Good morning!  Today’s reading is taken from Suzanne Giesemann’s book, Making the Afterlife Connection…The Journey from Doubt to Knowing that Death is not the End.  Suzanne is a well-known evidential medium with numerous books and YouTube presentations that can help you on your own journey with mediumship.  Here is a direct quote from her book: 

“Until you realize that your loved ones who have passed are doing their best to let you know they’re still around, you may miss the signs they send.  A scent that arises with no discernable cause… a butterfly in December… lights that flicker for no known reason… these are some of the many ways those in spirit can manipulate the energy of our world to say hello and send their love. 

When something catches your attention in such a way that you momentarily stop and focus on it, I call this a snag.  You might miss these tiny catches and give them no further thought unless you set a clear intention to notice when the signs truly come from across the veil.   

If you would like to honor your loved ones’ efforts and celebrate your ongoing connection, sit quietly and take a relaxing breath.  Close your eyes, move your awareness to your heart, and radiate loving energy to your entire soul family and your team of guides.  Now, state your intention as clearly and precisely as possible.   

For example, you might say, “I set the intention from this moment on to notice all signs from across the veil and to honor your efforts.  Thank you for maintaining contact with me in wondrous ways.” 

It doesn’t matter whether you state your words aloud, silently, or write them.  When you use this process to clearly set any intention, you are harnessing your co-creative superpower and working directly with Spirit to manifest your desires.” 

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Good morning, everyone!  Here we are, it’s Sunday morning and as Spiritualists, we are gathered here to connect with the highest and best spirit guides, helpers and angels.  We are also here to connect with those we love who have crossed the veil and are just around the corner, out of sight.  Sometimes we feel their presence, sometimes we get signs and have a deep knowing in our hearts that they sent us that sign.  Sometimes they visit us in dreams.  Sometimes somebody says something to us, and it is as though our loved one is speaking through that person.  And we are so grateful when someone can give us a message with evidence of their continued survival. 

 As Spiritualists, we believe our spirits are eternal and continue to exist even after leaving our physical bodies.   And we are excited about the afterlife promised to us, that there is eternal progress open to every soul!  We develop relationships with our guides and master teachers, many of whom lived earthly lives before beginning their journeys “on the other side, across the veil”, journeys including eternal progress and continued learning! 

When I was preparing for this talk, I stopped by the Munroe Library and found this book of Suzanne Geisemann’s on the shelf.  I have followed her over the past few years, and I’ve been inspired by her.  She, like many other mediums, decided to pursue mediumship after the sudden and tragic death of a loved one, her stepdaughter.  I decided to study and deepen my mediumship practice after the death of my oldest son 10 years ago.  Occasionally I receive images or messages which have meaning for those around me.  But I still have further to go with this journey.  So, this talk is not just for you but for me as well. 

Here are four things that we can do to cultivate our connections with loved ones who are in spirit.  Number 1 – meditate.  If you don’t want to have contact with them, don’t meditate.  It’s as simple as that.    

What does meditation look like?  As Radleigh Valentine said in Compendium of Magical Things, “Most of us who try meditation take something immensely simple and make it extremely hard.  The trouble we create for ourselves is by thinking it has to be a certain way, and if we don’t get it right, then we’re just not built for this, and we quit… To succeed at meditation, you must stop judging yourself and just keep trying.”   

I say, “Be curious and just start, find your own way to meditate.  If something isn’t working, try a different way.  Try sounds of nature, sitting in a hot bath with a lit candle, listen to Gregorian chants, do guided meditations.  There are so many options!”  I also say “be consistent, try to meditate at the same time.  Our guides and loved ones on the other side start to expect this time and are more likely to show up.” 

My personal meditation practice has evolved over the years.  Although I still have a long way to go and sometimes lack discipline, at times I am amazed at who pops in during my meditations.   

Some of you know that at the end of December, I went with two friends for an overnight to the old convent in Elie which was converted to a bed and breakfast.  During my meditation the day before, who else but Mother Theresa of Calcutta popped into my mind’s eye.  She was warm, smiling and breathing, not saying anything to me.  She stuck around for a couple minutes before leaving.  I was surprised by this sudden visit and noted the very alive quality of her presence.  

When my friends and I arrived at the Convent the next day, we toured around the old building.  The original chapel on the second floor was again being used as a chapel, and we spent considerable time looking around here.  Then, as we were leaving the chapel to check out a private suite on the same floor, I noticed a large, framed display of photographs featuring, strap yourselves in now, Mother Theresa of Calcutta!   Well, this couldn’t just be a coincidence! 

So, being a very curious person, I immediately tootled downstairs to look for our hosts at the Convent, Linda and Jean.  Jean was outside, but Linda told me that when Mother Theresa visited Manitoba in 1982, Jean’s dad had been her official chauffeur to her events.  Mother Theresa’s right-hand nun who accompanied her, Sister Penelope, had a sibling in Brandon who was married to Jean’s dad’s brother.  The framed display of photographs outside the chapel door belonged to Jean’s dad before his death and came to the Convent and Jean afterwards.  Mother Theresa of Calcutta remained connected with this family even in spirit! 

Suggestion Number 2- ask for signs and /or be open to seeing them.  I talk often to my oldest son who is in spirit, and I’ve had some remarkable experiences over the years.  A few weeks ago, I was going through some items deciding what I should move on to a thrift store.  My son had a framed picture of Jesus in his bedroom which had moved with us to our new home one year ago.  Our son had found this picture on the windshield of his car in the student parking lot at his high school. I don’t believe he ever found out who left it there…truly a mysterious occurrence!    

I put his picture of Jesus in the donation box, but it just didn’t feel right there.  It seemed to be almost glowing and exuding powerful energy that caught my attention.  Finally, I took it out of the box and looked at it more closely.  I noticed that the top part of the picture back was not clipped into place, and I slid it up and out of the frame.  Lo and behold, I found $195 between the picture and the back of the frame.  I took this as a gift from my son in spirit and I still have the Jesus picture! 

Suggestion Number 3 – ask them for help with tasks they were good at during their physical life.    

Back in 2019, I was looking for a new-to-me car, a Honda Civic with standard transmission to replace my 2004 which was getting very close to the end.  My oldest son was very mechanical and good at buying and selling vehicles.  So, I asked him for help.  Shortly after, I found a Kijiji ad for a 2012 Honda Civic with a heading note of 630,000 kilometers; there was no photo.  I thought “that mileage can’t be right” so I clicked open the ad to look more closely.  Sure enough, the body of the ad stated 63,000 kilometers…what a difference one zero can make!  I immediately phoned my husband and asked him to check the vehicle for me.  It checked out well and we bought it for just under $10,000!  I thanked my oldest son for his help and I still drive that trusty Honda Civic!   

Suggestion Number 4- be part of a group of people who share your beliefs that life continues after death and that communications also continue.  Many times, I have received messages from friends and Spiritualist community members that have confirmed for me that communication does continue after the deaths of those we love.   

Back a couple years ago, a friend from this church community brought in a Detroit Red Wings baseball cap she had noticed at the side of the highway while she was driving to church.  She knew it was for me; her heart told her that.  The symbol of the Detroit Red Wings is the sports car tire with two wings… my oldest son loved sportscars, so the symbol was fitting.  My husband immediately adopted that hat and continues to treasure it, wearing it often.   

A couple months ago, when I was driving home on Chief Peguis, I was following a van that had a Detroit Red Wings sticker in the back window.  Finding this unusual for Winnipeg, I mentioned this to my husband.  He reminded me that he had been a Red Wings fan when he was a child and had a similar sticker on his bedroom window.   

I have no doubt our son was communicating with us.  He enlisted this dear friend from church to provide the hat for his dad then provided another loving “just popping by sign” with the Red Wings sticker in the van window! 

In her book, Suzanne Geismann said, “The more you open to the presence of loved ones in spirit, guides, and angels, the more you notice moments of what I call “set-ups” from Spirit.  Contemplate times when you were led to take an action that resulted in a wondrous result that benefitted you and others.  Review the chain of events that had to take place for the outcome you experienced.  Can you see invisible hands pulling strings? 

When you understand that all share one Mind, you realize that the thoughts that occur to you are not necessarily your own.  Those in spirit often merge with your mind as a way of guiding you.  Such help can be as ordinary as the idea of taking a different route home, resulting in a meaningful encounter with someone in need.  Notice these setups and send gratitude.”  Thanks, Suzanne, for this wisdom. 

While our Sunday morning gatherings here allow us the opportunity to develop relationships with like-minded people, Heather and Glenn also host a Thursday evening group over the fall and winter months.  This group allows us to deepen relationships with each other and grow our own abilities to be clear channels for spirit communications into this dimension.  Mediumship is challenging and as we learn, it is easy to be discouraged or doubtful.  However, in a world that can be hard to navigate while grieving the passing of someone we love, a spirit message can give us hope and light for our journey. 

I was not sure what I would speak to you about today.  I asked my guides to help me and waited for an answer.  Then on the Wednesday before last service, I had an evening at home alone with my dog, and I just started typing until I finished.  Once again I thank my guides for helping me. 

I am very grateful to be part of this community.  I thank Heather, Glenn and all of you for what I have learned here.  The teachings I’ve received along with messages and experiences I’ve had, comfort my heart and soul, give me the strength to go forward and to find meaning in my life.  Thank you for choosing to be here today and part of this, my story.   

Due to the storm, church has been cancelled today.

Good Morning everyone.  The reading for today is taken from the book “Compendium of Magical Things… Communicating with the Divine to Create the Life of Your Dreams” written by Radleigh Valentine.  The words here are those of the author.

“I have been on a journey.  It’s been a magical, amazing, jaw-dropping, and completely awe-inspiring path I’ve walked these past few months.  The process of writing this book showed me things and took me places I never expected.

My love of the angels, tarot, and oracle cards has meant that these divination tools have always been all I needed to commune with the Divine, to get the answers I sought, and manifest a magical life.  Therefore, I hadn’t pursued most of the other ways we can communicate with the Divine and allow magic to enter into our lives.  Writing this book changed all that.  I’ve learned things about myself that were completely hidden from me, and I’m so very grateful for these insights.  My eyes were opened to the wonders to be explored by using other types of oracles and other languages of the Divine, and I’ve loved every minute.

You may be asking yourself why you’d even want to communicate with the Divine anyway.  Well, when you connect actively and freely with the Universe, magical things can start to happen in your life.  Guidance comes to help you make your dreams come true.  You may find that the Divine has some changes in mind for you that can make life happier.  You start to see your place in the Universe more clearly, and with that comes the ability to manifest abundance, romance, health, or whatever you’re looking for.”

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Good morning everyone.  Welcome to all as we gather at this cold and magical time of year.  As we near winter solstice, when nights are still lengthening and daylight is ever fleeting, it is a time for reflection, for drawing near to our internal voice, our guides and angels under the white Christ light.  As many of Mother Nature’s creatures slumber in hibernation, we too go inwards to rest, refresh and reset. 

You might think, “I am so busy at this time of year with Christmas events and shopping… how can I have time to go inwards?”  Yes, that is the dilemma, however it is precisely at times like these that it is important to create space to go inwards, to tune into spirit and listen for the peace available to us.  The Christmas season is emotionally loaded and as Reverend Glenn likes to say, “In all things keep an even mind.”  Our spiritual practices help us keep an even mind during these times.  As I spent time with my Guides, preparing for this talk, I knew I was meant to talk about magic and communication with the Divine.  I thank my guides for their help. 

This is a Spiritualist Church and as Spiritualists, we believe in Communication, Guidance and Healing from Spirit and Angels.   Indeed this is one of our main principles. For the last 9 years, I have been coming here pretty consistently to look for communication and guidance from spirits and angels. I have also been coming here to look for hope, proof of spirit survival after the death of a loved one. I also come because here I feel the magic and love from Spirit and Angels; that magic and love has carried me and continues to carry me over rough spots in my life journey.  Many of you come here for the same reasons. 

Early on, I looked to senior mediums in our community to convey communication from spirit and angels to me.  Then I began my own journey of discovery to strengthen my own connections.  I attended classes, read books and cultivated my meditation practices so that I could learn to hear better the still, small voice of the Divine.

This past August, I attended classes in Tarot taught by a respected Tarot practitioner.   The classes were well organized and I came away with a starter kit to begin my Tarot journey.  I continue to study the Tarot and use it as a tool to communicate with the Divine.  I want to share with you some of the insights I gained during my journey with Tarot.

I find I have developed a stronger relationship with my guides and angels who are communicating with me using the Tarot cards.  As with any relationship, I spend time increasing my understanding and recognize I am still early in this relationship.  As time goes on, I notice more details and recognize my feelings stirred by specific cards.

With Tarot, my question is of utmost importance.  Sometimes I rewrite a question three times before I am satisfied it is the question I want to ask.  Oftentimes I ask unrelated questions on different days but still get the same answer.  For example, one time I asked what personal discipline would be most important to support my emotional and spiritual well being?  I received the 4 of swords directing me to rest, heal, relax, meditate, contemplate, recuperate and care for self.  Some days later I planned to visit with a friend and asked “What do my guides want me to learn through my time visiting with my friend?”  Again, the answer was 4 of swords prescribing rest, healing, relaxation, meditation, contemplation, recuperation and self care.  Well…My guides were clearly trying to get me to slow down and take care of myself and looked for any opportunity to tell me so!!! 

I marvel at how certain cards show up for me regularly while others have not once showed up as an answer to a question. And as certain cards show themselves again and again, they become like treasured and trusted friends, providing me with comfort and guidance, a light for my path during this chapter of my life. 

I was recently talking with friends about my Tarot experience.  I told them the Tarot cards tell me things I don’t want to hear and things my friends don’t want to tell me so as not to hurt my feelings.  The Tarot cards aren’t worried about hurting my feelings, they want me to see so I can make informed decisions about my life. 

Radleigh Valentine said in his book, “Those who truly believe in themselves can get the same insights from their own Divine intuition.  Sadly, most people don’t have faith in their inner guidance.  Tarot and oracle cards give them a way to bring that guidance out into the open where they can access it.  In short, they may not believe in themselves, but they do believe in the cards.  Which is so very ironic, since the Cards are only mirroring what’s within them.”

Radleigh also said “Because Tarot has been around for so long, it has come to have a power of its own.  If you believe that humanity is creating a common reality by all of us believing in the same general experience, you can see how millions of people over hundreds of years believing in Tarot might empower the cards and their use as a divinatory tool.”

I loved reading Radleigh’s book.  His enthusiasm sparked in me a joyful curiosity.  It was easy to read and helped me recognize and understand occurrences in my own life.  Even the chapter names were captivating…  The Magic of Angels, the Magic of Tarot and Oracle Cards, the Magic of Pendulums, the Magic of Meditation… the list goes on and on… full of Magic!

I love too that Radleigh provided good guidance about preparing for working with tools such as Tarot and oracle cards, pendulums and runes.  He stressed the importance of clearing and consecrating tools before working with them.  He emphasized the importance of praying or meditating with the oracle tools before each use and gave examples of prayers.   And of course, it is also important to give thanks to the guides and angels after using the oracle tool.

My talk today is by no means instruction on how to work with Tarot Cards.  My talk is simply a sharing of joy, sparkle and light to encourage you to continue stepping out on your own journey of spiritual exploration and discovery.  There are many roads available to you and you have free will to choose.

I end this talk with another quote from the Compendium of Magical Things.  “If you listen, Divine Guidance will come.  This is what happens when you open yourself to the idea of a laughing, loving, and never-ending magical experience of life.  All That Is will prove to you again and again that Life is Magic.”

Thank you for being here today and part of my magical journey. 

Unfortunately Church service this week has to be cancelled. See you all on November 16th.

The reading for today is taken from the guidebook of The Starseed Oracle written by Rebecca Campbell and Danielle Noel. The Starseed Oracle is a 53 card deck. The authors, Rebecca and Danielle meditated together to envision each card with the intention that the cards would hold a transmission of energy, both individually and as a whole.

This reading is related to the card titled “Trust the Timing”. It may sound familiar to you, as it was the reading for one of Kathy’s previous talks. Here it goes:

“Trust the Timing. Trust the wave you came in on. Time is not running out.

So often, those who feel like they’re here for a reason, sense that time is running out, and they spend their life worrying that they might miss their moment.

But the only way to miss your life or your moment is to spend your time worrying about missing it. It’s never too late to answer a calling and you’re never too old.

The tides of your life are magnificently orchestrated to come in and out in perfect union. Don’t race ahead and ride a wave that was never meant for you. You’ll waste your precious time and energy when instead you could be enjoying your life.

Everything has a season and you’re being called to trust the one you’re in. Don’t let impatience, comparison, competition, or paranoia disturb the seeds.…Right now, you’re being reminded to take a breath and trust the wave you came in on, To trust the season you’re in. Time isn’t running out. There’s plenty of time. There’s no rush and it’s never too late.”

Today I want to touch on topics that for me are woven together into a whole, the importance of being a caring neighbour and community member.

As most of you know, I came to Spiritualism after the sudden death of a close family member ten years ago. While searching for answers to help me make sense of this death, I became involved with this Spiritualist community, taking classes and attending here regularly. What I learned here piqued my interest and I have also pursued other opportunities for learning. I am honored to speak with you today.

I’ve had numerous changes in my life over the past year and a half. In April 2024, I retired from my employment with the Province of Manitoba. That was a big transition for me, as I shifted my identity, day to day life routines and social connections. Then in July 2024, my son and his long time girlfriend got engaged and set a wedding date for June 2025. Wedding plans were under way with parental responsibilities to carefully navigate. This was new terrain for both me and my husband.

Shortly after their engagement, my son and his fiance stopped looking for a house to buy. I was curious and asked them why they stopped. They told me they had decided to wait and buy the house our family had lived in for the past 25 years. They had heard my husband talking repeatedly about wanting to move to a different house. My son and his fiance were however gracious, and invited my husband and me to continue living with them until we found our new home.

Well, this threw me into a major tizzy as I truly loved my house, my yard and my neighborhood. After much heart searching, meditating and giving myself permission to say No to selling our house to them, I came to the realization it was time for me to let go and let spirit move our family in a different direction. It was time for me to remember the oracle card and “Trust the Timing”.

My husband and I agreed to sell our house to our son and his fiance. We started to house hunt and took possession of our “new to us” home on November 30, 2024.

Since our move, my life has been a whirlwind of decisions… what items to donate to thrift stores, what to put into the trash, what to take to the 4R recycling… sell, keep, dispose or give away, sell, keep, dispose or give away. And it continues.

With spring, other home related decisions and projects came into the scene. The home we bought was built in 1985 so has various middle aged “aches and pains”. We dug up river rock, lots of river rock. We painted. We dealt with tree removal. We are on a three year plan for relandscaping our yard.

At the same time, I attended wedding related activities like a shower, shopping for dresses and shoes, meetings and photoshoots. Then there was the wedding itself and events before and after the wedding. Then when these were done, it was back to our yard and the river rock.This August, I took a Beginner’s Tarot Course, 4 weeks long with daily homework to get us grounded and prepared for journeying with Tarot.

While I was at my first Tarot class, Dan, a neighbor from my old house texted me to say two large branches on his apple tree had broken in the wind and those apples needed to be picked.

For the last few years, I had a deal with Dan, that I would pick the apples from his tree, keep some and give away the rest as he didn’t have time to do anything with them. Having grown up on a farm, the process of harvesting fruits and vegetables is deeply wired into my DNA so I always find the apple harvest fulfilling and meditative. After the class was over, I contacted a couple of my old neighborhood friends and invited them to join me picking apples the next evening.

So on apple picking day, I scrambled out to buy an appropriate deck of Ryder Waite Tarot cards from Prairie Sky Books so I could do my homework for the Tarot course. Then I went back to my old neighborhood, to neighbour Dan’s house to pick apples. My old neighbors and I met up in Dan’s yard. The evening was incredibly social. I had catch-up visits with my two fellow apple pickers, Dan, his two children, my son, and his wife. Then as per my usual tradition, I went knocking on other neighbours’ doors to gift them with a shopping bag or two of fabulous apples from Dan’s tree. I got to catch up on neighbors’ life developments, heard about new grandchildren, landscaping projects, swimming lessons, and plans for the new school year. I even came home with a bag of amazing salt and pepper cucumbers.

When I got home, I was in a really good mood. I felt grounded and reconnected with people who I had known for up to 26 years as neighbours. I planned to make more effort to stay connected.

I realized that the simple act of sharing a harvest of apples could strengthen relationships with neighbours and reinforce bonds of community. I thought about how people, so often alone behind closed doors, can be encouraged through being remembered by a neighbor with a simple offering of locally grown apples.

And I thought of how my husband and I had made space for our son and his wife to start their marriage in a supportive community with good neighbours. Although my husband and I had moved away from our old house, I could still keep some connection with my old neighborhood community. The timing of selling our former house to our son and daughter in law helped me to understand the importance of community and to Trust the Timing!

After picking apples and before bed, I sat down to complete my Tarot class homework. I was to pull one major Arcana card either in the morning or evening with the intent of summarizing what my day was like. I pulled the major Arcana card, the Hermit. I was delighted as, in the positive sense, the Hermit represented “gaining wisdom, being alone, soul searching and introspection”. When I reflected on the card, its meaning and the events of my day, I thought about how my spirit had been lifted by doing basic community service and catching up with my old neighbors. It had been a magical and spirit filled evening.

I thought too about the other communities we get involved with. Communities can form in our neighborhoods, where we live. Communities can form around shared activities such as those occurring at this Spiritualist Church of the Light… with classes, services, and potlucks. Sometimes supportive communities can just develop over time when people show up consistently and relationships deepen.

I am part of another small community with a group of people who get together at 8:30 in the morning at a leash-free park to walk our dogs. I came across this group over one year ago, shortly after my retirement. One of the unofficial group leaders invited me to join them for morning walks and I marvelled at the functioning of this informal group. I have seen us support members who are going through difficult times in life, at home or at work. I have seen us welcome people who are new residents in Winnipeg or who visit Winnipeg regularly.

Some first responders attend our group when their shifts allow. One first responder told me that walking with the group provides some normalcy and grounding to balance the highly stressful situations he deals with on his job. He often finishes his shift at 2 or 3 AM, sleeps for a few hours then comes to walk with the group. A tired dog makes for better daytime sleep for shift workers.

I have seen more senior dog owners mentor newer dog owners in dog behavior. Much advice and encouragement is given and assistance is regularly provided to one another on matters outside the dog park. With garden harvest, there has also been sharing of apples, cucumbers and tomatoes in the parking lot. And there is always lots of laughter.

As Spiritualists, we know we are all connected. We believe in the Unity and Equality of All and that we are extensions of God, on our learning journeys before we return to Source, or as some call it, Home. We are members of the ultimate community. Though we do not see our connections with one another through our physical eyes, we know our connections with our spiritual eyes and hearts.

All human relationships can come with challenges. Whether relationships are with friends, family, neighbours, or co-workers, there can be conflicts or differing opinions. At times, we notice others behaving in ways we don’t understand or appreciate and we may be quick to judge or become angry with them. Sometimes we may find it difficult to forgive others for their differences. We can be challenged on how to navigate our conflicts but this learning can be part of our personal growth in this lifetime.

Some years ago, Reverend Heather taught me that when we are angry with someone or worried about them, it is good to envision, in our mind’s eye, a picture of them at their best, smiling, healthy and happy with the sun shining behind them. As we envision them in this way, we send love and healing to that person across the ethers as a gift of love and faith.

Thoughts are things and as we are all connected, we want to send the most positive energy to one another so it can come back to us in the same way.

The wonderful thing about being a Spiritualist is that we can ask the Creator and our guides for help in sending out the loving energy. We can simply ask to be a clean channel for loving energy from spirit.

I conclude this talk with a quote from the book, Endgame by Omid Scobie. At a 2011 speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Australia, Queen Elizabeth II had quoted this Aboriginal proverb: “We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love, and then we return home.” Being caring neighbours and community members can be important parts of our growth and learning during this lifetime before we too return home. I thank my spirit guides for their assistance with this talk and I thank you for being part of our gathering here today.

Good morning everyone.  Today’s reading is from the book of  Ecclesiastes chapter 3: verses 1-8.

For every thing there is a season,

a time for every activity under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to harvest;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build up;
A time to cry, and a time to laugh;
a time to grieve, and a time to dance;
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to turn away;
A time to search, and a time to quit searching;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to mend;
a time to be quiet, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace.

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Good morning everyone! 

It’s so good to see you all here on this chilly Sunday morning!  How quickly things can change here with our Manitoba weather!  From 36 degrees Celsius last Tuesday to 0 degrees early yesterday morning.  Can you say snow?

I chose this reading today because I have been reflecting on the personal seasons I see in my life and the lives of friends and family.  While I don’t necessarily agree with all outlined in this reading, I recognize that these times do seem to be part of the overall human experience.  And perhaps the contrasts help us understand the meaning of each pair.

We have the seasons we know and love in our Manitoba calendar year. 

• We have the budding promise of springtime which rises out from our winter cold; 
• We have the heat and playtime of summer, outdoor concerts, barbecues, trips to the beach, watching plants grow and blossom; 
• We have autumn with its beautiful, brilliant colors, cooler temperatures and bountiful harvest. 
• And finally comes winter, with its cold, simple, restful landscape that calls you to hibernate.  Mother nature takes her rest, and we humans come together for times of reflection, celebration and engagement, mostly indoors.  Winter helps us appreciate the warmth of our relationships in life.

We also have the seasons of our lives.  If we are fortunate, the seasons of our lives are long and full of many loving relationships. 

We all know people who lived into their 90’s with good health and good relationships, sometimes despite bad habits like smoking cigarettes or eating bacon and eggs for breakfast every day.

Others we know fly through the seasons of their lives like brilliant, speeding comets touching the lives of others ever so briefly but leaving a huge and lasting impact. 

Most of our lives are somewhere in-between these two descriptions.  What we do know is that Spirit comes into our earthly bodies for a time, then departs according to our own personal schedules.  We all come to realize that our time in these earthly bodies will have an end date.  Thankfully, as Spiritualists, we know that our spirits continue our journey after the end date of our earthly bodies.

We have all had the opportunity to delight in the freshness of a new baby, spirit freshly arrived with innocence into this earthly world.  We enjoy watching the child grow and learn, becoming more and more responsible for their decisions and their life direction.

As we journey through life, we experience many other joys.  We celebrate relationship unions or marriages, discover beauty in nature, gather joyfully with our loved ones in shared pursuits or celebrations.  How much fun it is to get together with friends and family members for a Jets play-off game, a perogy bee, a church gathering or a family birthday party!

As we journey through life, we also experience the heart ache and grief of various losses.  Illnesses, accidents, deaths of loved ones who leave our earthly group too soon. We may experience losses of material things through theft, accidents or natural disasters such as forest fires or floods. 

This past week, many Manitobans have been challenged regarding Manitoba forest fire events.  Many people in our province are dealing with mandatory evacuations and may have to deal with the loss of a primary dwelling or family cabin. People have been displaced for an unknown period of time while they wait to see what the fire may destroy.  

When my husband and I reflect on these events, our hearts ache for those who lost loved ones to fire.  It is not easy to do, but we all must remember that things can be replaced, loved ones can’t be replaced.

To further complicate life, sometimes joyful events occur at the same time as a loss or difficult time.  A family member may become ill or die near the time of a joyful event.  We are challenged with how to process the very different emotions each event brings and grief is sharpened in the contrast.  

As we progress through the seasons of our lives, our perspectives and priorities change.

To end my talk, here are a few inspirational points from IMom.com, 10 Ways not to Waste your Life. 

1. Believe.

 Believe that you can choose your attitude and your response to what happens to you, and around you.  (As Glenn and Heather teach us, Always remember, thoughts are things!)

2. Know where you’re headed.

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere, but it probably won’t be where you wanted to go. Goals, both short-term and long-term, are necessary for purposeful change.

3. Define Success.

Know that our standard for a successful life is found in serving others, being a good mom, loving our family.  These standards are more conducive to satisfaction than not having cellulite, having a spotless house or making a lot of money.

4. Value people over things.

This is an extension of #3 – No person is a failure who is loved by a child. That principle extends to our spouse, neighbors, friends and co-workers. To love generously is the cure for the common life.

5. Overcome neediness.

When we need others, or achievements, to feel worthy or happy in any way, we’re undermining this great truth: The simple fact of our creation, and that we are valued by our Creator, is sufficient.

6. Live in the moment.

Life is now. Life is going on around you right now. Yes, plan for your future, but don’t put life on hold until you’ve lost 10 pounds, bought a new car or gotten your house ‘just right.’

7. Continue learning.

Life-long learners adopt the ongoing posture of reinvention and redemption. Learners ask questions rather than act as if they know all the answers. It’s difficult to waste your life when you are humble and open to new ideas.

8. Be thankful.

Knowing what we value puts it all into perspective. Be thankful for even the most routine blessings—your health, your children, your life.

9. Know you’re not alone.

Our Creator is always there for you.  If you draw closer to Creator, Creator will draw closer to you.

I thank you all for being here today.  I also want to thank my guides for the assistance they gave me in preparing for today’s talk.

Good Morning everyone! Today’s reading is from The Starseed Oracle by Rebecca Campbell and Danielle Noel. The Starseed Oracle is a 53 card deck and Guidebook. Rebecca and Danielle meditated together to envision each card.

Their intention was that the cards hold a transmission of energy both individually and as a whole.

A few days ago, I pulled out a card titled “Trust the Timing” from the deck . In explanation, the Guidebook stated, “Trust the Timing… Trust the wave you came in on. Time is not running out.

So often, those who feel like they’re here for a reason sense that time is running out, and they spend their life worrying that they might miss their moment.

But the only way to miss your life or your moment is to spend your time worrying about missing it. It’s never too late to answer a calling and you’re never too old.

The tides of your life are magnificently orchestrated to come in and out in perfect union. Don’t race ahead and ride a wave that was never meant for you. You’ll waste your precious time and energy when instead you could be enjoying your life. Everything has a season and you’re being called to trust the one you’re in. Don’t let impatience, comparison, competition, or paranoia disturb the seeds.

It seems that everyone has anxiety these days, constantly scanning for something they might have missed or a possible threat. Keeping our mind and body pointed in the same direction as our soul, is near impossible at such reactive speeds.

Right now, you’re being reminded to take a breath and trust the wave you came in on. To trust the season you’re in. Time isn’t running out. There’s plenty of time. There’s no rush and it’s never too late.”

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Good morning, dear friends.

There has been much news in recent headlines. Changes south of the border have created uncertainty, anxiety and fear for many of us. It is a good time to try on a new perspective in how we respond to these challenges. It’s a great time to put our Spiritualist beliefs into practice. I am grateful for this opportunity to share some of my favorite thoughts and beliefs. Easy to share with you, hard to put into practice.

A few days ago, I received an email from my friend, James. It read, “Hey gang, If like me, what is going on in the country south of us is giving you anxiety… I just want to say a few things from Paul Selig and the Guides. What follows here is James quoting from Paul Selig:

“Who you put in darkness calls you to the darkness” and “what you damn, damns you back.” James continued, “Simple enough. Rings true to me. I call on this wisdom every day now.”

The email continued, “Also, it is important not to look away or ignore. It is important to read a couple headlines and maybe the first paragraphs or watch a short news clip or two from an unbiased (good luck) source from time to time, to be aware, to bear witness. Allowing s-h-i-t to happen without your consciousness observing is then to be willfully unconscious. Unconsciousness is the root of the problem… all human-created problems.”

The email continued, “But it is equally important not to wallow in it. You are inviting fear to a safe harbour in your being that way. That does you no good at all and is a part of the problem. Computer programming motto: Garbage IN = Garbage OUT. Be aware but don’t wallow.”

“There is only Love and Fear. Everything flows from that. (Hate is born in fear). Send those wallowing in fear some love when and as you can. It is doable, it is not easy.” I thank you James for your inspiring email.

As Spiritualists, we believe in seven principles. Principle 3 is central to this talk. “We acknowledge… Unity and Equality of all.”

We know from Principle 3 that we are all connected and we are all parts of our Creator God who is also Love. In our Unity, parts grow, parts blossom, parts bear fruit and parts return to our source, Creator God to continue spiritual progression.

As Spiritualists, we believe in the Continuous existence of the Soul and Its Personality and believe that physical death is not the end of our journey. In our Unity, parts are constantly moving and changing; eternal progress is open to every soul and every soul is in motion.

We notice other parts of our God Unity just as our eyes notice our hands that share connection with our physical body. We are distracted by our physical bodies, and by the way we live day to day. We focus on doing rather than being. We notice other parts of our God Unity behaving in ways we don’t understand or appreciate and may be quick to judge or become angry with them.

We find it difficult to forgive the other parts of our God Unity for our differences. For instance, many people I speak with are upset with decisions being made by Donald Trump. Yet he is also part of our shared God Unity even though he is very different from many of us.

In our physical bodies, we often feel alone and separate, and have difficulty being in Unity with our Creator God and one another. We fail to recognize that we need God’s

Love, and we need each other’s Love. We unknowingly separate ourselves and fail to be open to receiving this Love.

In preparing today’s talk, I borrowed from the book, “Illumination…Change Yourself, Change the World”. This is a book by Michael G. Reccia who channeled a non-physical being named Joseph. The following paragraphs are directly quoted from this book:

“You will never get hurt in loving people. You may have challenging circumstances arise because you have tried to do your best, because you have tried to love other people but you will never get hurt. Your soul will never get hurt. In fact, the greatest protection you can ever give to your soul is love: loving the person who hates you (the Master said this), turning the other cheek, living in Love, realising that you need love, that you need God…”

Joseph continues:

“Is it not said that no man is an island? You need each other. You need that

Love-vibration in your heart, in your soul. Then you will realise why you act in certain ways, why you seek as nations to suppress and oppress other nations,

why you try to gather around yourself so much in the way of materialism that fails to make you happy; why you build barriers to keep out that which you perceive as not being able to bring you security or Love. You mature the day that you understand that you need Love – then you start to take the walls down. Your society needs not walls but God – the God it has distanced itself from.”

Joseph continues, “The second thing you have to contemplate, need to meditate on is that, if you want Love, in order to find it, you first have to give it away… You have to give it away! You cannot give it away if you have built walls around yourself.”

Joseph continues, “If you do not like a situation, simply love it away… from an illness, to an irritation with someone, to a group you perceive as behaving unspiritually, or a sect that you do not like…

love their negative effects on you away! That which you fear, you perpetuate. That which you have built a wall against, you perpetuate…

because your thoughts are constantly maintaining the wall using the bricks and cement of your fear. That which you love dissipates. Because it cannot harm you, it holds no fear for you, it holds no insecurity for you.”

Joseph goes on, “Love changes things because Love does not acknowledge, cannot be affected by, cannot give power to anything less than itself. Therefore in Love there is no war, there is no violence, there is no disease.

Love is a perfect state of bliss and within that state of bliss, nothing can go wrong. So – hold in your minds, in your meditations, those situations you wish to change in a ‘Bubble of Love’.”

Joseph states: “And you will say: “Well, I cannot change things. I am just one person.”

Joseph responds “No… You are part of God. In being part of God, you are everything. You are Eternal Love. When you love selflessly (not wanting or expecting anything back), you draw on the infinite power of God-love to change things, because the power of your Love is not filtered, not lessened by your perceptions of what the ego-you wants. Your desire is simply to change things into and via God-Love.

So in wielding God-Love and sending it into a situation, you are “legion”, you are powerful, and you are able to love things better.”

Joseph concludes, “The more of you that do this, the more quickly things will change in your world. You have to take your walls down and be brave enough to say: ‘I will let people in. I will let ideas in. I will not fight against ideas.’ The path of no resistance is the path of Love. Nothing can harm you if you take the walls down, and having taken the barriers down, you will realize that your intellect does not set you apart, that your materialism does not set you apart, that your race does not set you apart, that your religious preferences do not set you apart. In realizing all these things you then have true power.” I thank Joseph for these channeled teachings.

Not long ago, I attended a workshop on Automatic Writing. Up until that time, I had been stuck on how to proceed with today’s talk. Much to my amazement, when I asked for help on how to go forward with this talk, I received communication from a spiritual being who identified himself as King Carl and was dressed in royal clothing of an earlier time. In closing, I share with you this message given to me by King Carl. He referenced the song we sang before this talk, “In the Bulb there is a flower”. I believe this message is for all of us here today.

“You too are a bulb waiting to bloom and transform. Have faith, be at peace. As you forgive, love and release, you move towards the sun, growing tall, opening and blooming, bringing light to the world. In the bulb, there is a flower.

Trust the beauty you are called to bring forth into the world to lighten the vibrations. Be a clear channel for healing energy into this dimension. Let your very being and presence create a safe space for your own and others’ spiritual development and evolution. It is possible and it is within you to share.” I am grateful to King Carl for the wisdom he transmitted to me here.

Even as I share this message today, I am not saying it is easy to love selflessly. Holding situations I wish to change in a “Bubble of Love”, is a challenge and a discipline for me to cultivate. But any behaviour performed regularly as part of routine can become a habit, and even change our subconscious.

I give thanks to all my guides for their assistance with this talk. Special thanks to King Carl who helped remove my block so I could go forward with preparing. And you dear friends, I thank you for being here and sharing this time together in Unity and Oneness.

Hello Folks!  We hope the summer months are giving you a good opportunity to relax, recharge and renew.  Summer is the time for our Church Servers to get the well deserved rest they need.   We are hoping all of you get to have the same relaxing, recharging and renewing that is so needed in our busy lives.

As you know our Church Services are held on the lst and the 3rd of each month from September – June.  This year the lst is a long weekend and the Access Centre/West St. Paul Recreation Centre is closed for the long weekend. So our first Service of the Fall will be September 15th.

Please come and join us !  Church phone number is: (204) 390-6609 (for any questions you have)

Good morning everyone!  So good to see you all here, fellow travellers in this journey of life!

While preparing for today’s talk, I went back and read through the first one I gave here in April 2019.  I thought about what has changed in my life over the 5 years since that talk.  For those of you who don’t know, when I started attending here regularly 8 years ago, I had recently experienced the physical death of my oldest son in August, 2015.  He would now be close to 30 years old. 

Life was pretty sour for me in 2016 and I was bitter that I had experienced this loss. I also resented that life went on pretty normally for most people around me.  How could people laugh and have fun when I was in so much pain?  

Some people showed compassion to me for a short time, then moved on without me. Some relationships fell away and I felt “left behind”.  I was quiet and kept largely to myself.  I was hard to be around, a party pooper at any party;  Susie Sunshine I was not!  Tears were never far away.

In July 2016, a friend invited me to attend a meditation with him at The Sanctuary in St.

Norbert.  After the meditation, I had the opportunity to sit in one of the healing chairs.

As the healer, Patty, did a Reiki treatment on me, I had a vision.  As I sat with my eyes closed, I saw in the field of blackness an ugly, frightening old woman.  I started to pray the Lord’s Prayer, afraid that I was looking at someone who was “evil”.  Then, while I was still sitting in that chair, I  understood that the ugly, frightening woman I saw was me… me in my bitterness, anger and resentment!

That vision was a turning point in my life journey.  I was not quite sure how I was

going to change the picture I saw reflected in that mirror but I was determined to do

something. I became more involved in this church, the Spiritualist Church of the Light, attending Thursday evening classes.  I participated in other meditation groups in the community and read books. 

One of the valuable lessons I learned in classes here, the keynote for my message today, was to “let any negative energies directed towards me be deflected back to the sender as roses of love and forgiveness at their feet.”  I recently came to see the value of this one particular teaching working alongside my practice of becoming increasingly aware of my own thoughts, and challenging my thoughts of resentment, envy and fear. 

As many of you know, last month I retired from my long time employment.  I had worked in the same building for 12 years so had known many of my colleagues even before the physical death of my oldest son.  I will share a little secret with you… even prior to 2015, I had not been a “Susie Sunshine”.  I chose to keep to myself much of the time while doing my work.  During the past 8 years since my oldest son’s physical death, Spirit changed my heart.

In Spiritualism, we are taught that thoughts are things and we must be careful what thoughts we send out into the universe.  I increasingly disciplined myself to be aware of when I was projecting anger, resentment or fear.  I practiced challenging my own negative thoughts while entering into a deeper understanding of the roots of my thoughts so that the roots could be transformed. 

I learned about being a channel for Creator’s healing energies into this dimension both when I would ask for others’ healing during my meditations and more recently while acting as a contact healer here at church.  And, I continued to meditate on “let any

negative energies that are directed towards me be deflected back to the sender as roses of love and forgiveness at their feet.”

And through the combination of these practices, (both challenging my own thoughts and

deflecting back love to those who have been negative towards me), I have been increasingly blessed by Spirit with a new, kind and gentle strength. 

At times, I have been able to walk alongside those who are easily angered and reactive

without judging them, creating “Safe Space” for them to heal from past hurts.  At times, I have been able to choose words to address concerns in a way that is not personal, while still affirming the dignity and value of that individual, and preserving our relationship for another day.  And at times, my not carrying judgement around on my back, has allowed me to walk lightly with joy in my steps, fresh for the adventures of each new day.  By no means, am I perfectly disciplined with my practices.  Some days are easier, some days more challenging.

For the past couple weeks as we prepared for my retirement, I had the opportunity to receive recognition from my colleagues who remain in the workplace I left behind.  I was given some deeply personal messages about the difference my presence made in their lives.  From many, I received warm appreciation… and I was deeply touched.  I had not realized that my presence in that workplace was noticed and valued.  While my colleagues said goodbye, they gave me a travel bundle of love and value to sustain me for the next part of my life journey. 

I have been blessed with the teachings I have received in these past years.  I have also been blessed by my spirit guides and the support they provide me with putting the teachings into practice, support they continue to provide to me today. 

I share my story with you today not so that I can be proud of myself.  I share my story with you so that you can know some of the blessings available to us when we allow Spirit to work in our lives, as we strive to have Love and Healing be primary in all we do. 

Reading

Angel and out spirit guides are here to help us no matter who we are, where we are from, what we believe or what kind of life we are living.  They are here to comfort us, guide us where we need to go and to support us all while loving us unconditionally.

They help us through song, the people we meet, by helping us to slowdown when needed, through out dreams, opportunities that arise or obstacles that get in our way.  Communicating, guiding and healing us whether we are know it or not.

Talk

Good morning, everyone!

Where to start?!  Heather and Glenn.   Well mostly Glenn, as many of you can relate, I am sure, have been encouraging me to do a talk for a few years now.  My response to this encouragement has been much like Joanna’s was when she was asked so many years ago.  Nope, no way, there is no way I’m ever getting up there! But like Joanna, her I am, conquering a great fear of mine standing in front of you all, sharing about myself.

When thinking about what I could possible share today, fear set in again.  Glenn recommended I share some of my stories an I thought…  Ok, I have a lot of stories to share! What I will talk about relates to our 3^rd principle of our 7 principles. Communication, guidance and healing from spirit and angels. Without a doubt in my mind, I know divine guidance was involved in subtle and not so subtle ways throughout my years.

The first story that I have decided to share today takes us back to my childhood.  Although there were so many good memories, there was also accompanied by some very difficult ones.  One of the most difficult one, unknowingly, I suppressed until my mid 20s when they decided to surface. At this time, I was living with Steve, now my husband of 26 years! Steve was, of course, aware of what I was going through, he was empathetic and tried his best to be there for me.   One night I broke, I truly broke.  Instinctively I ran to our walk-in closet, where as a child I would hide under a strategically placed pile of cloths built up in one corner, never to be found!  So, here I am, completely hysterical on the floor of our closet.  Poor Steve hand no idea what to do or how to help.  So he closed the closet door and went to call one of my sisters for help.  About 20-30 seconds after Steve had left, a white mist started to come under the door.  It caught my attention and I started to calm down. As it made it’s way up the door, a complete calmness came over me, along with a complete acceptance and understanding of what trauma I had gone through as a child. There was just a knowing that I was going to be ok.  I was in a complete calm state when Steve came back to the closet.  Although I am not thankful for what I went through as a child, I do feel that it has contributed to me being a strong person and for that I am grateful! I have an understanding that it is a part of my soul’s growth, which has allowed me to detach even deeper trauma. I believe that I received communication and an amazing healing from spirit and angels that crazy night. I am forever grateful.

Another story that I have deceived to share goes back 20 years ago or so.  My kids were growing, and I was wanting to lose some of the pesky baby weight. I decided I was going to start walking in the evenings when I could.  One night I started out, I was about 10 min into my walk, and I turned a very familiar corner, took maybe 20-25 steps, and heard the LOUDEST, TURN AROUND, TURN AROUND NOW, and with the sense that I needed to get home!  I stumbled when I heard the words, didn’t question them and without hesitation I immediately headed home.  I have no idea what awaited me on that walk that evening, but I am so beyond grateful for the communication and guidance from spirit and angels given that night.

The next story is one of my favorites because it involves someone close to my heart.  This happened about 7 years ago.  At this time our daughter Kenzie was dancing, and we were out at a dance competition.  When it was over, one of my girlfriends, who danced with Kenzie for years, asked me to go out to celebrate the girls. Sadly, and begrudgingly, I had to decline her invite because it was my night to check-in on my mom, who was staying home alone for the weekend.  So, Kenzie went out with my girlfriend and her friend and Steve, and I headed home.  I was thinking this would be the typical 2-minute check-in phone call, which was the average these days.  I dialed, it rang maybe 3 times and what awaited me on the other end, I could never have imagined. There were uncontrollable tears and talk of suicide on the other end.  I told my mom that I was hanging up and would be at her place in 15 minutes.   She was VERY insistent that, that was not going to happen. We made a plan that she had to stay on the phone with until I was ok for to hang up.  She agreed.   At this time our phone batteries were getting old and were dropping calls constantly after about 20 minutes of use.  I told my mom that this would happen but that I would call her back immediately from another phone.  My mom eventually calmed down and started to open up an talk, which she never did at this point in time.  As we talked, I had to keep remaindering her that “When” our call drops, I will call her right back.  We were laughing at me constantly reminder her because it was about 2 hours into our call at this point.  The conversation was the best I had had with my mom in years.  About 2.5-3 hours into our call, up on the left-hand side of my ceiling, spirit streaks were darting all around this one spot. There were maybe5 or 6 of them.  They stayed about 15-20 seconds and were then gone. I seen these before on my other occasions and I just said silently, thank you.  Then to my right, standing near the floor appeared 2, about 18-inch-tall electric blue ovals.   They had jagged string like things in the middle of them and were electric blue in colour.  The inside of the oval was a paler shade of blue.  They stayed there for 10-15 seconds and then just disappeared.  There was absolutely no doubt in my mind how our phone battery lasted a nearly 5-hour conversation that evening.  Guidance to go home and make that phone call, because I really didn’t want too, and the healing that my mom received that evening.  We ended the phone call in laughter.  I was so forever grateful for their visible presence that night, to leave absolutely no doubt in my mind that they were there providing communication, guidance and healing that was so greatly needed that evening!

The last story is a bit more light-hearted one. I have to say, as I started to write it down, the meaning of what happened changed for me.  This experience helped my very good friend to become more open-minded and consider the thought, that there is more to life after death than she may have thought.  It was the Christmas season, about 6 years ago.  Steve and I had out very good friends of 30+ years over to celebrate the season with us.  The four of us were laughing, talking, eating and drinking as we sat around the table for several hours and of course me, who love to share ghost stories, had to start sharing! Well my poor girlfriend, who knows me extremely well is looking at me like I had 3 heads.   Not sure if it was from disbelief or out of fear about what I was saying at this point.  Maybe a bit of both! As I kept sharing, our friend Guy stops, hesitates, looks at the ground, looks at the table, back to the floor again.  Then leans down to pick up and olive up off the floor that had fallen between his feet.  He quietly places it on a napkin.  I noticed his reaction but just kept on talking! About 5 minutes goes by and he does the exact same thing again, but I noticed his face looked a lot more serious.  I stopped talking and asked him if he was ok.  What was wrong?  He told us that the 2 olives had some how left the plate on the table, which was basically empty at this time, and it had a lip around the entire edge of this plate.  He couldn’t explain or understand how the 2 olives made it off this place, by themselves and both fall right between his feet.  He was pretty freaked out!  My only response was to throw my hands in the air and say thank-you! Here I am with my “ego” thinking this assistance from spirit and angels was for me but like I said earlier, it was much more than that.  This moment helped to allow my girlfriend’s mind open up to the possibilities that she has not considered before and has allowed her to ask me questions over the years about her loved ones across the vail, as her believes, ideas and thoughts are expanding every so slightly to was as spiritualists already know to be true.

As I continue to grow on my spiritual journey and come to the know and have complete trust that spirit, angels, and our guides are here for all of us with their communications, guidance, healing and unconditional love for each and everyone of us.  I can’t help but feel extremely thankful for this beautiful journey I am on.

Ok Phew, it’s over!

Thank you for listening and have an amazing rest of your long weekend.