A Royal Welcome: Angel Message

 

This morning I noticed the SOLID GOLD label on a new bag of cracked corn.  A perfect match for the Muscovy duck known as royal ducks, the flock that enjoys the daily morning feed.    

Usually the hungry ducks are waiting as we pull up at the lake ramp. Happily they run for the car before we can turn off the engine.        

Yesterday the wings of the morning were stirred by something excitedly fresh and different. Change was in the air.   As I got out of the car, with the canister of corn, and stood up, a lone duck appeared in the sky flying low over the lake.  Powerful wings flapping, heading my way, coming so close, I ducked down. 

WHOOSH!  Suddenly I was swept up in a down draft, a thrilling thrust of dynamic energy filled me with the exhilarating presence of flight. 

Click. A pair of webbed feet had landed on the car roof beside me!   

Wow! That was a first!  I turned around to see who'd  made such a grand entrance?

To my delight, it was Gray Baby!  A special duck I'd helped get through a rough patch the last time I saw him.

Unlike the other Muscovy ducks, he's mostly gray, and often shunned or pecked. A few days ago, he'd been snubbed by an aggressive duo. I tried to smooth his ruffled feathers by speaking loving words and naming him Gray Baby. I told him that God loved him. And, so did I.  Before long, his tail wagged, and he looked up at me. A heart to heart exchange of love had flowed between us for sure. 

The sight of Gray Baby, standing on the car roof, eye-level with me in the light of a new day was one of those angel moments. A wonderful reminder: "Love is reflected in Love."   That big lovable Muscovy had given me a royal welcome to make my day.

 

All went well.  Soon cracked corn was shared by all the ducks gathered round the old cypress tree at the water's edge.  And, I, too, had been fed with food for thought. A lesson on giving and receiving.  "Love is reflected in Love."  A reminder that whatever we send out, will eventually wing its way back to us. So choose love.

Oh, I almost forgot...when I looked up Muscovy in What It's Like to Be a Bird, their large wing feathers were used for writing quills.  And, our modern word "pen" comes from the Latin word penna, for "feather".   Sometimes people hunger for uplifting stories more than they do for food.  People are hungry for what you know.

Have a joyful day, and remember that you are never alone.  God loves you.  He  has sent His angels to help you through times such as these.  The best is yet to be.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Darkest Before the Dawn: Angel Message

 Maybe you've noticed your pets can deliver angel messages of guidance and encouragement in the dark hours of trials and testings.  The divine timing of these not so subtle deliveries can serve as a heads-up that more is going on than meets the eye so keep having faith and looking up. The best is yet to be.

It happened this morning.  Long before dawn, our cat Hei-Hei stirred the ethers by jumping up on the bookcase and swatting my prayer beads to the floor.  It turned out to be a double delivery when I turned on the lamp and saw Jesus on the floor.  A long forgotten prayer card of a peaceful Christ pointing upward and white doves circling His holy presence.  Curious, I turned over the card and read The Serenity Prayer which I know well. 

But I had an aha moment when I read an additional verse at the end.  

"But God, grant me the courage, not to give up on what I think is right, even though I think it is hopeless."

 

SERENITY PRAYER

GOD GRANT ME THE COURAGE

TO CHANGE THE THINGS

I CAN CHANGE,

THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT

THOSE I CANNOT CHANGE,

AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW

THE DIFFERENCE.

BUT GOD, GRANT ME THE COURAGE

NOT TO GIVE UP ON WHAT

I THINK IS RIGHT, EVEN THOUGH

I THINK IT IS HOPELESS.

Our Hei-Hei had done it again, He had delivered an answer to my prayer.  

 Love and peace,

Rae  Karen

Be The Sunshine: Angel Message

 Something amusing happened on Sunday.  A little ray of hope that brightened my day, and it all came about some may say by chance, but I've come to see these random encounters as a God wink, a touch of Providence in timing.   Oddly enough, it had to do with ducks.

Four years ago, a blonde-haired woman and her mother would regularly drive to the local lake in a red SUV to feed the ducks.  She carried a bowl of yellow cracked corn and would shout at the waters' edge, "Here DUCKIES!"  Her fowl friends would clamor ashore from all directions to greet her.   Fondly, I silently named her the Duck Lady and learned where to buy corn feed for the ducks.   For some reason, she and her mother stopped coming to the lake, but whenever I saw a red SUV pass by, I wondered about her.

On Sunday I got my answer.

Elliot and I recently found a new park with a wide concrete trail circling a lake, in another town, eight miles away.  On Sunday as we walked around the lake, two women passed us by heading in the opposite direction on the path.  One wore a cheerful yellow T-shirt.  BE THE SUNSHINE!   We smiled, and I called out, I love your tee shirt.  Walking on, Elliot thought she looked familiar, something about her smile.  Maybe she was the Duck Lady, only this woman had brown hair.  

Not wanting to miss an opportunity to thank her, I turned back, calling out, "Are you the Duck Lady?"  She stopped, and as we gathered, in a moment's reflection the pieces fell together.  

"Thanks to you, I feed the ducks cracked corn, and know where to get it."  I told her.

Smiling she asked about the ducks, how many were there?  And also was happy to hear the update on Papa and Mama Sandhill Crane.  Her mother, also had on a yellow sun emblem T-shirt. She looked at us, and said, "I was just thinking about you yesterday wondering where you are." 

Really?  Goosebumps rippled.  

God is in the details.

The nature loving pair was happy to hear their duck family was being well-fed, and we all parted with big smiles...

Then, further down the trail, she turned, and called out with a big laugh,  "Now, you're the Duck Lady!"

"Duck Lady II!!!" I laughed, holding up two fingers.  

And, so I am thankful to begin each morning with a trip to the lake to greet a fleet of happy webbed-feet. Tails wagging, running toward me and my large tin of cracked corn.  

Later, it dawned on me that the Duck Lady showed up to feed me an angel message that sunny afternoon: 

BE THE SUNSHINE.

It's wonderful that God knows the desires of our heart, and will speak softly to each of us according to our needs, and His ways are not our ways.  But that makes it a grand mystery as we expect the happy things of God to come to us day by day.

Be the Sunshine.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

 

 

 

 

A Lesson on Forgiveness and Second Chances: Angel Message

 Sometimes I'm guilty of being impatient and not giving things time to work out harmoniously.  Like that old garden adage proclaims, Faith grows in a garden.  

Today I learned a tender lesson on forgiveness from the Sweet William or dianthus flower. Let me backtrack.

Last spring, I filled a large stone planter with these biennial plants whose flowers are born in starry clusters atop a short stem. Cheerful little blossoms graced our front walk, flourishing in the hot summer sun.  In late autumn, the blossoms faded; the leaves, straggly. I was ready to plant a new kind of flower in the circular stone pot.  

When I tried to uproot the Sweet Williams, their tenacious roots clung deep down to the pot. After a struggle,  I gave up and pruned the plants in hopes they would bounce back, but they didn't.      

Weeks later, I tried again with no luck no matter how hard I dug they wouldn't budge.  An idea came, grab the hose and soak the soil to loosen the roots. Then turn the planter bottom side up and it won't be such an eye-sore. 

With bad weather, my gardening enthusiasm waned and more than a month passed before I remembered to turn over the upset planter, wary of what I'd see.       

To my delight, instead of old yellow, dried-up leafy dead plants, I found life! Pale green leafy little clusters of  hope.  With only a small hole in the top of the planter, I was amazed that the Sweet Williams managed to live without sun, wind, or rain. 

 A pang of guilt stirred at such a deliberate testimony of strong will and faith.

A powerful lesson that we, too, can stay strong when anchored in faith, when stuck in the darkness of sudden adversity.  When we rely on God for help.  

With a thankful heart, I asked the Sweet Williams to forgive me, and I hurried to water their wilted leaves with loving-kindness in the sunlight.  

Then an idea came to keep the Sweet Williams sunny-side up in the planter, and create a tiny gnome garden, with a house and a mail box.  It seemed like a win-win.

But there was more... 

This morning when I opened the living curtains, I happened to look down from the window at a special delivery from the floral messengers.   With childlike wonder, I gazed at one tiny red bud. It reached up high like an umbrella and had bloomed on a cold winter night.  In that special moment, it seemed to  be a gift of grace, an offering of forgiveness.  I was thankful for a second chance.  

Curious, I looked up the meaning of Sweet William (dianthus) in Nature-Speak.  

The message was in divine order. This flower carries a message about greater obedience to divine will.  The name William means "brave and protecting."  "When we align to the divine will, we are protected and can walk without fear."  

 

Wow!  Just the message needed most for today. Thank you, Angels.

God is always speaking to His children.  Please remember whatever you're going through just now, you may feel alone and cut off from the world at large, but God loves you. He knows the things you need.  So fear not.  He has given His angels charge over you to protect you and guide you.  Keep rooted deeply in faith and trust the best is yet to be.

After dinner, I looked out the window, in the rain, a second Sweet William had bloomed.

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen    

Ref. Nature-Speak, Ted Andrews (Sweet William)

Slow and Steady... An Angel Message

 I've loved turtles since I was a kid and had a miniature one for a pet.  So whenever a turtle pops up from the wild, it brings me joy and a burst of hopeful encouragement.  As you know, the turtle is an unlikely symbol of victory in the tale of the race with the rabbit. The slow turtle seemed like such a hopeless contender against such a speedy opponent.  

What a surprise when yesterday's colder weather delivered an unlikely messenger.  A Painted Turtle was crossing our driveway as we got in the car to run errands.  Thankful for divine timing,  I ran back into the house to take a photo to share with you.  His colorful shell was speckled with green pond moss.  Now on dry land, he was making tracks in an easterly direction.  

Turtle is known as a shore creature because it can navigate in both land and the water. And, sometimes the turtle is known as the keeper of the doors to spiritual realms.  This year is about doors, new doors opening...change, transformation.

Turtle energy can teach new perceptions on time and our relationship with it.  The Painted Turtle is associated with rebirth and new beginnings through determination and endurance.  Long life and groundedness within life is what turtle lessons bring.  It doesn't move fast, as if it knows it has all the time in the world. 

I watched his perseverance to keep moving on, head held high. No matter how BIG the distraction, not even this large woman looming nearby with her camera, your biggest fan, can break your stride.  Go! Go! Go!  Victory is assured... so keep moving toward the finish line.

Turns out, a painted turtle brings a reminder on the power and use of color. Unlike the picture, he was a lovely shade of green, with bright yellow stripes on his neck, but I kept my distance out of respect for his space.  I thanked him for coming by, and he paid me no mind, as I watched him traverse the garden mulch bed. He trod by the cement turtle statue with a cherub riding on its back. A reminder that we too have an unseen guardian angel urging us onward.

God is always speaking to  us, often through nature in a love note that reminds us that we are not alone.  God is Love, and with the help of His angels we can add more color to our lives. 

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

Dr. Martin Luther King: An Angel Message

Today, we celebrate the birthday of a great soul, Dr. Martin Luther King.  Great souls come to earth to evoke a great transformation, to dream a new dream.  Dr. King had a powerful mission that he took to heart. He walked with courage and conviction through a fiery furnace of racial injustice.  As a Baptist minister, he knew angels were helping those who worked for justice. 

 

He wrote: 

"The universe is under the control of a loving purpose, and that in the struggle for righteousness man has cosmic companionship (angels). Behind the harsh appearance of the world there is a benign power." 

May we do our part, and with the help of God's angels recognize the divine control of  Infinite Love's dominion.  May we practice non-violence, forgiveness, and brotherly/sisterly love to translate earth into a touch of heaven, and help fulfill Dr. King's powerful dream. 

 

Love and peace,

 

 

Rae Karen


  

Photo: Wikimedia Image

Hawk Watch: Angel Message

 

Yesterday afternoon I popped up after a cat nap in time to see a hawk close by!  A young red-shouldered hawk had perched on the pasture fence by the driveway. Curious, I watched him from the window. Hawks haven't been around much lately.  The hawk seemed content to just be still in the sunshine and rest on the fence post. A warm welcome after recent heavy rains.  He stayed there for so long, I went out in the yard to take a picture to share with you.  

He stayed on the post, across the way, unruffled by my presence as I snapped away. His head tilted ever so slightly upward, the message was clear. Be still and listen.  

Later, on our way out for a ride, the young hawk didn't flinch as the car backed down the driveway.  He stayed focused, a sentinel at his post, and didn't give us a glance.

When an animal or a bird crosses your path, it's helpful to pay attention to their behavior. What were they doing at the time?  Often it brings guidance on how to handle the issues in our life just now.

Hawk is the messenger from the higher realm, and this unexpected visitor delivered a message to sit tight for now.  Pay attention to your surroundings, and listen for guidance from on-high.  An opportunity will present itself if you stay vigilant. 

I'm so thankful for these messages from God's angels.  God speaks through nature, and knows just what we need to hear and when, and most of all the way that will touch our hearts and give us peace.  

Better than email, they stir our soul and give pinions to higher thought.

Joyful blessings,

Rae Karen

 

A Scrabbley Rabbit: An Angel Message

Angel thoughts help us to tune into new ways of being in the world around us. The veil thins and we begin to understand that there is more to life than meets our physical eyes.  An invisible reality awaits our willing invitation to open up new doors and expand our paradigm. 

 

 For instance, rabbit energy has been a theme at our house this week.  One night when Elliot and I were playing a game of SCRABBLE, I was in for a surprise. As I turned over my hidden wood tiles, one by one, the random letters I'd chosen spelled out the word RABBIT on my wooden holder.   Usually I must make the words combining them with letters on the board.  But here RABBIT was ready to spring into action.  Rabbit always brings the promise of spring time.   Resurrection energy.  Change. New Life. Fertility.  I was thankful for the angelic hint to get ready.    

 

Then another day, while dusting my office, a tiny brown rabbit, no bigger than a quarter, turned up tucked away on the far corner of the windowsill, under the window blinds lever. I don't know where he came from, but again, I'm thankful for the rabbit trail into the new year. A reminder to look forward to fresh starts and new beginnings. The best is yet to be.  

 

Rabbits are also known for their acute hearing.  This unusual desert jack rabbit postcard has amazing ears that are like radar to warn him when coyotes or other predators come within range.  From the likes of him, I understand why those old TV antennas were called "rabbit ears" to pick up a signal.

Hearing is acute with the jack rabbit, and a reminder for me to pay attention to my own reception. Who am I listening to, and what am I speaking about?  Love or fear? Thoughts are things and our words create our reality. 

 

 Enjoy your day, and you may want to keep your ears tuned to your guardian angel, and watch what wonderful things happen along the way.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen    

Little Things Hold Great Promise: An Angel Message

What a surprise when eating lunch at an outdoor cafe, an acorn fell from a high tree branch and hit my head in a resounding PING! What was the message? my friend and I laughed as I picked up the acorn, twig and all.

 

The next morning, what a surprise when I pulled  my patio chair out from the table. A little acorn presented in a more gentle, loving way, occupied my seat as if meant for me.  I laughed, looking up and accepted the gift.

 

 Without an oak tree in our yard, I wondered about the timely delivery. The answer soon appeared. A feisty squirrel chattered high up on the old oak next door.  His bushy tail flickered, giving Elliot and me the business as we enjoyed nature. 

 

"Do you want to be in the angel blog?" I playfully asked, knowing squirrel is about keeping a balance between working and playing, giving and taking. I hurried for my camera. He waited, perched on high, in a rowdy routine, chattering between chomps on a nut that afforded me a photo.

An acorn represents raw potential ...amazing how a mighty oak comes from such a small seed.  Imagine one little nut holds the promise of acres and acres of  acorns, as each oak shares its harvest, it is greatly multiplied.  

 

Squirrel as a gatherer, also prepares for the future by burying some of his cache,  but takes time to savor the fruit in the moment. 

I was thankful the squirrel had shared his fruit by planting an acorn in my chair that morning.  May I always be as generous.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen



 

Breaking Free: An Angel Message

Years ago, I found this unusual photo on-line. A picture of concrete angels trying to fly made a lasting impression of just how hard it can be to defy gravity on our own. Heavy thoughts of doom, gloom, and guilt weigh us down. With the help of the angels, we can lighten our load, and break free to experience a more concrete reality of our higher state of existence as a spiritual being, a holy Child of God. 

Becoming lighter we can lift upward in thought, no longer dragging the weight of outgrown limitations from the past.  With gratitude for the blessings in each moment, we become more aware of the Infinite Love and beauty in all life that surrounds us.  

After writing this blog late one night, I found myself reaching for a book on angels, hoping for a closing quote. I must have been on the right track because the first one I came to was perfect. "Angels make God's goodness concrete."    

Angels show their love for God through their

service of other creatures, just as we are 

enjoined to show our love for God by serving

one another.  Angels make God's goodness

concrete, both in this life and in the life to come.

     --Rev George Maloney

Enjoy your day with the angels. They love you and wait for an invitation to join in your daily activities. With their loving help, not only will you will defy gravity and lighten your load, but life will be filled with wonder and grace as they make God's goodness concrete for you.

Love and joyful blessings,

Rae Karen

 

 

 

Photo: web

Smile at Life: An Angel Message

Some angel messages grab your attention and make you drop everything and take notice.  Several days ago, something heavy hit the floor with a thud as I hurriedly shut the porch door in a rush to feed the birds. 

The cheerful yellow SMILE sign by the hallway door had fallen off the wall.  It laid face up. Smile in cheerful yellow writing stretched across the floor. We laughed at the timing.  That had never happened before, why now?  We were thankful for the not-so-subtle angelic reminder. Don't leave home without wearing a SMILE.  

Earlier a journal entry had been about smiling often that day. Smile before you wash a dish, smile at your oatmeal topped with blue berries, smile at the flowers, trees, smile before you begin a task large or small.  Smile, and make the world a brighter place.

S.M.I.L.E is an acronym for See Me in Life Everywhere.  

At the lake that morning, along with the usual muscovies, mallards, and sandhill cranes, another visitor took us by surprise.  This juvenile red hawk flew across the lake toward us, and landed up high on the cypress old tree to preen in the sunshine. 

Hawk is a messenger related to visionary power and guardianship.  The sky is the realm of the hawk. Hawks stir our imagination.  Whenever one shows up, pay attention.  A message is coming. 

                            
2024 is associated with the Door. New beginnings. Change. Transformation.  New doors will be opening and others closing. A time to dream big.  

Join me today in the joy and gladness of being.  Your face is a billboard, so smile. smile. smile.  The best is yet to come. You are not alone.  God's angels are with you to guide, comfort, and bring you peace and joy.  Walk by faith and not by sight.

Happy New Year!

Rae Karen

 

Christmas at Blue Springs

 

On Christmas day, a wonderful gift from nature popped up.  A tremendous herd of manatees bathed in the warm springs at Blue Springs State Park. A respite from the frigid waters in the St. Johns River.  Five years ago we'd ventured out on Christmas Day to be in nature.  An angel thought nudged to do it again, but early Christmas morning brought heavy rains.  After lunch, another nudge surfaced, the rain had stopped and grey damp clouds hung low, but we gave it a go. 

We were glad we listened.  Although the human crowd was sparse, the manatee count was high, over 200 of these gentle, peaceful creatures were cozying up in clusters to share space in the warm springs.  

The first one I spotted, slowly swam toward us on the observation deck. It came to rest so close to the deck I could see her bubbles. The big gentle gray creature enjoyed a lunch of green leafy vegetation.   

The large number of manatees gathered together on a cold Christmas Day was a call to revisit the symbolism.  Turns out, these peaceful creatures symbolize trust; trust in others to do the right thing.  Since manatees use all of their senses, they can be a reminder for us to do likewise in our daily lives.  Are we relying solely on one input, and not taking in as much information as we should. That message hit home, as we had listened for inner guidance rather than the weather forecast, and drove to the park, in hopes the manatees would be there, and we wouldn't be rained out.

Another thing about these gentle watery mammals is that they see well. A special membrane helps to clean their eyes.  A reminder to step back and clear our vision from time to time.  As this 2023 comes to a close, we may ask ourselves about our vision.  Are we looking at things too closely? Or not closely enough? 

 When you spot a manatee ask yourself, do I trust my feelings?  Is it time to seek gentler and warmer environments within your own life?   

Trust your heart.  Examine your trust in others, and follow your own sense of what's right.

The energy of 200 manatees is a wonderful experience.  Their powerful energy field, along with the presence of the angels, filled the Springs and ourselves with an abundance of joy and peace.

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen  

(Ref. Animal-Speak, Ted Andrews)