Difficulties are opportunities to better things,
they are stepping stones to greater experience.
Perhaps some day you will be thankful
for some temporary failure in a particular direction.
When one door closes,
another always opens,
as a natural law it has to be, to balance.

~ Brian Adams (from 'How to Succeed') ~

Life definately has it's ups and downs, natural cycles and rythms. Sometimes it feels like I signed up for a soap-opera style life and when things are seeming to be positive and "good"- something dramatic happens to stir the pot! Today is one of those days where I really need to find my strength and get my ego out of the way so that I can see the situation more clearly.

So, I've been looking for guidance- turning towards inspirational and motivational people and information. I've been posing the question of "How do you find your strength and rise above fears when obstacles arise?" on facebook to more spiritually aware people.
I've found some really intruiging quotes:

Pain by itself is merely pain,
but the experience of pain coupled with an understanding
that the pain serves a worthy purpose is suffering.
Suffering can be endured because there is a reason for it that is worth the effort.
What is more worthy of your pain than the evolution of your soul? ~ Gary Zukav - from "Seat Of The Soul" ~


We definately do seem to experience greater growth, emotionally and spiritually, when we are forced to find out strength and rise above our situation.

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts
and start searching for different ways or truer answers."
~ M. Scott Peck ~

It may also seem that we face similar situations over and over, and this may confuse us. But, some people believe that this happens because we didn't learn our lesson the first time, or that we have another chase to change our stars -

"Trials are but lessons
that you failed to learn,
presented once again.
So, where you made a faulty choice before,
you can now make a better one,
and thus escape all pain
that what you chose before has brought to you."
~ A Course In Miracles ~

I enjoy the quote that I opened this blog entry with. Difficulties are opportunities. They are opportunities to learn, to grow, to change, to discover ourselves and what we are unhappy with about our lives and hopefully in that we see more clearly what it is that we want. We may realize what is worth fighting for and what needs to be let go.

Every end is a beginning and it's all only as difficult as we make it for ourselves.
I pulled 2 angel cards for myself today and they were "SEE ONLY LOVE" and "BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE"

"What appears to be a problem is actually part of your answered prayer" One can only hope! God does work in mysterious ways, thats for certain.

I allow the Universe and God to take this situation, to release the weight on my shoulders, and ask to see only the Love that underlies every situation. I pray for healing and joy that goes beyond my hopes and dreams. I, like everyone else, must "trust in heaven's protection and infinite wisdom to answer your prayer in the best way."

May God Bless you on your journey, May you find the strength you, May you see Heaven's Love and Hea

Wow, I haven't blogged for a while. School, family responsibilities, and sometimes work have kept me busy. But, today I wanted to acknowledge what's going on in the world right now and the power of positive thought.

As everyone knows, Japan has seen some huge changes in the past few days. There is so much news coverage that it is natural to have emotions of fear and sadness during this time. We have to try our best to remember to feed positive energy into this situation, which- like in any situation, will fascilitate healing. Send out your prayers and loving energy to all of the people effected. If it is within your means, then send assistance in the way of donations to organizations that are offering a helping hand. Express gratitude for your life, your family, and your home. Rather than discussing how horrible the situation is, talk in a way that expresses your wishes for healing and stories of survival.

 A huge message here is that Mother Earth is cleansing herself. For too long we have misused the earth and not taken proper care of ourselves or our environments. So, please, remember to do your part in respecting the environment. It is so easily to take things for granted, but situations such as these give us the opportunity to remember just how beautiful, and powerful, the earth is.

If you are experiencing anxieties over apocolyptic images or fears of 2012, then please remember that there is a great influx of positive energy coming our way. The world is indeed changed. An ending is also a beginning and the Universe is ushering in change. Please ask the angels to remove any fears and worries over these changes, and ask them to help you see the light amongst the darkness. Also, question what your purpose at this time is, and remember-

While tragedies appear to "shatter" the World, they actually serve to bring people together.

We are all One, in love and in li