Joanne

Do you find it hard to forgive? I liken this challenge to carrying something heavy in your backpack. Initially the weight of it is negligible. But over time, it becomes burdensome. Eventually, it may even become overwhelming. The truth is that most of the circumstances or affronts many not even be recalled by the one who offended or hurt you. That idea might give you pause. If you are a nice, considerate and caring person, you might not realize that not everyone is thoughtful. Worse yet, some folks are insensitive, self-centered, and so wrapped up in themselves that they do not even realize how rude, uncaring or thoughtless they can be. Given that, it is wise to think about forgiveness in terms of what it can do for you. We know that when something festers it tends to morph into something [...]

A friend died recently and as sad as that is my heart is aching for another reason. The United States was his adopted home, far away from his place of birth, a place where left behind family would struggle for survival if not for the remittance that he would send. His life was defined by service for these loved ones – a high service indeed. His life is testament to the sacrifices millions of people around the world make for loved ones who live so far away that even occasional visits are impossible. Ty got very sick a year ago and as I prayed for his recovery, I prayed that when he got well he would decide that it was time to end his sixteen-year separation from his family. When we spoke of this later, he told me it was too [...]

I am extremely fortunate to have the second-hand benefit of my clients’ pursuit of inner peace. My role as escort and facilitator affords regular opportunities for me to journey with them through the realm of timelessness – a place of inner peace, stillness and unity. I recognize how unusual my job description is, as well as the paradox created by ability to usher others to this place of tranquility even when peace and stillness intermittently are beyond my own reach. Those pursuing the spiritual path are similarly mindful of the benefits of achieving inner peace and acutely aware of how beyond reach it might seem at any moment in time given the events in their outer life. Sometime ago, I was facilitating a spiritual regression for one of my clients. We set out with the intention of uncovering past life correlates [...]

On the computer it is easy to shut down. On my desktop, I simply press Ctrl Alt Delete and it shuts down. I muse sometimes about the challenge of having a comparable way to pause the hectic pace of life. I admit that my ability to multi-task and move fast has contributed to my productivity and success in life – managing a household, building and maintaining a garden, running a business, being a good wife, sister, aunt and friend. But after a while, it can all be exhausting. Sometimes I wonder if the source of my frustration is my desire to have it both ways, be productive while resting in inner peace. I talk to people all the time, underscoring the value of silence and stillness. An honest discussion of this aspiration includes the truth about the difficulty pausing life. I [...]

It has been almost five years since my last Wonderings and Wanderings of the Soul post. A hiatus brought about by working on three books, the first two for The Michael Newton Institute – Wisdom of Souls, and Llewellyn’s Little Book of Life Between Lives. My latest book Awakened Soul: Discoveries of Healing, Self-love and Spiritual Growth has gone into production and has an Amazon publication date of December 6th. PHEW!!! With all that behind me, I am relaunching Wonderings and Wanderings of the Soul. You can look for it in your In Box on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. Here’s the cover of Awakened Soul, done by Robin Vuchnich, the talented artist who I was blessed to have design the book. She captured beautifully the transformation experienced by the clients whose stories are recounted in the book. [...]

We are on the verge of Thanksgiving -- a time when most in our culture press the PAUSE button to acknowledge the many blessings that we enjoy and to express our gratitude. Traditional celebrations are being altered by many in hopes of staying safe during the pandemic. And although we may be separated from family and friends, they remain close in our minds and hearts. My list of things to be grateful for remains virtually unchanged from year to year. If you have followed this blog, this may ring familiar. To the SOURCE of all that is, I offer thanks for the breadth of life, my senses and faculties, mobility, health and the well-being that I enjoy living in this incredible universe. I am grateful for my mind which is free to express its creativity while contemplating my purpose in life [...]

Thanksgiving is upon us -- a time of reflection for our many blessings. Can you pause to reflect on the gifts that abound in your life? . . . My list of things to be grateful for remains virtually unchanged from year to year. To the SOURCE of all that is, I offer thanks for the breadth of life, my senses and faculties, mobility, health and the well-being that I enjoy living in this incredible universe. And, not to be forgotten, I am grateful for my mind which is free to express its creativity while contemplating my purpose in life and my relationship to the creative force from which it came and to which it will return. Also on my list are Mother Gaia's gifts of beauty, habitability and sustenance including food and water the value of which cannot be overstated. My [...]

You left us today and we are forced to say goodbye. Our hearts are aching despite the fact that we knew this day was near. You’ve taken a piece of our hearts – hearts we so lovingly entwined over these many years . . . these many decades. Our only comfort is the knowing that this is not a ‘forever goodbye’. You have journeyed to our eternal home where those who left before have awaited their reunion with you. And like them, we know that you will await our reunion at some unspecified future time. Your life has touched so many, countless in fact. People you never knew personally were helped through your leadership, advocacy and decades of service. Your connection to the broader world was your compassion for the circumstances of others. You led a life inspired by a belief [...]