Jul 16 2012

“Lessons from the Source” Inspire

LESSONS FROM THE SOURCE by Jack Armstrong is a book of inspired channeled messages that resonate with authenticity. I’ve been following Jack for a few years now and have been impressed with his humble, but wise manner. He offers his material without a heavy dose of ego bolstering. Jack is the Real Deal.

From the book description:

Thirty years ago, Jack Armstrong began receiving a series of simple and practical life lessons from an unknown inner source. While he did not understand where they were coming from or why they were being presented to him, it was clear the teachings were unlike any he had encountered during his own spiritual quest. He continued recording the lessons but kept them a secret from family and friends, fearing they might question his sanity. Years passed before he gathered the courage to share these writings, but when he did, the response was overwhelming. Lessons from the Source is a collection of those writings that offers a new perspective on spiritual issues most of us grapple with regularly. This spiritual guidebook discusses the nature of life’s journey, the challenges we confront, ways to overcome the challenges, and opportunities to make the journey more enjoyable. Like the Conversations with God books and A Course in Miracles, the insights found in Lessons from the Source reflect a source of wisdom that explains the deeper truths of our lives. It offers down-to-earth, yet profound and powerful, lessons about life and spirituality, posing a refreshing perspective about our life on earth.

This is very clean, channelled material that I used as a spiritual pick-me-up in the mornings. Jack avoids interjecting his perspectives and ego and lets the material speak for itself. There is a lot of similarity to the Abraham-Hicks information, without coining catchy phrases. The most enduring theme is “Claiming and Accepting Your Good.” Taken as a daily devotional, the ideas raise us out of our worries and mind chatter. The Source seeks to take us from an attitude of Duality (me here, God there) to Non-Duality (Divinity & Me united).

Chapter One kicks off with this passage:

You are one with the entire universe–its substance, its intelligence, its activity….You are an expression of my divinity, where all is in order.

Did the material rock my world? No, but it might rock someone else’s who isn’t so familiar with this kind of thinking. “Lessons” offers a daily dose of uplifting thoughts and a paradigm shift toward living plugged into Spirit. The ideas can be sipped and steeped as you move through your day.

At the end Armstrong offers a short, candid accounting of his life journey, which has had very human struggles. He doesn’t come close to taking on a guru persona and is still trying to incorporate the ideas he received so long ago. It takes courage to reveal messages that seem to come from another mind and it took him decades to go public with the information. As more and more people reveal their encounters with Divinity, it will become our “new normal.”

As the catch-phrase goes– “Change your life, change your thinking“— LESSONS FROM THE SOURCE is a good place to start.

UPDATE: August 2015– New release from Jack Armstrong-

Affirmations of the Soul, Volume One

“In Jack Armstrong’s newest book, he shares powerful and positive affirmations that remind us of spiritual truths we already know, help us release our attachment to negative thoughts or emotions, and clear the pathway to a more joyous, fulfilling and abundant life.

The affirmations included in Affirmations of the Soul, which will be the first volume of a continuing series, address issues as varied as spiritual guidance, the manifestation of desires, letting go of despair, living in the moment and financial abundance.”

I look forward to downloading this latest offering from Jack. I’m sure it will be a good way to begin my days.

Visit Lessons From The Source for more information.

Jul 13 2012

What I read on my summer vacation

Between making up stories about Spiderman and dinosaurs with my grandson, I was able to read some books by writers who have aroused my curiosity as we’ve rubbed elbows on the web. Interestingly, three men with seemingly very different books all penned life-affirming messages in their unique ways. Here’s a little snapshot of each work:

VOYAGE OF PURPOSE by David Bennett is so much more than a NDE (near death experience) recap, although going to the Light, the Life Review and all that jazz is always fascinating. Bennett lives in a place of high spiritual awareness as a result of extreme challenges. The book chronicles his journey through a disjointed childhood, his workaholic engineer days, the NDE experience that changed everything and the excruciating cancer that sharpened all his spiritual sensibilities. He’s a man living out his Purpose and shining the Light for others to follow.

I may be the only person in America who has read DREAM ANGEL, written by my new Aussie Friend, Pat Ritter. A few weeks ago I received a personal message from Mr. Ritter via Facebook introducing himself as a fellow author from Downunder who has enjoyed my books. I decided to return the favor and see what this fellow was all about. The cover of the book is quite misleading. A Noir-type detective theme with a Columbo cover might be more appropriate, for Mr. Ritter is a retired Australian detective. This autobiography depicts a gentlemen of quality who devoted himself to others through the various avenues of police work that presented itself over the course of forty years. You can almost hear the Aussie lilt as his life unfolds with a sense of destiny underlying it all. The devotion to his work and family shines through. Dream Angel tells the story of a life well-lived.

Finally, DROP OUT by Neil D. Ostroff capped off my male-author reading adventures. Neil has dropped by the Indie Romance Author thread at Kindle Boards to promote his book and piqued my curiosity. A romance that begins in the disaster of the World Trade Center? The opening of this novella is riveting and disturbing as the author takes us inside the burning, imploding buildings. His vivid portrayal of the chaos and incredulity of those moments will not soon be forgotten. The story centers on Nathan and the two women who touch his soul. This is a short piece and can be heart-wrenching at times. Ultimately, Nathan has to choose between embracing life or continuing a living death.

All of these books have spiritual underpinnings to challenge readers to look deeper into their own lives. Are you embracing life or just letting it pass on by? I recommend all of them for entertainment and life-affirming inspiration.

Jun 6 2012

Near Death Experience explored in “Voyage of Purpose”

Ever since Dr. Raymond Moody released the ground breaking Life After Life in 1975, near death experiences have been challenging all our traditional ideas of life and death. Now comes a book from David Bennett that goes further to change our paradigms and fire our imaginations: VOYAGE OF PURPOSE: Spiritual Wisdom from Near Death and Back to Life

“David Bennett, once a brash young commercial diver whose personal philosophy was “cut your way through life to survive,” was caught in a violent storm off the California coast one night where he drowned. While technically “dead,” he met beings of light, relived his life, and peeked into his future, resulting in a complete paradigm shift for him. Later, he discovered he had stage IV lung and bone cancer—so advanced that his spine collapsed. Miraculously, he survived once again, and this second close call taught him even more about living, loving, and how to find purpose in his life.

Voyage of Purpose brings readers right into the heart of the near-death experience, including the sensations of dying, being surrounded by the light, and meeting the Soul Family. Part memoir and part guide for achieving spiritual growth, this book shows how to integrate the most traumatic of incidents into one’s spiritual path in order to live a more meaningful life.”

I encourage you to visit VoyageOfPurpose.com and watch the 4 minute video of David as he explains the major events of his life. You can also READ EXCERPTS and see all the ways David and his wife, Cindy, are using their lives for the betterment of others.David Bennett is a public speaker, and teacher. David has lectured at the International Conference of IANDS (International Association for Near-Death Studies) and shared his inspirational message at groups across the country including Lillydale.He has consulted for both radio and television including Oprah and Dr. Oz as a NDE resource, appearances including being filmed for NBC national news and PBS. David’s articles appear in numerous magazines, blogs and papers.

May 23 2012

Supernal Living with Dana Taylor

by Dana Taylor

UPDATE: May 23, 2012: I first posted this blog in November of 2011. Since then, it has been viewed nearly everyday by multiple people. Obviously, the world is interested in angels! My admiration goes out to the folks of Joplin, MO, who have picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and started all over again. And we join them in missing the loved ones that were lost.

Last night the CBS evening news ended with a feature on the “Butterfly Angels” of Joplin, MO. It’s been six months since a massive tornado tore across the plain, sending cars, homes, and trees tumbling into chaos and destruction. In the midst of that fury, some people sensed the presence of spiritual helpers. Many children reported seeing big “butterflies.” From the blogsite All About Boomers comes this description on the June 30th post:

As the tornado approached, a father and his two young children were outside…

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May 21 2012

A Sacred journey traveled in THE WAY

This weekend I was finally able to see THE WAY with Martin Sheen. This Indy movie written, directed, and produced by Sheen’s son, Emilio Estevez, had been on my must-see list for months. It opened in a few theaters last year, had a good word-of-mouth, but didn’t get the Big Money needed for wide distribution. I’d been trying, in vain, to get it at the only video store left in town. I’m happy to announce, it is currently available through Netflix streaming.

image title The story line is simple, Martin Sheen’s character is a well-to-do LA widower/opthmalogist. While playing a round of golf, he receives a call that his only son (Estevez) has died in France. The son was on the first day of walking the famous Camino de Santiago pilgramage through France and Spain. Thus begins the father’s journey through grief, both physically and metaphorically, as he carries the son’s ashes across two countries on an ancient road.

The scenery alone is worth the price of admission. The mountains, villages, and meadows are a spiritual experience. Sheen becomes one of an unlikely quartet taking the journey for personal reasons. They begin as strangers, but end as comrades, having faced their challenges in the way that camping and military campaigns brings people together.

The film delivers a subtle sense of spirituality, without ramming any particular viewpoint down the viewer’s throat. It conveys a lovely respect for the Sacred as the group makes it to the official end of the road at the Cathedral of Santiago which honors St. James. Estevez takes his time with the scene as the characters experience the spiritual communion in their own ways.

I’m sure I’m one of millions of movie lovers constantly seeking a film that not only tells a story, but lifts the spirit. Finding a movie like THE WAY, is like finding a gold nugget in a mountain of worthless, dull rocks.

Have a lovely day!

Dana Taylor

May 7 2012

Rising out of the Well of Depression

On Saturday my good pal, Pam, and I sat at The Coffee Bean solving the world’s problems. We got around to discussing depression, a subject with which we both share up-close-and-personal experience. Looking back, we could see we came by it naturally. We remember sad family members. My Dad’s side of the family went beyond sad to mental illness. Even today, my Aunt Alice is a well-known crazy lady of Whittier, CA, regularly getting thrown out of local establishments. She can go from sweetness to rage in the blink of an eye. As a child, I perfected a mean imitation of chain-smoking Alice sucking on a cigarette, smiling saying, “Hi honey” and then going “off.” Just part a regular family gathering.

I was an early crier. My parents wondered what they had done to have a child who would hide under a table and just weep for a while. Then my mood would shift and I’d be over it. The ups and downs were my “normal.” You learn to cope. You wake up in the morning and take your emotional temperature. Am I happy? Am I sad? How do I get from sad to happy?

I used to have “bottom of the well days.” I imagined myself down in a damp hole, trying to climb up slimy walls toward the light. Indeed, I was “low.” What to do? Grit your teeth and wrestle it? (Pam referred to fighting the Black Dog. ) Try to give yourself a hearty pep talk? Or worse, think of people less fortunate than you. I can tell you THAT only makes you sink lower.

My studies over the past thirty years have led me to see the relationship between energy frequency and depression. We all have measurable energy frequencies. A healthy human is generally between 62-78 Hz. I discovered that if would consciously raise my physical frequency level, I would raise my mood. The greatest break-through came for me in 2005 when I had my first energy healing treatment. The lifting of my entire auric field to a higher vibration was like grabbing a rope to be lifted out of the well. Here are some of the frequency elevating tools I have discovered:

Reiki or other energy healing techniques. Multiple sessions will ultimately raise your frequency set point to a healthy level. Of course, you’ll also probably work through a lot of other issues in the process.
Meditation and prayer. Learn to open yourself to the ever-flowing energy streams. You will encounter Spirit, develop intuition, and become permanently plugged into a higher energy
Eat live food. Energy begets energy. Fruits and vegetables will feed your body and raise your emotions. Drink lots of water. Caffeine, alcohol, and drugs will keep you on a seesaw of ups and downs.
Exercise. Only 30% of Americans exercise 30 minutes 5 days a week, but use of antidepressant drugs has risen 400% in the last twenty years. This is crazy! Go for a walk and dump the drugs.
Get back to nature. The energies of the earth, water, and sky are extremely healing. Digging in the dirt to plant a flower is one of the most energy-raising activities I know. We have a city park in my town with a “lake,” by California standards anyway. I can walk around it in about seven minutes. In the years I was taking care of my stroke-affected Dad, that walk around the water was my saving grace. No matter how low I felt, the water, wind and those crazy geese always lifted my spirits.
Music. The vibrations of music literally rock your body. Find the tunes that lift you and keep them coming.
Essential oils. These are the life blood of plants and have measurable frequencies of 52-320 Hz. Young Living Essential Oil sells a blend named Joy, which includes rose oil, the highest frequency oil. And doesn’t smelling a rose always lift your spirits? It only makes sense that applying something to your body with high energy will elevate your energy field.
Sufficient sleep. Last, but certainly not least. Getting enough sleep is probably the best mood elevator known to man. Make getting a good night’s sleep a top priority. As the Good Book says, “Weeping may tarry in the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

I am happy to report that I have climbed completely out of the Well of Depression. Oh, I’m not skipping around, singing Mary Poppin tunes, but I am functioning at a much higher level.

Most days, praise God, I am happy.

Blessings–

Dana Taylor