TRUST AND DON’T GIVE UP BEFORE THE MIRACLE
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As I sat down to write my monthly message for the newsletter, the word TRUST screamed out to me. I saw in my mind’s eyes TRUST TRUST TRUST written across the sky. It seems like many of us are being called to trust at a very deep level. At least I know I am. What does it mean to trust? For me, it means trusting that regardless of how things may look like on the outside, that I am safe and in God’s care. It means trusting in a power greater than myself and believing that there is higher plan for my life which is good. I may not know what’s ahead, and that can make it difficult to let go and surrender control of how I think my life should look.
Are you doing the best you can? Are you showing up for life ready to share your gifts and talents? Maybe things are still not going the way you want them to go. It may be a marriage that isn’t working, lack of finances, a job that you hate, grieving the loss of a loved one or being unemployed. It is only in these difficult times of darkness and not knowing what’s going on that we learn to trust and our faith muscles grow stronger. We do not grow on the mountaintop. Mountain top experiences come from being in the darkness and not giving up.
We often give up right before the miracle because of fear. We say we trust but when the s…. hits the fan we often go into fear mode, and it can happen almost automatically without consciously realizing it. Fear can cripple you and make you want to give up and run away. It is in precisely these times that you are given the opportunity to trust in a loving God for your strength and sustenance. You learn that God is all there is and God can be trusted.
What I know about God in my heart of hearts, from my own life experience, is that God is faithful and can be trusted. Are you ready to trust God with your life and surrender to the love in your heart? All you need to do is say YES.
Light and Love, Pat
I AM CALLING YOU, I AM CALLING YOU
“I am calling you, I am calling you, I am calling you” is what I heard almost 3 years ago while meditating and listening to an instrumental CD. I wasn’t expecting to hear the man’s voice and the only words on the CD. “I am calling you.”
I knew in my spirit that it was God calling me to step out in faith and leave my job of 20 years as an Alcohol and Drug therapist to start my own business as a Spiritual Coach, Inspirational Speaker and Retreat/Workshop leader. This calling came one month after Simply a Woman of Faith was published. I prayed for 1 year and meditated to make sure it was God’s will and then took the leap in faith.
A call is God’s invitation to use your gifts and talents for the good of all involved.
- What is God calling you to do?
- What is God inviting you to do?
- What are your gifts and talents?
I believe God is calling each one of us to be His/Her hands, feet and mouth. The world needs you and your special gifts and talents. God has a plan for your life and for my life, but we must say YES.
That calling may show up as a persistent nagging feeling that you need to do something and make a difference in the world. It may be fighting for a cause, helping someone, working with children, animals, the elderly or writing a book about your life experiences. And the list goes on.
What I didn’t expect was God to shine his flashlight into my life and bring to light false unconscious beliefs that were limiting me and keeping me a prisoner. There was much inner work of changing my thinking that needed to be done. It was sometimes painful looking at myself and the story I created (that was not true.) I didn’t always like what I saw and kicked and screamed at times. During this pruning process of old beliefs, I have learned to ask for help, be vulnerable and be authentic and real.
It has been almost 2 years since I left my job. It has been exciting, fulfilling, scary, challenging, growth provoking and a time to trust myself and God deeper. Doors have opened that I never expected to open and many people have helped me along the way.
We must be willing to allow the work of Spirit, no matter how painful or overwhelming. Saying YES to God’s calling means showing up daily and plugging into the power and trusting the process. It’s following God wherever you are led and using your gifts for the good of others. It’s the only way to live a joyful, fulfilling life. Face your fears and walk tall in your own truth.
Will you say YES to God and use your gifts for the world? The world needs you and your talents. It is time! Are you ready?
FREEDOM THROUGH RADICAL FORGIVENESS
Do you ever say to yourself “I can’t believe this is happening to me AGAIN!” or… “How many MORE times do I have to learn this lesson?” Or, perhaps you have felt as if everything in your life was going smoothly and you were in the FLOW, which feels great, and then bang, seemingly out of nowhere, stuff happens and your life feels out of control. For me, when that happens, it’s like God has a giant flashlight that shines into my heart, which enables me to suddenly see the unconscious (and usually false) beliefs I have about myself and the world.
Recently, this happened to me. I had an intense week of inner work, forgiveness and transformation as the result of attending a Radical Forgiveness Workshop by the best- selling author, Colin Tipping. Practicing Forgiveness has been an integral part of my spiritual life for many years, and it has enabled me to forgive many significant people and experiences in my life (including myself). As a result of my own experiences, I have come to believe that while forgiveness is a gift that I give myself, it is something that all of us deserve to experience.
Through a series of synchronistic events, I was surprised when shame and guilt reared their ugly heads in my life, and after extensive prayer, meditation and journaling, I got in touch with some beliefs about myself that were buried deep within my subconscious. Once an unconscious belief is brought to light, it can be healed and transformed, and I believe learning how to do this is a very useful process to incorporate into your daily life. As the result of my inner work, God revealed to me that I was living in victim consciousness in a particular area of my life.
Victim Consciousness is when I blame and judge others and make them “wrong,” and me “right.” When I am in victim consciousness, I’m not willing to take responsibility that my soul attracted this situation or person that I’m blaming and judging, so that I can heal limiting beliefs I have that are not true about who I am. This state of victim consciousness makes me unwilling to see the divine perfection in every interaction or experience. I believe that everything happens for a reason and I create my reality by my thoughts. That means I believe that I attract people, situations into my life to heal unconscious beliefs that are still operating in my life and consequently blocking my progress and soul’s evolution.
Through God’s grace, I became willing to see the perfection in what I had attracted into my life and was willing to stop blaming and judging the players on the field. Rather than coming from a place of anger, blame and judgment, I was able to come from a place of love. I was then able to forgive myself and these other people for what I had “perceived” as their wrong doing. I recognized that I was attracting people into my life that would abuse and ignore me, because I had a limiting belief that said, “I don’t deserve to receive attention and to be treated with respect.” Once I was able to identify this belief, and shine God’s love upon it, I was given the grace to forgive myself, and those people I was angry with. Once this happened, miracles occurred.
With radical forgiveness, it isn’t even necessary to know what unconscious belief needs to be healed and transformed. What is necessary is that we be willing to see the perfection in what is happening and recognize this is an opportunity to expand our ability to love and grow. I’m so grateful for the deep healing and freedom I experienced by being willing to do the deep inner work of forgiveness.
Here are some of the common core beliefs that most of us still hold in our subconscious:
I am not good enough. I am not worthy to receive
I have to be perfect to be loved
I am unlovable and will be abandoned, rejected
I don’t deserve love. I will always be betrayed.
If you find yourself realizing that you have a belief similar to the above, you may want to practice “Radical Forgiveness” and experience the radical freedom and grace you will know when you free yourself from this darkness, and allow the light of your soul to expand.
WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER ONE OPENS
Closed doors are a vital part of guidance. When God closes a door, it’s because there is another plan, a better plan. If He closes the door, He’ll open another- according to His timing, not mine. I keep moving in faith, even in the face of closed doors.
My mini-retreat vacation to Bermuda is a great example of one door closing and another opening.Last January, I had been invited to lead a retreat at one of the churches in Bermuda. Unfortunately, they notified me in March telling me they couldn’t get the funding to bring me over there. Of course, I felt disappointed. I led a retreat in Bermuda last year in May and the women loved it.
I accepted the closed door and trusted that if it was meant to be to lead a retreat in Bermuda in May, God would open another door. Several weeks after this, I received an email from a woman who attended one of my retreats several years ago. She said “Pat, I’m a little nervous asking you this, BUT I would like to go on a cruise to Bermuda and I have no one to go with. Would you consider doing a mini-retreat on a cruise ship? With all the women you know, I’m sure some others would be interested.
What a great idea, I thought and jumped on it. I called the Norwegian Cruise line and got the details. I put in on Facebook and sent out my newsletter. Within a few days, several women called and booked the cruise. We leave May 14 for 7 days.
I have an intention book that I mediate with daily. One of my intentions is to be an inspirational speaker and lead workshops on cruise ships. God opened the door and I truly believe this is just the beginning. Be careful what you ask for, YOU JUST MIGHT GET IT.
Namaste, Pat
A Mother’s Love-From the other side
Family and friends filled St Helena’s church in the Bronx, New York on a cold and snowy morning January first, 1968. I sat in the front pew anxiously waiting for mom and dad to walk down the aisle as they did twenty five years before. Excitement and anticipation filled the air as we waited for the organist to start playing.
My parents said their final vows to one another and the mass ended. They turned around with big smiles on their faces and started walking back down the aisle. Mom suddenly collapsed and fell to the floor with a loud bang.
My heart raced and my hands sweated as I struggled to hold back the tears. I felt terrified not knowing what was going on. I knelt at the altar, looked up at the cross and prayed.
Please God don’t let my mother die. I need her. My mother died in the church before the fire department arrived. That was over 40 years ago.
Yet, she stills keeps in contact with me – mostly through songs. The music played softly in the background as I sat on my living room couch. I jumped up and turned up the volume to hear the words better. “Honey I miss you and I’m being good. An angel came and took her away.” As I sat on the floor and listened, the tears ran down my cheeks and goose bumps spread across my body. My mother’s name was Honey.
The song Honey by Bobby Goldsboro was written shortly after my mother died over 40 years ago on New Year’s Day. To this day, I still hear the song and it touches me as deeply as it did the first day I heard it. I know its mom communicating with me and letting me know she’s with me.
Being twenty years old when my mother died wasn’t easy, especially when I got married and started having children. When I became pregnant with my third child, I prayed for a little girl and often heard the song Honey during my pregnancy. As the nurses wheeled me into the delivery room, after ten hours of labor, I heard Honey playing over the loud speaker.
Fast forward ten years. A job opportunity opened up for my husband and we jumped at it, even though it was in Rhode Island, hundreds of miles away from where we lived. My husband started his new job in Rhode Island and couldn’t be with us the day we moved. I tearfully said goodbye to my friends and family. The only thing left in the house was the radio on the mantel piece. As I sat on the den floor saying goodbye to the house my children were born in, it finally hit me that we were leaving our friends and family. I suddenly felt afraid and anxious, not knowing what the future would bring. I prayed and asked God for strength and courage. As I sat there quietly praying, I heard Honey playing on the radio. Filled with gratitude and peace, I thanked God, knowing that everything would work out.
My dad died of cancer 10 years ago. I felt helpless watching him suffer and lose his ability to walk and feed himself on his own. He could no longer stay at home as his illness progressed. While in the hospital, the doctors tried to keep him alive with more operations and procedures. My step mom Anne couldn’t accept he was dying and expressed her hopes for his recovery. Depressed and despondent, dad no longer possessed the will to live and would no longer talk to me when I called on the phone. While the doctors discussed yet another procedure at his bedside, he looked up at my step mom and the doctors and screamed. “Leave me alone, I want to go home.” At that moment my step mom’s denial broke and she was finally ready to let him go. A few hours later, he passed away peacefully with her at his side.
I waited anxiously by the phone, pacing back and forth waiting for Anne to call me. “Pat, your dad died fifteen minutes ago.” Dead silence that seemed like an eternity. “I’m so sorry……… Are you all right?” I asked. “He suffered so. He’s out of pain now.”
I hung up the phone and cried as I rocked in the rocking chair by myself. Later, I walked around my house in a daze, not wanting to believe that he was dead. God, I’m alone now. With both mom and dad dead, I feel like I’m an orphan. I needed to get some fresh air and clear my head. I took a walk and looked up in the sky and said, God please allow me to feel my dad’s presence.
I dragged myself to the consignment shop to look for a dress to wear for the funeral. I couldn’t concentrate and half heartedly looked through the racks of clothing trying to find a dress. And then…..Honey began playing on the radio. I stood frozen in place for a few minutes, then put my face in my hands and sobbed. The owner of the shop walked over to me. I looked up when she asked,“Are you alright? What’s wrong?” “My father just died,” I blurted out through sobs and tears. I explained to her about the significance of the song Honey that had just played on the radio.
I know my mother is with me even though it has been over 40 years since she died. I feel her presence and love, especially when I need her the most. She shows up in the most unexpected places.
A Chapter from Pat’s book, Simply a Woman of Faith
The Seeds of Greatness are Within You
How does your faith grow? Before we can discuss how it grows, we need to have a working definition of what faith is. Simply put, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. When we plant seeds in the ground, we cannot see the flower or vegetable that will spring forth, but we believe, wait and trust that something will come from the darkness .
What are the seeds that have been planted in your life? What are you hoping for, but you cannot see- a new job, relationship, abundance, health? It is not easy being in the darkness and having to wait for something to grow or change.
Here is where my faith is tested and where it grows. Will I trust the promises of God and wait patiently for whatever I am hoping for to grow or will I get discouraged and give up on my dream because it is not happening fast enough?
During this time of gestation, darkness and waiting, it is important to have people in your life who believe in you and support you. Learning to be vulnerable and asking for help is equally important. It is a time to love and nurture your inner spirit, not beat up on yourself that you are not doing enough or doing something wrong. Sometimes, we just need to rest and not push so hard. As you learn to trust and surrender to divine timing, just like the flowers, you will blossom.
“I allow blessings to flow to me and I freely draw from the limitless ocean of good. As I deepen my trust, I am in the flow of divine abundance. I need not worry about the temporary appearance of lack in my life because I know there is abundant supply.” Daily Word
Namaste, Pat
“Your Wish is my Command”
If you watched the Secret DVD or read the book, you remember the Genie that said “Your wish is my command.” Before your wishes are granted, you need to know what it is that you want.
I don’t believe in Genies , but I do believe in a Power greater than myself that hears my prayers and answers the desires of my heart. I wrote in my journal on New Year’s Day that I wanted to travel this year. I didn’t know HOW it would happen, but that didn’t matter.
Two weeks later, I found myself in a lovely bed and breakfast in Newport, RI. I love to go to the ocean and just BE. I met the owner of the bed and breakfast when I arrived. Although we hadn’t spoken to one another, we recognized each other from a holistic workshop we took together in the summer. I couldn’t wait to drive out to the ocean to sit in the sun and listen to the crashing waves.
I felt refreshed and renewed when it was time to go home. As I was about to leave, I heard that small still voice of God say, give her your book. When I returned the key, I thanked her for a wonderful stay and handed her my book. She thanked me and we stood in her kitchen chatting. She mentioned that she was taking a trip to Arizona for 3 weeks in March. I told her I also wanted to travel this year.
To my delight and surprise, she said “Would you like to stay here and take care of my dog for the 3 weeks I’m gone? It will be like a vacation for you. ” I am sure my mouth dropped open as I immediately said YES. . .
I’m amazed how God works things out when I trust and allow things to come to me. I look forward to the surprises that God has in store for me this year.
A Sign From Heaven
I can remember it as if it were yesterday as the song played on the radio. I jumped up and turned up the volume to hear the words better. “Honey I miss you and I’m being good. An angel came and took her away.” Tears rolled down my cheeks and goosebumps spread across my body. My mother’s name was Honey.
The song Honey, by Bobby Goldsboro was written shortly after my mother died 42 years ago on New Year’s Day. I still hear the song and it touches me as deeply as it did the first day I heard it. I know it’s my mother’s way of communicating with me and letting me know she’s with me and everything is okay. That’s just like my mother to have a song written after her.
I am open to signs from my mother, especially around the anniversary of her death. On New Year’s day, I spent time in prayer thinking about the past year and what I wanted to create in 2010. I wanted to feel my mother’s presence and hoped to hear the song. I felt disappointed, but trusted she would show up on her terms,not mine.
I left church and drove to my daughter’s house for a visit. Of course, I put the radio on hoping I would hear Honey. It had been quite awhile since I heard the song and even wondered if they still played it. No Honey!
When I arrived at my daughter’s house, she was all excited because a friend had just told her that the house on the next street (that abbutted her property) was for sale. It had been her dream to buy this house so she could farm the land. Mary is an herbalist and grows and harvests her own vegetable and plants. (www.farmacyherbs.com)
Mary didn’t know the woman who owned the house and was eager to introduce herself and let her know of her intentions. We walked around the block, rang the doorbell and waited. Mary introduced herself and said “I’m your neighbor and live in the house behind you.” The woman was pleasant and invited us in. My jaw dropped when she told us her name was Honey. Not only was her name Honey, but her elderly mother who lived with her was Honey.
My daughter and I just looked at one another in amazement as the chills went down our spines.
I didn’t hear the song play on the radio, but meeting Honey today was our sign from heaven that all is well.
Namaste, Pat
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