Believe what you will

History hasn't been able to disprove Jeanne d’Arc's claim that she was contacted by angels. Did Archangel Michael or the Virgin Mary advise her to command the French army? With no military experience, this peasant girl achieved the unthinkable.  Her guidance enabled French generals to liberate her county and cause English invaders to flee.  This conflict had lasted generations.

At age 13, Joan spposedly heard a voice, as if someone spoke in her ear.  She also described a blaze of light. Joan continued to sew and spin as usual, yet she later claimed to receive regular heavenly messages from angelic counselors St. Michael, St. Margaret, St. Catherine, and others.

By age 16, the voices had begun to urge her to find the French Dauphin, Charles, whose armies were waging a losing war against the English for control of France. She actually tried to meet one of Charles’ generals, but she was rudely sent away.  Angelic voices became even more insistent. 

Joan attempted to consult the general. On her way, she received a vision: The French would suffer a major defeat by the English, in the “Battle of the Herrings,” in the town of Orléans. When her prediction materialized, days later, she was able to speak with Charles himself. Her advising enabled French military strategy to evolve. She also fought fearlessly on front lines.

The Church authorities of her era didn't believe she communicated with God, the Virgin Mary or angels.  She refused to recant and prayed. Joan of Arc was eventually burned at the stake.

Joan of Arc's story reveals guardian angels enter our lives to influence our thoughts to help others. Thay may not always protect us from all danger, but they supposedly reveal the will of God. We can benefit from their companionship and assistance when we seek it.  Believe what you will.

Bloody thistles

Garden enthusiasts will tell you fierce weeds would take over if they could.  Some people spray poison to try to keep them at bay.  Other people put on the leather gloves and try to remove them the traditional way---by the roots!  If you've ever tried to remove wild Australian thistles this way, you'd discover gloves don't prevent you from getting splinters or thorns in your fingers.  Come what may, being in the great outdoors contributes to an unmistakable sparkle in your eye.

Similarly, we all go through periods in our lives which relate to grief.  The pain may puncture our hearts like garden thorns puncture our skin.  What's important is to mourn losses completely.  Allow yourself to feel them. Learn to let go of negative energy and not hold onto memories too tightly.  Transitions are natural. You end one chapter and begin another.  It's all part of clearing out your mind, finding sources of balance in life and tending to your backyard garden.  Temporary suffering need not make you bitter and disillusioned.  Instead, you can choose to learn and grow.

Consider the determined sapling that grows up throw a hole in the fence.  This tree refuses to be held back by surrounding thistles which bloody my fingers as I remove them.  What inner forces make it possible for that sapling to learn from and move forward after suffering the thistle invasion?  How can you learn from this resilent sapling instead of choosing to focus on thorns in your sides anda t your feet?

Choose to move forward with determination and resilience.  Prickles come in many forms. They can appear as difficult people, your own stubborness, or unwillingness to change a point of view.  Negativism and criticism might also jab you from outside or inside yourself.  The thorns in your life are actually friendly reminders. Praise yourself and express gratitude for the thorns which enable you to learn about more about yourself. They certainly get your attention. That's progress! 

What do you desire?

Until you arrive at a stage in life where you desire something, then it's difficult to put a plan into action to make it happen. How often do you reflect on things you would like to do or how you might like to change some aspect of your life?

Of course, it's possible you convince yourself that you're quite happy as you are, where you are, and doing exactly what you're doing. Remind yourself that desires aren't always tangible.  They can also closely linked to your feelings, intuition and emotions. You may know people who could benefit from your experiences and lessons learned.  You may wish to share your stories.

Even if you don't focus on character traits you think you can improve on, you may choose to accept a cut in pay, status and geographic location, in order to experience what you imagine would be a more meaningful life. You may find that if you discipline yourself to overlook temptations in your current life, that you will discover a different kind of existence other than where you are. You may know exactly what you desire, but you may not choose to hear the voice inside yourself.

Scalped by a windsurfer

I was truly astonished by a story recounted to me by a man in his mid sixties.  He recalls that during his teenage years, he escaped a brush with death due to the help of a 12 year old girl. 

As it was, he was swimming on a curve in an area where wind was firece and waves were high.  Out of the blue, a windsurfer came flying toward him and the fin of the board scalped his head, leaving him face down in the water and in a terribly weak state.  He's unsure whether the windsurfer himself was oblivious, or had no conscience. He didn't stop or apparently even look back.  On that particular day, the area was essentially void of people. Yet, a twelve year old girl appeared and turned him over before asking her parents nearby to call an ambulance. This is why the scalped man with a scar on his head believes he's alive today to tell his tale. When the paramedics came, the windsurfer was nowhere in sight. He had disappeared, along with the girl.

In this man's mind, angels may appear to us on our own level, as humans, and influence our fate based on quick thinking. Angels may also represent a plausible explanation when no other one will satisfy.  When a mystery bewilders us, the mind still often seeks logical answers.  Yet, a sense of knowing perhaps it wasn't your time to go allows you to believe in the immeasurable.  Once such a rescue is experienced, views of sceptics and their theories will not weaken one's convictions.

Why we always do what we've always done

I know a man who absolutely refuses to wear slippers. Now, he will be quick to complain about cold floors, especially in winter, but this will not cause him to change his ways.  He would rather suffer than accept and adopt a new way of doing things. I find this quite humorous myself.

I laugh at myself in disbelief after I forget to put on sunscreen and come home with a slight burn. At times, I'm simply forgetful, at times I feel cream is unnecessary. Yet, when will I ever learn?

I met a woman who always talked of the boyfriend she really wanted but never had.  She chose to stay home at night after work and didn't go out to give herself a chance to meet anyone.  She never thought changing her homebody habits might be the key to finding the man of her dreams.

The x-husband of a friend always had to be right. It didn't matter whether his ideas made no sense and hisx-wife had good suggestions of proven facts, this man always put her down and refused to admit mistakes or unfounded judgments.

The grandparents of another friend of mine had different ideas about what to do on Sundays.  The grandmother attended church religiously and her husband felt sunday fishing was his religion. He would do just about anything for his wife six days a week but Sundays were reserved for him. They apparently had many debates over their 60 years together, but neither was ever willing to change their Sunday ways. 

I know a girl who would often complain about what she wasn't doing to anyone who would listen. She'd whine about how she could never afford to do certain things, yet she refused to make any effort to earn some money.  She preferred to gripe as she lived off the dole. She knew no other way and wasn't willing to be taught.

I have known a few bosses who believed in the tall poppy syndrome. They weren't happy when an enthusiastic new employee made extra effort to raise the standards and satisfy clients.  These bosses did what they could to rid themselves of the employees and make their lives miserable. The bosses' insecurities caused them to bully people when they really didn't feel good inside.  Since they refused to admit they felt underappreciated, their low self-esteem bottomed out.

Why is it your partner is always late? The person may plan ahead and you may still anticipate he or she will be late for their funeral. Do you think the person wonders why you're so punctual?

In some ways, we're all creatures of habit. Consider where and when you refuse to compromise or make changes in your life. Are you really better off being so stubborn? In many cases, you'd be better off learning to be more flexible. You might be surprised at the power you have to live a more rewarding life.  If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've already got, and you'll always be wherre you've been before without incentive to do any more.