Angel retriever

Do you ever wonder how Higher Forces might work through creatures other than humans?  Animal-assisted therapy reveals some animals develop and exhibit a special intuition.  Something mysterious and delightful could also be going on.

Consider a retired engineer was feeling sorry for himself.  He felt increasingly vulnerable, as he was losing independence.  He was embarassed about repeated angina attacks in public places.  In essence, he was frustrated with his growing lack of control over his life.  His attacks struck him without warning.  His senses were unable to anticipate things.  He had become reactive when he would've preferred to be proactive.  The pain drained his strength, his morale and his outlook. 

After an attack at a dog training seminar where his golden retriever had suddenly urged him to leave the auditorium, a lightbulb went on.  As he proceeded to have an attack, the dog came to his rescue.  He licked his arms and face, and never left the man's side.  As his medication took effect and he slowly recovered, the engineer began to think his precious Dakota was also trying to tell him something.  The man could've sworn the dog's eyes changed color before and after.

He thought back to how this dog would paw at him as he lay on the couch.  At times, the dog would get agitated, as if for no reason.  Minutes later, the man would have an attack and then blame the dog for getting him too excited into a medical emergency.  He was reluctant to give Dakota credit for sensing when these attacks were going to occur.  Animal premonitions?  Could it be more?  The man wasn't religious, but something was intervening.

On another occasion, the man was working at his desk at home, when the typically docile dog pushed his head up the man's arm and onto his leg, causing him to spill al his coffee.  he chose to take medication at that point and go to bed.  He had taken a warning.  Clearly, he wasn't in control, but curiously, it was almost as if the dog was.  He took complete charge, climbing on the bed and looking straight in the owners eyes.  The animal's presence and attention reassured the man.  The dog was so quick to respond.  Perhaps its a special gift?

Seizure alert dogs exhibit classic "alerting" as they sense a person is about to have an epileptic or diabetic emergency.  Yet, these dogs are typically trained to perform a medical partner role. Seeing eye dogs are also rigorously trained to assist the visually-impaired.  This in mind, Dakota was never trained how to alert anyone of a crisis, and was never taught how to sense oncoming heart attacks.  This dog's family line has no history of assisting humans in medical scenarios.  It has emerged as a heavenly calling.   It was Dakota who finally drew a man's attention to the severity of his heart problem.  After 6 years, he's still alive and managing his health more effectively because of his guardian angel retriever.    

What are you waiting for?

Perhaps you feel you need permission from someone to take the next step in your growth process.  What do you feel you must do before you can improve on who you are? You only answer to yourself.  No person is going to give you permission.  This might really be your imagination playing tricks on you to prevent you from getting to what your heart and soul yearn to do for you.

From a young age, maybe you were morbid.  You may have created excuses for why you just refuse to find the time to push a little harder, read a little longer, think a little deeper or go that extra mile to stretch a part of yourself.  Its a matter of deciding that is what you will do. Taking time to build on what you know, to expand on what you see, is like a way to celebrate your life.  You can find numerous ways to express gratitude for being alive, for being here to grow.

You may have experienced people brush you off by saying things like,  "later," "next week," "another time," or even  "someday."  Yet, life teaches you many such supposed postponements just get perpetually postponed.  Its like the avoidance strategy.  How does it make you feel when people give you the cold shoulder?  This treatment may seem to make you feel as if you don't matter, like you aren't a priority or, you aren't worth that person's time. 

Turn the tables and look at you. If you silently tell yourself similar things, like, "I'll get to that personal growth seminar when you get to it," or, "I'll read that new motivational book and get organized when I have time," then what are you really saying about how much you value yourself?  If you refuse to spend time getting to know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses and you're unwilling to work on trouble spots, you will always stay as you always were.  Choose to move ahead instead.

"How much of human life is lost in waiting?" ~Ralph Waldow Emerson 

The Wishing Chair for real!

You may have heard of some unique dreams in your time.  Enid Blyton is the British author who wrote a child's fantasy The Wishing Chair. In case you missed it, this tale is about a flying rocker that was wished to destinations.  But, did you ever know anyone who aspired to travel high into the sky on a regular lawn chair? The weekend of July 7th, this is what really happened.  And no, this really isn't a whopper...

Ken Couch decided to fly this way from Oregon to Idaho.  I'm unsure if he was a boyscout, but he didn't float up unprepared.  He took instruments to measure his altitude and speed, a global positioning system (GPS) device in his pocket, and four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as ballast (he could turn a spigot, release water and rise).  He also took a parachute.  Never can be too careful?   Almost nine hours later, the 47-year-old gas station owner came back to earth in a farmer's field near Union, short of Idaho but over 193 miles from his home.

Couch was inspired by Larry Walters, who, in 1982 rose three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons, just to prove he could. Walters surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair. Walters had to pay a $1,500 fine for violating air traffic rules.  Would you say this leisure activity is for those as crazy as the birds?

As it happened, this was Couch's second flight.  Back in September 2006, he had a trial run where he floated off the ground for six hours.  Modeling Walters, Couch used a B-B gun to pop the balloons, but he went into a rapid descent and eventually parachuted to safety.  Apparently, that experience wasn't enough for the thrill-seeker that dreamt about a far more challenging dream. 

He clocked a time of ~25 miles an hour.  Below him, a three-car caravan filled with friends, family and the dog followed him and watched his peaceful journey in awe.  He said later he could hear them from his serene vantage point.  He made a wish to reach safety and, it worked!

When he decided to land, he popped enough balloons to set the craft down.  He only suffered minor rope burns. Yet, after he jumped out, the wind unexpectedly grabbed his chair, along with his cam recorder, and the remaining balloons and swept them away. He's hoping to get them back.  If by chance you know anyone who saw a mysterious lawn chair floating along videotaping  backyard, or you have any information that could lead to its wherabouts, do let Ken know.  Although people in planes and control towers filmed some of his record-breaking flight, he likely captured the most incredible footage himself! If only he could find it?

His wife hasn't decided if she'll accompany him next time. And yes, he's already suggesting there will be a next time, destination to-be-determined.  It may depend if he can rig a floating love seat? Now, if you had the choice, would this adventure interest you, to be swept away on a lazy afternoon?

Sir Arthur, the Spiritualist?

Despite the apparently curious and fantastic dreams and claims of spiritual mediums and Spiritualists, many well-known writers embraced a level of truth in such beliefs. This may not seem so difficult to believe. Writers and artists have historically been associated with the esoteric. Their creative minds think -out-of-the-box' or go against the grain of the status quo.

Consider Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He devised the logical and rational Sherlock Holmes detective. Holmes became a respected novelist and committed Spiritualist who believed in connections to "The Other Side." He participated in seances and incorporated his spiritual beliefs into some of his many best-selling books.  Doyle was adamant about focusing on concepts that redirect attention from materialism. The famous character Sherlock Holmes himself questions the existence of the soul.

At the base of all this is a fundamental question: why would we desire a religion we can prove if the point of religions appears to be to shroud human existence in perpetual mystery?

"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." -Oscar Wilde

"Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed.  What would be left to strive for if everything were known?" -Charles de Lint

Apparitions, hallucinations or prophecy?

According to some people, near-death experience (NDE) only provides superficial insight into what its like to die. These people argue NDE doesn't prove life after death exists because the survivor hasn't actually died with a sense of finality. The supposed survivors are back with us in physical form, as if nothing happened, even if they claim it did. The concepts of life reviews and conversations with the technically- dead don't appear overly convincing. Skeptics point to the possibility of daydreams, hallucinations and unresolved conflicts or emotions with the deceased.

Believers in life beyond the grave point out that where they live life to the fullest, they don't fear death and don't always consciously invite supranatural visitors. Many NDE survivors aren't necessarily believers before their experience. Ask Dannion Brinkley. He claims to have died and returned from NDEs twice in his book, Saved by the Light.This is but one of many accounts which reveal another take.

Are believers simply sucked into a world they envision? or something they might hope to (re)experience themselves?

Religion is the human response to being alive and having to die.
-E. Forrester Church