Turn Your Face Toward the Light: An Angel Message

I didn't think there would be an angel blog for today.  But when I looked up after our morning meditation, this lone sunflower on the dining room table seemed to smile otherwise.  Energetic and bright, I noticed how it was deliberating aiming to reach the light.

That's the beauty of a sunflower.  It constantly turns its smiling face toward the sun, a behavior called phototropism.  It faces west at sunset, and swings around to the east at sunrise, greeting the morning light.  The golden petals of this dynamic flower bring a heartwarming message to be on the lookout for upcoming opportunities of happiness and health.  Stay focused on the light.  All is well.

Enjoy your day with the angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

Eyes at the Window: An Angel Message

Elliot called me to the kitchen last night.  While washing the dishes at the kitchen sink, he happened to look up.  A bulging pair of eyes was staring at him through the glass windowpane.  Knowing frog is the acronym for Fully Rely On God, I hurried to take a look at the little fellow.  

Sure enough, he was still there, clinging to the glass, gills steadily puffing in and out.  The lamp on the windowsill was attracting bugs to the light, and this cute little treefrog was just where he needed to be to get a good meal. Funny that his two fingers were giving the "Peace" sign. After greeting him, I returned to the living room, happy to receive another message from the angels to FROG it.  Fully Rely On God.  

Before turning in for the night, I checked the kitchen window again.  What a surprise...another tree frog had appeared at the window. Much bigger than the first.   Two frogs!  Double FROG power.

So whatever you may be facing today, remember to Fully Rely On God.  He loves you.  Be at peace.  All is well.

Enjoy your day with the angels.

Love and joyful blessings,

Rae Karen 

A 7 p.m. Rainbow: An Angel Message

Yesterday's evening ride, through a nearby rural area, brought an unexpected gift.  A rainbow...without any rain.  A welcome sign of God's goodness and grace.

Enjoy your day with the angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen  

An Angel at the Door: Be An Angel Day 2018

Be An Angel Day on August 22, turned out to be full of angelic surprises, with opportunities for sharing and extending love to neighbors.  The actions were spontaneous and fun, not to mention healing.  In the late afternoon, while on our way to a meeting in town, plans suddenly changed when I felt a need to return home to use the bathroom.  Elliot pulled the car in the driveway and stopped near the back door so I could make a mad dash inside. 

Afterwards, we decided to skip the meeting and spend a quiet evening at  home.

While having dinner, I happened to look up.  I was startled to see an angel silhouette glowing in a sparkling patch of sunlight over the living room door!   Joyful, like a kid at Christmas, I got up from the dinner table to take a photo.  Nothing like this had ever appeared at our living door.  The timing was pretty amazing, and gave me peace that all things work together for good.  

We welcomed the Be An Angel Day messenger at the doorway!  Puzzled by the unusual emanation,  I wondered how it happened.  The angels in the window by the door had the wrong profile.  Elliot told me to touch the  Amazing Grace angel in the window across the room. The silhouette disappeared. 

 Elliot figured out the  sun's bright reflection off our white car in the drive had lit up that particular high window and the silhouette of our sweet little Amazing Grace angel was posed at just the right angle.  She appeared as an angel at the front door.   

Amazing Grace Angel

That whole experience was such an unexpected, uplifting gift.  Angels are real, and the more we honor their presence as a gift from the Creator, the more love, joy, and peace will be made evident, no matter what our circumstances may be.  Angels deliver, with the grace of God. We are never left alone and comfortless.

Love and joyful blessings,

Rae Karen

Where there's a will, there's a way: An Angel Message

Last night while watching a movie, a sudden thunderclap shook the foundation of our 1927 bungalow.  Lightning bolts struck the dusky sky, a storm was rolling in.  Another thunderclap was so LOUD,  I jumped up from the sofa, blurting out, HAIL MARY, FULL OF GRACE!  (I'm not Catholic, but that's my auto response when in danger.) I knew then it was time to calm down, turn off the TV, and meditate on the power of Psalm 91.  "For He shall give his angels charge over you."  That's the way I find peace in the midst of a storm.  By going within and accepting those comforting words of that entire Psalm, which I've come to know as my insurance/assurance plan.  I pray it everyday.  God is my refuge. I abide in the Shadow of the Almighty.

Soon the skies were harmonious again.

This morning, when I opened the backdoor to feed Gus, the wild buttercup nature rooted in a crack in the stucco wall greeted me in full sunny bloom.  A marvel as each day she stretches, growing taller.  A testimony that where there is a will, there is a way. Buttercup thrives in spite of her limiting condition.   In Nature-Speak, Ted Andrews writes:

"As a garden flower the buttercup is unique in that it will grow in every part of the garden.  This is part of its message.  With proper self-worth, we can succeed in every environment."

Buttercup is a reminder of self-worth and how words can affect all things. So choose words carefully for they will have greater influence now.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.  Expect joyful, uplifting messages along the way.  God is Love.


Rae Karen

Smiles Around the World: An Angel Message

Last fall, I discovered a wonderful way to see the world from my mailbox.  Postcrossing.com was just the ticket I was looking for.   Nine months later, my den door has been slowly transformed into a portal of international snail mail greetings from both near and far.  Maps from old National Geographic magazines added a worldly touch.  Rope, with postcards hung from wooden clothespins, framed the second door, giving my space the lure of a travel agency.

For fun, I asked postcrossers to share a favorite quote:

Cinthya from Indonesia:

"Not all of us can do great things.  But we can
do small things with great love."  Mother Teresa

Martina from Germany:

"You have to share your happiness to
multiply it!"

Elaine from the Philippines:

"STAY CURIOUS."

Gerry from The Netherlands:

"Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift
that's why it's called the present."

Tanja from Slovenija:

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

Yuki from Japan:

"Don't cry because it's over.
Smile because it happened."
                               Dr. Seuss

Catherine from France:

"One sees clearly only with
the heart. What is essential is
invisible to the eye."
                        Antoine de Saint Exup`ery

Brad in the U.S.:

"Thinking is the best way to travel."
                        Moody Blues

Izan from Hong Kong:

"If it doesn't challenge you, it won't
change you."

Dima from Czech Republic:

"Life is either a daring adventure or
nothing at all."

Hanley from the Netherlands:

"There is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in."
                  Leonard Cohen

Zuzka from Czech Republic:

"You are never given a dream without
also being given the power to make it
true."    Richard Bach

Polina from Russia:

"I belong to quick, futile moments
of intense feeling.  Yes, I belong to
moments.  Not to people."
                      Virginia Woolf

Sondur from India:

"All the problems are stuck between
MIND and MATTER.  If you don't
mind. It does not matter."

Ieva from Lithuania:

"Everything passes.  Everything changes.
Just do what you think you should do."
              Bob Dylan song to Ramona

from China:

"Thick mountains could not
stop the river from flowing
into the sea."
          Ancient Chinese poetry


Annie from France:

"All the world is made of faith,
and trust, and pixie dust."
                           J. M. Barrie

 Christoph from Germany:

"We are angels with only one wing.  To be able
to fly we have to hug each other."

I look forward to the mail now, wondering what adventure will arrive from a new friend.  The 100th Anniversary of the Postcard, 1893-1993 recently crossed my path.  A reminder that's it never too late to giddy-up and send smiles around the world.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

Driving under the Influence: An Angel Message

This Virginia license plate brought a sheepish smile.  A reminder to keep our halos on while navigating in traffic. Drive under the influence of angels. Archangel Raphael is the Guardian of Travel, so don't leave home without him.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


RaeKaren

More Ladybugs: An Angel Message

Ladybugs are at play again.  Yesterday's mail brought an offer for a ladybug rosary!  The picture of the red ladybugs, each one had seven spots, caught me by surprise.  I grinned in amazement.

I  knew Ladybugs are associated with the Blessed Mother, but I had no idea there is a ladybug rosary.  And, as I've shared before, ladybugs often appear as a sign of love from my Mom, Mary, now on the other side.  The sight of the colorful photo of the rosary brought such joy -- an abundance of ladybugs.  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."

But more was to come.  Before 7 a.m. for the last two days, I've been on my knees, pulling up bags of thin long vines and straggly weeds in the garden.  This house has been home for the past 8 years, and our backyard is like a park, one that is in need of some tender loving care.  It felt good to get down and work with nature, combing out her tangles and thinning out overcrowded areas.  Gardening keeps me centered in the now, the beauty of the quiet sunlight, the song of the birds, and the cicada symphony ringing in the treetops.  Clipping along, I discovered not one, but three bright ladybugs on different bushes.   I smiled, and greeted each one, thankful for her precious blessing.

Enjoy your day, and be expectant of the loving angel messages that wing their way to you.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen


(photo:  web)

Passing On, How to Prepare Ourselves for the Afterlife: An Angel Message

My dear friend Joanna and I often met for lunch at a quaint restaurant in town. The Olde House Cafe had a garden patio where we would wile away the afternoon pondering the secrets of the universe.  In 2016, Joanna's inquisitiveness about the afterlife ended up in an uplifting book she wrote, Passing On, How to Prepare Ourselves for the Afterlife.  

Some of the questions she attempted to shed light on:

Do we meet up with loved ones after we pass on?

Do we take form as a physical entity or are we pure essence?

Do time and space exist in the afterlife?

What are the characteristics of the afterlife-- is it as joyful, loving as forgiving as those who have undergone a Near-Death Experience claim?

Last week, I found her book, Passing On, tucked away in the hall bookcase. I wondered then about the timing.  We'd had a little disagreement.  I hadn't seen my dear friend for over a year.  Our phone calls had dwindled to an occasional email, a birthday card.  Joanna, a prolific author, was in healing mode while steeped in writing several projects.  Our paths took a different direction.

Then, yesterday an angel whim guided me to do a Google search.

My dear friend had passed on 7/ll.   A wave of conflicting emotions hit me at once. Joy for her graduation, sadness for the loss of her physical presence. 

No wonder I'd felt such a strong urge to drive by her house when in Daytona Beach last Wednesday. The little bridge crossing had been closed, under construction.  My wish to stop by to give her a spontaneous hug had been blocked.

Now I understood why... Joanna had already crossed over to the other side.

Joanna Romer

What a rush of conflicting emotions I had reading about her passing.  Joyful that she had moved on, graduated, finished her work, and let go.  Earthly sorrow to miss her warm laughter and compassionate nature, and all the inspiration we shared over the last eight years.

"Just As It Should Be,"  is one of the many chapters in Passing On that brings understanding.  Everything is perfect as it is.

This played out as I reread a passage I'd quoted in an amazon book review of her first book, Widow:  A Survival Guide for the First Year published in 2012.   Tearfully, I was amazed how that beautiful experience painted the cover of Passing On.  Just as it should be.

"The sun is beginning to sink now, and the light over the ocean is beautiful.  I can't see the sunset here--I'm on the ocean side--but I know when I walk over the little wooden bridge toward the river, I'll see it.  I'll be doing that very soon.  Our recovery is a bit like that--we can't quite see the dazzle of color that we know is us--not quite yet, but the inner light is changing.  We can feel something new and different emerging.  We know that eventually we're going to walk over that bridge into a new and glorious self."





Love and Light,


Rae Karen

Old Methuselah: An Angel Message

DeLeon Springs, FL

While my brother and his wife were here this week, the angels guided a spontaneous ride to nearby  DeLeon Springs State Park.  The overcast sky looked like it could open up any minute with rain, but we went with the flow.  The clouds held back and we had a good time watching the natural springs pool that produces 19 million gallons of water a day at 72 degrees year round.

Old Methuselah

It began to drizzle and I recalled Old Methuselah, the 500 year-old bald cypress tree.  We headed down the 1/2 mile trail through a forest hammock that led to a flood plain to get a glimpse of majestic old Methuselah.  With no signs to direct, and the only four troopers on this adventure, a peaceful, gentle energy filled the air as we walked underneath a sheltering canopy of tall hardwoods. The home of the wild.  Before long, we were there.  At the end of the trail, Methuselah was still standing tall in the swamp, having survived all the logging through the years.   We give her a cheerful Hooray!

Turns out, a cypress tree represents death, life and resurrection, and often signifies the heavens are calling.  The towering cypress, majestically points toward the sky as a reminder for us to ponder the deeper meaning underlying our experiences.

My grandmother often used the expression:  "As old as Methuselah."   I never had taken the time to look up this Biblical patriarch.  A little research revealed that Methuselah, the son of Enoch was 969 years old and is the longest-lived human in the Bible.  He was related to Noah who built the ark.

I was thankful for our visit with Old Methuselah, and the angel message to ponder the deeper meaning underlying our experiences. 

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

Down the Chimney There Arose Such a Clatter! An Angel Message

Nature speaks loudly at times.  Nothing is more unnerving than to be awakened by a loud CRASHING noise.  That's what happened one cold fall morning many years ago. I heard a loud crash downstairs.  Half asleep, my first thought was the heavy glass mobile in the living room had fallen off the patio door.  

But then it happened again.

      

Elliot woke up, and we whispered what to do?  A robber didn't seem likely.  Then a thought came about squirrels.  Recently we'd heard the scampering of little feet in the attic.  

Had a squirrel fallen down the chimney? 

 Grabbing our green terry robes, we ran downstairs. In the living room, a mournful whimpering was coming from the fireplace. Our interloper was alive!  The screeching noise had come from little claws digging into the metal chute to brake the long downward fall.  It had worked.

Elliot ran for his flashlight, and I did my best to comfort our frightened visitor.  Above the loud mews, I spoke lovingly. "It’s okay. We’ll get you out, but we have to find the best way. We're a little afraid of you. And you're afraid of us. So, we all need some understanding here." 

Shining the flashlight through the glass fireplace door, a gray squirrel huddled in the corner, crying.  

Elliot ran to the basement to work on a plan. 

Before long, he returned with a large carpet roll on his shoulder. 

 “So, we’re rolling out the red carpet,” I laughed, as he set the carpet on-end to make a tall fence from the fireplace to the sun deck.  

No detours allowed!   

Holding up my end of the rug, the maze was set.  I leaned over to open the fireplace door, expecting a mad dash to freedom, but no action.

From that vantage point, we saw not one, but two little gray squirrels, trembling, huddled together, in tears. 

To our surprise, with the door of freedom opened wide, the wayward pair stayed put.

    

To give nature a helping hand, we opened the deck door.  Cold, brisk air swept into the living room.  So cold that after a minute, we laughed, at the sight of our breath in the frosty air.  

But the squirrels still stayed put.  

St. Francis, the Patron Saint for Animals was called on, but those two big human faces peering over the rug must have made the journey high risk. 

In the chill, we stood in our bathrobes, waiting.  Time seemed to stand still.  Patience was ebbing as we asked the angelic beings for help.  Also, we asked the Holy Spirit for a holy relationship with the fearful squirrels. 

Soon, Elliot was guided to gently tap on the fireplace stove. 

That did it!

One furry gray head popped out. The cautious type, his brown eyes looked both ways before he took a leap of faith. Stop. Look. Leap. -- that was his technique.  Methodically,  one leap at a time, he made tracks on the designated path across the living room and out the open deck door.  Back in the fresh air, we smiled, as he slowly climbed up the deck railing, and carefully down the wood post, to safely return to the woods. 

One down!...we cheered.

Now, our focus turned to the last squirrel.  Alone, she shivered, too scared to move until Elliot was guided to pull the log grate forward with the iron poker. 

That did it!  Safer to leave than to stay,  a streak of gray fur shot down the red carpet lined path, leaped up on the deck,  like a Olympic gymnast she flew through the air and bounced onto a straggly tree branch. I could almost hear her joyful, "HIP HIP HOORAY!" as she ran for the goal.  Home.

Their special delivery wake up call that morning seemed important.  A quick research on squirrel symbolism revealed a need for balance between work and play, and to be prepared.   On that chilly autumn morning, little did we know that in a few months, we too would go tumbling down the chute in search of a new home in Virginia Beach.  

Postscript: Something amusing happened just now as I was writing the clattering squirrel blog.  I kid you not!  There was a loud crash in the living room!  I called out to Elliot from my computer in the den.  "Are you okay?"  He came out of his office and together we looked around the living room to see what had caused the disruption.  

The picture frame TV antenna had somehow fallen off the windowsill.  It must have hit the ceramic bowl of decorative rocks, knocking one onto the floor.  What joy when I turned over the smooth stone.  The word SMILE turned up!  I had to laugh. 

Smile Rock Hit the Floor

An angel figurine stands on high in that window, one that reminds me of my mother, now an angel.  Hmmm... kind of makes you wonder.  My brother is coming for a visit today!  Mom's no doubt smiling down on us.

Mom's Amazing Grace Angel in the Window

I'm smiling with my antenna up, and the SMILE rock on the windowsill.

Have a joyful day with the Angels.

Love and joyful blessings,

Rae Karen

Cold Mustard: An Angel Message

Sometimes if we are too hardheaded to let God's angel thoughts really sink in, something jarring may happen to bolster our faith.  There was a time when I was fearful about the future.  Elliot and I were suddenly forced to move from our comfortable home in a forested community where we'd spent a wonderful three years on the Occoquan River.  With two months to find a new place, pack up and move, we were trying to fully rely on God for guidance. The old was passing away and it was time to embrace a new flow. 

A prospect synchronistically unfolded to move to a different part of Virginia. While waiting for the details to coalesce, I began to worry.  With so many variables, how could it possibly work out?  In the waiting process, anxiety stirred while fixing sandwiches for lunch.  I made a big mess when I grabbed a large jar of mustard from the fridge.

BAM!

The 2-lb. jar slipped through my fingers.  It hit the kitchen floor with a powerful FORCE.  The lid shot off!

Suddenly cold brown mustard splattered my face, my left ear, and hair, and down the front of my shirt. The ceiling and cabinets were brown speckled.

Knowing there are no coincidences, I wondered, Why a mustard bath?  

Later that day, I read Jesus’ words about faith in a book called The Spiritbuilder:

The disciples had been unsuccessful in performing a healing and wondered why.

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matt. 17:19-21)

I thought about the imagery of a tiny mustard seed and the mountain as a metaphor for whatever obstacle to face--a health crisis, a relationship, financial stress. The mountain seems very solid, as it looms before us, impossible to move.

Obviously, I needed more faith. If I were relying on my own power, no wonder I worried.  The image of a mountain represented my fear that was stealing my joy. A little faith as tiny as a seed of a mustard was the answer. 

So rather than fear our future, I worked on having faith, trusting God.  If doubt would creep in, I would remember that chilling mustard bath.

 Before long everything came together in divine order.  We moved to a lovely home and we're on our way to a new chapter in the journey at Virginia Beach, a city where we continued to stretch and grow  over the next 11 years. 

Today,  I can't reach for a jar of mustard, at home or at a restaurant, without remembering the faith of a little mustard seed.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.  Why not choose faith...

Love and joyful blessings,


Rae Karen

(photo from the web)