My Foster Boy!

So I think I might have mentioned somewhere (like somewhere around *here*) that I think we have multiple ghosts in the house.  One of them made an appearance last night.  There is no question who this one is....

Here....let me introduce you to him....

Everyone...this is one of my babies.  His name is Foster.  Unfortunately we had to put him to sleep May 20, 2009, after he got seriously ill with diabetes.  He was diagnosed and within 2 weeks he had to put him down.  Every once in a while he makes an appearance around the house.

Last night I had come out to the living room to give DH a kiss goodnight, the lights were out in the living room, the light in our bedroom was on, and all other cats were accounted for.  In fact, when I first saw him walk across the room, I thought it was actually one of the other cats, but he was already passed out on the bed in the bedroom.

Nothing exciting he was just walking across the floor like I've seen him do hundreds of times when he was alive.  He's been around a lot though since he crossed...

Generally it's just seeing him out of the corner of my eye, but I've also caught him sitting in his favorite window watching the goings on outside just like he did when he was alive. 

Also, I wash laundry every Sunday, and he always used to help me with it.  Anytime I got up to go change the laundry around he always came in with me.  One day a couple of weeks ago I was in there doing what needs to be done in order to keep the laundry moving and I saw him again, and without thinking started talking to him.  =)  Talk about habit! =)  Probably a good thing that DH wasn't in the house at the time.  =)

Weird....as I am sitting here typing I am smelling something...almost like fresh cut flowers, but more specifically a certain kind of flower that I can't put my finger on.  Dang it - now this is going to drive me nuts!  *sigh*  If I have a sudden revelation I'll make another post.

Anywho...that was the latest experience!  Short and sweet...just like my Foster baby  =)

Jewell

Intolerance pisses me off

Ok, so intolerance pisses me off.  I have to say I am human, I have been known to be intolerant (not to be confused with impatient which is something I still haven't managed to get complete control over) a time or two as I've grown older.  Yet, the older I get the less intolerant I find myself becoming.  Maybe it's because I find myself learning that the whole world isn't black and white...it really is a myriad of color and chaos and wonder and and and and....{insert your adjective(s) of choice here}    I am learning that I am willing to listen, to learn a different way of thinking.  I may not agree with it, I may not choose to adopt your belief structure into my life, but I am willing to be respectful of you and of it.

And still Monday morning I woke up to read a relatively short post by a Christian of a different blog who basically said that I am wrong.  What I believe is wrong.  Really?  When did this person become the God he claims to follow and bow to?  Who is he to judge whether I am right or wrong in what I believe?   What makes what the writer believes any more right than I do?

This has *always* been a huge issue (when it comes to religion) for me.  I grew up in a house that had no religion (and really no spirituality to speak of).  That's not to say that neither of my parents didn't have religion in their lives as they grew up, they just didn't bring it into our house.  There were still the prayers before every meal anytime we were with family, but in our house it was every man for himself and if you were late in getting to the table - scraps was your dinner.

Instead, I find that I was blessed with the fact that I was left to sort things out on my own.  I am pretty sure that, while I have spent part of my life searching, one thing I have learned is that I have a mind of my own (just ask DH) and I am pretty capable at compiling my own thoughts on my life and my beliefs without anyone trying to convince me any different.

Just to give you a quick overview on what I've come up with at this point in my journey...

1 - I am more capable of having what I consider to be a religious experience by sitting outside and listening to the birds, to watching nature grow and develop, to die and come back to life....to see a cycle that is pure and not reliant on the hand of man to for it's continuity.

2 - I don't need a building that is bigger than my house to worship to a power greater than myself.

3 - I don't need to donate money to a group of people or religion.  DH has his own theories on why people tithe(is that even the right word, I don't have the slightest idea)  in church, but personally I don't understand it.  They do understand that the money doesn't really go to God Himself, right?

4 - I believe in ghosts, I believe in reincarnation, I believe that you can communicate with those that have crossed over, I believe in multiple levels of spiritual progression that goes beyond life, death, the angels, God, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.......

5 - I don't believe that I need to have a special place in the ground with a rock with my name on it to show that I had lived.  I believe that if I lived my life the way I should - people will remember me with or without the rock.  Why take away from nature to have an outdoor morgue?  Burn me, throw me into the wind, and let me return to nature's cycle...

6 - I believe that this world (for all it's good and bad), this universe, this galaxy is entirely too big, too beautiful and too diverse that credit for it's creation can be given to one single entity, let alone created in a lowly 7 days.  Who's to say that every God(s) and Goddess(es) of every religion and faith weren't a part of its creation?  Not to mention who's to say that Darwinism isn't right to some extent as well?

I don't seriously get the all or nothing mentality of religion.  Tolerance and respect seem to be a couple of the basic tenets of most religions...and yet why is it that from one religion to another, from one religious person to one spiritual person, from one straight person to a gay person, from a person of one color to a person of any other color, or from one man to one woman can't there be some willingness to learn, to respect, to be tolerant of the beliefs of another?  To know that everyone has the basic right to believe what they believe, to live their lives in a way that is happy, healthy, and productive to society?

Always and respectfully....

Jewell  =)

I know there was some mention....

Ok, I know I might have kinda sorta, maybe, mentioned somewhere that there was going to be some journeying along with me on my road to trying to develop my ability to become a medium.  =)  Well, I am going to be getting started on that this week. I've kind of been hemming and hawing over the thought of sharing those types of experiences "out loud" (so to speak)....as I've stumbled through this blog I've gotten a little more comfortable so we'll see how it goes.

I have read A LOT of books over the years on how to do begin doing this, most of them haven't really been worth the $$ for the paper the words were printed on.  I did read some that were ok, they maybe had good exercises, but the overall message of the book fell short.  However, there is one book that I absolutely connected with.  It's called  So you want to be a Medium: A Down to Earth Guide It is well written, and in a voice that is very comfortable and likeable, almost like she is there with you.  It is absolutely the best book I have read to date on the subject, at least for me anyway, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone that is interested in developing these abilities for themselves.

I remember that as I read the first time she had me thinking about different topics, so I might reference the book again in a post down the road if I am prompted by a thought after doing some reading!

I am going to start re-reading it again this week and  working on the exercises that she gives as I go along.  I will issue updates on what I might experience as I go.  At this point I don't know how often the updates are going to be, because I suspect that it will be a slow start (to say the least).  I am thinking weekly is most probable, but if exciting stuff happens more often I will post more often!  =)

Who knows, maybe as I go I'll finally get some introductions to the ghost(s) sharing the house with us!  =)

Sleep well friends...

Jewell

Note:  I do not know Rose Vanden Eynden, I am in no way affiliated with her, her book, her businesses, her publisher, or anything else related to her.  Comments about her book are my opinions only and I am in no way being compensated for promoting her book.