Recognizing Miracles

By Brenda J. Crawford-Bee

     I often recognize miracles in my life, but after the fact, because it’s a lot harder to see the miracles in the throes of any particular challenge.  Not too long ago, I was often distressed and overwhelmed, and at times, I doubted that I could endure another day… of being tested and overcoming.  I felt I was going through every test imaginable – daily! 

     "The highest truth is not written in any book, it's written in the heart"... Harold Klemp."

    During this time, I attended a lecture and wherein a man shared about job and health challenges, among other problems he was facing.  I’m sure that talk touched all of those who heard it because to the best of my recall, there was hardly a dry eye in the house. This man said that he had learned to welcome the tests and challenges that come into his life.  By welcoming hardships, tests and challenges, it allowed him to go deep within and come up with creative ways to get through them and so enter a higher state of consciousness.  I was in awe that he felt so strongly about hardships – so much so that he welcomed each and every one!  I began looking forward to the day that I would reach that state of acceptance.

    Am I getting better at recognizing miracles in all the tests that come into my l life?  More often than not, I don’t think to ask, when in the midst of troubles, “Why are these things happening for me?”  But eventually I do remember and that’s when I know, with every fiber of my being, that I am being blessed with every painful step I take.  I recognize it even more when I’m able to get out of my own way.  After all, I (Soul) am part of a divine solution to all my problems; and when I’ve had enough and surrender completely – that’s when I fully recognize the miracles.  In the knowledge that I am Soul, that I cannot be wronged, injured, broken or stolen from, then I’m truly recognizing miracles in my life.  When I’m able to look at my fellow man, with all his fears, insecurities, judgments, loving qualities and other attributes and recognize myself in him, then I’m recognizing miracles.

     Last year I had a goal and resolved to make myself responsible and accountable for getting to a spiritual World Wide Seminar in Minneapolis.  I was determined to do whatever was necessary to reach that goal.  In looking back on all the occurrences, there were many dark forces at work.  But now it is very clear to me that it was all part of a divine plan.

      Just as I was feeling reassured and had the air fare, hotel room and other expenses accounted for, a car repair, towing bill and a ticket took a big chunk out of my plans.  But I was determined to pay my own way to attend this World Wide Seminar.  I worked many hours, including working up to a few hours before the scheduled departure time, to recoup the funds.  Lack of sleep and an aching back didn’t make things any easier! People close to me kept saying that I was pushing myself too hard, that nothing could be that important!  Others tried to persuade me to reconsider my decision and change my plans.  Yet the more they questioned my decision, the more my determination prevailed. But in the end, I boarded that plane!

    Now, I start each day with joyful expectation and I always expect the unexpected!  I affirm, “Today is a new day, a new beginning; I have much to give and receive today”.  I know that each day is another opportunity for me to practice recognizing blessings and miracles in everything!

     This experience taught me to see that the problems and challenges in my life are really all about change, but mostly about changing my viewpoint.  And when upheaval in my life occurs, or when my plans don’t go the way I think they should, I don’t let it crush me.  But there is a part of me that longs to be in control, while yet another part of me wants to just accept what is; but Soul, the real me, wants me to rest in the arms of the Divine and recognize miracles in everything.  All the while, doing the best I can in every situation, no matter what I’m experiencing.  And when I have the realization that Divine Love is already there and that I’m exactly where I need to be, then I know I truly do experience blessings and miracles in my life everyday. 

The Voice of Hope

Women in America – Single Mothers

     We live in a world filled with wants and needs. We want to be cherished and we need to be loved. We look around and everywhere we go, we see billboards with scantly clad women and perfume brands expressing those feelings that we desire to feel. We see movies that are saturated with sex, drugs, and violence. We all want to look like someone else. We want those things that someone else has rather than working on those things within ourselves that can make us a better person.

     We turn for comfort in the arms of a man, finding only a temporary fix. We go out and have a good time with our friends, only to wake up the next morning with a massive hangover. We eat to fill the void of time that slides throughout the day. We cry profusely because we are broken hearted or we pretend like life is perfect and bury our pains deep within our hearts. We are not who we were born to be because we can’t see past today. We are the women of America!!

     Single mothers in America working harder and being smarter than those around us – yet desiring so much more…

     One Hundred years ago we sat at home cooking all day so our family could have a nice hot meal to eat at the end of the day. We could not vote, we never cut our hair, we had three dresses and one pair of shoes and no electricity. When we married, we were married until we died. There was no broken homes, with the exception of 3% of the population that was making moonshine and hanging out in the saloon. We had to press flowers to make perfume or hope that our husbands would save up money all year long to buy you that bottle of perfume you saw in the catalog at the general store. We read to our kids every night and we sat around by the fire and listened to stories. The home was a warm place where family was the focus. Today, we rush in and out of every day hoping the next day will hold something better.

     When you wake up tomorrow, look in the mirror and know that you are loved. Look at yourself the way God sees you and know that your beauty is timeless and his love is endless. Know that he knit you in your mother’s womb and that he breathes life into you each and every day. Know that all you have, he has given you. Value yourself and others will value you. Respect yourself and you will receive respect from others. Love and you will be loved. The next time you want someone to say “I love you,” tell them first. The next time you want a hug, give someone a hug. The next time you want to feel beautiful, look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Search within the deepest depths of your heart and release all those pains that hold you back from being and doing what you desire to do. Then take baby steps. Each day holds a new opportunity for you to come closer to achieving your dreams.

     I can tell you with all certainty that you won’t find happiness in a man. You won’t find joy and peace in a bottle. You won’t find serenity by sniffing cocaine up your nose. You won’t find comfort in a needle. You won’t find tranquility by meditating on the air. You won’t find yourself by giving yourself away to anyone who is not willing to wait for marriage. I can tell you all these things because I have lived it, I have lived the lie of society, I have lived with pain in my heart, tears on my pillow, and a deep sorrow in my soul. I can tell you because I am a woman of America- who is a single mother of 4 –married and divorced by kids father two times, only to wind up more broken hearted the second time around and I also know that I am God’s perfect creation.  The world hurts us and God heals us. The world attempts to keep us down and out, but God lifts us up and gives up hope!!

     If you want to change the world, make it a better place for your kids or change your life. Start with yourself, your heart and make a difference where you walk every day!!

 Amen, Lissa J. Magaña

May God richly bless you and be the Lord in your life!!

© Lissa J. M. Magaña 2004

One with the spirit of GOD!!!!

"I know that God is everlasting; that It works in silence, unobserved and unheard.  I (Soul) experience It's infinite silence and I know that my place is justified in the harmony of all It's creations; and by k knowing this I am loving God.

As long as I love God, I'm advancing toward becoming one with the Spirit of God, and by understanding this, I am loving God.  God has granted me all It's divine love and mercy and all I have left to say is, may the blessings be."
 

BACKWARD AND FORWARD

By Brenda J. Crawford-Bee

 I missed one morning of not journaling… and feeling guilty as hell!  But, I’m back at it, thank God!  A small voice from within whispers, “This is a test… do all that you’ve agreed to do.”  I will, I will, I cried!  I promise myself to do that for myself every day.

     I had a dream one night a few months ago about a white car; it was traveling in reverse up an incline.  Alongside the hill stood a female observer who kept repeating the words, “interesting, interesting…” There was a spiritual lesson in this for me but didn’t know exactly what it could be.  After a day of contemplation, what I came up with was that I was traveling backward in my spiritual unfoldment.  I accepted that truth and thought no more about it.  Over the next couple of days, I began to think about leading a book discussion class at my Spiritual Center. One morning after practicing a spiritual exercise, singing the word HU, a love song to the God, and being silent for a few minutes in contemplation, I glanced up at the ceiling of my living room.  I saw some imperfections in the stucco that I’d surely seen before, but never really seen, if you know what I mean.  There were three jagged lines and they formed the letter “Z”.  “Z” has a special meaning for me; it’s part of a spiritual name for my spiritual guide, Wah Z.

    My mind had began to wander onto the duties and challenges that I faced, and my first thought was that this was a way for the Master to get my attention and have me focus on more lofty things.  What a revelation I thought!  I then got my day started; I checked my e-mails, wrote letters and sent cards to friends, called a few people I hadn’t shared with in awhile.  Then I remembered that I hadn’t read anything uplifting for the day.  I saw a book on a chair across the room and I picked it up and opened the book at random; this is what I received. 

    I opened the book to a story in which the Master told of a spiritual dream of a woman, a spiritual seeker.  He said, “Here is a spiritual dream, so that when you have one you will have a measure to compare it with.”  I’d no idea how close to home it hit for me!  The story was about a lady who was standing alongside the ocean.  She was looking at the mounds of sand and found some little booklets buried there.  A Spiritual Master was there and read the message from one of the booklets for her.  The message said, “You’ve won a white used car”.  What stood out for her was that it was a “used” car; she wondered why not a “new” car.  Still hoping for a “new” car, she pulled another booklet from the mound and the Master read, “You’ve won $113,000 in groceries.”  Then the spiritual meaning became clear for her (as it did for me) that she’d taken a step backward in her spiritual life.  The seeker was shocked to see just how attached she’d become to worldly things – and so was I!

     WOW, I said aloud!  This was proof positive for me that I too had taken a step backward in my spiritual life.  I too had become attached to worldly things.  This was sure a confirmation that I sought; it left no doubt that I’d interpreted my dream in exactly the right way; the same way!  I couldn’t have hoped nor asked for an interpretation or proof more clear than what I’d received.

     The spiritual significance of the car is that it represents your state of consciousness.  It’s used as a means of transporting you from one place to the other.  Though I’m not sure if the car in my dream was a used car, the point was that I was trying to travel up hill – in reverse!  That’s what I’d been doing for the past year, trying to gain a higher state of consciousness by traveling in reverse on my journey to higher ground.  This was quite a humbling experience.

     A friend, who is an exciting and creative artist, gifted me with a small picture-like post card, a beautiful little red car traveling uphill.  It was surrounded with greenery, flowers, blue skies and yes, a few clouds.  I love that picture; it’s just one of my favorites.  In the car driving is a woman sitting in the back seat, enjoying her journey uphill.  Actually, the woman seated in the back looks a lot like my friend.  But that morning, the woman in the seat took on another identity.  The woman is me!  It’s me who sits in the seat of the car – this time, traveling uphill! 

     This revelation new has allowed me to travel more easily into the higher planes, into a higher state of consciousness.  What a way to start the day.  And to think, I’m the best (today) than I’ve ever been spiritually in all my lifetimes!