Seasons of Life: An Angel Message

 An old stone plaque recently found a new place on the bedroom wall.  One morning, I laid in bed seeing it with fresh eyes.  A swift winged angel thought pointed out that no matter what season we're in, the sun is always shining within.  We are eternal rays of divine radiance. Throughout all the seasons symbolized here:  the daffodil for spring; the sunny flower for summer; the falling leaves for autumn; and, the snowflake for winter, we are forever as changeless as the sun.  Our radiant spirit abides in the Eternal Noon now, shining brilliantly with no variable of change.

 I found comfort by that loving symbolism and it serves as a reminder that we constantly shine  in Christ.

Yesterday, shortly after the lawn had been mowed, an unusual visitor showed up in the yard. One I've only seen a couple of times. 

An armadillo! 

His snout was buried in the grass, rooting around the tree for sustenance. These bony plated creatures amaze me. A remnant of the past, a knight's armor.  

With such determination, he paid no attention to the strange woman at the window gawking with a camera.  Even a late afternoon sun shower didn't dissuade him from his quest to keep on digging.  

It seemed like one of those deliberate angel messages. 

 Wanting to dig deeper myself,  I learned armadillo is a Spanish word that means little armored one. The name refers to the bony plates of protection that cover its head, body, legs, and tail. When threatened, it will roll itself up into a ball for protection.  

 Whenever an armadillo appears, it usually indicates that the opportunity for a new birth is coming within the next 8-9 months.  It will be important though not to roll ourselves up and hide from the opportunity for fear we may be vulnerable.  If distressed, the armadillo can delay giving birth for up to two and a half years!  Armadillo can show you how to adjust your rhythms so that what you wish to create will occur at the safest time, at the right season.   

"To everything there is... a season and a time to every purpose under heaven."  (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Enjoy the sunshine of life today, and be comforted that God has sent his angels to guard, guide, and protect you along the way. You are never alone.

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

(Ref. Animal-Speak, Ted Andrews)

A Call to Remember the Sea: An Angel Message

This morning a call from the sea wafted in before meditation--an angel thought, out-of-the-blue. A message to find the big forgotten sand dollar that turned up at a judge's estate sale many years ago.   And, take a closer look at it.

I've learned to pay attention to these angel nudges. So I did, after searching several places.

With fresh eyes, I admired the detail, fascinated by nature's intricate design.  The perforated pattern of five floral petals naturally etched on the sand dollar's skeleton was a fine work of art.  A sand dollar is a small marine creature related to the star fish, sea urchin, and the sea lily.  It was hard to believe that it once had a life under the waves, anchored to the ocean floor.   

A fondness for the ocean washed over me as I held the smooth shell in my hand.  The sea has rhythm and movement. It represents time and change. The endless shifting tides, come and go, planting kisses on the shore of time to bless those feet who choose to wade in her essence.      

The legend of the sand dollar and its symbolism came to mind. Especially concerning the five white bones inside that look like feathered little doves and represent the Holy Spirit.  

I was curious. 

What was inside this large one? 

I imagined the size of those doves, but could not ruin a thing of beauty for curiosity's sake.    I turned the sun bleached shell over to take a peek in the hole in its center.  

Tiny white objects were inside. I couldn't make out the design, and turned the sand dollar right-side up again.

What happened caught me by surprise.

 A tiny white object fell out, along with a few grains of sand, and landed in my lap. 

I looked closely expecting a dove, like the time a sand dollar fell off our dresser, and broke giving me proof of the symbolism of the five little doves in the legend.  

 

No, this was like a prize in a Cracker Jack box. Something  different.  I held the tiniest spiral snail shell, fossilized in its perfect form.  It had been swallowed up inside the sand dollar for a long, long time. 

A spiral is a sacred symbol that represents the journey and change of life as it unfolds. 

Snails as messengers indicate it's time to bring your Holy Inner Child out of its shell.  Look at the walls you've built around you.

Hmmm...

Have a wonderful day and please join me in sending up a prayer of thanksgiving for our oceans and multitudinous sea life. They encourage us to explore new depths within ourselves and within life.

Love and peace to you and your angels,

Rae Karen

 

 

Ref Snail, Animal-Wise by Ted Andrews

 

 

Sadie, the Turkey Lady: An Angel Message

 Early this morning, I hurried to the sunroom.   Yesterday's big tree frog visitor had spent all day Saturday clinging steadfast to the glass window pane.  Hot, humid sunshine, heavy rains, had no power over his vigil.  At bedtime, I was amazed that he was still at it.  Faithfully on duty as I bid him a grateful good-night and went to bed thinking to F.R.O.G. it.  Fully rely on God. 

This morning, only the memory of the treefrog's visit was etched on the windowpane. To fully rely on God.  To FROG it in the now.

My timing was good as I looked out the window. 

The beautiful pink-faced wild turkey I fondly call Sadie The Turkey Lady was strolling up the front walk like a friend in need. That very large game bird with long legs and neck had been missing for a while due to storms.  Now in the morning light, her iridescent feathers shone in colors of bronze and copper.  She was a sight for sore eyes.   By the time I got my camera out, she had strutted around the corner, out of sight.  A turkey always brings a smile of gratefulness.  

Oh, well, it wasn't meant to be.  It turned out my camera had a major malfunction.  A strange message appeared on the LCD screen regarding the memory disk.  I took it out and put it back into the camera several times.  But it still didn't work.

During meditation, an angel thought came to clear the disk. When I plugged it into the USB port on the laptop, a new message appeared.  Reformat disk. But all data would be lost.  A clean sweep.  

I hit, yes. Favorite photos were already stored on the laptop.  But the analogy of dumping the old memories in my human memory bank hit home.  Recently, I've been remembering the names of distant childhood friends and families in old neighborhoods and grade school in surprising detail. I wondered if I was letting go of data no longer needed.  Like they say, you can't fill a full bowl.  It must be emptied to make room for the new. 

Now my camera is working again.  When Sadie returns, I'll get a picture...meanwhile her reminder to be thankful for today and the shared blessings it holds is fresh in my mind. 

"The turkey is sometimes called the earth eagle.  It is a symbol of all the blessings that the Earth contains, along with the ability to use them to their greatest advantage."

Have a peaceful, joyful day with your angels. Look for the blessings and be one when you can. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Turkey ref. Animal-Speak, Ted Andrews

Clinging and Climbing Higher: An Angel Message

 

We all can use a perk at times, a little something unexpected that brings joy to our hearts.  A reminder that we aren't traveling this big universe alone.  An underlying spiritual realm abounds, rarely seen but deeply felt in moments of ineffable joy like a tender tap from an angel on our shoulder.  A nudge to believe in love over fear, the unseen more than the seen, and to have more faith in the spiritual than the material.  Communications may come in a myriad of ways depending on the desires of the receiver. But they always speak of God's everlasting love for His children in a language they can understand.  

Early this morning, a joyful messenger of faith appeared out-of-the-blue. 

A giant treefrog was clinging to the sunroom window!

Far from his home in the trees where he should be sleeping during the day, he had become adventurous and climbed up the windowpane awashed in glistening morning dew.  Those little well-formed disks on  his fingers and toes were like suction cups on the glass to support his weight as he peeked into the house between the vertical blinds.  

A frog always brings a smile as a messenger to Fully Rely On God (the acronym for F.R.O.G.)   A year ago, the last frog visitor, had been a tiny treefrog no bigger than a dime. Judging by the enormous size of this granddaddy, the message is a BIG call for even more FAITH now. The kind of faith that can move mountains.

 Wanting a photo, I crept to the window with my camera, and slowly separated the blinds. Patient and poised, he clung motionless while his throat undulated with each breath.   When I looked at his eyes up close on top of his head, they were amazing. They looked like tiny planets full of speckles of gold and depth.  I thanked him for stopping by just when we needed the reminder to fully rely on God.

The treefrog's visit was so deliberate, I read up on the symbolism. It was more appropriate than I'd thought.  

Treefrog often indicates, you now have the ability to grasp and move to new environments.  Places that others could not maneuver so well you will be able to handle. So don't let the difficulty of movement dissuade you from pursuing what you have set your eyes upon. You will find the climb easier than you expected. 

Treefrogs are also indicators of a change in weather.  A group of treefrogs croaking is a sign raining is coming. When a treefrog appears, look for a change coming to some aspect of your life.  

It is comforting to know that as we climb higher and cling to the Truth of God's Love, there is nothing to fear when fully relying on Him. Regardless of weather or environment, we are always in God's tender care with the help of His angels to support and guide us safely home.

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

(Ref. Animal-Wise, Ted Andrews)

Issues. What's Yours? An Angel Thought

The amusing sign on this ABC store downtown reminded me of the ego mind.  It always has an "issue" or two.  You probably can't tell from the photo, but "what's yours" is written on the bottom corner.   A dear friend laughingly refers to her problems as issues, so for fun I took a pic to pass along to her.

Recently an old journal turned up.  I had notes from a radio program on the meaning of Psalm 73.  It's the answer to why we often ask the question: How come those who don't know God seem to prosper so and I suffer from challenge after challenge?  Why are they rewarded, and not me? 

The minister explained that the first section of the Psalm had 17 references to "them."  Why are we looking at them, and not at God?  He said, "That's the problem, you see. We've forgotten God and are looking out in the world, judging that God does not love us, comparing us to them."

In the next section, the Psalmist looks at himself.  How he suffers so and is in great pain. This happens until he goes into the Presence of God, then he can understand why things were the way they were.  He had been like a beast before coming into God's presence. Digging and always trying to keep up with the Jones.  More...more...dig faster..faster, like a dog digging for a bone.

By the end of the Psalm, he is grateful that God is his portion.  If God is his portion then everything God has is his!  "For it is good for me to draw near to God.  I have put my trust in the Lord God and made him my refuge that I may tell of all Your works."

This Psalm is one of comparisons.  And, whenever we are making a comparison of any kind, we have moved away from the presence of God, and are thinking with the ego.  The ego analyzes everything, but the Spirit accepts the Truth.  God is our portion. With that in mind, who has any real issues?

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Rae Karen

Ibis and Healing Power of Gratitude

A large flock of white ibis are often seen at the lake. Tall-legged waders, these birds have long curved beaks to dig down deep for nourishment.   This one has a leg-up. Ibis, a bird associated with the ancient Egyptian alphabet, has much to say about writing and communication.  

 

During troubling times, the angels encourage us to remember the healing power of a thankful spirit. A good practice is to write down all we have to be grateful for today. If we dig down deep enough, giving thanks for all things, both big and small in good times as well as not-so-good, challenging times, we will learn a powerful truth. The gift of thankfulness brings both relief and release from any resentment or self-pity. It frees up mental and emotional space for healing blessings of love and peace to flow into our lives.  Gratitude is a powerful practice every step of the way, especially as we recall how previous trials made us overcomers, and strengthened our spiritual muscle.

 

 Today add your guardian angel to your gratitude list.  Those wonderful beings of light  who walk beside you along the way.  They will lift you up and keep you from dashing your foot on a stone.  It is good to give thanks for the unseen heavenly help that is always present, even when we are surfing the web, our angel is there watching over and guiding us to be our best.

 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen 

Tree of Peace: Angel Message

 Often before getting out of bed, my gaze rests on a stately palm tree outside our bedroom window. Her brownish fronds hang low like dancing peacock feathers in the breeze.  I've become rather fond of her. The squirrels are at home high up in her trunk.  Generously, she shared bountiful clusters of golden palm nuts at springtime.  

The old palm is a teacher to me.  She teaches a lesson on being flexible.  Her tall elastic trunk easily bends down low to the earth during high-powered storms.  A safeguard to keep her from snapping in two, and losing her crown by being too rigid and unbending.  The palm knows when and how far to bend. Her timing is good.  Resilient, once the storm passes, she bounces up skyward again.

This morning as I gazed at her, I'm reminded.  Be flexible today.  Remain silent and humble when it is not necessary to speak.  Be patient and loving.

Somehow my vision shifted. I see something new and different about her.

She now has a face naturally carved by nature!

 

When did it happen? 

I didn't see yesterday... or the day before. 

How did I miss it? 

So plain, with two large eyes closed in prayer, an upturned nose and sealed lips, a tower of strength.  Joyfully wanting to capture the moment, I try to sketch her in my journal, but that's no good.  I hurry outside to take a picture. Unsure, I'm seeing what I'm seeing.

But, the face is there when the photo is uploaded. And it looks like she's wearing a crown. A sign of victory.  Like the palm-waving Easter celebration of Christ's victory.

Later I learned something new about the palm: The palm tree is the Tree of Peace. "It is a reminder to look for and realize the divine within.   It can be a messenger for members of the angelic hierarchy."

How comforting to remember our divinity as we begin each day.  Earth is not our home.  We have come to awaken to our spiritual heritage, our true identity. We are more than we can presently understand.  And, we are not going it alone.  We are accompanied by the presence of God's holy angels who are here to help, comfort, protect, and lovingly guide us all the way home.  God loves you.

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

 

Ref. on palm, Nature-Speak, Ted Andrews

A Life Saver Surprise: An Angel Message

 

A plant-loving neighbor gave me a few little snippets from her special cactus. She hoped it would bloom like a little life saver candy.  Bloom?  This was my second attempt to get it to root.  I stuck the spindly green stubs in the same pot as a poinsettia that lasted through spring and forgot all about it. 

Until yesterday... an angel must have given me a nudge as I sat on the porch looking out at nature. My attention suddenly turned to the forgotten pot.    A rare star, like out of a fantasy movie, peeked out from the pot. Something extraordinarily new and different was in bloom.  Zebra striped, red and cream colored petals had a raised burgundy ring in the center-- just like a Life Saver candy, adding sweetness to life! 

It touches the heart how God and the angels deliver love notes through nature to each of us.  This special Life Saver Star arrived in time to celebrate the 4th of July. A message never to give up hope.

While writing the blog just now, two playful young deer stopped at the swing set, and then pranced down the trail, their white cotton-tails, leaving a wake of joyful freedom. 

Remember your guardian angels are with you today as you celebrate life. You are never alone. So keep on keeping on.  The best is yet to be.

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

Out of the Box: An Angel Message

It takes lots of patience and perseverance to work a jigsaw puzzle, not a favorite past-time, but a friend's enthusiasm on fitting all the pieces together in order to see the BIG picture seemed like a good discipline. And, maybe, it could be fun with the right puzzle to frame. 

So when this cute 300-piece puzzle of Norman Catwell turned up on-line, I was motivated to give it a try.  The self-portrait of the yellow tabby cat was a reminder that we, too, are not as we physically appear in matter.  Recently I read that all of the matter our body comprises would fit on the head of a pin.  If that's not enough to pop our illusion of self-grandeur.   

With help from an eager family member, the Norman Rockwell cat puzzle was completed in an afternoon.  My job was mostly sorting the colors patterns, and finding the straight-edge border pieces for the frame.  And, I did manage to piece together the face of the artist cat, gazing at himself in the mirror.

A few days later, a lesson formed, teaching what we focus on, we naturally attract.  Where our attention goes, the energy flows.  

It happened on the Summer Solstice.  An impromptu drive to the beach revealed a beautiful golden sunset above a roaring surf.  A windswept beach had only a few shells scattered along the hard-packed sandy shore, but I accepted the motion to come down from the look-out deck and comb the beach for a souvenir of the occasion. 

The pickings were slim on the vacant beach, but soon I had a few unbroken surf clam shells.  

Then I spotted something unusual. 

 A small black-and-white "hand" shell.  It seemed like a rare gift from the sea.  In all the years, living by the ocean, I'd yet to come across one of these.  Following a trail of sandpipers, I soon discovered another larger "hand" shell in the sea debris.   

Curious, I wondered what these shells were called, but forgot about it on the drive home.  

It wasn't until this morning, while searching for something else in a cabinet, the answer surfaced.   More cat energy.  An old forgotten laminated photo guide, Shells of Florida, classified the sea gifts as Atlantic Kitten Paws.  

How purrrfect is that?  :-D

 Enjoy your day with your angels.  And, remember, you are never alone.  You are more than you know.  Where your attention goes, the energy flows, so think on the bright side.  God loves you, and no matter what, never give up.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Don't Take the Bait: An Angel Message

 Last week our favorite sandhill crane, Stretch, faced a major challenge.  His foot got tangled in a fishing line someone carelessly tossed on the lake shore. 

Keeping an eye out at the lake this morning, I found a sharp hook on a short fishing line, and a glittery black rubber worm.  Was it a sign not to swallow the bait today?  I laughed, picking it up. 

 

Sometimes like a fish swimming near the bottom of a tranquil lake, we are at peace, far below the surface of emotional tides such as fear, guilt, hatred, judgment, resentment, and anger.

 

Then someone lowers a fishing line with an irresistible lure.  And, we react, swallowing the bait, hook, line and sinker, reeled into a drama.  Adamant error is expressed in self-will,  self-justification, and self-love. The truth needs no defense, it just is.  God is Love.

 

The guidance from the angels for today is a reminder that when anything tempts to disturb your peace, no matter how egregious, rather than take the bait, quickly turn and swim away, asking the Holy Spirit for peace, before you get hooked in an argument or heated debate. 

 

Your angels are with you.  Trust in divine wisdom.

 

Love and peace,

 

 

Rae Karen

 

 

A Burst of Buttercup: An Angel Message

 

Yesterday's heavy rains brought an unexpected gift from nature. A wild buttercup had popped out among the rocks this morning. I spotted her shining at lunchtime from the sun-room. Yellow is the color of FAITH. Something we can all use at this hour.  The joyful "volunteer" had managed to bloom among the rock-edged sidewalk.  "I did it! And, so can you!"  I appreciated the encouraging message.  Her buttery petals, cheerfully opened wide to embrace the sun. 

Buttercup is unique and can thrive in every part of the garden. Her message:  "With proper self-worth, we can succeed in every environment."

Buttercup carries an energy to awaken a new sense of self-worth.  We will come to know our special gifts and how to apply them. Others will express their appreciation for our abilities.  This flower heralds a time of healing and understanding.  

The buttercup reminds us to be more expressive ourselves.  The power of  our words, especially when applied to healing, will be increasing.  Opportunities for new life directions are coming to share your light.  Buttercup is also a reminder of self-worth, and how words can affect all things. So be careful to choose your words wisely for they will have greater influence now.

I'm so thankful for the angel messages from nature.  If you're reading this, the buttercup is on your path today.  We are all growing between a rock and a hard spot during these challenging times on Earth.  But how comforting to know God will see us through if we have faith and keep reaching toward the Light to bloom.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

 Ref. Nature-Speak, Ted Andrews

Psalm 91 A Stone of Remembrance

 

Many years ago, a neighbor gave me this decorative Psalm 91 stone. It was inside a surprise grab bag at the neighborhood yard sale.  She stopped me on the sidewalk, and said, This is meant for you. The synchronicity was timely...just the message I needed that moment.

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

The more receptive we are to acknowledge the loving help of our angels,  the easier it is to pass our tests and trials with peace, love, and guidance.  Direction that avoids obstacles that try to block our progress. During hurricanes and times of great anxiety, I find peace in the midst of the storm by reciting these powerful guarantees of safety.   

 

 Psalm 91 begins: 

"He that dwelleth in the Secret Place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Later it describes the protection as covering us with his feathers (like a mother bird sheltering her brood). To dwell means to live or reside, not just a place to run to in times of trouble.  When we dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High (spiritual state of consciousness) and not dwell on our problems-- continually, we are under God's Law of Love and grace. 

For years my husband, Elliot, and I would read out loud Psalm 91, the closing prayer on the Sabbath.  Mom asked me if I had memorized it yet.

Her question challenged me to put wasted time to better use. I copied Psalm 91 on an index card and stuck it in my purse. Whenever I had a free moment at home or waiting in long lines at the post office, bank, grocery store or idling at a stop light, I'd pull out Psalm 91 to study, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

It didn't come easy, but slowly line-by-line, verse-upon-verse, the powerful words were learned.  I would write down what had been memorized, and add the new verse. A commitment and hard work, but something wonderful happened in the process. Whenever  I closed my eyes and got still and began to recite a new verse and add it then to the memorized, I felt an inner stirring, an awakening within me. The powerful verses had a spiritual presence, activating an inner work. I'd heard people say, There is power in The Word, now I fully understood the meaning.

Shortly after committing Psalm 91 to heart, I was put to a major test.  To my amazement, I was in peace and acceptance, not adversely reacting to a big challenge, like in the past. The change was so palpable, my ego worried what's wrong with me?!  Then, I realized, over the past few months, time spent learning Psalm 91 had released a spiritual power within me. Rather than running in fear to the Secret Place, I now abided in the Secret Place of the Most High. Angels were charged to watch over me in all my ways and lift me up so I wouldn't dash my foot upon a rock and lose my peace. To my delight, I passed the test, and soon the problem faded away as quickly as it had come.

 

During these times of great tribulation, I offer you the loving invitation that you, too, may entertain the idea of committing Psalm 91wholly to heart.  What blesses one blesses all.  Not only will it benefit you and your loved ones, but the whole world will be blessed, and the angels rejoice.  

 

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen