Tag Archives: Life Experiences

Another Stunning Example

20 Apr

If my last post didn’t convince you of God’s intimate presence in our lives, perhaps this one will.   This story comes directly from Phil Bolsta’s blog, http://bolstablog.com

 Keep in mind, though,  that whether or not this gentlemen listened to what he was being told, he still would have been fine – the outcomes would have been completely different, of course, but HE still would have been fine.  Different lessons would have been learned, but HE STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE.

Now … on to the story:
When Christopher Barbour, a clairvoyant intuitive and writer who assists law enforcement with difficult cases, told me these two amazing stories about how his angel saved his life, I knew I had to share them here. Goose bump alert!

As far back as I can remember, I have always felt watched over and cared about by a divine mysterious creator, and what I would call a spiritual support system. Thankfully, this inner life of mine was not foisted upon me by organized religion or well meaning family members—it’s always been there, and always will be there.

When I was seven, episodes of clairvoyance and intuition spontaneously began to bubble to the surface in my life. These experiences always took me directly to the sacred and the mysteries that we all share. That intuitive wiring of mine would eventually become part of my work, expressed via a path of mysticism and service.

If you asked me prior to when I reached my 30s if I believed in angels, I would have said, ”Of course!” I would have answered that question looking through the prism of faith, combined with an inner knowing, as well as through reading accounts in ancient sacred texts, and listening to stories people have shared with me over the years about encounters with angels.

angel-in-forest

In the fall of 2002, I was dealing with some difficult personal and family issues and was rebounding from the death of a friend who had a long struggle with heroin addiction and eventually died of complications from hepatitis. I was in such a state that no amount of praying, meditation or discussion with my support system was helping. I was in a crisis mode unlike anything I had experienced before, and decided one blustery fall day, to take a long walk in a forest near my home in northern Arizona that many have described as “magical.” Walks alone in nature had become my way to deal with my mysteries and some of the darkness of my work, so it seemed the perfect thing for me to do under the circumstances.

My walk began normally but within about forty-five minutes, I had become so entrenched in my own head and problems that I hadn’t realized that I had veered off the path and was walking through a thicket of small trees and shrubs. I kept walking for several more minutes, approaching a line of low shrubs, when I heard a woman call my name. The voice that called “Christopher!” was female, and though I couldn’t place her, she sounded familiar; she shouted my name as only someone who knew me very well would.

I froze on the spot and looked to my left where the voice seemed to come from, and briefly saw a beautiful woman with long, light brown hair and a light colored diaphanous gown. She disappeared after a few seconds, before I was able to get a good look at her. I looked down and realized that I was no longer on the path, and that if I had taken one more step, I would have fallen forty feet onto jagged rocks below. I stood there, alone in the forest, closed my eyes and said to her, “Thank you, thank you, thank you . . .” 

car-ditch-snow

In early December 2004, I booked a trip back to the east coast to see my family in Connecticut for the holidays. I had arranged my trip so that I would return to Arizona on January 4th, after the holiday travel rush. One evening, I got into bed and fell into that state just before sleep called the hypnogogic state.

That is when a profound vision was downloaded into me. I was shown a scenario, seen from my own point of view, of flying back to Arizona from the east coast. It was stormy and raining as the plane landed. I looked to my left and in the seat next to me, there she was again, my angel—beautiful, light-filled, with long hair—the same woman who had called my name that day in the forest two years earlier. She was so light-filled, in fact, that I couldn’t look at her for more than a few seconds for fear that my eyes couldn’t take the brightness.

I was shown myself getting into the car that was to pick me up after my flight home, and then shown the driver and me on the highway north of Phoenix whizzing along. The car hit a patch of ice and I saw myself as the car began to slide off the highway and crash and come apart. I saw the windshield coming closer as I was thrown out of the car. There in front of me, seconds before what would have been my death, was my angel, smiling and radiating peace that I could feel deep within. I awoke with a start, shocked by what I had been shown with such razor clarity. I laid in bed for some time thinking about the vision and pondering canceling my trip east. It was very clear in the vision that I was flying west when this event happened, after I had been to the east coast. As I fell back to sleep, the vision came a second time, exactly as it had played out the first time. It was as if God and my angel didn’t want to leave room for denial or any ”it was just a dream” nonsense. It worked. I awoke the second time with a start and simply said, “Thank you God, thanks guys, I get it, I get it.”

After the visions, I was left with a strong inner knowing that as long as I didn’t return on January 4th, I would not die. I went back east for the holidays and after a few days, I checked the weather reports for Arizona and learned that a series of storms was heading toward the state. In fact, the part of Arizona where I live was bracing for severe floods and storms capable of producing dangerously icy conditions. I called the airline and extended my stay in Connecticut for a week, knowing that it was important, if I wanted to live, not to return to Arizona on January 4th.

I began to think of the driver who was to pick me up at the airport on January 4th and drive me home. As he was driving me to the airport in Phoenix at the beginning of my trip, he said that he would be dropping someone off at my airline around the time of my return, so it would be he easy for him to pick me up and  drive me back home. I attempted to tell him about the visions I had but I was unable to get through to him. I learned early in life that when it comes to visions, people are either open or they’re not-—many, especially men, are unreachable until an experience actually happens to them.

As I sat in my mother’s home in Greenwich, Connecticut, I wondered, Should I call the car service to warn them, not caring if I sounded like a goofball? I decided to do that, and though I tried to call the number at least a dozen times over the course of several days, my call would never go through. It felt to me as though Heaven had something up their sleeves and it was not my business to mess with it. As January 4th neared, I sent the driver grace and prayers for his safety and greater good.

angel-protecting-planeI returned home to Arizona completely intact. I had missed what friends and neighbors would eventually call “the 100-year flood.”  A few weeks after my return, I was catching up with a friend who works in law enforcement and she told me that in early January, while I was away, there had been a terrible accident on the highway north of Phoenix. I froze as she said, “Thank God, no one was in the car with the driver. He lived, but there was virtually nothing left of the rest of the car.”

Several weeks after that, in a synchronicity that only the gods could arrange, I ran into the man who would have been my driver that day—the man who survived the crash. He proceeded to tell me that on January 4th, after dropping a woman off at the airport, he had a very close brush with death as he made his way north on highway I-17. His car hit a patch of ice on the highway north of Phoenix and there was a devastating accident. He told me that the police could not believe that he lived. Only the cage around the driver was intact, the rest of the car was tangled, jagged metal. When the police found out that he worked for a car service, they said, “Thank God you didn’t have any passengers. There’s no way they could have survived.” Then he told me something that I found both fascinating and chilling. The accident occurred in the exact spot where he had pulled over years earlier, to pick up a dead owl and give it a respectful burial.

That driver was scheduled for a close brush with death for reasons known only to God and that man’s spiritual support system. This God we experience and speak about knows the tiniest details about our lives. It was known that this brush with death was scheduled and necessary, and that I was “accidentally” scheduled to be in that car. It was somehow necessary in the whole scheme of things that I was not to reach the car service or the driver to give them a heads up. It felt as if God and my angel were saying, via the visions I was sent

We want you to know this is on the horizon. You can come home if you want, but we think you are needed on that bedeviled planet and have more work to do. It’s up to you, you can come home or stay. The choice is yours. We will be watching very closely.

Needless to say, I chose to stay. What I have learned through these two experiences is that we are more closely watched, and watched over, than we could ever imagine. I often wonder, “Just what is this unseen world that exists and cares so much about us within the vastness of time and space?” I am humbled, and I often cry, when I think about how much this mysterious creator and my angelic companion care about me.

I have never taken one walk in the beauty that surrounds me since without thinking about my angel and the day she called my name with such compassion, saving me from breaking my body in two. Her beauty and light is hard to describe and my love for her knows no bounds. She was there, right beside me in the visions of the car crash, letting me know that she would walk with me to what lies beyond the veil of death, where our lives really begin.

The visions themselves came from the One who created all visions, and wired us with intuition and spiritual gifts and skills and the stamina to not care what others think, the One who waits for us to awaken from our human slumber, who longs for us to remember what we already know.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

 This story was taken from Triumph of the Spirit, Phil Bolsta’s blog.  To learn more about Phil or to read other great stories (including a couple of mine) go to:  http://bolstablog.com

ABOUT PHIL BOLSTA

SiSe_fullcover_final.inddPhil is the author of Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, a collection of 45 inspiring, life-changing stories from prominent people he interviewed, including Joan Borysenko, Deepak Chopra, geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Dr. Larry Dossey, Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, James Van Praagh, singer Billy Vera, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and bassist Victor Wooten.

Here is a three-minute video that introduces you to Phil and his book.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bic0j4QqFbI

Reading this book is like spending a few minutes face to face with each of the contributors and listening to their personal stories. Click here to read unsolicited testimonials from readers. Learn more by visiting the official Sixty Seconds website.

A Wise Teacher

1 Mar

In the realm of metaphysical thinking, everything is happening just as it should.  We often times can’t fathom that because we tend to see the world from a narrow perspective (or at least I do).

But I really believe this is true … everything happens for a reason … we just don’t always know what that reason is because we aren’t privy to the bigger picture.  But trusting that all is right with the world at all times brings a strong sense of peace and calm to life.

God does provide us with everything that we need.  He brings people and experiences to us on occasion and if we allow them in, amazing things happen.   A very wise and wonderful woman came into my life at just the right time.  Her name is Kathryn Harwig, and she has helped me more than anyone on the planet to widen my view of this world, to “see” the world in a new way, and to know that all is right with the world and with me.

If you would like to get to know her a little better, click on the link below and watch the 8 different You Tube videos.  It will give you a sneak peak into this wonderful world and will perhaps help to remove the side shields from your view of the world and take in something new and different.

http://www.thegigstunk.com/Listen_and_Watch.html/

The End of an Era

7 Feb

Yesterday was my last day at SPX.  After 34 years and ten months,, it ended just as I had always hoped that it would – in joy, and on my terms.

I can’t say enough good things about SPX.  It has played an enormous role in my life.  It brought me my husband, a wonderful life that afforded me the opportunity to have and raise my daughters, buy a home, and travel on occasion.  SPX was there for me in the good times like my wedding and the birth of my children, but they were also there during the most painful time of my life, the death of my daughter Liz.  And they did more than just send flowers and sympathies.

SPX gave Roger and I as much time off (with pay) as we needed.  But they also went above and beyond … they paid for the food after the funeral.  It was totally unexpected and something we will never forget and will always be grateful for. 

We felt the love and support of the entire company as we dealt with this most painful of events.  And it didn’t stop a month or two after the funeral. 

It’s always oh so easy to sit back and criticize the company and/or the people that you work for.  I’ve done it many times over the years.  But when you look at the big picture, I think we  have a tendency to sell our employers short … or always look at the negative instead of all the positive opportunities they present to us as employees.

So … THANKS SPX …. you gave a shy, quiet 19 year old kid a job and it became a wonderful life.   I could not have asked for anything more.

It’s Amazing

9 Jan

I use the word amazing alot in my life … but so many things are amazing and wonderful.  This blog link is no exception.

I’ve come to know Phil Bolsta a little over the past few months, even though we have yet to meet in person.  He is a fellow traveler on the spiritual path we each find ourselves on.

He’s written a very wonderful book entitled, Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything.  http://sixtysecondsbook.com

 It is a collection of 45 different life changing stories from a variety of prominent people.

There was an event last October … six of the storytellers are featured in the link below.  I believe you will find them as fascinating, interesting, amazing and just plain joyful as I have!

http://bolstablog.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/sixty-seconds-night-at-the-continuum-center/#more-2729

Once again …. it’s a good thing!

20 Oct

Once again Liz’s smiling persona is out there for people to see … it brings me such JOY!

Check out this blog link:  http://bolstablog.wordpress.com

 

And make note, today is the 20th of the month!

Wink – wink – nod – nod – shout out to Mom from Liz!

Oh, What a Month!

14 Oct

I think I’m on a roll … a very good roll.  I’ve had the sense for a while now that I needed to share my story with people.  Early on, I had no idea how that would happen or be possible.  But, I set my intention  and asked God to lead the way.  He has.

Within the last month I’ve done a TV story on Liz and fire safety – spoke at a picnic for U of M students, done a one-hour radio interview, put on a workshop presentation at a women’s spirituality conference, and yesterday I did a photo shoot for a story about Liz’s Letter that will be in Midwest Caregiver magazine.

I’m amazed at just how many opportunities have opened up for me … and I love it!

Yesterday we did the photo shoot at my house in my living room.  It didn’t take long before I knew that Liz was along for the ride.  The photographer asked if I had the folder that Liz’s letter had originally been in when her French teacher found it.  I always use that folder to keep my notes in when I speak — so it was laying on my dining room table … I hadn’t put it away since Saturday. 

Then he asked if we could light the large candle I had sitting on my coffee table.  Of course I said.  And, I thought … but where am I going to find matches?  I had no idea but started to look through one of my kitchen drawers.  I had almost given up when I came upon a box of matches from Green Mill.  I had to smile.  Liz worked at Green Mill.  Just that simple little event made me aware of her presence.

I think she’s getting a kick out of watching her Mom these days!  I’m sure there’s alot of other things she’s doing, but knowing she still finds my life interesting and worth checking in on once in while makes it all worthwhile!

Thanks Liz!

But the best part of the past month isn’t any of the above.  The best part is that I have finally had the opportunity to share my journey with my parents.  It was something I have struggled with for a while.  How do you even begin to do that?  I didn’t know.  But I knew it would happen when it was suppose to and that God was in control.  He rolled it out very nicely and it has been a very positive and affirming experience.

I don’t know what the future holds — but I do know who holds the future!

Make your day great!

Never Say Never

9 Oct

I did something today that I said I would never do – have a colonoscopy!  It wasn’t bad at all!  Yah, it was a pain yesterday to only be able to drink liquids and eat green jello … and then there was the prep stuff you have to drink … but truly — it was nothing. 

This morning I was tired and cranky, but they give out great drugs these days.  After I was wheeled into the procedure room I remember getting an oxygen mask on my face and the next thing I knew I was waking up and it was over.  The affects of the anesthetic were minimal and I was walking out the door an hour later and home to some chicken noodle soup and an afternoon of off and on snoozing and relaxing. 

Anna’s friend Kari Croft is visiting from South Carolina and we are all going out to dinner tonight.  Pasta sounds pretty good right now!

A Teachable Moment

21 Sep

Yesterday was a beautiful day in many ways.  One of the best parts of it for me was that I was able to share just a little bit of the extraordinary experiences and way I view the world with the Speckiens, the Heidens and family and friends.

The Heiden’s and Speckien’s daughters were each married this summer.  Emily Speckien was married on a boat on the Mississippi River.  Margaret told the story of how the sun was shining but it was raining … but only on the river … and not enough to disrupt the ceremony.  It ended as quickly as it began and a huge double rainbow appeared and was captured in some of the wedding pictures.  And, Margaret said, they all knew it was their sign that Amanda was present and very happy.

Beth Heiden was married in Wisconsin … also on a rainy day, one week prior to Emily’s wedding.  They live in Racine, so they took several pictures on the shores of Lake Michigan.  A single rainbow appeared and is captured on several of their pictures.  When the wedding party arrived at the reception and Darlene told one of her friends about the rainbow, her friend excitedly went to the gift table, opened up the box containing all of the wedding cards, and dug through them until she found the card she had given to Beth and Mike.

Open this card right now she demanded.  Wondering why it was so urgent, Beth did as she suggested.  She opened the card, and the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow started to play.  Her friend excitedly went on to tell them that while at the card store she had asked Brian to help her select just the right card for Beth & Mike.  When she heard them tell about the rainbow in their pictures, she knew it was validation not only for her, but for everyone, that Brian was indeed present and acknowledging his sister’s most important day.

I was doing cartwheels in my mind … I was so happy.  I have always questioned myself if I should share more of my experiences with them … I knew how comforting they were for me … but my sense had always been NO, it would not be accepted, so I’ve always kept quiet.

Isn’t that just the freakiest story Darlene said?  I don’t think its freaky at all, I think it’s extremely comforting, I told her.  My friend believes in all that “wierd stuff” Darlene said.  “I believe in all the wierd stuff too, I told her — I’ve just had way to many amazing experiences in the last 5 years not too.”  I secretly hoped they would want to know more … but they didn’t.

I did share my story of 9/19 of Liz’s message and Monique’s email.  They all listened and thought long and hard.  I gave them as much as they could handle … it wasn’t much, but it’s a start.  It will be food for thought and may perhaps lead them to look at life differently and think about Brian in a new way … and that’s a very good thing.

Anna excitedly exclaimed, “Well I’m sure when I get married Liz will give me a triple rainbow!”  After all, she always wants to out do everyone and be the best at everything she does.”  I had to agree … but a triple rainbow???  That I can’t wait to see!

Something Really Cool Just Happened!

19 Sep

Something really amazing has just happened and I need to share it and document it.

Each morning I like to get up early, drink coffee and be on my computer to listen to music, play spider solitare, check emails, etc.  I have over 100 songs loaded and they play at random.  What I also have loaded is a phone message that Liz left us on 9-19-03 while she was at the Minnesota Wild Hockey game … “Hi Mom … it’s Liz … I’m at the game and I wanted to thank you for those tickets – they’re really awesome seats… so thank you very much … alright … bye.”

As I laid in bed this morning I thought about that message and I remember thinking that it hadn’t played in a long time.

I got up, got my coffee and headed into the computer room.  I turned it on, started my first solitare game and started the music.  After a couple of games, which I won, I checked my email.  I had a new email from Monique, who was Liz’s college roommate and one of her very closest friends.  Monique wanted to let us know that she was sad that she would not be at our anniversary gathering this year … she’s attending grad school in Chicago.

I just want you to know, she said, I think about Liz every day and she is the reason I chose Psychology.  Liz loved it and she knew how helpful it could be for people in need.

Just as I opened up Monique’s email and started to read it … Liz’s message came on.  I just had to smile … Liz was letting me know she was fine, and she wanted me to let Monique know as well, which I did.

She is so close whenever we need her.  Life is good … life is JOYOUS!

Make your day GREAT!

This Change is Good

6 Sep

My work life for the past year has been tumultuous at best … never a steady even keel like I had grown use to.  Up until about 10 days ago I had been able to take everything in stride, deal with it, and survive … but it hasn’t been easy.

However, last week things changed dramatically for the worse.  I went home after another very difficult day – shut myself off from the outside world – and had some quiet time with God and The Universe.  I needed help to somehow improve my working situation and I had absolutely no clue what to do or where to even start to make that possible.

I’ve been at my company for over 34 years now … I could quit if I really, really wanted to.  But I’d like to hang in there until 7-31-09.  On that day I will be 55 yrs old and will have been with the company for a little over 35 years.  That is a huge milestone that I would like to achieve.

As luck would have it –and after all my experiences of the past 5 years I know luck has absolutely nothing to do with it — I had scheduled my  yearly physical for last Thursday (although it’s really been two years – I’m not much for going to the doctor unless I’m on my death bed).   When I told my doctor about all the chaos … she immediately recommended a medical leave of absence, which I didn’t argue with.  I’ll be at home, away from my job, for a minimum of 2 weeks.

It is a welcome break and it will give me a chance to get some balance back into my life and just breathe.

It is proof once again that when you need something, all you have to do is ask.  A medical leave was something that had never crossed my mind.  I thought my options were to quit or once again suck it up and be tough.

My sense is that there is more to this story and I’m anxiously waiting to see how it will all unfold.  It is such a relief to have this break though and I’m going to savor every moment.  As the saying goes, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.”  Not sure who gets credit for that one, but I love it.

Make your day great!