other light particles. And distance played no role in the interconnection.  It doesn't seem to matter if the photons are coming from the glow of a campfire or from a distant galaxy, made up of billions of stars.  

 

From light's perspective,  ALL light particles seem to be touching one another instantaneously in what scientists call  an "entanglement" phenomenon. In reality, between Point (A) and Point (B) there is no distance in the universe.  If all entangled light realizes that, and fills the universe, then it's possible for all light to be in touch with all other light instantly.   

Isn't that a wonderful thought--you turn on a light, and all the light photons in the entire universe lights up instantaneously. 

 

Even more wonderful, Christ, the Light of the World, came into this dark world to bring peace, joy, and love.  Let our spirit bear witness to His in the light of Truth this holy season. May your heart be filled with light and peace. And, may you feel my heart-light touching yours in unity and peace.  God is Love.  

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

 

 

 

tree photo: web

December Super Cold Moon

 At dawn, when I went outside to fill the bird-feeder, a glimmer of the super Cold Moon peeked through the treetops next door.  I'd forgotten all about the December full moon.  I grabbed my camera and walked down the driveway hoping to see her full face aglow in the stillness and quietness of the season. Wow! I wasn't disappointed.  A big, bright, radiant Bella Luna lit up the pasture with a burst of joy bringing warmth in the chill of winter.  

Here's a close-up of the last super moon of 2025, and the second largest of the year.

I was thankful for the angel nudge to seek out the full moon in her glory.  A reminder to expect the unexpected.  Out of the darkness, Light shines illumining the way.  Whatever we may face, angels light the way bringing peace and harmony in the stillness.  We are never alone, God has given His angels charge over us. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Daily Advent Calendar Door: An Angel Message

 Growing up in Germany, I welcomed the count-down to Christmas by opening a daily Advent Calendar door.   The numbered doors were hidden in a glittery winter scene of snow-capped trees, glistening rooftops, and happy children gathering in nature around a decorated tree.  

 

The past few years, when December 1st rolled around, I've silently asked the angels to open the advent door for today and reveal a gift in nature... But it could be anything in celebration of the light and joy of the Christmas season.  A childlike expectancy sets the tone for the day and an eagerness for the happy things of God to come to me.   A surprise.

 

Yesterday on the first day of Advent, the angels opened and delivered door Number 1, catching me off-guard.  I was out in the garage looking for Christmas decorations. Distracted, when I closed the garage door, carrying a big cardboard box, LOL, I almost bumped into the tall stately sandhill crane family waiting outside the door.   

 

I was so happy. They were long overdue to visit.  I welcomed them and marveled that now they stood equal in stature, about 4-ft. tall, with golden eyes, red-capped heart-shaped gray heads. What fun it had been to watch the family raise their little colt this year. He was exceptional, always curious, shaking things up. He dared to go where his parents never did.  

 

And he did it again  yesterday!  We watched him fly for the first time! Animated, he flew down the long driveway. Never mind the construction work.  Then he turned back to the front yard. Expansive gray wings hugged the sky flying in a happy circle to spread holiday cheer.  Junior seemed to proudly call out... "See me, I can fly!  I finally did it"  His parents boasted with a trumpeting call and, then, the crane family was in flight together. A beautiful advent door on Day 1.  Junior fledged, he'd come full circle.  A joyful celebration of the stages of life we grow through to reach our full potential.

This morning, December 2, the advent door popped open at dawn...A beautiful heavenly view.    The sky tinted in hues of golden orange and pink in the east, silhouetting the trees in the dark with the promise of a new day.   

The advent calendar pictured here is symbolic...a doorway to heaven is open, and the angels are descending with gifts of love, peace, and light during the darkest season of the year.  Remember you are never truly alone. God has sent His angels to watch over you and guide you in all your ways.  They draw especially close to earth during the Christmas season.

Jesus Christ said:  "When ye pray, believe ye have it. Become as a little child if you would enter the kingdom."  In other words, have the expectancy as a little child and your prayers will be answered.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

A Lifesaver Surprise: Angel Message

 

Nature is amazing...and often delivers an astonishing message of faith just when needed most. A touch of an angel I call it.  A comforting reminder that more is going on than meets the eye.  A few weeks ago,  my special lifesaver cactus plant had turned purplish from the cold snap.  I'd tucked it under a bush that was covered up hoping for the best.  Sadly, it looked like a goner with no chance of another lifesaver flower.   

 But...something wonderful was hidden, working wonders, ready to catch my attention at the perfect time.  This week when the heavy duty construction equipment was digging up the woods across the street, I had made peace praying the large oak would be saved...and it was.  I was so grateful.

The sky is vacant now.  The wooded view gone...mostly.  But I am reminded to be grateful that I can see.  Thankful for the gift of sight.  The day before Thanksgiving, an angel tap turned my attention to the front porch.  The potted straggly lifesaver plant had presented a gift.  Oh, my!  One big beautiful cherry red "lifesaver" flower was looking me in the eye. A shiver ran through me.  Something was up...  

I was so grateful for nature's timely gift.  A promise to keep having faith. The best is yet to be, no matter how severe life's circumstances, you, too, will bloom at the right time in the right place. You are spiritual not material, and we have unlimited help in the angelic realm.

So whatever you're going through today, please try to remember you are never alone--no matter what--God has sent His angels to watch over you.   Be of good cheer.   

Have a peaceful day.

Love,
Rae Karen

A Red Cardinal at Dawn: Angel Message

 

In the dim light of a new day, I stood at the screen porch door looking out at the garden.  Suddenly I felt as if I'd been touched by an angel.  How did I miss this beautiful BIG red cardinal on the birdhouse feeder? Hunkered down in a sacred moment, the morning harbinger softened my heart. In the cold, it stared at me. Bright red feathers puffed out like a downy coat to keep warm, while patiently waiting for the sunrise.

 

At first, I decided not to take a photo.  The gray dawn through a screen door would make a fuzzy image.  But to my amazement the cardinal stayed put, watching me, not even taking a nibble of birdseed.  The angels were at work so I ran to find my camera--thinking he'd fly away before I came back.  But the bright red bird had staying power and was waiting patiently for my return.    

Birds have been few here lately due to sudden major construction across the street.  The landscape is shifting, nature is sadly shrinking.  

So the cardinal messenger was timely, a loving symbol that a departed loved one is near.  A touch of heaven is present.  I thought of my dear mom and welcomed a special delivery.  A reminder to be grateful for everything just like the Angel of Gratitude teaches.  I was grateful for the loving reminder that  although our dear loved ones change costumes and fade from our sight, the bond of love we share is never broken.  Love never dies.  "Nothing can trespass on divine Love."

 

The cardinal is also a reminder that everything you do is important.  You make a difference in the world. Also a sign to add more color to your life.  

I've been working with the Angel of Gratitude this week as suggested in the Thanksgiving angel blog.  Trying my best to find reasons to be thankful when things are less than harmonious. It's been working...when I remember to ask for help to shift my mind from "think" to "thank".  With a thankful heart, surprising miracles unfold, bringing peace and healing.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Angel of Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day

 Happy Thanksgiving!

A pumpkin patch is a welcomed sign of abundance, and this creative display was formed into a miniature golf course, for the fun of it.   The pumpkin has a long history. At one time it was considered a symbol of the whole world, a container of everything ever created. The largest vegetable in creation and full of seeds, it also became a symbol of plenty, like on our first Thanksgiving. 

Just now, I reached for an old book on the shelf and learned about The Angel of Gratitude.  Something we could all use more of these days.  In his book, Angels of Grace, Anselm Gruen, writes that the word "thank" comes from "think."  The Angel of Gratitude will teach us to think right and be aware.  "If you begin to think right,  you can thankfully recognize all that has been given to you in your life.  This  Angel of Gratitude would like to open your eyes to the fact that an angel of God has accompanied you all through your life, that a guardian angel has protected you from misfortunes, your guardian angel has transformed even your injuries into precious treasure.  

 

"If you look thankfully at your life, you will accept what has happened, and stop rebelling against yourself.  (You can see the good that came from all the trials and tests.  How much you've grown spiritually.) You know that everyday an angel comes into your life anew, to protect you from harm, and give you its loving and healing company.  

You can also ask the Angel of Gratitude to teach you to be grateful for the people you live with.  We often pray asking God to change them, so they'll be like we want them to be.  But if we say thank you for another person, then we accept them unconditionally. They are valuable just as they are. They feel a shift in our change of attitude, our unconditional acceptance, and the relationship heals.  So you may want to ask your Angel of Gratitude for the miracle of making people feel unconditionally loved, because you are thankful for them, and for this love to keep them safe and sound.

 
Anselm suggests to try to go through the coming week with the Angel of Gratitude. "You will find you see everything in a new light, and your life will acquire a new taste."

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving. 

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

 

 

Ref: Angels of Grace by Anselm Gruen

  

Angels Help in the Game of Life

Early this morning, I was in a hurry to mail a card before the post office opened in hopes it would make the first flight out to Atlanta. While Elliot cleaned off the windshield, I found myself digging in the console box between the seats.  I wondered why? But the answer popped up.  Something I could have used in the last angel blog on playing the hand you're dealt.  Here was a brand new deck of  Cardinal's Professional Texas Hold 'Em Poker Cards. I'd bought at the flea market months ago, and tucked away, forgotten. 

 It's a well-known belief that whenever a red cardinal appears, a departed loved one draws near.  And, anything with a red cardinal always brightens my day with thoughts of my angel mother and her fun-loving nature.  

 God is in the details...when I opened the box later to display the cards for a photo to share with you. The box had a tiny red cardinal on it.... But then, inside, LOL.  The top card was one-of-a-kind, a bright red cardinal.  Mom was always a bit of a joker, and I loved the message to Hold Em, the red cardinals, loving symbols of our dearly departed loved ones. They're still with us bringing joy and comfort and most of all love in the game of life, and how to play it.  

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Play the Hand You're Dealt: An Angel Message

  "You gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold em."  Kenny Roger's sang in his country hit.

Many years ago,  I asked the Holy Spirit for advice in dealing with a longstanding issue. To my surprise, I was shown a hand of playing cards.  The message was to:

Play the hand that you're dealt.  

My grandmother had taught us many card games as a child. Summer vacations included all of us kids sitting round her big round oak table. I can still see her shuffling the deck and dealing out the cards. She taught us Hearts, Fan-Tan, Spades, and Crazy Eights. 

Play the hand that you're dealt.   A sobering thought.  In other words, don't complain, just do your best with the cards you're holding, and ask the Holy Spirit for help. 

 

Reviewing the hand Jesus played in his life on earth, I saw how God crowned each setback with a victory.  No room in the inn for his birth, a quiet cave far from the rowdy crowd in Bethlehem.   

 

King Herod after the newborn Christ, an angel guided Joseph to take his family to Egypt until it was safe to return.  

 

40 days tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus passed each test by declaring the Word... "It is written..."   He didn't discuss the matter with the devil, but simply declared the Truth.  Jesus triumphed and was ministered to by the angels.  

 

Alone in the garden at Gethsemane, fearful and sweating, Jesus' disciples abandoned him. They fell asleep instead of watching and praying with Him.   Yet God provided an angel to come and give Jesus the strength needed to complete His mission.  

 

The agony of the crucifixion--the joyful resurrection, and wondrous ascension. Victory over death.  

 

God used His angels to deliver, protect, strengthen, and fulfill the plan throughout the life of Christ.

Looking back, I gratefully recall how God has delivered me through many trials and adversity.  Each one designed to make me stronger and have more faith in my spirit.  And, so He is still in the game.  We can never be separated from the Love of God.  The whole life review process was healing; a reminder to keep having faith.  I felt peace, and more understanding in playing the hand I have because God is the winning Hand.  (Folding my hands in prayer.)

That day when asking for guidance, I couldn't see the actual playing cards in my mind's eye.  Only the decorative back of the cards fanned out.   But this royal Heart flush is a comforting reminder to always play our hand with Love, and keep God present at the table. The best is yet to be. Victory is assured.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

Photo: (Wikimedia Photo: Graeme Main/MOD)

Up A Tree or Out of the Bushes: Angel Message

Running errands this week, the angels had a surprise when we visited the wild peacocks.  After the cold snap, this one up a tree was a welcomed sight.  His feathery train had grown long enough to hang down like Spanish moss from the old oak.  

As I've shared in the past, these  beautiful birds go through an annual season of not looking or feeling their best.  They lose their beautiful tail feathers! Some hide under the bushes while others perch high in a tree. Patience is needed. It takes time for the new feathers to grow into a beautiful fanfare by spring. 

Lately, I've been feeling at odds--not sure who I am anymore... everything is changing so fast in this world, it's hard to recognize the old landmarks as they fade away...a distant memory of what once was. But the hope is of a new spring, a new beginning. Humanity is morphing, going through a phase, that didn't come to stay but will pass. 

A funny thing happened while I was "fanning" over this royal blue peacock out on a limb, speaking loving kindness and gratitude for his presence.  The only peacock in sight.  Hoping for a good photo, his royal blue crown tilted as he stared down at me, with a look of annoyance.  

 

But  my kind words hadn't fallen on deaf ears... what a surprise... out of the bushes popped this radiant peacock eager to receive.

When I turned to leave, thanking the angels, I spotted two fuzzy royal blue peacock feathers on the ground by the old oak.  A sweet promise of new life...new growth.  The best is yet to be.

So whatever you may be going through, find peace and comfort in remembering that it is happening for your new growth.  A step up to your true Self.  The angels are here to help us during this celestial speedup.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen