My husband, Phil, lost his favorite pair of gloves.  Phil has very unusual hands.  His fingers are short with a square palm.  Phil has a Fire Hand – as Palmistry calls it.  (As a palmist, I told Phil when we first met that I had to read his palm before I would dance with him.  Not only is his hand shape an unusual one, he had some markings and lines I’d never seen before.  Phil’s Fire Hand means he is intense and driven.  So, I thought, “Well, what the heck!  This should be interesting!”  Our lives together have been “interesting” to say the least!) 

My palm shape, by the way, is a Water Hand – long palm, long fingers as one who is in touch with emotions, intuition, and psychic abilities. (Surprise! lol)  FYI, an Air Hand is one that has a square palm and long fingers.  This person is intellectually curious, analytical, and usually can communicate clearly.  An Earth Hand is pretty square in shape – square palm with fingers equal in size with the palm.  These individuals are grounded, stable, salt-of-the-earth kind of folks.  More often than not, I’m finding people with combinations of these characteristics, so these are gross generalities. People are often a mixture of these characteristics and qualities.

So, with Phil’s Fire Hand, finding gloves that fit is a real challenge.  Most men’s gloves that are wide enough for his palm are too long in the fingers. So, he decided it was time to look through an old tub of winter stuff to see if there were any suitable gloves in there.  We hadn’t touched that tub for several years and it was crammed in a closet with blankets stacked on top. 

Amazing the stuff that can be found when we take the time to look.  Lo and behold, there was a second pair of gloves just like the ones he had just lost!  He was delighted.  I also found the glove mate that had gone missing last spring.  (Like I said, we had not been in this tub for several years, so finding the missing glove was pretty strange.  Hmmm.  Interesting.)

We also found zip out hoods to coats we no longer own – those get to be tossed.  We also found several pairs of gloves that didn’t fit right.  Those can be re-homed.  We also found some other usable items that we didn’t even remember we had!  Fun!  Kind of like a mini-Christmas!

The key will be where to put those items so they are used and not just put the back in the tub to hibernate for a few more years. 

So it is with our spiritual gifts.  We store them away because we are not using them.  Our child-like wonder gets stuffed away because we are busy earning a living.  Or, our intuitive insights get stuffed because our world calls for us to focus on the facts.  Or, our ability to heal ourselves and others because, well, we don’t really believe we can do those things – even though a mother’s kiss makes any boo-boo feel better.  We toss our joyful exuberance out the window because life seems to require us to be serious all the time – or it has sucked the joy right out of living!

Even though we may not recognize them at the moment, those gifts are still there.  Waiting for our attention.  It’s not use it or lose it.  No.  Those spiritual gifts are just waiting for our renewed interest and attention.

What are spiritual gifts?  (I Corinthians 12: 4-11)  Being able to serve others with a warm heart is a spiritual gift (manifestation of Spirit for the common good).  Not everyone can do this!!  Using one’s time and energy wisely is a spiritual gift (word of wisdom) and to be able to share this with others (word of knowledge).  Not everyone can or will do this!!  Deep faith in a power greater than one’s self is a spiritual gift (faith).  Not everyone can perceive with expanded awareness!!!  Healing abilities is a spiritual gift.  With the myriad of healing modalities out there, it’s not the modality that heals – it’s the one Divinely gifted with spiritual healing - the one who is wielding that Divine Connection using healing techniques that can assist the healing process for themselves or another (gift of healing). 

Being able to intuit the signs along the way is a spiritual gift.  What a beautiful gift to be able to perceive life from this perspective (prophecy).  Discernment, knowing what is right for you and what is not, is a spiritual gift. How powerful to be able to rely upon one’s Divine Connection to know one’s truth rather than falling prey to other people’s opinions (distinguishing spirits).  Joy is a spiritual gift!  Can you allow that to re-awaken within you?  Child-like wonder allows us to see things from the perspective of innocence and delight.  How cool is that!?!

Don’t feel like you have any spiritual gifts?  Ask for spiritual gifts to be gifted to you!  They are GIFTS!!!  We don’t earn them!  They are GIFTS!!  Be open to receiving these gifts!

Once you ask, follow your open heart to discover and learn new ways of being present in your own life and the spiritual gifts will reveal themselves to you.  You will discover ways in which to access and utilize these spiritual gifts to help yourself and to be a blessing to others.

Whether you once had a spiritual gift and it’s been tucked away, unnoticed for years, or perhaps you feel you have not yet received a spiritual gift - Open up.  Ask.  Notice.  Pay attention.  Follow the guidance you sense, or feel, or discover. 

Your gift can change the world.  Your gift, re-awakened or newly received, will bless you and the world around you. 

My husband, Phil, lost his favorite pair of gloves.  Phil has very unusual hands.  His fingers are short with a square palm.  Phil has a Fire Hand – as Palmistry calls it.  (As a palmist, I told Phil when we first met that I had to read his palm before I would dance with him.  Not only is his hand shape an unusual one, he had some markings and lines I’d never seen before.  Phil’s Fire Hand means he is intense and driven.  So, I thought, “Well, what the heck!  This should be interesting!”  Our lives together have been “interesting” to say the least!) 

My palm shape, by the way, is a Water Hand – long palm, long fingers as one who is in touch with emotions, intuition, and psychic abilities. (Surprise! lol)  FYI, an Air Hand is one that has a square palm and long fingers.  This person is intellectually curious, analytical, and usually can communicate clearly.  An Earth Hand is pretty square in shape – square palm with fingers equal in size with the palm.  These individuals are grounded, stable, salt-of-the-earth kind of folks.  More often than not, I’m finding people with combinations of these characteristics, so these are gross generalities. People are often a mixture of these characteristics and qualities.

So, with Phil’s Fire Hand, finding gloves that fit is a real challenge.  Most men’s gloves that are wide enough for his palm are too long in the fingers. So, he decided it was time to look through an old tub of winter stuff to see if there were any suitable gloves in there.  We hadn’t touched that tub for several years and it was crammed in a closet with blankets stacked on top. 

Amazing the stuff that can be found when we take the time to look.  Lo and behold, there was a second pair of gloves just like the ones he had just lost!  He was delighted.  I also found the glove mate that had gone missing last spring.  (Like I said, we had not been in this tub for several years, so finding the missing glove was pretty strange.  Hmmm.  Interesting.)

We also found zip out hoods to coats we no longer own – those get to be tossed.  We also found several pairs of gloves that didn’t fit right.  Those can be re-homed.  We also found some other usable items that we didn’t even remember we had!  Fun!  Kind of like a mini-Christmas!

The key will be where to put those items so they are used and not just put the back in the tub to hibernate for a few more years. 

So it is with our spiritual gifts.  We store them away because we are not using them.  Our child-like wonder gets stuffed away because we are busy earning a living.  Or, our intuitive insights get stuffed because our world calls for us to focus on the facts.  Or, our ability to heal ourselves and others because, well, we don’t really believe we can do those things – even though a mother’s kiss makes any boo-boo feel better.  We toss our joyful exuberance out the window because life seems to require us to be serious all the time – or it has sucked the joy right out of living!

Even though we may not recognize them at the moment, those gifts are still there.  Waiting for our attention.  It’s not use it or lose it.  No.  Those spiritual gifts are just waiting for our renewed interest and attention.

What are spiritual gifts?  (I Corinthians 12: 4-11)  Being able to serve others with a warm heart is a spiritual gift (manifestation of Spirit for the common good).  Not everyone can do this!!  Using one’s time and energy wisely is a spiritual gift (word of wisdom) and to be able to share this with others (word of knowledge).  Not everyone can or will do this!!  Deep faith in a power greater than one’s self is a spiritual gift (faith).  Not everyone can perceive with expanded awareness!!!  Healing abilities is a spiritual gift.  With the myriad of healing modalities out there, it’s not the modality that heals – it’s the one Divinely gifted with spiritual healing - the one who is wielding that Divine Connection using healing techniques that can assist the healing process for themselves or another (gift of healing). 

Being able to intuit the signs along the way is a spiritual gift.  What a beautiful gift to be able to perceive life from this perspective (prophecy).  Discernment, knowing what is right for you and what is not, is a spiritual gift. How powerful to be able to rely upon one’s Divine Connection to know one’s truth rather than falling prey to other people’s opinions (distinguishing spirits).  Joy is a spiritual gift!  Can you allow that to re-awaken within you?  Child-like wonder allows us to see things from the perspective of innocence and delight.  How cool is that!?!

Don’t feel like you have any spiritual gifts?  Ask for spiritual gifts to be gifted to you!  They are GIFTS!!!  We don’t earn them!  They are GIFTS!!  Be open to receiving these gifts!

Once you ask, follow your open heart to discover and learn new ways of being present in your own life and the spiritual gifts will reveal themselves to you.  You will discover ways in which to access and utilize these spiritual gifts to help yourself and to be a blessing to others.

Whether you once had a spiritual gift and it’s been tucked away, unnoticed for years, or perhaps you feel you have not yet received a spiritual gift - Open up.  Ask.  Notice.  Pay attention.  Follow the guidance you sense, or feel, or discover. 

Your gift can change the world.  Your gift, re-awakened or newly received, will bless you and the world around you. 

I was going to pour myself some Kombucha tea into a glass the other day.  It’s a great probiotic and actually quite refreshing.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing and shook the bottle before I opened it.  It foamed all over the counter in an unstoppable wave of liquid and bubbles.

I grabbed the nearest thing to catch the spill—a sponge.  Unfortunately, the sponge was dry.  It couldn’t pick up any of the rapidly expanding pool of foam.  I wetted the sponge quickly and rung it out.  Than it happily sucked up most of the spillage.  A couple of squeezes of the excess into the sink and the happy sponge sucked up more.

I think we get dried out spiritually.

We cannot absorb anything.  We cannot sense anything.  We cannot release anything because we are spiritually dried up.  We are not functioning as happily as we would like. 

The symptoms of spiritual dehydration are fatigue, listlessness, irritability, rigidity, and a general meh feeling.  Sound familiar?

It’s easy to allow life to suck the joy right out of us and leave us all spiritually dried out.

My happy little sponge couldn’t receive anything until it was flooded with water and then that water squished out.  That left it ready and able to pick up whatever moisture was there.

You’ve heard me refer to empaths as “The quicker picker upper” like the paper towel.  And yet any of us can get spiritually dried out and not pick up anything of value anymore.  Anything negative is registered and we just sit and drown in it, but that negativity doesn’t replenish our absorption abilities.  If anything it dries us out further! 

So, how do we refresh our spiritual absorption abilities?

We put ourselves into the flow.  The flow is all around us, but without our attention, we cannot receive it.  How do we awaken our attention?  With intention.  With the attention, we awaken our intention to be within the flow.  Just like the sponge under the flow of water, we receive the flow of spiritual energy and are renewed to our happy purposefulness.

Try it now.  Notice that there is light around you.  Even in a darkened room, there may be a glow of light from a computer screen or a night light.  Allow this to register in your awareness. Now, create for yourself a visual of Divine Light from Source flowing around you.  It’s just there.  You don’t have to do anything but become aware of it.  Give the Light permission to flow into you.  Now see this Light of Love flowing into your body.  Allow it. 

Ahhh.  Can you feel that?  Yes!  Maybe even just a little, depending upon how spiritually dried up you may be.  (A dried prune takes longer to absorb water than a sponge.  If you are feeling more prune-ish than sponge-ish, allow yourself to open up more. Sponges have lots more holes than prunes.)

Now you have the capacity to receive spiritual guidance and insights along with a deeper sense of connection with the Divine and with all things.  May this process bless you richly!

Ok, so I’m a bit weird.  Well, maybe more than just a bit.  I don’t see things like other people do and, I see things that other people don’t – like auras, spirit guides, symbolic insights, and dead people.

Did you know there are two kinds of dead people?

There are those that have crossed over and are in the Light and there are those that are stuck in the grey place – we call those guys ghosts.  The ones that have crossed over are loving and supportive of us as they are sustained by Divine Light and Love.  We can communicate with them and receive encouragement and an abiding connection of love.  You might even notice their presence as a soft glow of light out of the corner of your eye. Or a song coming to mind that reminds you of them.  They are not stuck here.  They dwell in the heavenly realms and visit now and then.

Ghosts, those spirits that haven’t crossed over, tend to feed on emotions.  Good news/bad news with this.  If a ghost is looking for the light, we can help them find it. It’s like bugs drawn to a porch light in the summer.  A lost spirit will see the light in a person and be drawn to it.  Once drawn to us, they can observe and learn more about life and how to best live it.  When they figure things out, they effortlessly cross over – we may not have even known they were there.

Then, there are those that were so stuck in life that they may be drawn to our light, but only to extinguish it.  These guys can be a real nuisance.  They relish it when we get angry.  They feed on that anger and amplify it back to us.  They feed on fear and sadness as well.  The more energy they absorb the more likely they are to move objects and cause disturbances.

Of all the years (over 40 years) I’ve seen and worked with the spirit world, these dark things are very rare.  They stick in places where intense emotions have repeatedly been experienced – like abandoned hospitals or prisons.  I’ve only seen a few existing with living people.  Usually, those people have been going through some really difficult things and are stuck in a dark place themselves.  As a person reclaims their own joy, the dark things go away.  Once in a while, a clearing ceremony is necessary.

I’ve known of a couple of families who boast about having a ghost.  I’m not so sure about that.  They are not pets.  Those spirits are feeding on something.  I sure wouldn’t want it to be my energy or my emotions. 

So, what to do if you have a ghost or think you do?

Did you just bring in an antique piece of furniture?  Often, spirits will cling to past belongings.  If this happens, first thing, try not to freak out.  Remember, they feed on fear, anger, sadness, etc.  With a calm state of being, you can speak to the piece of furniture and tell it that you will care for it and honor it and it’s okay for its owner to go to the light.  Then visualize in your mind’s eye a doorway of light and tell the previous owner that it’s okay to go. 

Let’s face it, if a doorway opened to your dream vacation with all expenses paid, wouldn’t you go?  Whatever unfinished business or stuck energy that spirit might have can be overcome with this method.  Just be encouraging and bless them on their journey.  Most spirits are just waiting for permission or encouragement to go.

Did you come into a residence that has weird stuff happening? 

This might be a bit more challenging.  Remember to start with your own positive state of being.  Do whatever you need to do to get in that state of mind.  Meditate, pray, listen to uplifting music – whatever.  Open a door or window at one end of the house, then start at the other end of the residence and bless every room and every corner of every room.  I like to use a candle or do some drumming with a Native American drum.  I often burn sage and let the smoke clear the way.  (Watch out for smoke alarms!!)  Say a prayer as you go, like:  Loving Spirit of Light, please remove any sorrow, fear or loss and fill this space with the Living Light of Love.  Ghosts just float on out the open door or window.  When you are done, close that window or door, and tell the ghost:  This is MY home.  You may not return.  Go to the light.  You will find peace there.

I strongly encourage you to continue to bring yourself into an uplifted, positive state of being.  Read motivational writings, pray, meditate, listen to uplifting music.  Watch your negative thinking and counteract that with gratitude.  You don’t want to give any other spirit a foothold in your world.

Certainly, I’ve experienced more difficult situations than what I’ve written here.  In the past, I would “cast them out” with a loud voice and 3 sharp claps of the hands.  And then, I experienced something that really changed my perspective. . . I was working long distance and asking Jesus to help me transfer a horrible spirit into a crystal to keep it away from the homeowner’s family.  I saw the spirit move into the crystal as if it were being thrown into prison, but this time, Jesus went in with it.  It raged and howled and threw itself against the bars and Jesus just stayed there. Compassion and kindness rolled off the image of Jesus I was seeing.  I got the feeling that I needed to just let things be as they were, so I put the crystal next to another huge crystal and walked away. 

Days later, I picked up the crystal and tuned in again.  This time, Jesus was sitting next to a broken figure of a man.  Tattered clothes, scars on his body, and his head in his hands.  I could hear him wailing.  Jesus just sat there with him, gently waiting.  I replaced the crystal and went on about my business.  Several weeks later, I picked up the crystal again.  This time I saw the man leaning on Jesus and crying softly.  My next visit with the crystal revealed the bars of the prison were gone.  The man was standing tall, smiling, and wearing a suit.  Jesus was leading him toward the open portal of light.

It was the most beautiful transformation I had ever experienced.  Love wins.

Hope I didn’t take all the scary fun out of Halloween for you.  Just know that if you have a ghostly encounter, your first response might be to be terrified.  Rightly so!  If you can find your own way to peace and compassion, you can help lead the lost one to the light.  Oh, sure, there is probably some religious stuff that you could do, but just know this . . . love wins. 

So, I did a silly thing.  I cleaned my side table next to my chair in the family room.  Okay, well, that’s not the silly thing.  It was ready to create an avalanche and send books and papers everywhere.  So, I went through each piece of paper and discarded some and filed others.  When I was done you could actually see the wooden top of the table.  It was wonderful to see that again!

Here’s the silly thing.  On the table was a book that I had been reading, but lost interest in.  I moved it somewhere.  I had forgotten that I’d placed an unused gift certificate in it as a bookmark.  Now I cannot find the book. And, alas, I cannot find the gift certificate I decided to use today.  Sheesh!

Not many places a book could be – I checked the bookshelf.  Two other books I was reading are there . . . . not this one.  By the bed?  Nope.  In the front room?  Nope.

So, I wait for it to reappear as these things do – eventually.  I’ll keep an eye out.  I’ve obviously placed it somewhere where it won’t get lost.  Often if I release it and let it go, it will magically appear and I’ll be so surprised to see it.

So it is with disappointments.  I thought I wanted that.  Then I didn’t.  No, wait!  I really did want that!  Not it’s not here.  It’s gone and I’m upset.

Yet, I can apply the same technique and let it go.  When the time is right and I’m ready for it a new and better situation/thing will appear. 

It’s hard to trust the process, because I feel I should be able to make it happen right now!!!  Praying about it and letting it go seems, well, not very proactive.  My should-er thinks I should do something!  When my heart knows it is blessed by waiting.

Wait feels like a 4-letter work.  Well, it is, but it need not be a curse.  I can let things take their own time.  That timing seems to be much better anyway.  The key is letting go with an open heart.  My want hangs on.  My open heart allows. 

I get to remind myself over and over to allow.  I’ll keep you posted.  Maybe I’ll find that book sooner rather than later.  We shall see.  I will allow the book to be where it is and allow myself space in which to reclaim it.   Even though I want it right now!

Allow is an art form unfolding with each new moment.  I hereby allow the book and gift certificate to reveal themselves to me in the time in which is right for me. 

When I woke up this morning, I felt a bit glum.  No real motivation to get moving.  I did anyway.  Clean sheets on the bed and yes, Delilah is learning how to get down off the bed when told and stays down!  It’s so much easier to make the bed without a critter in it.  Kitties are great for “helping” make the bed, too.  

After a bit, Phil and I took Lilah for a walk.  One park was closed, so we headed to the Columbia River.  We went to the boat dock near Sage Port Grille and found a back road near the river.  Lots of little spots where people could pull their cars in to do some fishing.  No fishing happening, so we went in and out of those shady areas.  We were surprised – pleasantly – that Lilah was very well behaved.  In one turnout, we let her get into the water.  She splashed around and ran in and out of the water.  She ventured out a bit far and practiced her dog-paddle with great success.  

Once we got home, Phil worked on the sprinklers to get them going.  As the water came on, Lilah ran up to each sprinkler and bit at the water.  She ran from sprinkler to sprinkler like a little kid.  She was soaked again!  She only ran into the house soaking wet with dirty feet once when I turned my back for a second.  Of course I had just vacuumed and mopped the day before.  She ran back outside for more sprinkler runs and kept it up as each new section activated.  

We dried her off and fed her and yup – back out for more!  Eventually, the sprinklers went off and she got a final toweling off.  Now, she’s sleeping next to the computer as I write.  Dog Tired I believe is the term.

Her exuberance teaches me a great deal.  It was an ordinary day, until it wasn’t.  We tried a new walking path and we all enjoyed it.  She explored something new and she enjoyed it.  She ran and splashed and we found great joy in watching her have fun.

When we view the world as same-ol’ same-ol’ we lose our spark of interest.  When we try something new we become encouraged or inspired or uplifted.  Watching someone or something else enjoy life opens channels of energy for joy.  

It’s so easy to treat each day just like the last, yet it is NOT!  Each day is a fresh moment of inspiration if we allow ourselves to find it.  You may not have a silly puppy to dance in the water, but life offers up joy at every turn if we just look for it.  I wasn’t really in the mood to look for joy and yet, joy showed up anyway!  I allowed myself to laugh and I allowed myself to relax into the joyful exuberance of a puppy.  

Armed with this super power of allow, I can find new joy tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a bright option.  It wasn’t this morning, but now – the hope of tomorrow brightens my heart even now.  I hope you can feel it and take it on in your life, too.

Together we can find joy in unexpected things!  May your day be blessed and your tomorrow an inspiration!

So, Phil and I have been working a lot in the yard lately.  Pulling weeds.  Planting flowers.  Cleaning up brush.  We planted a tree today.  Another Dawn Redwood.  It was the craziest thing!  We had gotten a tiny little sapling from a mail order place a year ago.  That tiny little thing snapped off in one of our big spring winds, but had a tiny little twig of green, so we nurtured it and let it grow.  Well, this year, it’s still just this tiny little thing. 

So, out of the blue yesterday, Phil called a couple of nurseries to see if they could get us a bigger one.  Surprise!  One nursery had a good size one – 6’!!  Bought it this morning and planted it this afternoon! 

Funny how things just fall into pace when it’s meant to be.  So how does one know when it’s a meant to be thing that just is taking time to manifest or when it’s just not happening?

That’s a really good question.

Sometimes, when things are meant to be, we have changing to do.  We have growing to do.  We are not yet ready for the new thing to arrive.  Sometimes the new thing is not ready – maybe the tree had not yet been delivered from their grower.  Maybe the new career we are looking for hasn’t materialized yet.  Maybe we are in line to get some additional training.

There is no single simple answer to this question. 

However, I can suggest this.  If it’s really meant to be, it won’t let you go.  Not like an obsession that we get stuck in a mental loop and cannot break free.  No.  But rather, it will keep coming up even when you let it go.

When Phil was in sales many years ago, he attempted to shift into banking.  Every time he had an interview or put his resume out for that sort of position, he’d go through all the hoops and every time he was let down.  Just wasn’t happening.  He really WANTED that position.  (Why, I’ll never figure that one out – Phil stuck at a desk from 9am – 5 pm?  That would never work!  Lol)  When he finally decided to get back into insurance, he made one phone call and created a partnership that has lasted all these years. 

Phil was stuck on banking and wouldn’t let it go and it kept letting him down.  When he remembered that he had been in insurance for a brief time before going into the military and liked it, BOOM!  Landed a partnership that has blessed him (and our family) greatly.

See the slight difference there?  He wanted one thing, but that didn’t happen.  He remembered liking another thing and BOOM it happened.

Is what you’re working for what you think you want or something that brings you joy?  Is what your striving for something that sounds positive or something that feels right? 

Because the difference is subtle, it requires being with it for a bit.  It requires noticing on a whole different level. 

For me, I had to work at it.  When I decided to step out of the corporate world and into self-employment, I had a desk-top publishing business (this was before anyone could do their own desktop publishing stuff for themselves) and I was starting my Psychic business. 

At first, I lost all my previous clients – ones I’d done psychic readings for free.  They didn’t want to pay for something that I had been giving to them.  I didn’t begrudge them this.  I learned a lot through those free readings, so it was on the job training in actuality.  It took me two years to create a new client base - a paying client base that completely covered my expenses (I had a small office and produced a monthly newsletter that had to be printed those days).  At the same time, my desktop publishing business was dwindling.  I was still marketing both, but the reality was, my heart was totally into the psychic readings and not so much into the desktop publishing and the Universe responded to where my heart was fullest and opened those doors more for me. 

To be honest, I probably should have given up my psychic business during those two years.  It was really slow-go at first.  I should have been discouraged.  I should have felt defeated.  Any normal person would have quit.  But, I just couldn’t!  My heart was in it.  When a client walked away with insights to move forward, my heart was gladdened and strengthened enough to work harder.  When I made a connection with the Other Side for someone who was grieving deeply and they found peace, my heart sang!  I tightened up on my expenses and did more low-cost group sessions to expand my client base. 

Eventually, it worked. 

Sometimes, we get the BOOM!  Here it is! Response to our goals and dreams.  Sometimes, we work against great odds to get there.

If you are struggling to see a dream manifest, really look into your own heart.  Ask yourself what is the feeling this grants me.  The ego wants recognition and position.  The heart wants fulfillment and to be a blessing.  The Universe/God hears the heart.  What is your heart telling the Universe?  What is your heart’s desire?  Follow that.  It will lead you in your true journey.

May your journey be richly blessed!

Cleaned out the refrigerator the other day. One nice thing about having plenty of home-time. I get chores done that normally I don’t do. Well, let’s face it – cleaning out the fridge is not the most fun activity in the world.

But, alas . . . something had gone bad. Really bad. Really fast. It took a day or two to find the offending monster. A couple of pieces of sliced turkey had slipped in the back and proceeded to exude pungent aroma that about knocked me over when I opened the door.

Once I got it out, and out of the house, it was much better. Yet, there was a lingering odor. Not as bad as the original offender, but truly smack in the face when the door opened. I cleaned where the offensive stuff had been and put some baking soda on the middle shelf, but *sigh* that did not get rid of the smell.

I had to take everything out. Clean every surface. Wipe everything off. Then put everything back.

Yay! That worked! No smell!

It took a bit of time and wasn’t really the most fun I’ve ever had, but both Phil and I really appreciated the effort and the result. Neither one of us gagged when we opened the Fridge after that. What a blessing. A blessing we didn’t realize we experienced until it wasn’t there. We felt profoundly grateful for no smell after days of getting hit with a bad smell. I even found a jar of unopened peach jam!

Isn’t that how it is with an old habit we no longer appreciate? We get rid of the offensive item, but there is a lingering stench of what was. My old habit of inactivity still stinks up my life if I let it. My old habit of worry or fear reeks through into my moments of joy and creativity.

Time to take everything in my life out of the box and look at it. Where am I now? What blesses me now? What steals that blessing and robs me of the opportunity for joy?

When I had a “dark night of the soul” some years ago, I imagined a hand-woven bushel basket full of my life. This basket was full of what I knew or thought I knew. What I believed or thought I believed. What I chose to do or thought I had chosen to do. I tossed everything out. Pretended I didn’t know anything, believe anything or acted on anything.

As each day unfolded and life presented a thought to me or an action, I asked myself, do I really believe this anymore? Do I really want to do that? I tossed a lot of old beliefs and patterns out. There were a few new ideas and new patterns I discovered that I wanted to add to my basket.

Just like cleaning the fridge, it took some time. Just like cleaning the fridge, it was wonderful to have that stinky stuff gone from my life! And I discovered some new stuff that I took delight in!

What’s holding you back from joy? Fear? Where did it come from? Is it yours? Do you really want to keep that stinky stuff? What’s hidden behind that fear? Can you root around in there and see what you might find?

You have time now. It’s not gonna smell any better later!

We are all looking for our tribe. Where we fit in. Who values us—our opinions, our talents, our hearts. We discover who can care for us and allow us to care for them without crossing sacred boundaries.

Were you one of the popular kids at school? I wasn’t, but I did have a pack of neighborhood kids I hung out with. We were all about the same age. We would walk to school together while our dads rode the bus together to work at Hanford. We went to different churches, but we all were families of faith.

It was those common bonds that helped us create friendships. It was the things we liked and enjoyed in common that helped us create bonds that lasted beyond school years.

Once school was out, there was more school and friendships developed from proximity in the dorm rooms and classes we took.

After school, there were jobs and friendships created from a common work environment.

But were those friendships our tribe? Some were deep friendships indeed, yet within those friendships there was distance caused by lack of spiritual commonality. With spiritual commonality, the bonds become more powerful. We don’t even have to share common neighborhoods, common religious preferences, or even (and especially) common political views.

Yet, having that spiritual commonality, we share ourselves so deeply that we transcend the superficial (though important) differences. We spiritually thrive in the energy of sacredness.

People say they can really feel something when they walk in through the doors of The Divine Fellowship. There is a palpable energy of commonality, safety, and mutual appreciation that physically exists within that space. Each person walks their own sacred path of discovery. Each person chooses their own sacred actions . . . And those are all different! Yet, the spiritual commonality of compassion and appreciation of one another fills the building with a strength that we all share. This gives us the ability to grow and grow more easily.

What were you looking for when you found The Divine Fellowship? A place to find yourself? A place to find your faith? A place to be of service? A place to learn about your spiritual tools and abilities? A place to rest and recover? A place to laugh and relax? A place to reclaim your worth?

Are you finding what you are looking for?

In just a short time, we will be recreating this same energy of commonality, safety, and compassion at the Healing Light Expo. The creation of this energy field at the Expo holds the highest purpose for our Expo. Yes, we want to have fun. We want to share our gifts and even make some money in the process. Yet, the primary purpose of our Expo allows the creation of this commonality energy where others can feel safe enough to explore. With all of our many vendors there is so much to explore—healings, readings, intuition, crystals, personal development, energy, insight, and joy. And, a place for people to, perhaps, discover their spiritual tribe.

Phil and I met and married over 32 years ago. We met in February, so lots of memories come into my heart this time of year. After a failed marriage and several pitiful relationship attempts, I’d pretty much given up on the whole love thing.

Except I didn’t.

I knew I had to learn to love myself more. I kept getting swept into relationships that were oppressive or where I felt I could never do enough. I kept being the giver and someone else the taker. I had to learn how to take/receive love.

I didn’t know how.

I perceived that love was a commodity that bought me attention and perhaps some joy. I perceived that my giving first was mandatory to receiving the crumbs.

How does one learn to love and be an equal in giving and receiving? How is that even possible?

My first step was learning to receive Divine Attention (God’s love). Boy, that was hard! I knew only the judgment of God and the punishment that came with that. I had to take a new look. Just being in nature and feeling safe was not easy. I had to be doing, serving - earning points in someone’s book somewhere.

Until I didn’t.

I remember sitting one day outside eating my meager lunch (times were hard) and heard a bird sing. That bird was just singing. Not to attract a mate (it was late in the year). Not to earn points. Just because it wanted to. What did I want to do? What joyful expression of my life did I want to do? I thought about that for a long time. Days. . . weeks maybe.

As those weeks unfolded, I began to notice my friendships. Some were off balance with me giving too much. And yet, there were a few friendships that were in balance. Balancing the giving and the sharing in equal measure. These friendships made my heart sing – just like that little bird. I didn’t have to think about it, it was just a song in my heart. A joy that existed.

I began to notice that these friendships blessed my friends as well. We could count on each other without becoming dependent upon one another. We could share our hopes and dreams and our disappointments. Balancing the giving and the sharing, I began to feel safe in my world. I knew my heart-flame shined brighter as a result. I also knew that others’ heart-flames could shine more brightly as well.

I’m still a giving soul. Yet, I allow others to give, too. In giving and receiving in equal measure the heart-flames burn brightly.

If you find yourself caught in giving too much, grant yourself a moment to just to notice your own heart-flame. Is it diminished by another’s demands? That may not be their fault. Maybe you taught them to be demanding by being too giving. What one thing can you do to nurture your own self? Notice and cherish your own heart-flame in that moment. Allow your own heart-flame to breathe. Then notice connections with others who share and receive in equal measure. Nurture those connections.

When we connect with others in this way, we are all blessed.

May your heart-flame burn brightly! In this way, YOU are the Valentine.