Positive Stories of Insight

COMFORT

2008-12-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

I have heard for eons now about serving your Lord. I have heard many people tell others in order to get to Heaven you have to serve me, your Lord.

Well, my children, this is another misconception. If I am everything that is, then how could you really serve? Fore you see, ‘to serve your Lord’ came from ancient times on earth, such as to serve your King, etc.

I never really gave that suggestion ‘to serve your Lord God’. What I would really rather want it to be is ‘to comfort’. Yes, to comfort, such as assist or be there for someone in need; not to serve someone.

So let’s remove this misnomer and replace it with ‘to comfort’. When you go out and comfort people you are also comforting yourself and me. So remember, let’s start comforting one another; bring peace of mind to each other. Spirituality on earth will become more evolved if you choose to comfort each other rather than to serve.

Give comfort in my name.

Guest Author Day

2008-10-05T16:32:00.001-07:00

When one of my stories, A Pot of Panatunies, recently ran in My Daily Insights, I received a charming letter from Tamara Yakovich. She wanted to thank me for such an inspiring story and share one of her own. I enjoyed it so much that I would like to share it with you now.

The Chase

My youngest child turned seven months old yesterday. They grow so quickly, don’t they? His development is bitter-sweet, I can’t wait for him to reach that next stage, but then again I want him to stay little! He is at that point where he is about to crawl – but can’t quite do it yet. That doesn’t stop him from moving around and getting where he needs to go though! He scoots around this house as fast as he can, dragging his little body with chubby arms. I love that ‘army crawl’!

His favorite adventure the past few days has been ‘chasing the bouncy blue ball’. I watched this closely today, and this is what I saw. His whole face lights up as soon as he sees the ball, and ‘the chase’ is on! He scoots after the ball – almost gets it in his grasp – and it slips away. No matter, he squeals with delight and chases it again. He catches it the next time, rolls over on his back and holds on tight. He uses both hands and feet to keep the ball where he wants it while he ‘hugs and kisses’ the ball. He is so happy to have caught it, finally! Then he lets the ball go, he watches it roll away, perhaps wondering where it will end up, or where it will take him next. He flips himself over and takes off after it again with a big smile on his face.

He could do this all day long. Chase the ball, catch the ball, hold it and play with it joyfully for a while, then watch it roll away once more.

Does he get a little frustrated when the ball rolls away for the tenth time? Maybe a little, but he knows that half the fun, maybe even MOST of the fun, is in the chase!

How many times have you ‘almost’ had your DREAM or your GOAL in your grasp, just to watch it slip away? Do you stop the chase? Do you sit down and give up? Or – like the small child – do you realize that the fun is in ‘the chase’? Worse yet – do you ‘catch’ your dream or your goal and then hold on to it so tightly that you stop moving?

Lessons learned:

1. The FUN is in the chase!
2. If your dream/goal slips away – keep after it – you never know where ‘the chase’ might take you!
3. Once you have your dream/goal in your grasp – set a new one and start chasing again!
4. Remember – the FUN is in the chase!

Now – go out there and ‘squeal with delight’ as you chase after your dreams with a smile on your face! If you do it this way, no one will ever know that you don’t already have your dreams in your grasp!

--Tamara D Yakovich

Tamara Yakovich is a single, WAHM to four beautiful children, ages 17, 5, 3 and 7 months. She is an in-home childcare provider by day and ‘Spa Girl’ by night. She loves all of her ‘jobs’, but loves being a full-time mommy the most!

She was born and raised in Western Washington and has lived in Cincinnati, OH for 10 years. It is her goal to help women realize their potential and live the lives they love. She intends to reach as many women as possible through her BeautiControl spa business and writing short stories and words of inspiration.

You can contact her at tamaras_beauticontrol@yahoo.com.

A Special for you and my Daughter

2008-09-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

When I originally posted this, I was talking about my daughter and her dreams to take a People to People trip next summer. But that has changed and instead she will be taking a trip to New York and DC over Spring break in 2009.

I guess it boiled down to neither of us was ready for her to be away from home, in another country, for 15 days. Hopefully she will get this opportunity again.

This is still an exciting trip though and she will be visiting the presidential monuments, Arlington National Cemetery and the Smithsonian Institution. And then in New York they will have the honor of visiting Ground Zero. The children that have visited this site have become different people.

The premise of my original post was to tell you that she has been thinking of many different ways to make money, from selling candy bars to going without Christmas this year. Well, that was actually Denise's idea and we haven't quite run it by her yet ;-).

I thought I would help her out with one of my own ideas. I would like to propose a special to anyone who would like a reading at a $25.00 reduction in the cost for an hour. That means a full hour reading for $75.00 instead of $100.00 and I will designate $25.00 of that towards her trip.

So you win and she wins.

She is such a super kid and we truly believe that she deserves this trip. She's a straight A student, volunteers at the local animal shelter and has a true love for learning. We believe this would be a life changing opportunity for her.

I am going to let this special run from now until March of 2009 with the mention of this blog. Universal Insight

Thanks for listening again to a proud papa and giving me the opportunity to help you and her. You can reach me at universalinsight@icehouse.net

A Pot of Panatunies

2008-08-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

As many times before, my gardening rituals brought about some thoughts. The other day I learned a lesson; but not one of which I didn’t know about already. The lesson just became clearer because of my hands-on experience.

We have a large pot of panatunies growing in our back yard. You might ask, “What are panatunies?” When our daughter was about 3 years old she proclaimed the name of our petunias by combining the name pansies and petunias. We have used that name ever since to describe our petunias.

Just like roses, if you want more blooms to occur on your petunias, you need to snap off the dried up buds. I don’t mind at all dead-heading petunias or roses; in fact it’s rather relaxing. But here I was working with this big pot of petunias which are a beautiful deep purple. As I was standing on one side of the pot I picked all the dead ones I could see, and thought I was through. However as I began to move around the pot I began to see more and more of them. For awhile I thought I would never finish. I began to lift up the stems to discover more underneath.

The result I am always trying to bring about is to help maintain a nice looking pot of panatunies. This work always rewards me with new blooms. A few days of laziness had got me to this place and I was paying the price.

The thought that came to me is that if we procrastinate, we pay a price or even worse. We may have to do something over and over to keep the beauty of what we want to accomplish.

In other words, change your perception, your view. Heck, stand at a different spot if you have to. There are times (sometimes many) that you feel you’re going around in circles picking off old dried blooms, but what you are really doing is clearing up old negative garbage and being persistent trying out new ideas.

If you want your life to look and feel great there are times that you may have to do something over and over while you’re looking under your old beliefs and picking them off to bring forth new and vibrant ones.

Ideas with right action equal a great life, but if you don’t feel you’re there yet then go back to the pot of panatunies and start over again. You will then find your life enriched with new vibrant blooms.

Introduction to another Masiello

2008-06-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was contacted by a woman in New York who asked if we might be related. I never knew my father as he left before I was born, so who knows how many siblings or cousins I may have out there. Irene and I exchanged emails and pictures and enjoy any resemblances we may have. At this point who really cares if we are truly related, we call each other 'cousin' anyway.

As I got to know her better, I was intrigued about the new book she had written, Paradise Costs. This book came about because of how her father had suffered at the hands of neighbors in another state. She did not want her father's death to be in vain and took it upon herself to write his story.

The American Psychological Association estimates that approximately 2.1 million senior citizens are victims of physical and psychological neglect and abuse every year.

Anyone who is or will be dealing with an elderly parent must read this book. It will not only help you now with your loved ones but might possibly save YOU as you get older. I'm very proud to introduce my new 'cousin', Irene Masiello. Please take a few moments to read her message to you.

In addition, she would like you to read a poem in memory of her brother Martin. Silent majority-In God we trust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To me, spirituality is understanding that everything is perfect just as it is.
It means accepting those things in life that seem tragic and using them as stepping stones for deeper spiritual development. It means that crisis's are opportunities to apply faith, develop insight, gain evolvement and apply spiritual principals.

That's what I did in my walk of my talk. I have no right to offer anyone empty words I cannot and have not lived by. It was not easy...however the easy way out is rarely the spiritual way out.

Paradise Costs--A Victim's Daughter Fights Back against Elder Abuse is a proactive, one-of-a-kind book offering babyboomers a story that defines elder abuse and exploitation. There's a lot of confusion about the topic. Most people believe that is violence however it is so much more and often times so subtle it escapes notice.

However, ALL elder abuse are crimes.

Paradise Costs offers readers much. It has extensive listings of red flag behaviors that EVERYONE needs to know; we have 25 of them. We have profiled elder exploiters. We have given tips for hiring aides. We have almost 30 heads up pointers identifying high risk seniors, what to look for, what to do and how to do it.

Bennett Blum, MD, an internationally recognized forensic and geriatric psychiatrist, has contributed his incredible pioneering professional assessment tools for recognizing impaired and diminishing capacity "coincidentally" identified are PARADISE-2 (a Synchronicity!). Also, his acronym IDEAL demonstrates how to document undue influence.

This amazing effort has been collaborated by professionals who volunteered their time and talents to help boomers, the most powerful and influential generation ever, to STOP elder abuse now. This group included lawyers, social workers, a federal agent, nurses, writers, editors, webmasters, artists, etc.

Our site offers readers a way to take instant action. We are seeking volunteers around the country to demonstrate what people of good will can do to combat one of the Seven Deadly Sins...GREED and an American pandemic. Please see our site.

Please help and lets spread the word to protect our beloved aging; this effects everyone as the Journal of the American Medical Association states it will be 30 to 40 years before AWARENESS of elder abuse acquires the level that child abuse has now. It's estimated that 25 million boomers will be victims. The ratio is between 1-in-3 and 1-in-6 will succumb to any numbers of abuses, exploitation or neglect.

I vowed at my father's death bed to not allow the loss of his life to be in vain. What about YOUR father, mother, aunt, uncle....children?

STOP ELDER ABUSE NOW...

Become aware....
get informed...
and
TAKE ACTION...

the life you save may be your own.

Thank you,
Irene A. Masiello

Re-release of Paradise Costs-A Victim's Daughter Fights Back
Against Elder Abuse Marks International Elder Awareness Day;
June 15, 2008
===========
NEW YORK, NY: Bennett Blum, M.D., internationally acclaimed forensic and geriatric psychiatrist and an expert in undue influence, has added his pioneering work to that of author Irene A. Masiello in Paradise Costs-A Victim's Daughter Fights Back Against Elder Abuse, the heart-wrenching story of an infirm, 80-year-old man with Alzheimer's who was taken from his family, stripped of his assets and exploited despite the pleas of his next of kin.

Driven by grim statistics from national elder advocacy groups indicating there may be more than 25 million cases of elder exploitation in America, Dr. Blum and Ms. Masiello have joined forces to inform readers via a compelling true story while providing professional assessment guidelines that are used internationally.

Masiello supports her father's tragic story with his suspicious forensic report exemplifying a terrifying reality facing the elderly in America today. Mario Masiello, a hearing-impaired, honorably discharged, World War II veteran, retired from the NYC Transit Authority and relocated to the quaint town of Walterboro, SC. Twenty years later, his blissful life was ravaged by the death of his wife and by several illnesses including diabetes, Alzheimer's and depression. Paradise Costs tells the chilling true story of the last years of his life when he was "grandpa-napped" from his family by neighbors and "friends."

The American Psychological Association estimates that approximately 2.1 million senior citizens are victims of physical and psychological neglect and abuse every year. Many cases go unreported. Ms. Masiello's objective is to provide a voice to the millions of silent or ignored victims. "I never thought this type of betrayal and brutality could happen in my family," says his daughter. "My experience has made me realize how little people know about the deadly American pandemic that is elder abuse."

Created in a workbook format, Paradise Costs shows Americans how to take action in support of federal legislation to stop elder abuse now. The sample letters and petitions (which are also available at www.ParadiseCosts.com) are designed to help readers voice their concerns to federal officials.

"I'm urging participation via our interactive book and web site to lobby legislators to pass the Elder Justice Act now on the floor of both Houses of Congress," says the author. "Hopefully, others will be spared the suffering my father was forced to endure, and their families will not have to look on helplessly in horror as mine did."

Dr. Blum states, "Paradise Costs is a tragic, true-life tale. Unfortunately, the behaviors depicted in this book are all too common. No one knows how often criminals, 'brand new best friends' or family members exploit the elderly…Money has always been associated with the worst of human behavior. Elder financial abuse is no exception. Some of those taking assets from the elderly have been tied to gang violence, prostitution and drug trafficking. Their elderly victims are often subjected to physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, sexual abuse and murder."

Recognizing the difficulty of the aftermath of this tragedy, Ms. Masiello is determined not to let her father's death be in vain. "My goal now is to take my story to the nation and raise awareness of this deplorable social ill that's plaguing America," she says.
---------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2008, 2:45PM, NY,
NY CONTACT: Irene A. Masiello
IreneAMasiello@cs.com
www.ParadiseCosts.com
CONTACT: Bennett Blum, M.D.
BennettBlum@aol.com
www.BennettBlumMD.com
============

I Will Share Your Bird

2008-04-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today I am so excited to feature a guest writer----my wife Denise. I am so jealous that she can hammer something like this out in a half-an-hour. It's the first thing she's ever written and I hope it won't be the last.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I first met Bebe almost three years ago. After advertising at my church for my in-home care services, her daughter had taken Bebe my card. Sitting in her living room I saw a petite soft spoken lady looking much younger than her years. She explained what she needed on a daily basis but the job was only to be as a fill in for her other helper while she was on vacation. Well, OK I thought, I can do that. I didn’t hear back from Bebe for a few months and at the end of my first day she asked me when I could come back. I inquired if it would only be one more time and she said no, it would be permanent. I was overjoyed!

We got into a familiar routine twice a week; trips to the hairdresser, grocery store, doctor appointments and fabric stores.

But mostly she talked, about many things. For a long time I felt guilty that my day was spent sitting instead of ‘working’. But then I realized that I was doing what she needed and I began to relax and enjoy my ‘work’.

I heard great stories about her and her husband’s (lovingly called L.A.D.) many trips with family and friends which included square dancing, bird-watching, and visits to destinations rich in history. Many stories were from her youth, including the antics of her brothers and sisters. And I laughed at the time when she and her husband raised baby crows which terrorized the neighborhood looking for shiny objects to steal.

The things she spoke most of were her bird-watching adventures. She had a great window seat at her table where many birds came to visit. The past few years she has seen wild birds diminishing and local sparrows taking over. “Dumb brown birds”, she called them.

One sparrow she talked about fondly was a fox sparrow, she named Foxy. This particular bird was off its beaten path for the 17 years it came to visit every winter. Although a member of Audubon, she didn’t want to advertise the presence of this bird too much as it would bring a lot of unwanted traffic that may scare Foxy off. This bird was spotted and photographed by a local Audubon member so she and he knew that she had the real deal right in her back yard.

At the end of winter last year she felt that Foxy had been taken by one of the hawks that also frequented the neighborhood. Before that though, I had happened to take one of the last pictures of him. After she felt that he was truly gone I framed that picture and gave it to her for her birthday. I saw the tears in her eyes and knew we had connected.

Occasionally in the past Foxy had traveled with another fox sparrow and Bebe had hoped that this other one would come back this past winter. We both watched as the weather became cooler. One day he appeared in late fall. She was so excited that she would have another fox sparrow visiting for many years to come. This one she named Smudge as the dark spot on his chest was slightly smudged as if someone has smeared a freshly painted spot.

Now, I am the opposite of a professional birder. I throw out bread on the lawn; no elaborate feeding station for me. But this winter I went a little further and threw some seed out on a covered patio. It was a rough winter and even the ‘dumb brown birds’ needed food.

One morning I was up early and looked out and saw a solitary bird, darker in color, larger, stripes on its chest, with that unmistakable dark spot where the stripes meet.

“No way”, I thought. It can’t be; a fox sparrow visiting a non birder, eating my meager offerings from my patio floor? But yes it was, right there in front of me. I grabbed my camera and took the best picture I could. I looked for him again in the evening as is their trait, to come in early and late in the day. He came back! I took more pictures. I needed proof before I took my speculations to Bebe. I brought my camera to her house and could hardly contain my excitement as I explained what I saw. I put the camera in front of her and as I zoomed in on the bird in the dark background I saw her face begin to light up.

“You got one!” She exclaimed.

The day was sparked with excited talk of this little bird. She seemed to think that possibly there was more than one fox sparrow visiting our area which was a good sign for the species. But personally I liked to think that we were sharing the same bird and that he followed me home because of our connection over him. I made two batches of suet this past winter to make sure our fox had plenty to eat. All winter long we talked about our mutual visits and I saw him as often at her house as I did at mine. It was like we had a little secret between us.

My husband and daughter even got caught up in the excitement of our new friend. Every day they would ask “Did you see the fox?” We took turns peeking out the window as not to disturb him. And my day felt complete if I had at least one sighting of him a day.

You just never know what kind of a connection you will find with a person and what joy that can bring both of you. I miss his visits now as spring is approaching and he left a few weeks ago.

But if I am lucky, next winter Bebe and I will be watching together for the return of Our Bird.

Self Help

2008-04-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

There are books upon books on self help. You could probably find enough that if you stacked them up 20 feel square it would be taller than the Empire State Building.

These self help books are a good concept. If you read the information they provide, you will be taught how to help yourself to all your desires.

Let’s take a closer look at the word S E L F. It pertains to ownership of individuality. Now, lets look at the word H E L P. It means to receive assistance when someone gives it. What all of this is missing is the concept of improvement.

Instead of self help, let’s go with self improvement, such as improve your attitude, work on your ego, work on your self esteem, etc. That’s what the concept would be, self improvement. Because when you self help, what you are saying to the Creator’s Universe is that you don’t want any assistance.

Fore I say unto you, whenever you say self help; you leave out the most important part. And that is allowing help and assistance from the Greatest helper of all.

So my children, don’t self help; improve self.

Where Would You Look?

2007-12-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been reminiscing about my grandfather and all of the lessons he taught me. The funny thing is, I don’t even think he was aware that he was doing it. It wasn’t until much later in life that I became aware of what was being taught.

For instance, one warm day in Santa Cruz, California, I was helping him out in the fields near his property. With the neighbor’s permission, his plan was to expand the size of his field and add more crops. Back then a handshake and a gentlemen’s agreement is all that was needed to use each other’s land.

There I was, his proud assistant and like all assistants (especially grandchildren), I was sent to ‘go-fer’ this or that. This particular day he wanted me to go to the tool shed and bring back a certain tool. He needed a scythe, which was a long-handled implement with a curved blade used for cutting tall grass or grain.

I’m standing in the tool shed looking everywhere for that scythe. As does a typical child I yelled out “I can’t find it.”

He yells back in Italian “è là dentro,” translated as “It’s in there.”

I hollered out again, “I don’t see it.”

At this point I think he became irritated with his little assistant. He came into the shed and exclaimed “Antony!” in his best broken English and waving his arms wildly, “You look uppa here, it’s a notta uppa in de air. Aye yi yi, you no looka in the right place.” He continued to rant “You notta find anyting on lessa you looka where it is down here, notta up dare.”

Yes, back when I was young Italian was our main language, even for me. Whether he spoke good English or not I think I got the picture that day.

With his help I finally found the tool. We both headed back out into the field where he showed me how to use it working with long smooth strokes close to the ground. I worked until sundown. What an accomplishment for a young boy.

As I continue to reminisce I wonder if as adults, sometimes we look in the wrong place for our own tools; such as talent, self-esteem and even love. Are we generally looking around high and low to see where our tools are, only to find that they’re not there?

Maybe we should be looking within ourselves for the tools to bring our attributes out, instead of way up on the top shelf of the tool shed.

God and the Universe gave each and every one of us something very unique and special like no one else has. Our perception of who we are lies within. If we keep looking for it in other places, we won’t find it.

The Prize Isn’t Always in the Bottom of the Box

2007-09-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

How many of you can remember when you were a kid and looked for that proverbial prize in the box of cereal? I can remember when I was about 8 years old, I asked my mom to buy me a certain cereal because it sponsored Flash Gordon. It’s possible that many of you younger readers don’t have a clue who Flash Gordon was. Flash Gordon was an invincible super-hero who crusaded for good deeds in outer space.

At any rate, my mom bought the cereal for me mainly because I wanted the prize that came with it. The prize was a Flash Gordon Super Vision Shield. It was an amber colored pair of goggles.

However, in order to get to the prize I had to pour the entire box of cereal out because it was at the bottom. I didn’t dare think of eating my way to the prize because I was too impatient. Yes, I wanted to be like Flash Gordon! Once that shield came pouring out from the bottom I put it on and I felt invincible like my favorite super hero. I wore it everywhere my mom and I went. I even tried to wear it to school but the teachers didn’t want a super-hero flying around the playground.

Over the years there were other neat prizes from many different brands of cereal, but I was never really interested in the cereal, only the prize. In my defense, I could say, “But I was only a kid and didn’t know any better.”

When you think about it; life itself can be like a box of cereal. Even as adults we keep looking for that proverbial prize which we’ll go to all costs to obtain. Just think about what we do at times. We get greedy and pushy just to obtain what we think is the prize.

If you happen to have a box of cereal that has a prize in it, what would you do? Would you throw it away just to get to the prize? Unfortunately there are times we don’t consider our friendships or other people’s feelings.

Try to look at it from a different perspective. Wouldn’t it be better to enjoy the journey along the way? In other words, don’t be impatient and pour the cereal out of the box. That will only spoil the real meaning of the prize. Savor what you have and be grateful. I guarantee your prize will appear, without having to push others out of the way to get it.

© Tony Masiello 2006

My One Year Anniversay with Blogspot and how YOU can benefit

2007-08-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't posted in awhile and also discovered that September marks the one year anniversary of my blog. I appreciate everyone who has stopped by and thank those that left thoughtful comments.

I wanted to do something special to mark this anniversary so I have decided to reduce the cost of my one hour intuitive consultations by $25.00. My fee for a one hour consultation is $100.00 so that is quite a special for you. If you want to read more about how I do my readings, hop over to Universal Insight to find out. I am going to run this special for the entire month of September and it doesn't matter if I have read for you or not. I welcome all to take me up on my offer.

My wife wants to keep me busy because out daughter is heading back to school (7th grade) next week and she knows I will be moping around the house ;-) We've had a great summer and I will miss her. So give me a call and keep me busy so I will stay out of Denise's hair.

The Future of the New Earth

2007-07-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

I recently read a new ebook by my friend Jason Randhawa, titled The Future of the New Earth.

I have known Jason for over a year now and have watched this young man grow as he first started his website, What is Metaphysics? His never ending desire to help others with their quest for spiritual awareness made him the perfect person to write this ebook.

Jason has gathered many authors together to give their interpretation on the transformation taking place which will lead us to the New Earth. The Earth is changing, and as an integral part of nature, humanity must evolve too. The New Earth Transformation is really the next step in the evolution of mankind. But instead of a shift in the physical characteristics of our species, this is a shift in consciousness. This E-Book contains practical guidelines for awakening and information on how to move into the new level of consciousness available to mankind…The New Earth.

He asked each author the same 3 questions,
1. What, specifically, do I need to know about the New Earth?
2. What is the single most important thing I can I do now to prepare/take part in the Spiritual Awakening?
3. Can you give me a brief timeline of the events leading up to the Spiritual
Awakening?

You might think that the authors give the same pat answer to the questions. Not so. There is a wide spectrum of ideas offered by the authors. These ideas range from the Spiritual and scientific, to the practical. You are then free to absorb what feels right to you. Whatever you believe though, you will come away from this book with more awareness to your surroundings.

You can read more about the New Earth by reading the testimonials and the FAQ page. Go see for yourself what others are saying about Jason's new book.

Congratulations to Faith

2007-06-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, but you will have to indulge me for one more day. Our daughter just graduated from 6th Grade this week. She also received a 4.0, Perfect Attendance Award, Student Council Award of Merit, Citizenship Award and the President's Award for Educational Excellence. Gee, can you tell that I am a proud Papa?

I remember how small she was when we brought her home and how we applauded all of the milestones in her life; Crawling, Teething, Walking, the first time to use the Big Girl Potty and then starting school.

We have pictures from her first day of Kindergarten. She wasn't even as tall as the fence! They looked too small to be in school. I'm sure I will feel the same way when she enters Jr. High and even High School. But Denise and I will still be behind her, applauding all of her milestones and we'll be just as proud as we were when she had all of her other 'firsts'.

We Love you Faith........

Happy Birthday to Denise!

2007-06-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

I want to publicly say Happy Birthday to my Dear Wife Denise. I actually did remember it this year ;-). It has been forgotten a few times over the years, with my sons' graduations and the many swim meets I attended with my youngest son. Now, at least I have our daughter to help remind me.

I'm sure you've heard the term, "Behind every man is a good woman". There are many variations but it still has the same meaning and truth behind it.

Denise has always stood beside me and acted as the "woman" behind the scenes. She is generally shy and says she likes it there. But I know she misses out on some accolades that should be directed at her, for making me look good.

She has been my business partner since about 1988 when I had my first business. She did the scheduling, billing, taxes and whatever else that was needed to run a successful business. When that business ended she was behind me all the way to help get my ebook, Whispers from the Universe out there. She built that website for me, plus Universal Insight, and everything she does it self taught. I guess that's what impresses me about her. She just picks up on something and figures it out until she gets it. I am very humble when I say that I wouldn't be anywhere without her.

So, to my beautiful wife, I want to say thank you for all that you have done--and still do for me.

I LOVE YOU!

Stand Tall Like the Sunflower

2007-05-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact in our awareness.

My wife, daughter, and I moved into our home nine years ago and we spent a lot of time and energy in the yard to get it looking like it does today. We live on a corner, higher than street level, and the entire side of the yard in encased by a professionally built rock wall. The front of the house though is another story because instead of a wall along the sidewalk the rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry to finish.

We did the best we could with what we had to work with and called this area our ‘rock garden’. Whenever we had left over flowers or plants, Denise or I would stick them out front, just to bring some color to the area.

I still do all of my own yard work, even the dreaded weed-pulling. After putting on my knee pads I assume the position to clear the yard of weeds, even in the rock garden.

Last summer I had reached the end of the rock garden and found a tiny little plant that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise claimed that she didn’t either. We decided to let it continue growing until we could figure out what it was.

Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the mystery plant, it appeared to be a Sunflower. It was spindly looking with a tall skinny stalk and only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something unusual. The Sunflower had not started where I saw the stalk begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.

That’s when I realized that if a tiny little Sunflower didn’t let a big rock stand it its way of developing, we too have the capability of doing the same thing. Once our environment begins to see that we believe in ourselves like that little Sunflower, we can attain the same nourishment and nurturing as well.

First, we need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the capabilities in achieving our desires. Like the Sunflower, it knew it had the capability to overcome its obstacle because it trusted in the Universal Truth and had faith it would succeed.

Stand tall like the Sunflower and be proud of who and what you are and the environment will begin to support you. You will find a way to go under or around your big obstacle in order to reach your desires.

In This Corner.....

2007-05-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes our existence can seem like a spectacular boxing match--the Main Event. It can either just be starting or has been on-going for quite some time. Let’s illustrate.

In this corner, weighing in with the weight of the world, and always looking for a challenger—LIFE. Its opponent, always looking for a fight, a struggle, making things worse than what they are, is—YOU.

For you see, we become our own opponent, our own challenger. Your perspective is what makes it feel like a boxing match inside you. Let’s not turn against ourselves. Let’s not become our own opponent. OK, in essence get out of your own way. Rely more on the universal nature to be your inner guidance.

Fore I say unto you, the more you keep attending your own boxing match and do not follow the Spirit within, you will never feel you are the Champ, or peace within yourself. So my children don’t be a boxer and beat yourself up.

Digging for Gold

2007-04-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

When I was a young boy in Santa Cruz, California I used to help my grandfather in the fields by his home. This was not his land but back in those days it was not unusual to barter with the neighbors to work it for them so he could grow the vegetables that he loved. He would then share them with the neighbor for payment. He grew corn, beans, peas, zucchini, cucumbers and garlic. And nobody could grow bigger dahlias than my grandfather.

As I worked along side him he used to love to tell this story of a man named Giuseppe (Joe) and his wife who moved to a new farm with their three sons. They were settling into the new community when a nearby farmer told Joe that there was gold in the dirt of his new property. Joe took that statement as that there was actual gold in the land. He thought to himself “I have three healthy sons, I’ll tell them about it.” Indeed he told his sons that there was gold to be found in their new property. Needless to say his sons actually took charge of their personal enterprise right on their own land. They had visions of what they would do when they found gold. Each son had a different vision. For as young as they were, they set up quite a professional approach in the digging for gold.

They began in one corner with a certain width and kept going until they got to the end. Once they got to the property line they would start another swath and go back the other direction. They began to realize that digging for gold was fun! This procedure went on for about six months and they still weren’t through going through the whole property.

Meanwhile Joe thought he would plant some crops in the area where the dirt had been turned thoroughly. He planted corn, tomatoes, potatoes and onions. His sons continued to dig through the soil, determined to find gold. As more dirt was available, Joe planted more crops. An interesting point here is that Joe had never farmed before but it had always been a dream of his to do so.

As each different crop became ready to be harvested Joe started to realize that there was more than he and his family could ever eat. One of Joe’s neighbors suggested that he set up a vegetable stand. Joe and his wife did that very thing. They called it Joe and Family Vegetables. Joe even had to leave some crops on the ground because he had more than enough to meet the demands at the vegetable stand.

What were Joe’s sons doing in the meantime? They were still working the land even after they had finished the entire parcel. They started once again in the original corner, working in the leftover plant material while they were still on their quest to find gold.

This process went on for years and Joe and his wife became quite wealthy from their little vegetable stand. They were even able to send their sons off to college simply because they wanted to find gold.

Remember at the beginning of the story when Joe was told by his new neighbor that there was gold in the land? Well, the truth is, Joe’s understanding of the English language was less than perfect. His new neighbor friend actually told him that his land had rich soil. So you can see where the concept of gold came in.

Did Joe’s sons become slaves to the digging? No, they were inspired because they had visions of what money could do for them and did not focus on the money itself.

Is there a way we can take this story to a higher level? Yes, the Universe provides us opportunity and sometimes dangles the carrot to inspire us. In essence, Joe’s sons were inspired with the possibility of finding gold in the soil. Some of you I’m sure will draw your own meaning, but here is one to consider. Go out and pretend that there is gold in all your challenges and setbacks so that you can be inspired to motivate yourself to allow the Universe to provide all that you need and then some. The Universe will never give up on you, if you never give up on yourself.

An Island with Friends

2007-03-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Do you sometimes feel like you are an Island with no inhabitants? By that I mean, that it feels like no one wants to be around you for whatever reason.

Also you may feel at times that you have no one to turn to, to talk to, or listen to you.

Well, believe it or not you really are not alone. It only appears to you that way. For you see you have friends all around you and of course, your Mightiest friend is always near you.

In the physical world they can’t be seen or heard. However if you were to get still and go within you would be able to feel them around you, along with the Mightiest friend of all.

For I say unto you, visit your friends that are always there; even at those times when you feel like an Island.

So my children, it’s OK to visit what others can’t see or hear when you are looking for a friend.

DeeJazz

2007-02-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

I told you that I was going to receive a CD by singer DeeJazz and let you know what I thought. This CD is good on so many level. First of all, it's mostly Jazz, which is one of my favorite music genre's. But with her voice she could sing anything. Her voice is smooth and beautiful. Her songs do not just move you, but they lift you up so high with her inspirational and motivational words.

Both this CD and her sister Hattie's book, Messages to Awaken yourSelf are great alone, but much more powerful together. They compliment each other beautifully, just as these sisters do. It was an honor to read and listen to both of them and I thank them for their messages within.

Why Wait?

2007-02-11T16:18:00.000-08:00

One summer, about thirty years ago when I was 29 years old I came face to face with the unknown. As most 29 year old men I felt like I was invincible, that I was King of my own domain. Although I had the usual colds or occasional flu I always bounced back quickly. I considered myself healthy and strong.

However, over that summer I began to feel something strange taking place within my body. I had started feeling very tired. After about three weeks of this I was concerned that I was not getting over it as quickly as usual. Then the constant fevers started and after getting a glimpse of myself in a mirror I was surprised by what I saw. I am full blooded Italian and have always had that olive “always tan” complexion. But when I looked in the mirror I saw a sickly yellow/green face instead.

I was known as a self-motivator and self-employment seemed to work best for me. I owned a mobile billing service and always took the responsibility of providing for my first wife and two young sons. Even though I was feeling worse as the days went by, I still had to adhere to my schedule to service my customers.

While at church one Sunday, a friend who happened to be a doctor came up to me and said “Tony, you don’t look well.” I replied back “I don’t feel well.” He knew that it wasn’t like me to say something like that. My friend convinced me to make an appointment at his office to find out what was going on. The following week in his office he examined my spleen and liver. He said I needed to have some kind of scan. He set up the appointment for the next day. A few days after the scan my test results came back and he said they were inconclusive. In other words, not enough information was found to determine the cause of my illness.

Doctors are trained to investigate the worst and hope for the best. Needless to say my doctor friend became very frustrated. He referred me to a specialist, known as a hematologist, (someone who studies blood and how it relates to disease). My friend, Dr. Dave Wyatt gave me the number of the specialist, Dr. Robert Laugen.

By the time I made the appointment with Dr. Laugen I was really feeling weak and my complexion was looking worse. I went in for my first appointment. Dr. Laugen hit me with a barrage of questions. He was looking at the possibility that it might have something to do with my work. He was concerned that the material I used had somehow entered my body and become toxic. He began to draw my blood and in the first test run he couldn’t find anything abnormal. I had to go back every day for two weeks to have my blood drawn. I began to feel like a pin cushion, first one arm, then the other. And in that time I really felt like I was going to die.

I still continued to work, though. My office where I did my paperwork was in the basement. It got to the point where I went up and down the stairs on my hands and knees.

A couple of days before my last scheduled appointment I went into the office and Dr. Laugen said “A light bulb went off in my head last night!” He said “I realized your ancestry came from the Mediterranean plus the fact you are a full Italian gave me the suspicion you might have Thalassemia.” He took a sample of my blood and put it under the microscope and sure enough, it matched with the picture in his resource journal. He explained to me what Thalassemia was. It was a rare Mediterranean blood disorder, one in which the red blood cells have less rounded ones. I have plenty of red blood cells but I have more flat cells than round ones. And that’s where the fatigue fit in; flatter cells are unable to carry the needed oxygen properly throughout my body.

He said that in his research he discovered that my ancestors kept the strain going because it appeared to them that those who had it were able to ward off the malaria outbreaks. But there was insufficient data to back this up at the time. Dr. Laugen came up with a hypothesis that possibly a mosquito had bit me and it may have been carrying the Malaria toxin although malaria did not show in any of my lab work.

Again, another doctor became frustrated by not knowing what my illness was, or how to treat it. He said it would be about four days before he could research this further. Four more days of waiting…and suffering. I felt like my days on Earth were almost at an end.

Two days later I was lying in bed. My wife told me I was burning up with fever and suggested I go down to the basement where it was cooler. It was a hot summer evening and because we didn’t have any air conditioning in our house, she did not have to tell me twice. It was a chore for me to do so but I made it to the downstairs TV room. There was a full size mattress on the floor where my boys often lay and watch TV.

I flopped myself down on that mattress and couldn’t move. The fever just wouldn’t let up. I was scared and started to cry. I finally let go and cried for God to take over because I had done everything I could. I felt like a baby crying himself to sleep. I must have fallen into a deep sleep because I had a dream that I was surrounded with what appeared to be bright white figures. I was raised up and I felt my fever vanish.

When I woke up I had to use the restroom, which unfortunately, was upstairs. I noticed I was able to walk up the stairs normally and I didn’t feel as feverish. I also was curious enough to look in the mirror and my complexion looked normal!

I still kept that appointment with Dr. Laugen on the forth day. When he saw me his jaw dropped to the floor with amazement. “Honestly,” he told me, “I was ready to give up hope because I really couldn’t pinpoint what you had wrong except your Thalassemia and I thought you were going to die.”

He took one last blood sample and the next day he called me and said that he wasn’t surprised but again—nothing was found. I never had to go back for any more blood tests after that and I began living my life as I had before, but with one exception.

The exception was that I had felt like I had been through a re-birth. I felt very different because in the past I had some abandonment issues that I hadn’t fully solved. When I was 12 years old I lost my mom to cancer. I had a father but only knew of him through a few pictures. Nobody would even let me talk about him. About seven years later I lost my Grandparents. I had lost my family nucleus and needless to say I went from an angry child to an angry adult.

Not only did I feel hatred towards the world, but towards God too. I felt the world and God owed me something for having taken so much away from me. I now had trouble trusting because how could I have faith in a God that had abandoned me? And even though I went to church I was still bitter and thought I had to control everything because I was the only one I could have faith in anymore.

But that night when I finally let go and had faith to turn my illness over to a higher power I realized that I didn’t have to be sick to be able to do that.

It is never too late to give up control of issues that you are holding onto. Why wait?

Book Review

2007-01-28T15:26:00.000-08:00

My wife Denise just finished the most amazing e-book. She has been corresponding with the author, Hattie Pembrook. The title of her e-book is, Messages to Awaken yourSelf .

According to Denise, Hattie's book is a cross between Angelic Guidance and good old-fashioned Grandmotherly advice. She found something to relate to in every chapter. The way Hattie adds her personal stories in the book, I'm sure you will relate too. Denise found the entire book very enjoyable, personable and full of inspirational thoughts.

You can learn about her sister DeeJazz, musical artist, on her website also. They are a dynamic duo and their mutual love and admiration for each other shines through. DeeJazz has kindly offered her CD to Denise and I so when it arrives, I will give you my thoughts on it.

So run on over to Hattie's place and you'll be glad you did.

Escape

2007-01-26T19:48:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself sitting in your easy chair watching TV or reading a book and feeling relaxed? Then all of a sudden out of nowhere this awful feeling comes over you and you start to feel guilty.

Those who are looking for work will especially have this feeling come over them. Probably we were told when growing up that it’s not proper to sit idle when there is no money coming in.

It is OK to be concerned and it’s also OK to relax and escape the pressure of life. For you see, to escape and read a good book or watch a good TV program is necessary for your brain to have down time.

It is at these times that God whispers to you with ideas and possibilities for you to explore their potential. Sometimes this also occurs when you go for walks or exercise.

For I say unto you, take the time to escape because you are not really escaping; you are connecting to the Source.

So my children, escape.

What is Metaphysics?

2007-01-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a little girl, we shall call her Faith. Little Faith was able to do extraordinary things of what she thought was normal.

For example, one day out in her back yard she clapped her hands and thunder was heard from above, when there were no clouds in the sky. Another example is when she laid her hands on a cat that was hit by a vehicle and according to reports, had saved its life.

Was she different than other children her age? She was asked one day by a grown up “What do you want to be when you grow up”? Her answer was “I want to be someone that studies things outside ourselves”.

Could she have meant Metaphysics? Metaphysics is truly a study of things that occur outside ourselves. I’ve been involved with metaphysics for years, way before it became a trendy word. Let’s investigate the word. What does it really mean?

The word metaphysics derives from the Greek language. Meta means after or beyond. Physics means the physical.

In order to keep this in perspective of it true form let’s apply it to where it makes sense and is practical.

A person who studies an area of something that occurs outside ourselves and learns that there is a power greater than we are could be considered a metaphysician. Far too often people misuse the word calling themselves metaphysical when they don’t practice what the meaning implies. Basically one has a need to feel connected to that power from which all things are positive.

Being connected to that Universal power is what makes a person metaphysical. In other words, a person that is metaphysical is someone that has hope, believes, allows, forgives, heals and most important-has faith.

Lo and behold, that little girls name is Faith and she probably didn’t even realize that she already is a person that learns about things that happens outside ourselves, and is letting it channel through.

Be Like a Blade of Grass

2006-11-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

Why don’t you take a deep breath and relax. Imagine yourself like a blade of grass, standing tall and beautiful. Whether you are part of a solitary clump of grass on the side of the road, or one of the many blades of grass on a golf course, or on someone’s front lawn—you are unique and very special.

God takes care of you just as you take care of the blades of grass in your lawn. You rake away the old, dry grass and make room for new ideas to come forth and be used where they are needed.

Let’s take another deep breath. Envision how you are one with God and the Universe, as you inwardly stand tall and beautiful like a blade of grass. Remember, you have the sunshine of God’s love watching over you as you reach up and grow. And if other people try to influence you against the truth and interfere with your growth, like the dry leaves and pine needles that fall on top of the blades of grass, remember that God has given you the power to be free, to be yourself, to be one with the Universe.

You are now at peace, for you can see yourself like a blade of grass. You know the secret of growth and you always stand tall and beautiful.

Thank you, Father

A writing from the ebook "Whispers from the Universe"

What is my purpose and how do I know when I do it?

2006-11-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

At this time it has been a week since I introduced a shortened version of my seminar “Dare Yourself” to a Toastmasters group in a local correction center. I co-facilitate the group with another Toastmasters member. We meet in a room provided by the State operated facility for men that are incarcerated for minor crimes. They could be there anywhere from 1 month to 5 years.

In the middle of my presentation one of the inmates asked me this question, “What is my purpose and how would I know it when I do it”. It was a very profound question in which many of us seemed to be lost in the state of confusion. Keep in mind that these men ended up there because of poor choices they had made along the way of their journey; poor choices without knowing any different.

I pondered for awhile before I answered that gentleman’s question. Here is what came through as I was in Spirit (inspired). People have purpose and conviction mixed up.

When you were born into this life, that was your purpose. There isn’t going to be a lightening bolt come down from the sky and say with a deep voice “John, or Jane, this is what your purpose is supposed to be”. From the time you were born everything you did or do is on purpose.

For example, you eat on purpose to stay alive. You exercise on purpose to stay healthy. You put gas in your car on purpose to get from point A to point B.

There is a misconception about the word purpose. What they are really missing out on in their life is conviction. I tried to help him understand by explaining it this way; when you do something on purpose, it is followed by a result. Conviction is where you take charge of the choices and follow through with your heart. This shows your passion which equals a result----therefore your purpose. Purpose is nothing more than the true result of your conviction.

I'm a Guest Author

2006-11-04T15:30:00.000-08:00

I am currently featured as a guest author on my friend Slade's website, Shift Your Spirit. You can read it here http://sladeroberson.com/spirit-guides/whispers-from-the-universe.html

To get to know Slade better go take a look at his site, he's quite interesting. This is a quote from his site.

"I hear Voices…

In the context of psychic mediumship, the technical term is clairaudient.

On a daily basis, I receive messages, warnings, directives — and generally carry on conversations with — an attending pit crew of entities which are best described as my Spirit Guides and Guardians Angels.

I lovingly refer to them as my god posse; I usually address them collectively as Guardies [short for Guardians]."

He offers Spirit Guide readings, writes thought provoking articles, and has a great newletter available for you to sign up to receive.

So go read my guest article and check out Slade's site.