Thankful For The Darkness

There are times in life where it doesn't rain but it pours. My life in recent weeks has reflected this as I struggle with my mom's approaching heart surgery, my husband's health problems, my oldest son's wedding, car problems, etc. It seems as though everything in my life has culminated in one perfect storm and I am at a loss with how to cope with it all. That said, this morning as I sit in quiet meditation I am thankful for the darkness that surrounds me.

I have survived a lot of perfect storms in my life. I was saved from a cult that blinded me when I was a young adult seeking truth. I lived through a very painful episode where my first daughter died less than a day after her birth. I was terribly broken and drained from my first marriage and subsequent divorce--so much so it took almost ten years to restore myself to some degree of normalcy. The turn of events I now find myself in is not exceptional as far as my life goes.

The thing is, all these major challenges in my life have done amazing things for me. The cult experience taught me that I am indeed directly connected to God/Source and I need to rely on that connection for my answers and guidance instead of on what other people tell me. The death of my infant daughter taught me how to be compassionate in the face of blinding loss. The demise of my first marriage and subsequent rebuilding of myself from the ground up taught me what my strengths and weaknesses are and what I deserve and don't deserve from life. Yes, the pain from all these events was significant, but in process I was able to overcome major obstacles. This is where the most powerful growth comes from. As difficult as these situations were, they changed me in very positive ways. I will never be the same and I am blessed because of it.

As I sit, wondering where my life is going to go from here, I am reassured there is light somewhere around the corner. Great darkness brings powerful change (and ironically, I have been praying for powerful change to come into my life). It appears it is indeed time for me to move into the next phase of my earthly existence.

Great change is the result of weathering great difficulties. It is darkness that prompts a person to make the changes necessary to forge a new life path. Darkness always precedes the light. Although I am in the midst of the darkness, I am thankful. I know I am experiencing a very powerful growth process, and this knowing brings me peace.

~CSE

  

    

Are You Ready For The Changes

There is a situation that has affected a number of my old high school friends involving a church and its pastor. The pastor of this megachurch has effectively been fired because of problems with alcoholism. If this is his only problem, it makes me a little sad. What strikes me with even greater force, however, is the thought that this is just the beginning. We are entering a time in history when our problems are going to be unveiled at a much more rapid pace. I feel it important to ask you this question: are you ready for the changes?

Our world is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. We live in a very false world--one where great evil lurks behind a facade of sunshine and goodness. As a conspiracy theorist, I have been dealing with such revelations for several years and have had time to adjust to the process. The thing is, understanding the world is not what you thought it was has big consequences. For me personally, it began a process where my whole world crumbled before my eyes. Nothing was "real" anymore as I began to understand the depth of the deception. I have literally had to rebuild my world from the ground up, and that has not been an easy process. It has taken years for me to feel like I have a firm foundation to stand on once again.

I do believe there is a benefit to some of us taking this journey before the majority of people on the planet. Because we understand the process and know where we stand, we can act as anchors for the rest of humanity when the big chips begin to fall. Conspiracy theorists are here to help keep people calm and focused on the solutions. 

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a huge calling. Even those of us who believe we know a lot more than the average person are going to be shocked at times. There are going to be moments when the raging storms will threaten to unmoor us. Still, if we are able to hang in there with a vision of what our world could become, we will be okay. We will make our world beautiful again!

Hold on tight, folks. It's about to get really stormy. Have you made the preparations necessary so that you will remain standing in the end?

~CSE

      

Riding Out The Storm

Today's energies are strange and intense. Several people I know are being struck with severe medical issues. Politics are beginning to take a very odd and interesting turn. Above the surface we understand there are problems. Below the surface, the vast majority of people are asking questions about the very information they have avoided for many years. All of this signals a time of great change. We are in the midst of a worldwide storm.

Almost everything in our world needs to be changed. There is far too much poverty. Far too much hunger. Far too much violence. Far too much war. Far too much disease. There is far too much pain in general, and the problem with that is our hearts tell us it does not have to be this way. Our hearts understand there are better ways of doing things.

Riding out the storm effectively requires us to spend time in prayer and meditation. It requires us to connect with those deep places in our hearts where the answers reside. There is a great need to see beyond the lies we accept as truths. These are the very lies the foundations of our world were built on and are now falling apart in the storm.

Storms are a cleansing process. They wash away filth. They clear the air. They tear down structures that are falling apart and in need of repair. While we mourn for what is lost, many times we are able to build something much more beautiful and lasting than what we had before because we are not limited to the same old useless and tired structures.

We are powerful beyond measure! Now is the time to gain courage! While we may struggle now, it will not last. Kicking and screaming aside, struggle is what transitions us to the next phase of life!  

I wish I could say it was going to get better before it gets worse. I believe our world will continue to be chaotic for a long time. What I can say is this: riding out the storm is a process of refinement where we learn what we are made of. Settle in and be patient. The storm will not last, and we will be ready to rebuild when the time comes.

~CSE

Thankful In the Storm

Storms. They are part of our lives, whether we want them to be or not. Most days the storms are not so bad and we get through them quickly and easily. Less often the storms are terrible. They may bring thunder and lightning and strong winds and last for days and even years. We question how we are able to survive, let alone do it with the ease and grace of thankfulness. Thankful is the last thing we want to be when we are in the middle of the terror. 

In our anger and frustration, we often ask how a supposedly loving God could allow such things to happen to us. It doesn't seem right that a being who holds unconditional love and great power would let us go through such hardships. Let me say this clearly: it isn't about God bringing or allowing terrible things to happen to us. Storms are there because we have energy issues we personally need to resolve. We bring the storms on ourselves.

At their core, the storms of life are spiritual issues. Spiritual problems can manifest in infinite ways. One person may come down with a physical illness, like cancer in themselves or a loved one. Another may be constantly broke or even become homeless. Still others deal with mental illness or other chronic conditions over long periods of time. The key here is to recognize there is something in the background that has brought the storm on. Storms are the physical manifestations of the underlying spiritual problem.

How do we fix the underlying (and unrecognized) spiritual problems? We ask questions!!! I usually begin with, "What am I supposed to be learning from this situation?" or "What do I need to become aware of?" Then I will ask for help in some form I will recognize--either a teacher of the information I need to know or several people/situations that all point toward the same idea (many people call these things "coincidences"). Understand that asking questions is key to figuring out what is causing the storm.

As you begin to work through the underlying issue, the storms will begin to lift and even pass. Once the storm is finally over, it becomes easy to look back and see the progress made. You begin to understand that your greatest lessons and accomplishments have all taken place because of theses storms. This is how people can be thankful in the storm! 

People who are thankful in the storm are thankful because they understand that past storms have changed them in profound ways. They appreciate the acquired strength and growth they received. They know the present storm can also contain a blessing, even when they cannot see it. Thankful people are thankful because they know what storms are designed to do--help us resolve our own inner issues.

The next time you find yourself in the middle of chaos, understand the Universe is conspiring to wake you up to who you can become. Be thankful for the opportunity to become better. Acknowledge the necessary change, and make it happen!!!

~CSE