Thursday, December 25, 2008
The Greatest Gift of All...
I have always been a "material girl." I never seemed to have enough stuff - clothes, jewelry, the latest make-up, new furniture or accessories for my home...I was never really staisfied, always thinking that "if I could only have ____" I would be happy. Except that never seemed to happen, and so the cycle would continue...

As I became exposed to the teachings of spiritual masters such as Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer, the awareness that things can never fill us, but that true happiness and contentment can be found only from a place of peace - the peace that exists in the present moment...the connection with that place of peace that lives deep within...and the peace that comes with acceptance that where we are, and what we have, are exactly as it is intended.

And so as I began to work at living in the present moment with positive intention and positive expectation, I found that looking back with regret or looking forward with anxiety, began to happen less and less. There are more moments of contentment with who I am, and with what I have. Sure I still love clothes and decorating my home, but I no longer expect these things to fill me.

This was no more evident than last night - Christmas Eve. I spent that evening as I have for so many years - my family together to share a meal and to exchange gifts. It is always an enjoyable time, but last night was even more special than usual. We ate the same meal we always do, and exchanged the same type of gifts...but instead of deriving pleasure from the food or in the material giving and receiving, I found myself completely present in the moment...truly aware, maybe for the first time, of the love and caring - and bond, that we all share.

As I reflect this morning on the special evening I shared with my family last night, I realize that I am the recipient of the greatest and most everlasting gift of all...I have been blessed to know moments of peace and love, shared with the people who mean the most to me. And so on this Christmas Day I give thanks for this most precious of all gifts, and pray that you too find your way to a place of inner peace and contentment. With blessings of peace and love, Andrea :-)
Written at 7:12 AM by Andrea.
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Finding Faith
"You don't have to know why, you just have to know." ~ Andrea

I suppose one might say I was a "non-believer" most of my life. It's not that I didn't believe in God, it's just that I if I couldn't see it, feel it, or explain it, I had a hard time believing it. The one thing that I had always envied most in other people was their religous faith - it was the one thing I didn't have that I so desperately wanted.

I will never forget a friend of mine who was going through a tough time telling me that she knew that God would never give her more than she could handle, so she knew she was going to be ok. She meant it, she believed it, and so you know as tough as things were for her, her faith got her through. I on the other hand, was also going through a challenging time and felt completely alone, because at the time I did not share her faith in the knowing that there was a Spirit at my side that would guide me through.

And so it is a testament to the amazing miracle of the Spirit of Life that today I am the one sharing my sense of faith with others. An even greater miracle is that I still can't explain the details, to you or to myself. I can't tell you that I understand God or religion any better today than I did then. I still don't have all the details worked out, and can't give you an explantion for how or why...but I have finally found my way to a place called Faith.

What I've learned about Faith is that it has absolutely nothing to do with what church you attend, or the religious label you carry...to me Faith is the acknowledgement of the presence of a Higher Power, a Higher Energy. It is the Divine Power that exists within each and every one of us, and every living thing, and it connects us all - one to the other.

To me, Faith is about recognizing that our thoughts create our beliefs, which in turn create our reality. It is being aware that what we think and believe are something we can choose. That we can choose to connect with positive expectation, or to live in a place of fear and worry. We can choose to say, "I may not understand this, but I choose to believe it is so." And that is how I came to live in a place of Faith. I made the choice to believe, and so I do. This is the way of intention - you align yourself with a belief simply by deciding to do so, and then also being aware that old habits and patterns will continually try to direct you back to that place of doubt. Slowly but surely, as you continue to redirect your thoughts to that which you are choosing to believe, those beliefs begin to take hold and become more than a thought in your mind, they become a part of your spirit, and your entire being.

When I made the choice to connect with this Higher Power (which many call God) I began to experience God's presence in my life - at first in small ways, and now in much greater ways. I am less fearful, less analytical, less demanding of myself and others...and best of all I feel much less alone.

And so if you are feeling disconnected from the power of God, consider this: you don't have to know how, you don't have to understand why, you just have to make the choice that you are going to have Faith. Ask God to show you the way, to reveal to you all that you need to know and do...and allow yourself to be open to unseen and unknown possiblities. Then watch for all of the amazing and wonderful things that come your way. ~ Andrea :-)
Written at 5:32 AM by Andrea.
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Friday, December 5, 2008
Brighter Days Ahead
It's pretty hard to not be affected by all of the bad news we've been bombarded with lately... skyrocketing unemployement, the declining housing market, and the ever-growing financial woes impacting businesses of all sizes. Even if you are not personally affected right now, you can't help but feel the pain so many others are experiencing...as well as be concerned about the future we all share.

Although it is important to be an active participant in the world around you, I also believe that too much exposure to this type of doom and gloom news can create an environment that tends to bring you down and serves to attract more and more of this type of negative energy. I'm not suggesting we all become Pollyanna, but it is important to continually remind yourself that you have been blessed with the power to choose how you react to the circumstances and situations you encounter each day. You have the ability to choose to let go of the past...and to view the future from a place of optimism and positive expectation.

I know it's not easy, and if you have been personally impacted by these circumstances and see nothing but darkness ahead, I know it is particularly difficult to look for the light. But as one who has sturggled and suffered, and has known despair all too well, I can tell you that as long as you have faith and hope there isn't any problem or situation that you can't overcome. Not that it's always easy, but being proactive instead of reactive...and holding on to the knowing that you are going to find your way...makes it all possible to move through difficulty a stronger and better person.

The following is an excerpt from my new book, Heal With Hope A Healing Handbook & Journal: Each day we are presented with the opportunity to align ourselves with the energy we want to attract into our lives, as well as that which we wish to share with the rest of the world. Just imagine what your life would be like if you decide to replace fear and doubt with peace and faith, greed and bitterness with gratitude and forgiveness, and anger and grief with love and joy.

I pray that you are able to journey forward from a place of peace and acceptance...and know that tomorrow holds many great and wonderful blessings for you. ~Andrea :-)
Written at 10:20 PM by Andrea.
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