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.