Showing posts with label Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirit. Show all posts
October 8, 2024
December 13, 2022
December 6, 2021
Dreaming An Angel
In the dream, I saw a celestial being come to me.
And it was clearly my mom.
She didn't exactly have a physical body, but more like an angel and the manifestation of the spirit I recognized immediately as my mother.
I experienced an unbelievable and overwhelming feeling of missing my mom.
Like the feeling of the last years that I had been holding back suddenly burst forth.
I started crying hysterically how I had missed her and that I was sorry for any way that I may have failed her (and my dad).
She stood completely straight and beautiful like an angel, truly.
And I could feel her love for me and she told me in a soft and genuine voice that "It is okay."
This was not like a regular dream, but completely real in a metaphysical sense, and I not only saw, but also remembered every detail vividly.
Afterwards, I felt immobilized for about 20 minutes; just feeling all the feeling and still seeing it all in my mind's eye.
I was shaken from such a life-changing "dream" and still can't really get over it.
It was wonderful to see my mom and know that she is okay and at peace, and everything is okay.
Thank you G-d for letting me experience this and to connect with my mom once again.
May it be for a blessing for us. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Janbaby at Pixabay)
September 11, 2020
Ghostbusters Mobile
Look what car I found today in Lancaster County.
The Ghostbusters Mobile.
The hood ornament is even a little ghost!
From the looks of the downtown, there very possibly could've been some ghosts around.
Life and death are just a hairbreadth away.
And when you die in one life, you pass over to the next. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 9, 2020
Finding Reality in a Floating Pink Abstract World
But when we return home to our Maker then we'll see beyond time and space what we could never see while we were enveloped in a physical body and a material world. For the spirit survives the life as our L-rd spans infinity and one day too we will rejoin with Him and discover what our eyes could never see and our ears did never hear.
For our heart was hardened of flesh while our soul was molten and deep until eventually we awake from our slumber and find what we always did seek.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 27, 2020
You Can Overcome It!
It says:
Courage is endurance for one moment more.
Just when you feel that you cannot go on for another moment.
Just when you are at your very limit.
Just when you've reached your total breaking point.
Then...
You take that deep breath and focus your mind intently.
You disassociate yourself from the pain and struggle.
You see the challenge in front of you for what it really is and you raise yourself above and beyond it.
Your inner spirit is so much greater than its power over you.
You have the inner faith and can endure whatever it is.
You can overcome it! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 21, 2018
Be Strong!
February 5, 2018
Strong Coffee People
Two arms and a big "A" in the middle.
Need to remain strong despite whatever life throws at us.
So it's not just strong coffee or biceps!
But rather strong character, integrity, spirit, and faith that's really important.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal with compliments to the artist)
December 18, 2017
Shower Us With Peace
A peace of mind, spirit, and body.
A peace that permeates every aspect of our being and knows no limits to time and space.
May You grant us a complete saving and healing.
As threats loom large on the horizon, we look to the Heavens to ask for your merciful saving grace.
Enemies rise against us, and only you can reach down and lift us up.
We stand in your presence, naked and humbled.
As the winds blow and clouds gather, only you can protect and save.
While some men look arrogantly at their own strength and smarts, these are nothing to the Master of the Universe.
G-d uproots the wicked and plants his faithful children in their stead.
Peace is the ultimate blessing, and only G-d can grant it. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 13, 2017
Live 4 Something
On the TV was Sylvester Stallone in the movie, Rambo.
Ah, some nice welcome action to take my mind off the exercise.
Some doctors and missionaries are trying to make their way to to Burma to help the helpless victims being slaughtered by the military warlord and his henchmen.
Stallone knows the danger in going there, and at first, he ties to discourage them from going.
The beautiful and sincere women in the group convinces him to take them there...to try to make a difference in these people's lives who are suffering.
Stallone takes to the lesson and incorporates it into his inner persona.
And later he says:
"Live for something
Or
Die for nothing!"
I thought this was a really good philosophy.
THINK ABOUT IT:
- We can choose to make our lives meaningful and impactful or to hide in the closet or under the bed and really accomplish nothing.
Our lives are a gift, given to us to do something good with--it's a sin to waste that gift and not do everything we can to be a good influence, help others, and make this a better world.
(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
September 5, 2017
The Meaning Of Pain
I spoke with her this evening and she has grown into such a smart, mature, and good person.
We were talking about some hard times.
And she said to me so smartly (and I am so proud of her):
"The reason that we have pain is to avoid more pain."
Wow...think about that for a moment.
Everyone gets physical, emotional, and even spiritual pain in their lives.
Even little things like stubbing your toe, getting a small burn, or a paper cut--these things give you a instant or more of pain...but it jolts you into attention of what to avoid and to action how to protect yourself to prevent further and worse pain down the road.
A little pain now can fortunately save you a lot of pain later!
(Or in the gym they say, "No pain, no gain.")
My father used to say about difficult life lessons:
"Better to cry now than to cry later!"
He was right--bad situations generally don't get better with age.
Continuing the discussion with my lovely daughter tonight, she said to me:
"A person becomes better when they struggle. I've become better by struggling."
Again, like little pains, even larger struggles in life challenge us to learn, grow, and become better and stronger people.
I remember as a kid--when we went through those growth spurts--it would actually hurt a little--some muscle aches here and some cramps there--whew, a few inches taller already.
Growth hurts, but it's kind of a good hurt that only someone with the emotional intelligence to understand maturity and betterment can really grasp.
No, I'm not advocating for self-flagellation--just that we know when pain and struggle is a defining moment in life--like shaping and sharpening a great sword in fierce fire.
It's hot, but the heat is healing and necessary sometimes to grow as human and spiritual beings. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
July 19, 2017
Touched By An Angel
And in the dream, an angel came to me and was over me as I lay down.
The angel had it's finger pointing at my head in the right temple area.
The finger was all white and while I could feel it having a solid state, it was able to pass in a non-solid state, transparently through the surface and slightly into my head.
I felt pressure applied there and almost like a healing feeling.
The angel was pure white--like a holy marble, but not like marble.
It was majestic, slender, and tall.
It had white feathery wings that were taller than it's body.
It's face was like an adult, but also like a child--it was both.
Its feet were like a smooth and solid arch, and did not have toes.
The angel hovered over my upper body, head area, and was looking at me and touching my right temple--with care and love.
It was absolutely clear to me that the angel visiting me was my dear, dear father.
Although, I woke with a slight headache, I felt happy and at great peace by his visit.
The experience was caring, loving, holy and I was uplifted by it.
With his unbelievably pure and giving heart, it was beautiful to see my father as an angel--this was him all along. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 24, 2017
Make The Oy Vey Go Away
This amazing beautiful flower.
Made by G-d Almighty.
See the perfection of the geometry and the shape that springs forth from mother earth.
Open your eyes to the magnificence and brightness of the colors.
Feel in your mind's eye the soft texture of the petals and droplets.
Breath in the smell of freshness and new air into your expanding lungs.
Yes, whatever ails you...
Make this for yourself a renewal of spirit and of flesh. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 22, 2017
Water Cross
The water was on and it was almost like a really high-speed jet jacuzzi.
The cool water was rushing at me and splashing in my face and it was a nice moment of relaxation and feeling of life.
For those who have been to the mikvah, it felt refreshing and like a renewal of spirit.
Just in jest...when I look at this, I can't help noticing that it almost looks like Jesus on the cross.
Except, thank G-d no nails, torture, or Roman Legion involved in this. ;-)
(Source Video: Dannielle Blumenthal)
February 21, 2017
Naked Sitting
This "Big Man" is just sitting in the corner at the top of the escalator.
Sitting naked and looking deep in thought and down on his luck.
In a sense, as we sit or stand in front of our Maker, we are all naked bearing witness to our transgressions and trespasses.
What are we to do when we give in to weakness?
We see people looking around and hoping no one is seeing them as they try to get away with doing the wrong thing.
But as my Oma (grandmother) used to say in German to me:
"Liebe Gott sieht alles"
Almighty G-d sees everything!
Our souls, and the souls of those that came before us, and those that will come after us, are all around us, without limitation to time or space.
Our nakedness is revealed no matter what we use to try to cover up with.
Hunched in the corner, we don't really know what to do, but to try to do better with each and every next time.
We have opportunities to right the wrongs, if we get up and exert self control and overcome our mortal and character weaknesses.
Then our nakedness won't be foul in sight and smell, but will be radiant, with our spirits having risen to the occasion of what we can be as the children of G-d. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 30, 2017
Seeing Your Life Flash B4 Your Eyes
Researchers believe that what you see isn't necessarily in chronological order, rather there is no time or space, and people report that "it all happened at once."
Additionally, people feel the experiences and pain from others' points of view.
It's like a melding of time and space in a single continuum.
This so-called life review experience (LRE) is eye-opening.
It's almost like a G-d's eye view of your life in the world.
In the worst case scenario, what we see at the end is what we failed to see during life--how far wrong we went and how much we hurt others.
If we wait until the end to open our eyes and see what's right in front of us all along, then frankly, it's too late to do anything positive about it.
Maybe you have to come back (reincarnated) for another try to do things better and make things right.
Hopefully, you learned something from this go around so that you are building incrementally and purifying your heart and your soul.
If though life experience, it's ups and downs, and pains and suffering, you still learn nothing...then what you see in the end is your own blindness to the eternal lessons of the omniscient creator--all in 20-20 extra clear hindsight. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 23, 2016
Bird In The Bush
Thought this was an absolutely amazing and spellbinding photo of a bird peeking out from a bush.
I've never actually seen anything like this captured up close like this.
The bird seemed to cooperate.
It reminds me of a baby gestating in it's mother's womb, so content, so sheltered.
Not quite ready to come out into the real world, but snug in place, yet observant.
Too soon to be contemplating next steps in the complex world outside its immediate cozy shelter.
Perhaps, there is a part of us that craves that simplicity, innocence, and existence sheltered from all the bumps and bruises.
Oh, to have such peace of mind and spirit, absent heart-wrenching day-to-day dilemmas we face.
Like a bird nestled in a bush looking out with that simple wonder and purity of life itself.
(Source Photo: The Highly Talented, Rebecca Blumenthal)
October 5, 2015
A Ricksha With A Worthwhile Message
And it carries messages of hope and peace.
Some examples (visible in the photo):
- "Promote the Olympic spirit."
- "Hope for world peace."
- "Protecting mother earth."
It looks like he could be right off the streets of China or something and transported here to deliver and remind us of these important ideas.
What is interesting to me is that in this day and age of social media and online advertising where messages are often drowned out amidst the daily deluge we get, that here a simple ricksha can grab people's attention and perhaps have a positive influence on them.
With just some subtle messaging along the vehicle's canopy and with pictures and flags around the back.
Perhaps it's not only how much one advertises and promotes, but how thought-provoking and novel it's done.
I don't know how many miles this guy can pedal a day, but I bet he gets more likes than much of the garbage just being throw up online because it's so easy and available for everyone to do. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 8, 2015
The Soul Of A Fighter
The boxer against the bright yellow background and wearing red boxing gloves that say "Soul Matters" is striking.
For many year, I had a wonderful Rocky poster with the words, "His whole life was a million to one shot."
I emphathize with and respect the person who has to fight (practically) against all odds to overcome challenges and but through the grace of G-d and a strong fighting spirit goes forward for their chance at success.
It almost doesn't matter whether you (fully) succeed, but rather that you gave it your best shot, fought the good fight, and put your heart and soul into it.
Always do the right thing and pray for the opportunity to make a difference.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 3, 2015
Escalator To Another Time And Place
Does it even look like an escalator anymore--all opened up with it guts hanging out like this.
Anyway after a while, the days turn into weeks, and the weeks into months, and this escalator is still b~r~o~k~e~n!
After a while, you almost start to think that this escalator was never a working one and was always broken, just like this...that time has essentially passed this one by and given up here.
But lo and behold, I was reminded by a conversation today with a good friend that according to quantum physics, time is not linear, but instead all exists simultaneously across the time-space continuum (something like parallel universes).
It was funny, because honestly, I have been thinking this for years (or maybe it was just yesterday or tomorrow) that time is really just an illusion...all time is one. And it's just that our mortal minds need to experience it sequentially.
However to G-d, there is no time or space...it's all just one, and he is one and perfect.
For us though, at least in this universe, this cruddy escalator continues to be out of service, but perhaps in another one, it will be working again...hope, indeed. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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