The Holy Spirit graced me with this one a couple of days ago. **Thank you, Lord** Thought you might enjoy it.

The mind is a powerful thing, but never as powerful as the heart.

Blessings
Irene

I received a surprise today.

About a couple of weeks ago I received an email forward regarding the healthcare bill HR3200. I researched all the claims on the forward and found them to be true or a few that appeared to be true but I wasn’t positive because of the difficulty in understanding sections of the bill. I let my contacts know what I found and I received a very angry letter from one of my contacts. This took me by surprise because I was working with the facts presented before me as stated in the bill. So I asked God to help me understand this. I am a very understanding person, but it was hard for me to understand how someone could blow off facts and then turn it into a personal attack without even verifying that what I said was true. Ok, so what’s it all about?

As I opened to God’s Love and guidance, I dropped into my heart and opened it up by feeling the love I do for people I know. What I received was not what I was expecting. I received that I needn’t worry about understanding right now. My job was to love her regardless of her rejection. So I worked it and briefly held love for her. It was hard. However, opening up my heart that way did lead me to holding a continual sense of appreciation for her though. I guess that’s a good start.

I checked back in again. This time my heart went to compassion and sympathy to her. I opened to feeling love for her and it resumed and for just a little longer. The compassion and sympathy remained, although there was also an awareness of frustration thrown in too.

I have thought before that maybe this is why the world has so much pain. People don’t take the time to remember the love within us before we say or act. Jesus said to love each other and God as primary to all else. Isn’t that simplicity and truth in its finest form? It may not be easy, especially when we don’t practice it regularly, but doesn’t love itself make it the most worthwhile endeavor?

One more time.

This time I got deeper and my feelings and awareness were all over the place. There was a stronger awareness that my job was to just love her and not worry about it. She has to have her experiences and my job is to let go and love. I sensed my anger at being attacked when I did nothing wrong. I continued to feel compassion and sympathy towards her, like one might feel for a lost child. I felt love for her, but it was still brief. Appreciation for her continued. Frustration continued but decreased. And forgiveness came up. I worked to forgive her and made good progress. I know that there is still more that I need to let go though, otherwise I would be thinking, “there’s nothing to forgive”. I’ll get there, because I have chosen to do so. I feel for her and wish to harbor nothing that impedes me from the truth of God’s vision of me. I choose love.

I guess that’s what it’s all about.

Blessings,

Irene

But everything happens for a reason. (Thank you, Lord.) And even though I don’t know all the lessons of this one yet, I love how God works.

Tonight I began to write about something else but was having trouble letting it flow. Ok, I’ll ask God for guidance and pulled out my Bible, said a prayer, and randomly opened a page where I felt drawn to do so. I was drawn to 2 Corinthians 1:18-22, where it talks about how the word Amen means yes.

Ok, I get it. Time to mediprayer on this NOW. Cool.

So I did and here’s how I connected.

It is a word of miracles. It is the word of acceptance. When we say yes to God’s Love and His plan, we are being open to all that He wants to provide for us which is all the abundance and Truth that His infinite Love provides. By letting Jesus’s Love into our hearts, we learn who we truly are. “Yes” is about being true to the nature that God destined us to be. Saying yes to God is being the manifestation of the glory of God, because then there is nothing that can stop us from being just that.

Nelson Mandela said in his beautiful poem that we are here to manifest the glory of God.

Sounds like “Yes” is the greatest adventure of all.

And I’ll say Amen to that too.

Blessings,

Irene

I just got back a couple of days ago from Train the Trainor through Peak Potentials Training. I love this company! They are so great in so many ways! If ever you want to know about my personal experiences with them, let me know. I love to share about them.

This was my 2nd advanced class with Peak Potentials. It was a lot of fun, as usual, and it was also very hard for me. The class deals with public speaking, which is what I want to do, but am still working through some significant issues on the matter that make it difficult for me.

Have you heard how studies show that people are more afraid of public speaking than of death? While I’m not more afraid of public speaking than of death, I did have to deal with the issues deep within me it brought up and at times I felt over stressed. I tried to resource with my faith and my connection with God. It helped, but the activity was fast paced, so it wasn’t like I could meditate and calm my way through the process. I was aware that this was one of those times where we grow by dealing with and pushing through the pressure. I knew that this was what I needed and where I wanted to be, even though it was very hard for me.

At one point, I felt my nervous system trying to shut me down by making me feel very sleepy. I told myself, “NO! Focus!”. I kept on pushing through it until all of a sudden things started flowing much more easily. I knew I would make it through even though my issues were making me want to quit. And guess what? I did. I made it through as did everyone else. Peak Potentials have a great training program and I got what I needed and more. I made it through and learned what I needed so I can now take action to the next level much easier than I could before class. (Not that it’s easy, yet.)

What I did find somewhat surprising was how it was hard for me to feel my connection to God while I was stressed like I usually do. When at home, even under stress, I can feel His presence and feel strong in my relationship to Him. When I was stressed at class, it was more like my whole system knew He was there with me just because my relationship with Him has become such an unification with my life. However, I didn’t really feel Him there, and that took me by surprise. I understand that it was because of the very deep issues of mine that this class brought up for me, but I did not like that feeling of “disconnection”. While I have been aware that I still know much less than I do know, it made me aware that I still have much more to learn.

Very cool. A powerful and gentle reminder to be open. Yay for the graces that come from being open!

Blessings,

Irene

Do something…lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Tomorrow, I’ve got to quit procrastinating.

Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.    Richard Bach

The mind, like a parachute, functions only when open.

Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.

Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.   Mark Twain

There are two ways of spreading light: To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.  Edith Wharton

The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping stone in the pathway of the strong.   Thomas Carlyle

It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.   Old Chinese Proverb

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.   Eleanor Roosevelt

Courage is having the faith to let Truth stand on its own.   Irene Arndt

Make sure the message of love gets through.   Dr. Jane Nelson  (author of Positive Discipline)

Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.   Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

You cannot discover new oceans until you find the courage to lose sight of the shore.

The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.   Ephesians 3:20

Surrendering to God is not about relinquishing power. It’s about letting the power of God flow through you.  Irene Arndt

It is impossible to be angry while singing.

How you do anything in life is how you do everything.    T. Harv Ecker  (author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind)

Be still and know that I am God.   Psalm 46:10

With God all things are possible.    Matt 19:26

Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.    Winston Churchill

When we are judging others, we have no time to love them. It is only in suspending judgement that open our heart to love and empower ourselves and each other.   Mother Teresa

…You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world….You were born to manifest the glory of God….      Nelson Mandela

Thanks, and have a great day!

Irene

While mentally I knew that I would get through it and would feel strong and clear again, I had difficulty connecting my mental awareness with my body awareness. Eventually I would have settled enough to take care of myself, but in the meantime, I wouldn’t have been as productive or present for everyone around me. I needed help. That was my resource. I called a peer who practices Matrix Energetics and he had an opening. (I expected that he would since I needed help. God knew I was going to need help so he made sure the time slot was open for me.) The Matrix Energetics did the trick. It was beautiful. I feel that I’ve gotten to a deeper layer of some similar issues I’ve been trying to work through, and now have a sense of feeling stronger at those deeper layers. I don’t quite feel strong at those layers yet, but I do feel like I can handle the kind of issues that I’ve been trying to work through.

As I continue to process the changes happening within me, I continue to have the mental awareness that I will work through my “stuff” and that I will become stronger and wiser.  This is the same for you too when you want to heal and grow. When we ask for help, it comes our way one way or another. That which we focus on is what attracts the forces that work in our lives. Hmmm, I just realized something. I sense that I need to ask myself the question;”Why do I tend to focus on what I don’t want instead of what I do want?”

In my case I have some diffiiculty working or thinking in positive terms when it comes to myself, even though I’m a very positive person. Wow, I must be screwed up to be experiencing this one . In other words, I’ll tend to think, ” I don’t want to be afraid” framing my thoughts in the negative instead of ” I want to be courageous” which in framing my thoughts in the positive. Framing in the positive attracts the positive forces to heal in the direction of courage. Otherwise, my subconscious is still holding to the negative forces of fear.

Looks like I’ve got a new step to climb. This will be an interesting experience to work on.  Whew. And here I thought life was about to get boring….NOT.

How about you? Do you need to ask yourself a question? Do you want to? This is something you tune into your inner wisdom, the touch of the Holy Spirit within you. Easiest way that I know of is to say a prayer for God’s guidance and help, and then just let yourself be open to what comes. Make sure you are relaxed. Watch your breath go in and out of your body until you feel yourself settle and you start to have a wider sense of awareness, such as that you have more of a sense of the space that fills the whole room. Then follow your breath into your body and remain there and listen. This whole process may take anywhere from a few minutes to 20 minutes or so, depending on your experience with meditation or body awareness exercises.

Tune your intent to the Holy Spirit and open your mind like you do when you’re are listening to someone say something interesting. Just hang out there and wait. Hold your intent on what question you need to ask yourself, hold yourself open, listen, and wait. Something will come. You will know it’s it and that it’s right when the awareness of it gives you a sense of peace or an enlightened epiphany that you can use wisely.

I’ll keep doing my part to grow and heal from this past Friday’s experience so that I may be there for others. Hopefully, this past Friday’s (Nov. 7th) challenge will also help you.

Blessings,

Irene

Today had a special touch to it.

On Tuesdays I take my son to classes at a local church (we homeschool). While he’s in class I tend to study, socialize, and walk our dog, Moose. While walking Moose we came upon another Mom with her toddler and baby boys walking them in the opposite direction in a double stroller. The little boys saw Moose approaching and smiled, made noises of glee, and reached out to him. When we met I asked their Mom if they’d like to say hi and she approved. I told Moose it was ok to say “Hi”.

Now Moose is a pretty big dog. So when the boys saw him from a distance, the toddler in front had his arms outstretched to him as he smiled. All of a sudden the toddler realizes that Moose is a lot bigger than he realized and his outstretched arms moved back into “I’m not as sure about this” body language. But Moose was Moose. I’ve seen him be very gentle and use his incredible intuition and instinct before, but his actions today were special.

As he approached the toddler, being about two feet away now, he approached slower and slower the closer he got. We stood there and watched as he ever so slowly and gently touched his nose to the toddler’s nose. The toddler let out a gleeful squeal and Moose slowly moved to the baby in back who still had his hand outstretched to Moose. Moose approached almost as slowly and touched his nose to the baby’s most outstretched finger. The baby was happy too.

Their Mom exclaimed, “That’s a good dog!”

It was a special moment filled with God’s grace. And I thank the Lord for such special moments.

Later, while still on the same walk, I noticed several crows flying above and near me. The winds had picked up a some and they were flying largely into the wind. They had no place to go because they were already home on the church’s roof. But they were flying, or rather gliding, so that they were in the wind but not going anywhere. They were positioning themselves in the wind to simply enjoy the sense of flight.

I have wondered if birds appreciated or enjoyed their flying ability. Now I’m sure that they do. They would use as minimal of wing movement as necessary. They would do only what they needed to stay in the same place for about 5 to 30 seconds at a time, just to enjoy that sense of flight and freedom.This is a gentle reminder to me to remember to practice stillness, for within this skill is the ability to sense the freedom of flight.

I’m sure that some people will find other reasons to explain this behavior. Maybe they are right. But it wasn’t just that I saw it. I also felt it. As I watched, I felt one crow in particular simply enjoying it. I couldn’t blame him. It looked more fun than any amusement ride ever could be. I find myself rather envious.

At least I can enjoy the crow enjoying his gift, and I thank God for that. Thank God for all the animals he gave us as our teachers and our friends. Life would be so boring without them.

Blessings,

Irene

So I’m not doing to well right now. I mean relatively speaking. I am well regardless of my concerns. But I feel tired, emotional, my eyes are sore for some reason, and my son is giving me attitude today about his schoolwork. Now, I’m not complaining but setting up the scenario under what I want to talk about today.

I noticed myself starting to settle into feeling down and noticed how easy it would be to let myself go even further down. I noticed the little thoughts creeping in my mind that paraphrased, “Poor me”.

Bull.

I choose my thoughts and those thoughts lead to my feelings. Then my feelings lead to my actions. So I have concerns and stresses. I will deal with them. I have support around me. I am loving, intelligent and competent. I have God. With God all things are possible. There are no limits except the ones I impose upon myself. This is me resourcing myself and I will continue to do so and move forward.

Do you teach yourself to be resourceful when feeling down? It’s easier to let ourselves feel down, I know. For years it was what I practiced subconsciously. It’s hard work to resource and snap out of it. But don’t you want to feel better than to feel worse? Isn’t it worth the hard work if it means being in a better place than before? Isn’t that why we work hard to try and make a better life for our families and those around us? It’s the same principal whether we’re working to improve our exterior lives or interior lives.

So as I write this, the strain in my eyes has almost disappeared. I feel confident that God will guide me to the best way to discipline my son, as I will come from a place of love in my decision making. And I have reminded myself that I want to be strong, resourceful, and productive. I have a goal to make a better life for my family. I can’t do that if I’m wallowing, now can I? So I decided, “No. I will not submit to this.” So I began to write and this is what is happening as I process through.  Now, the emotional stress is also gone. I have only one remaining concern. On that too, I will do what I can and leave the rest to God. That is all I can do. And that covers everything.

This is an example of resourcing and being resourced. All healing and strength comes from our resources. A resource is anything that helps us to feel strong, confident, or know that yes we can do something. It can be a memory, a thing, a place, our faith, whatever it is that we need. There is no right or wrong on it. What an individual needs to be able to do the good that needs to be done, especially when under pressure, is personal.

What matters is that we practice remembering our resources and calling them within ourselves whenever we need them. It doesn’t matter rather it is for something small or large. The more resourced we are, the stronger, wiser, and better our decisions will be. God instructs us to call on Him for everything. This is what He’s talking about. The more we turn to God and His infinite Love for our decision making, the more peace and flow will be in our lives.

I’m experiencing that right now.

Even as I go to deal with my son and his issue.

Because now, once again, I am smiling on the inside.

I hope you do too.

Blessings,

Irene