The Beautiful, Wonderful and Miraculous

Help in Letting Go

2011-12-13T17:33:00.000-08:00

I’ve been aware of Mary (not her real name) for quite a few years now. She is a musician and the mother of several adult children.

One of her children, David, passed away only five days after he was born.

Mary would remember his birthday afterwards, even if other family members did not. On the day of his 21st birthday, Mary had been thinking about David quite a bit. On that day a man who Mary had hired to do some work around her property arrived at her place. He was carrying what she described as a papyrus roll.

Mary noted that the man had fairly red eyes as if he were tired. She asked him if he’d come to do some work. He answered that he was going to carry on with the job, but he didn’t know how long he’d be able to stay because he had spent a large part of the previous night ‘painting this’... motioning toward the papyrus in his hand.

He said that God had told him to paint this picture for Mary. The ornate picture showed a young man sitting in the palm of a large hand. He said that the picture was of David (presumably he thought it was the Biblical character) as a young musician sitting in the hand of God.

Mary then told the worker about her son David. The man then said something like ‘oh that’s why I had to paint this’. David is cared for as one of God’s musicians.

Mary has this painting on her wall. And shortly after receiving it she was able to let go of David and her concerns about him.

(Note: Up until yesterday when I heard this story directly from ‘Mary’, I had no idea that she might have any sort of connection with this kind of topic. She told us other interesting things as well, but because the other topics could cause difficulties if publicly discussed I have used a false name. I’m hoping she will give me permission to relate more about her one day. My wife knows Mary very well, and neither of us have any reason to doubt her integrity. She is a lovely friend, citizen, wife and mother with wholesome interests and views).

Daily Inspiration

2011-12-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

Although I feel that I'm pretty much on the right path, it is easy to get bogged down with worries and challenges that crop up. It is so good to be able to turn on the computer and read, or listen to, inspiring stories or ideas from other people. These provide new food for thought and can help to put the spring back into my step after I've been focusing on things that might be a little unpleasant.

There are so many people 'out there' who have uplifting things to say. Here is a list of a few individuals who have inspired or encouraged me lately.

Abraham and Esther and Jerry Hicks. I have to say that some of Abraham's stuff I am a little uncomfortable with.... like everything we desire being there for us when we 'croak' whether we've died of old age or by jumping off a bridge in a fit of guilt or depression. But I can't argue with most of their content, and I have found their talks to be at least interesting if not uplifting. There are dozens of recordings from them on You Tube. Like most things, I just pick out the bits that I like, and leave the rest. And I'm still not sure whether Esther actually is channeling ideas from other entities.... but whether the channeling is just a theatrical prop, or just Esther's way of explaining where her good ideas come from, most of what she says really resonates with me.

The Weekly Whisper from LaRue Eppler and Vanessa Wesley. These two girls send out a brief video message every week that generally relates to our personal intuition. They don't seem to make any far-fetched claims, and much of what they say sounds like good old common sense. Some of their stories are very interesting and I just plain like these two folks. They should appear early in any Google search. I wish I'd started listening to my own intuition much earlier in life. But then, it is never too late to start over.

Dr Wayne Dyer. There is a heap of his stuff on the internet. One of my favorite talks is split into 39 parts on You Tube, and it is called 'Tapping into Real Magic'. I suppose it might still be there if you try to find it. Wayne's book "You'll See it When You Believe it" was one of my favorites for a while.

Lilou Mace has been posting some very interesting stuff on You Tube. Some of it doesn't do anything for me, but some of her interviews are great. She does a good one with Wayne Dyer, but the one that really got my attention was her interview with Anita Moorjani.... a woman who had only hours to live, yet she had a wonderful 'death' experience and recovered completely from her illness. Here's the link to the interview, but if it doesn't work as a live link you might just be better off doing a search on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjLouLHH-_I

Dr Bruce Lipton. This guy is well worth listening to. Not only does he have some astounding things to say, he says them so well. He says that our body responds to our beliefs and we are not predestined to live according to what our inherited DNA might dictate.... and he presents the scientific evidence to back this up. I'd be inclined to to take this further and say that our entire experience is influenced by our belief, but it is wonderful to hear this encouraging information from a very likeable and lucid expert. Once again, You Tube is the place to go to listen to Dr Bruce.

I really appreciate the community of wonderful people that post good things on the internet.

Growing and Achieving

2011-09-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mary Baker Eddy wrote: "The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible." I believe it.

At school I pretty much sucked at art. I guess if I'd felt a bit more confident... and didn't mind so much what people thought.... I might have participated with more enthusiasm and actually improved. But I didn't. If I get another go at it, I hope I put aside my reservations and have a try.

Of course, we can all start where we are at. It doesn't matter what our circumstances are, we can make some sort of a change if we want to.... even if it is merely in our thinking.

I've long admired the ability to draw, and I have realized how useful it would be. Years ago I purchased Betty Edwards' book, 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'. Betty seemed to indicate that anybody with the right moving parts, and the desire, could learn to draw. I worked through the exercises. When I started, I wasn't far beyond the stick figure level... but after a few months I could see some definite improvement. In fact, my confidence and ability grew enough for me to produce my own simple line diagrams for inclusion in a simple book I wrote and published. The drawings were more or less traced from photographs, but I still felt I'd done something special. (The book is "Ancient Skills" and relates to primitive technology such as making bows and arrows, lighting fire without matches etc. Available as a free download nowadays).

More recently, my talented wife and I started attending drawing lessons together. We'd met a fantastic portrait artist at a market where we were both selling our work.... and we learned that she held classes. My wife, Jackie, sailed right into it and produced some very good work immediately.... but I console myself in knowing that she drew nearly every day in her work as a leadlight window maker, something she did for maybe fifteen years. I dithered around a bit, but I have made progress. My current work is far better than what I produced at school. And I know that I can improve virtually indefinitely with practice, passion, and the right attitude. If I want to.

So will I continue with my drawing? Yes, probably, in the short term anyway. But this experience has hinted that maybe I could pursue any line of interest to a high level of achievement. So what might that be? I'm realizing that we are probably a whole lot less limited than we might imagine. And that is nice to contemplate.

Tooth Decay Reversed

2011-05-30T01:23:00.000-07:00

Last year, at her regular dental checkup, my wife was informed that a tooth had a small patch of decay. The dentist said that he would leave it for the time being.

Jackie and I both enjoy good general health, and we have been annoyed that our teeth have needed repairs over the years. We were interested to learn, in more recent times, of alleged cases where teeth were ‘healed’ or repaired without any specific dental treatment. Jackie thought she’d try for a natural healing with this particular tooth.

She didn’t create a formal program for dealing with the issue, but sometimes when she remembered the problem she would simply tell herself that she loved knowing that her teeth could renew themselves. I guess this could be classed as an affirmation, but the important thing was that when she made the affirmation she was moving toward, and maybe sometimes reaching, that ‘feeling place’ where one can feel that all is well in regard to the situation.

On other occasions she would mentally picture a healing light entering her body. And this may have had the same effect as the affirmation.

Today she visited the dentist again. After a thorough examination which included an x-ray, the dentist told Jackie that her teeth were in great condition and that she should continue doing whatever she was doing to take care of them.

Jackie was delighted at this news, and it was very encouraging for both of us. It is likely that there have been other instances of natural tooth ‘repair’ where people haven’t consciously done anything to initiate the improvement. However we still feel that there is cause for celebration when we think of how many times we’ve had to have the decay drilled out of a tooth.

The power that Jackie utilized is available to everyone.

Coping With Prophecies of Disaster

2011-05-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t got anything to worry about, there is no shortage of topics you might consider. This is especially true if you browse the internet. This blog was inspired after reading about the alleged approach of the Planet Nibiru, but what is written can be applied to any form of fear whether it is related to minor illness, a difficult assignment, economic problems, or a predicted shift of the poles of the earth.

I don’t know why, but there seems to be a common human tendency to have a feeling of impending doom.... or at least a niggling fear that something is going to go wrong. I’ve felt it myself on occasions. In fact, I think my childhood imaginings about war and aggression or being left to fend for myself without modern supplies and conveniences helped me to develop a rewarding life-long interest in primitive technology and living off the land.

Here are some key points relating to how I now view the world. I need to state these before I discuss the topic further. It is difficult to convey exactly what I mean in written language, so I hope you can get a glimpse of what I’m trying to express:

I believe that all thoughts and ideas are not limited to existing in our individual mind or brain. They remain in the universe and they can be discerned or felt by anyone - consciously or unconsciously.

Our chosen ‘reality’ may be quite different to how we might initially perceive it to be.

Our experience is shaped according to what we believe, think, feel and focus upon. And we can choose what to focus upon.

God is not a human-like being who spends time observing us all so He can test us or punish us for doing what He created us to be capable of doing. (If I were God, I’d have better things to do). I resonate with the concept that God is Love. There is no traditional heaven or hell for us hereafter. The kingdom of God is within us and we experience heaven or hell, now, according to our choices.

If an all-powerful God exists (and God does exist, but She isn’t who a lot of us thinks She is), then God’s influence is to be found in the furthest reaches of the universe. No life form or celestial body is separated from God.

What is commonly called ‘death’ is not the end of the individual.

Love, goodness, beauty, perfection, vitality and intelligence are characteristics of the highest power.

We all have individual access to the highest power no matter what we’ve done in our lives so far. In fact we are all manifestations of the highest power.

We have a knowing of what we need to know or do through our own internal voice or feeling. I’m still working at being more aware of this, but I know it is true.

So... when something like the arrival of a death-star or a pole shift gets our attention, what can we do? Here are some ideas to consider at a mere ‘common sense’ level:

1. You can ask yourself how reasonable the idea is. You can also ask: ‘Who benefits from people believing this story?’

2. Look at how many deadlines of doom we’ve survived without incident in the past.... mystical prophecies, Y2K, the rapture, pole shifts, earthquakes and mysterious ‘ends of the world’.

3. Be aware that there has been a lot of violent and disaster-focused thinking happening. We have parents and grand-parents whose lives were affected by economic depression and war. A huge portion of ‘entertainment’ portrays violence, discord and disaster. Science fiction isn’t limited to wondrous imagining, it often contains horror and death. If individuals are caught up in this world of discord, then it is reasonable to believe that it will influence them in their conversation, in how they interpret ideas, and in what they post on the internet.

5. At least up until now, even if there has been a disaster, it doesn’t ‘get’ everyone. And death is not the end.

It may be appropriate to take practical steps if a prediction seems real to us. But beyond all this, we need to concentrate on being the creators of our own lives.

We should follow the biblical advice to focus on good things (from Philippians): “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”. This is related to some very good advice which is to be found in the same book and elsewhere: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Our motives should always be good. We will experience whatever we are focusing on so it makes practical sense to follow this ‘Golden Rule’. Besides, doesn’t it feel better to align oneself with good?

We need to watch what we are accepting into thought. Violent entertainment, newspapers and television are generally not helpful in maintaining a happy state. You may have heard the common saying derived from the Bible: “As a man thinketh, so is he”. I believe it. I’d expand the statement to read: “As a person believes, thinks and genuinely feels, so it shall be”.

I am encouraged by the spiritual healings I have experienced or learned about. Anecdotes from trusted sources about near death experiences and other things have uplifted and inspired me. Good psychics have told me things they couldn’t possibly have known through any ‘normal’ way and this leads me to believe that we are connected, somehow, to a mind that knows all. Through applying what we know about the laws of mind as outlined above, my wife and I have seen some wonderful things happening in our lives (even our getting together seemed miraculous). There is much more to life than we might have believed. (I’ve started to put together a collection of interesting anecdotes at this blog page, but there are inspiring stories to be found all over the place). It is good to mix with like-minded people when you want to feel uplifted and inspired.

I mentioned psychics in the above paragraph. I think we all have the ability to perceive and know more than we think might come through the usual channels of the brain and the material senses. If we get quiet and ‘listen’, we might be surprised at what words, pictures, thoughts, feelings or ‘knowings’ come to us. It can be useful to have the assistance of a good person, but in the end an intermediary is not essential to being in touch with All That Is.

Just because something has been written or said, we should not automatically accept it as true (and that includes what I’ve written here). We should test the ideas in our own experience. It is good to look at successes and failures with the question in mind ‘what was the predominant thinking like that was behind this?’ To me it has become evident that personal belief and a positive attitude are at least a huge factor in personal success (and survival). I look at the people who are often succeeding or often having ‘bad luck’ and it is common to observe a correlation with their attitudes and beliefs.

Although unhappy concepts do exist, there are also innumerable wonderful thoughts and ideas. I acknowledge the unpleasant thoughts, but I try not to give them the attention that might make them stick in my thinking or grow in magnitude. They will pass and there are plenty of better things to contemplate. I choose what to focus on and I have a right to be happy. I can flush out fear with gallons of love. I’ve seen evidence that good actions, thoughts and feelings seem to attract more of the same just as I’ve seen the opposite. I’ve lived through many challenges and I have learned from the experience. I live in a loving universe where all stories have a happy ending. If things don’t seem to be happy then I can remember that because life is eternal, the story isn’t over yet. I claim harmony, perfection, beauty and abundance. I am aligned with love - the highest power -and I wish to express and experience and be influenced by only that which is good. I will keep my thoughts on the good and positive as much as possible. I am here to experience the wonders of the universe and to express intelligence, vitality and joy. Life is a grand adventure. Whatever is needed will be supplied and all will be well no matter what seems to be going on. Good always wins.

Expectation, Belief and Experience

2011-03-09T12:29:00.000-08:00

(This is a written version of what I recently recorded and posted on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53wNQJORWq8 )

Just around the corner there is a guy building a beautiful house for himself. He has a black labrador dog which is often running loose around the building site when I walk past with my dog. His dog will run to greet us and walk with us along the pavement outside the property. But when the dog reaches the end of the property, it will go no further even though it has no physical restraint.

I asked the builder why the dog stayed within the invisible boundaries. He told me that when he first took the dog to the site he showed it the boundaries. If it went to cross the boundary he would tell it to stop. And that was all it took. The man expected obedience and co-operation and he got it.

Here’s another example.... I know a young man who is interested in rocks and items of historical interest. When he is on a field trip with other people, he will often be the first to find something. He will locate items when other members of the party don’t find anything. He seems to expect that something interesting will turn up.

I guess many of us will have observed people in our workplace or elsewhere who seem to be the ones who get all the luck.... and others who often are suffering from some form of sickness or drama. Could it be that these people are experiencing what they believe to be normal for them?

Around the world, or even within our own neighborhood, we can find many methods to apply when we want to heal our bodies or a situation in our lives. Somebody may go to a witch doctor and be healed. Others with the same problem may be cured by homeopathy, herbs or hypnosis. Another may be successful through taking a course of modern drugs or undergoing surgery. Followers of different religions or spiritual traditions may each argue that their method of spiritual healing is the best or only way, yet all of them will have success stories to tell.

To me, a big clue as to how things work is the placebo effect. Sometimes people will be cured or have an improved physical condition after being given something like an inert pill which may be nothing more than sugar. This effect suggests, to me, that the main factor at work is belief.

In the Biblical book of Matthew there is an account of Jesus healing some blind people. The King James Bible tells the story this way:

“And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened...” Here there was a definite emphasis on belief and faith.

And in Mark we read: “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” This, I suppose, could be the origin for the common saying: “Faith moves mountains.” Many people may assume that it is faith in a traditional God which does the trick. I think that a strong faith in anything will bring results.

So it may be relatively easy to accept that belief at least partly creates our experience. But it isn’t always easy, especially in difficult circumstances, to change our belief.

Most of us want a harmonious, abundant life. If, right now, we don’t believe that this is always possible, we can look around for evidence of harmony and abundance. There are many success stories around, and there are so many examples of harmony and abundance. As we fill our thoughts with good things, the less pleasant things should get flushed out, or at least get a bit diluted in our thinking.... and it can become easier to accept that good things can happen. Watching the TV news and violent movies, and gossiping about morbid or sensational subjects doesn’t help us to see the possibilities of a happy life as much as surrounding ourselves with beauty and filling our minds with positive, uplifting thoughts.

I’m convinced that our thoughts and beliefs shape our experience. So it is hugely important to be aware of what we are accepting into our thinking. In the book of Philippians we read this advice: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.“

“The Law of Attraction” is something that gets mentioned frequently nowadays. A simple explanation of this law is that ‘like attracts like’. This law fits well with what I’ve experienced... If we are thinking genuinely positive thoughts and living a fairly positive life... and more importantly if we feel positive..... then it follows that we should get more of the same.

So if thinking, acting, speaking and feeling positive is the important thing, then it doesn’t really matter how we achieve and maintain the positive state. We can attend any church or belong to any organization.... or not do either of these if that is what we think is best for us. I also think it is often OK to pick out the bits that we like from any book or system, and leave the rest alone. I am far from being an expert, but it seems to me that while a book or system can contain great wisdom and much that is useful, it can also include less useful things that have sprung from the author’s or founder’s own personality and background.

The principles of belief and the law of attraction both encourage positive behaviour because ‘bad’ thoughts and actions are likely to cause similar manifestations in the individual’s own experience. The Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) really makes sense when we consider the implications of belief and the law of attraction.

Every one of us is free, right now, to act more kindly, to speak more positively, or to choose a better feeling thought. And as we genuinely do this, we should see better results in our lives.

I have found the following authors to be very encouraging in this area:

James Allen (“As a Man Thinketh”)

Neville Goddard

Dr Joseph Murphy

Mary Baker Eddy

Florence Scovell Shinn

Jerry and Esther Hicks

Psychic Perception?

2011-02-09T12:29:00.000-08:00

I can't remember when I first started thinking about the so-called 'powers of the mind'. I think that from quite a young age I was aware of claims of mind-reading and the concept of a sixth sense. The idea certainly seemed reasonable to me, even if I thought that it was something that only some people could experience.

In more recent times I have read much about the subject, and I now believe that we are all capable of wonderful things.

Around two years ago I tried an experiment. I took five cards from a pack of ordinary playing cards. There were two spades, and one each of diamonds, clubs and hearts. I shuffled these cards without looking at the order they were in. I lay on my bed and took them from the pile one at a time. I held each card in turn in my hand without looking at it.

I had never done this before, but I was hoping to get an indication for each card that would enable me to name the symbol on the card without physically seeing it.

The result was surprising. As I held the first card I guess I was expecting to see a faint hint of the symbol's shape in the swirling dark mist of my mind. But after a short time a clear, colored picture of a '3-D' heart popped into my inner view. It seemed to be one of those images from the 'Magic Eye' books that were popular a while back. I looked at the card and was delighted to find that it indeed was a heart.

After holding the second card for a while a clear picture of a wooden rolling pin in an upright position came into view. Aha! This was a humorous way of suggesting a club. And it was.

I tried a third card. This could only be a diamond or a spade..... most likely a spade seeing there were two of them in the mix. I lay there for a while and an image of what looked like a broken rock with clear inclusions in it appeared. This had to be a diamond.... and I was right.

I was amazed at the clarity of the images. And it was interesting that the images that came to me were not exactly like the images printed on the cards. The images came more from my own life experience, but they still gave a clear answer to the question.

Since doing this experiment, I have tried doing similar things occasionally. The results have not been as impressive, but I have had some success. Perhaps my first experience was something like 'beginners luck' where the Universe shows me what is possible. Or maybe I was just in the right state of mind at the time.

Note: Shortly before this experience, I had started to keep a journal to record any interesting insights or experiences of a spiritual or unusual nature. I'm glad that I did. Although I recall the time quite well, I was pleased to be reminded of some of the interesting details in my journal before I made this post.

The possibilities for us are huge.

Unexpected Help with Jetty Repairs

2011-01-31T00:38:00.000-08:00

Some family members have a property on an island. I have enjoyed visiting the place for many years.

Back around 1976 I helped to build a jetty (a small wharf or dock) at the property. Recently it became apparent that two of the large brace poles and one of the rubbing piles had to be replaced. It became my responsibility to manage the project. Because a portion of each of these poles was to be covered with sea water for most of the time, a special grade of treated timber had to be used to prevent damage by marine worms. On enquiring, I found that the timber was not a 'stock' item and it had to be specially produced, and that there would be about a two-month wait for my order to be fulfilled.

The delivery delay was a bit of a problem. The repair work was being done as a special condition of an official permit issued by the local district council, and there was a deadline for the completion of the work. Although the timber was due to arrive before the deadline, there was only a relatively short period in which the work could be done. Furthermore, much of the work could only be done at very low tide levels, and when the weather was relatively calm. And on top of it all, the people that were going to help me do the work were not as freely available around the proposed date of the order delivery.

I pondered other problems too. Somehow the long, heavy poles (up to 6 metres) had to be transported over 100 kilometres to a point on the mainland near the island. Then, somehow, they had to be taken across the sea. And there were holes to drill through these thick poles..... and some of the holes would have to be drilled through two poles at once... a combined thickness of around 400 mm in some cases. A hand auger could be used, but it wouldn't be fun.

Back in 1976 my father had designed the jetty and managed the construction. I'd been a young labourer along with one of my brothers. We drilled most of the holes back then using a powerful electric drill powered by a generator (there is no grid power on the property). Using a big electric drilling machine while standing in salt water or balancing in a boat or on a ladder is not easy, and it is somewhat hazardous. Indeed my father suffered a big electric shock when sea water managed to contact something it shouldn't have.

I felt a bit weighed down with the responsibility of organising the repairs. Indeed, I'd been anticipating this task for several years following the passing of my father, and I'd done quite a bit of worrying about it. However I knew that worry was not helpful.

One day, after I'd ordered the special poles, I was contemplating the situation. I knew inside that miracles were possible; and, difficult as it was, the problem was relatively small on a global scale. An affirmation came to me which I think I probably read in a book by Florence Scovel Shinn: "God makes a way where there is no way".

In my opinion there are no 'magic words'. What I'm saying is that I don't believe that a certain statement like 'abracadabra' carries any intrinsic power and I don't believe that repeating a specified prayer will automatically solve a certain problem. But I do believe that words are one way that we can be uplifted to reach that 'feeling place' where we get an inkling (or conviction) that all is well. When we are at peace, it seems that our outward circumstances become more harmonious.

This affirmation gave me comfort and I became more peaceful. I did have some further periods of worry, but I would endeavour to return to that place of peace by contemplating the affirmation. Then some great things happened. The timber supplier phoned me more than a month before the original due date to say that my poles were ready. My brother managed to borrow a special trailer so that he could haul the poles behind his big four-wheel-drive. We found some long drill bits that my father had obtained, and some newer ones that my brother had bought at a garage sale for maybe 1/4 of the current, expensive, cost. And then the special drilling machine appeared.

I was not really aware that a gasoline powered lightweight drill existed, although I have used many gasoline powered tools over the years. Yet 'by chance' a neighbour had been loaned one and he offered the use of it to my brother without being told of our specific need. What a thrill! We found that our own long drill bits fitted nicely into the machine.

My brother and nephew had a few free days before other commitments had to be met. They towed the poles to the coast without incident, and we managed to load them on to the boat with the help of a bystander.

The tides at the time were not big ones, and we really wanted 'big' tides with the lowest possible low tide level to do the work. There had been recent tides where the low tide level was only 0.3 metre above minimum low level (which would have been good for us), but on the day of our arrival the predicted low level was to 0.6 metre.... and it was to increase on the following two days that we were at the property until it would get no lower than 1.1 metres above lowest tide. But we had to do our best.

On the day we arrived the next low tide was due around 8 pm. Being summer, it would still be light until after 9 pm, so we planned to start work right away. As soon as we could, we removed the bolts from one of the damaged poles and hauled it away. With ropes and determination we managed to lift a replacement pole into position. The sea was lapping fairly close to the bottom of the pole, but the little gasoline drilling machine started easily and did a wonderful job of driving the auger through the tough wood before the tide got too high.

Over the next two days we fitted all three new poles and the necessary bolts with the waves lapping very close to the precious drill at times. But I don't think the drill even got splashed although I was standing in water up to my chest at one stage.

It was very satisfying to complete this work. In fact I felt somewhat empowered having seen how well things turned out. What I'd feared had actually turned into a blessing. Although what we achieved was quite admirable on a human level, the great thing for me was that once again I'd seen evidence of the Universe's harmonious action after having (briefly!) reached that feeling place of well-being.

Interesting Photograph

2011-01-19T01:06:00.000-08:00

In a previous post I described an unusual object that my son-in-law saw in the sky.

After Jamie had told me about his experience at Lake Brunner, Tyler, my daughter, showed me a photo she took in her back yard in Auckland (01 March 2004 4:36PM). She took a bracket of four shots of some interesting clouds. If these turned out well, they were destined for her 'arty' collection. When they loaded the pictures on to their computer, they noticed a dark dot on just one of the photos.

Here is the photo cropped to highlight the 'dot'. I have no idea what the object is, but it is interesting that it should appear in just the third of the four photos taken at maybe 1/3 second apart.

A Strange Thing in the Sky

2011-01-05T01:16:00.000-08:00

It can be a challenge to accurately describe something when you haven't actually experienced it yourself. Further difficulties arise when we use everyday language to try to describe something that is totally out of the ordinary. However the story below is a good one, even if my words don't properly convey what happened.

My son in law, Jamie, is a 'straight-up' sort of a guy. He is also a well-qualified avionics instructor trained by the NZ Air Force. Back in the mid nineties he had a fascinating experience.

Jamie was living in Greymouth (New Zealand) at the time. One evening, he and a friend had been swimming in a river quite some distance inland from Greymouth. It became quite dark during the journey home. As they drove, they noticed a red glowing light on the horizon. It shone a bit like Venus, but it was very low.

They stopped the car at the northern end of Lake Brunner and got out. Looking out over the lake Jamie noticed something strange in the sky some distance from them at a height of maybe 150 metres. It looked like a big semi-transparent cloud about 400 metres long and perhaps 100 metres wide. It appeared to be cylindrical in shape, but the edges were not clearly defined. The cloud, or mist, appeared to be whiter than the clouds he normally saw, and Jamie likened the tone of the cloud to the gas discharged from a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, although he could see stars through the cloud. At each end there was a shining light, one was considerably brighter than the other, and they looked a lot like stars. This 'shape' was stationary, and it lay diagonally across his line of sight. It was the only cloud in the vicinity.

As Jamie pointed at the shape, it started to move. The brighter light was at the forward end of the object relative to the movement, and the less bright light was at the rear. The 'mist' appeared to be denser at the front compared to the rear. As it started to move Jamie was aware of many animals in the area 'going wild'. Dogs barked, pigs squealed and chickens squawked and flapped.

The object became aligned with Jamie's line of sight. It moved directly toward him, and as it did so it appeared to drop to an altitude of around 100 metres above the lake. In retrospect, Jamie estimates that it could have been moving at around 70 kilometres per hour.

As it reached the point above them, it began to disappear as if it were entering a doorway in an invisible wall. Jamie could still see the stars above him, yet the object appeared to be moving steadily into a tunnel that could not be seen. It had remained in sight for maybe five minutes.

Some time after this incident, Jamie met an acquaintance who described a 'UFO' he had seen near the same time as Jamie had made his sighting. His description was very similar to what Jamie had seen, and he described what he saw before Jamie had given details of his own experience.

Affirmations, and Finding a Beautiful Wife

2010-12-23T19:53:00.000-08:00

I was in a relationship with a lovely woman who, in theory, was fairly compatible with me. She'd been raised in the same church; my folks liked her; she was creative, intelligent, thoughtful and kind; she was tolerant of my sense of humour, and we shared some interests. However I eventually felt that I was headed in a different direction, and we didn't seem to feel as 'close' as we could be.

I think she may have been feeling the same to some degree. She spent a fair bit of time away, and eventually she announced that she would soon be moving out. She did move out a short time later.

Around this time I was working as a security officer in the gatehouse of a large processing plant. This entailed sitting behind a window for long periods of time without much to do. This gave me the opportunity to think about life, and to read books. I read quite a few 'self improvement' and 'spiritual' books.

A few of the books propounded the idea of using affirmations to help make changes in our lives. There are two authors I have particularly enjoyed that suggest the use of affirmations. One is Dr Joseph Murphy who wrote many books including "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind". The other is Florence Scovel Shinn whose main work seems to be "The Game of Life and How to Play it."

One day in the security office I was thinking about my domestic situation. I decided to create an affirmation that reflected how I'd like my life to be. I was currently working mostly with men, I didn't really have any female friends, and I didn't feel particularly close to my partner. And many years before I had gone to an all-boys school. So I declared "I have intimate relations with beautiful women."

To some, that affirmation might sound a bit, well, 'naughty'. I guess I could have tweaked that affirmation for this particular blog so as not to give the wrong impression, but I wouldn't feel honest in doing that. By stating "intimate relations with..... women" (plural), I didn't mean that I wanted to sleep around. It meant that I wanted to spend more time in close and meaningful relationships with women whose company I enjoyed. (Not that I considered myself too spiritual to enjoy physical aspects of a relationship, but for me that is reserved for one special relationship).

I made that affirmation (maybe once or just a few times), and I felt really good. I think that I may have reached that good 'feeling place' that I mentioned in my previous blog entry entitled "Peace in the Storm." It was a beautiful day, and I felt joyous. Of course things could work out for me.

Just a few minutes later, a pretty young woman came to the security office to ask a question. It was fairly evident that she wasn't 'the one', but it was nice to get confirmation that there were lovely females around who could interact with me. I took it as a sign.

A very short time later, perhaps less than two weeks, I was invited to go to a cafe where a number of folk I was loosely connected with had started to have a regular get-together. One member of this group was a woman whom I had met before. Her husband had passed away at an early age about two years prior to this time. We seemed to have similar views on some important things. Although I enjoyed interacting with her (and looking at her), I didn't know her current circumstances and I didn't give the situation much thought while still at the cafe.

When it was time to go home, I walked fairly quickly toward my car. Suddenly I realized this woman had overtaken me. She turned in front of me, looked me squarely in the face and told me how good it had been talking to me. Well it was pretty good talking to her too, especially at that moment. Her gorgeous blue eyes are the type that can take virtually all the strength from a man's knees, and all her other features are similar... her smile in particular. If there is such a thing as love at first sight, then perhaps that is the moment it happened to me.

We got married within a few months, and we've had a wonderful time together.

In case you are wondering about the 'women' aspect of my affirmation, it is interesting to note that my wife has four adult daughters and two sweet toddler grand-daughters. In addition I have developed a closer relationship with my own married daughter, and she has a cute daughter as well. On top of that I am now involved in different work where I have normal interactions with all sorts of interesting people. (I should also mention that we have three young grandsons between us). So life is pretty good.

I wrote an article about an interesting experience that my wife and I had. If you want to check it out, here is the link: http://www.personal-development-coach.net/do-we-really-have-spirit-guides.html

Peace in the Storm

2010-12-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

My family has a property on an island in the Marlborough Sounds.

Not long after I was married, my wife and I headed off to spend some time on the property. The journey involved a road trip of about two and a half hours, then half an hour or so in a boat. The family kept a small wooden launch on a mooring against the mainland, opposite our place on the island.

As we got closer to our destination, we found the wind to be blowing hard. Our vehicle was a very light delivery van. It was getting shaken about quite badly as we travelled through the hilly terrain. As we drove out on to a particularly exposed area, on the road ahead of us was a big four-wheel drive that had blown over on to its side (it appeared that nobody had been hurt). We stopped. At that stage we were partially sheltered by the hillside into which the road was cut. Although we were in a relatively good position, the van was still bouncing about as the wind swirled around us.

We could have turned around and headed back toward home, although moving away from our relatively sheltered position might not have been wise if a big gust came along. So we just sat there.

The church I belonged to back then provides a Bible lesson every week. This consists of a set of passages from the Bible, and a book by Mary Baker Eddy called Science and Health. Back in those days I used to mark the lesson passages in the books using erasable chalk and special metal book markers. I had this set of marked books with me, so I read the Bible lesson in the van. I don't recall any particular passage from that lesson, and I don't even remember the subject of the lesson. But I do recall that after I'd read it, I felt at peace and I felt that it was OK to continue with the journey. So I started the van and drove on.

It would have been easy to have abandoned the trip altogether, especially if I'd been worried about the boat crossing. The sea can get very rough in the area, and the small boat was slow. I don't recall the state of the ocean, and I don't know if I even gave it much thought. We just continued with our plan and enjoyed ourselves.

So what happened here? Did the inspiration gained from reading that lesson actually reduce the wind and calm the sea? Dunno.... maybe. What I do know is that, after reading the lesson, I arrived at a 'feeling place' where I felt all was well. I think this 'feeling place' is something of major importance and that it should be given serious consideration.

If we are praying for healing or improvement of some sort, I think that we get a pretty good indication that our work is going to be successful if we arrive at that feeling place of well-being.

And 'praying' isn't necessarily the best word to have used because it can mean different things to different people. What I am talking about is a striving that is primarily mental that is done to help bring about changes. Perhaps some people make affirmations, or create visualizations, or work with a reasoning type of prayer to try to establish 'things on earth as they are in heaven'.

The feeling place is hard to describe, but I think you should recognize it when you arrive. I think my recognition of this place is one of my most significant discoveries. I believe anybody can get there. You don't have to subscribe to a particular religion or use just one particular method. I believe that we are helped by having and open and loving attitude, an expectancy of good, and by focusing more on the positive than the negative.

Doris the Dog

2010-12-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

I once looked after Doris when her family were away for about a week. On the day they were due to return, Doris seemed to spend quite a bit of time looking down my driveway rather than do the things I'd seen her do on other days. This was one of the first times I had looked after Doris. On subsequent occasions when I looked after her I did not notice her do anything special on the day her people were due to return.

Psychic Ability?

2010-12-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

I had a conventional wind-up watch when I was a schoolboy. Not that it is important, but the watch was "Canopus" brand. It was my grandfather's and grandma gave it to me after he died. Anyway, I would sometimes put this watch into a red plastic container that had once held adhesive tape or typewriter ribbon ('Silcott' brand I think). The container provided protection from physical damage and moisture when I was in the outdoors.

I recall that sometimes I would try to picture the watch to guess the time before I opened the container.... and that I would quite often guess the time to be very close to the actual time displayed on the watch... within a couple of minutes maybe. I think I was trying to picture the position of the watch hands rather than trying to guess 'real time'. I've tried to repeat this in recent years, but have not enjoyed the same success. I have had success with other interesting things though.

Is the Universe Infinite?

2010-12-19T14:18:00.001-08:00

Yes, I think it is. Of course it is infinite..... what is at the end? ...... a brick wall? And what is beyond the wall?

Interesting Prophecy from a Psychic.

2010-12-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

I have talked with psychics and I have been amazed at the things that they have told me about myself and my circumstances. But being a relatively skeptical guy I have looked for all sorts of reasons as to how the psychic might have made a lucky guess .... or how that they actually might be reading my mind to a certain extent rather than gathering information from a higher realm. The psychic folk I know seem to be very nice, loving people with good ethics and I don't doubt their sincerity. It has just been hard for me to accept the reasons they might give for being able to 'know stuff'. I've wanted to believe, but I like to see scientific evidence.

I heard a great story today though. A lady my wife knows quite well consulted with a psychic about the future of her husband's business. The psychic said something like 'that has all been taken care of. Someone is going to write a magazine article about what you do and it will be published.'

Well, about a year later somebody did come and write a magazine article about them. And they have learned that it is going to be published in the very magazine that the psychic named.

I'm glad I learned about this incident. Very encouraging. The lady involved told me the story directly. Besides having my wife vouching for her character, this woman just oozed good vibes as far as I am concerned. I feel sure that she is sincere.

As well as telling me about the prediction, our friend mentioned how she'd been experiencing occasions where thoughts of certain people would come to her... and then shortly afterward she would meet them in person. I've heard of other people doing this too. Just after she related this incident to me, I was sitting in our market stall where we sell glass jewellery that we make. A thought wandered into my mind about a woman I used to work with. I even joked with myself about what I'd say to her if I met her again. Just a short time later the woman walked up to my stall. I hadn't seen her for months prior to that.

Interesting huh?

Bibles and Bulldozers.

2010-12-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

My parents used what they knew of God to meet life's challenges. My mother has verbally related several instances of how prayer helped her and others. One story that has stuck with me is how, during the great depression, her mother had very little food on hand one particular day. This need was met when a cheery neighbour offered some surplus mushrooms. My father, now passed on, recorded a few of his experiences in writing, and I have pasted one of these below.

The reader could assume that this blog is going to be all about Christian Science. Although this religion has played an important part in my life, it is my intention to write about things that might have caused my old Sunday School teachers to really raise their eyebrows. Christian Science was great for me, but I'm convinced that it doesn't have a monopoly on the beautiful, wonderful and miraculous.

Here is my father's story:

What on earth is the connection between a bulldozer and a Bible? Well let me tell you how I used a Bible as an operator's instruction manual for a bulldozer.

One day I was alone, operating a borrowed bulldozer, in thick bush, cutting a new road. This was on an island and I was pushed for time as the job had to be completed that day.

The track I was cutting was steep, narrow and greasy. I got myself into a position where I was unable to back up or turn.

Suddenly, with a nasty metallic bang, the "caterpillar" track on one side came off the driving sprocket! This was a disaster! I was alone, miles from any help or transport. I had no tools. It was steep and muddy. The machine was borrowed. I was working to a tight schedule!

To replace a track at any time requires a good range of equipment and even on a level concrete surface because of the weight and awkwardness of the components it is something any operator desperately tries to avoid. What was I to do? The problem seemed to be immense!

Well, I climbed down from the dozer and sat on a rock and prayed, because there sure wasn't anything else I could do. As a student of Christian Science I had learnt that everything should begin with prayer and as Mrs Eddy says in her text book "Science and Health" - "what cannot God do?”

The first thought that came to mind was from The Bible where Isaiah says, “I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways:"

"DIRECT ALL HIS WAYS". When Isaiah wrote that passage I guess he didn't have bulldozer track repairs in mind and he probably wasn't thinking of me either!

I thought about another favourite passage from John, "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."

Well, I sat there and reasoned "If God made everything - that includes the Island I was on, me, my borrowed bulldozer and its track!" What's more He would direct ALL my ways. This sure was an opportunity for some real good direction!

As I continued to think about the immensity of DIRECT ALL HIS WAYS, I clearly saw that dear Isaiah had thought about me and my bulldozer alone in the bush! This was God's directing and he was with me right then, as always.

There were no tools on the dozer and the only moveable component was a steel pin that was used to attach implements to the draw bar.

It came to me almost as though I was hearing spoken words, to place the pin across the inside of the track against the drive sprocket and then drive forward!

In normal circumstances this would seem to be an absurd thing to do, as to drive forward, would only place the dozer in a worse position! But the directions were clear and I knew I was "directed" by God.

I obeyed, placed the pin across the track and then drove forward! With another even louder bang, the track went back on the sprocket and where before the dozer would not back up, it now reversed out easily!

It is impossible to imagine my joy and gratitude! I could have leapt fifty feet into the air or flown with the Wood Pigeons that were flying about me! The job was completed well ahead of schedule and I rejoiced all the way.

---<>---

Here's my father operating his own bulldozer.

Arm Healed. My earliest recollection.

2010-12-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

My parents were students of Christian Science. Christian Science is big on healing, and I like that.

When I was very small, probably not much more than a toddler, I hurt my arm. My memory of this incident comes more from what I remember my mother telling me, rather than my own recollection.... although I do have a vague memory of falling off a sofa and hurting myself. I think my folks put my arm in a sling. From what my mum said, it seems that they believed it was broken. My dad had been in the army and was a practical man, so if they thought the arm was broken, it probably was.

Anyway, my mother took me to the office of a Christian Science practitioner in Christchurch. I recall that it was a man, and that he talked to me.... but I don't remember much else. Evidently he 'did what he did', then picked up a ruler from the desk and threw it to me. I grabbed the ruler and evidently that was the end of the problem.

So what did the practitioner do? I guess I will never know exactly what he did, and I don't recall what he said. What was done was not primarily physical; it was more to do with thoughts, ideas and conviction. I do have some ideas as to how this sort of thing might work, but that will be something to write about later.

Was my arm really broken? Dunno. But it seems that visit to the practitioner coincided with the end of the pain and incapacity. Through my parents I became acquainted with a number of Christian Scientists and their literature. They were upstanding people who had their own stories of great things being accomplished through the application of the teachings of Christian Science. I have no reason to doubt them.

Personal Experiences of Wonderful Things

2010-12-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

There is so much more to life than we might think. And despite what we might see on the news, there are a lot of good things going on.

It can be uplifting and just plain interesting to read honest accounts of the amazing things people have experienced.

My hope is that the few stories posted here will inspire and encourage.... and motivate others to share similar tales.

It is easy to believe that we are alone on a planet and severely restrained by powers outside ourselves - traditional laws of health and medicine; classical physics, biology and chemistry; politics; family and culture; time-honored gods and religions; gravity etc etc. After reading anecdotes of miraculous healings, amazing coincidences and unusual experiences I tend to echo the words from the Gershwins' song "It ain't necessarily so".