“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Just as the sky reflections are mirrored in the water, our perception of knowing is being reflected back to us in order to question our integrity. As no two sunsets are the same, we are being asked to move beyond our familiar ways of thinking on the linear plane and move into a multi-dimensional existence. In order to take these new quantum leaps of faith, our familiar way of doing things is being asked to transform every day. This means that how we may do something one day will not be the same as the next. As our whole world is changing and evolving so rapidly, so will our response one day will be different from the next. This is not to be termed as being inconsistent. However, it is learning how to soar from one experience to the next as life is no longer linear in living, thinking and actions; we are now living in a circular multi-level existence, where timelines are occurring simultaneously.
“God will supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory.”
Philippians 4:19
Like the various hues and reflections in the evening sky at Highland Lake, the peace of God washes over your soul. Timelessness is evident in the ever-changing weather patterns, color configurations within the sky, smoothness to waves of the lake and season changes from the trees. Time stands still in enormous pockets of peaceful awareness as the vibration and energy present speaks volumes to the depths of ones body, mind and soul. Feeling connected to the magical wonder of the lake, she speaks ever so softly to a place deep within about inner tranquility only apparent when one quiets the mind and listens with the heart.
“Whoever knocks persistently, ends by entering.”
Ali
And so I speak about the miraculous beauty surrounding us and ask that these precious moments we are so blessed to experience be treasured in our hearts now and always. For by asking you receive and by receiving you may find and by knocking the door will be opened up to you, when it is time. Timing, that is, and patience are the final factors necessary in creating miracles. You must be still and they will appear everywhere! And so it is.
“Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it.”
“It is good to have an end to journey towards; But it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
LeGuin
On this day, May 20, 1961 my parents, John V. Marchell and Connie A. Mitchell were married. It was a bittersweet wedding for my mom’s father, G. Clifford Mitchell, had passed from a heart attack less than a month prior to their wedding date. Their love for me is crystal clear as I was the honeymoon baby. Dad would often say to me that I was a ‘much loved child.’
I do believe that Grandpa Cliff’s Spirit has been with me always, as he was a graphic artist who, at an early age, was asked to work for Walt Disney. He declined the offer and went into business for himself with many of his creative works promoting IBM in their beginning stages with their first place of operation located in Endicott, New York.
So on this day, I honor my parents unconditional love and everlasting guidance still evident miraculously in my life as love transcends our human understanding. It is through building a firm foundation by focusing on the gift of union which makes the relationship stronger and resilient to withstand any storm. With the extraordinary gift of a once in a lifetime love, one hundred percent belief, trust and faith in one another with open heart awareness; together the two open their arms wide to embrace the unknown.
As their hearts joined together pictured in the glowing setting sunset clouds, I know that their gift of new beginnings is approaching for me as their message permeates my soul.
“It’s time to unite your hearts, for together your energies combined are magnetic, magical and infinite in their abilities to manifest miracles.”
Mom and Dad
“One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore.”
From Chert Dog’s perspective, “Doghead is pretty easy to learn, you just have to speak from your heart.” This velvety Black with Chocolate accents English Labrador Retriever came…
“Delicately we breathe in the crisp air and splendid colors washing over our souls in magical bliss.”
L.D. Marchell
“Oh to be as content as a cat; Meditative purring and soothing at that!”
L.D. Marchell
“The conscious pause, observing. The ripples flow in soft rhythms. Alignment.”
Lisa Ann Carucci Lash
“Stabbing, swirling, rapidly rushing; Carrying us ever swiftly to a new dimension. One must be open to allowing the seasons of life.”
L.D. Marchell
“When the Holy Spirit lays something in your heart, move without hesitation. You have no idea who may be depending on your immediate obedience.”
The Word For The Day
“So ever softly whispers ring; Across the timelines loved ones sing. Showering blessings bountiful store; Imagining these precious ones; Is what conscious awareness is for.”
“We know that God is everywhere; but certainly we feel His presence most when His works are on the grandest scale spread before us; and it is in the unclouded night-sky, where His worlds wheel their silent course, that we read clearest His infinitude, His omnipotence, His omnipresence.”
Charlotte Bronte
“I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.”
Charlotte Bronte
“You know full well as I do the value of sisters’ affections: There is nothing like it in the world.”
Charlotte Bronte
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
Charlotte Bronte
“Life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.”
Charlotte Bronte
“I believe in some blending of hope and sunshine sweetening the worst lots. I believe that this life is not all; neither the beginning nor the end. I believe while I tremble; I trust while I weep.”
Charlotte Bronte
“Better to be without logic than without feeling.”
Charlotte Bronte
“Cheerfulness, it would appear, is a matter which depends fully as much on the state of things within, as on the state of things without and around us.”
Charlotte Bronte
“Men judge us by the success of our efforts. God looks at the efforts themselves.”
Charlotte Bronte
“If you are cast in a different mold to the majority, it is no merit of yours; nature did it.”
“Novelists should never allow themselves to weary of the study of real life.”
Charlotte Bronte
“I would always rather be happy than dignified.”
Charlotte Bronte
“Crying does not indicate that you are weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you are alive!”
Charlotte Bronte
“I would always rather be happy than dignified.”
Charlotte Bronte
“Enjoy the blessings Heaven bestows, Assist his friends, forgive his foes; Trust God, and keep his statutes still, Upright and firm, through good and ill; Thankful for all that God has given, Fixing his firmest hopes on heaven; Knowing that earthly joys decay, But hoping through the darkest day.”
“No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.”
William Penn
The above photograph was taken of my grandfather, G. Clifford Mitchell with my mom, Connie A. (Mitchell) Marchell, on his return from surviving a ‘million dollar’ wound while serving our country at The Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Some of you have read postings about Grandma Marge whose first husband was G. Clifford Mitchell. This first year without Grandma with us, I planted her favorite flowers, red geraniums, at their memorial stone. Looking around I saw volunteers with little American Flags being placed alongside a majority of the stones at Calvary Cemetery.
In honor of all the men and women who serve and have given their lives for the gift of our freedom, it is a time of deep reflection for the many sacrifices made by the bravery of those who committed to serve The United States of America. Many families experience great challenges by being separated from their loved ones when they are called to serve their country in the military. And some are called to make the ultimate sacrifice. We have so very much to be indebted to these selfless individuals who believe in this great gift they provide for our country.
Let us hope that there will someday be a time where we will no longer require to fight for our freedom but to be able to cooperate and collaborate with one another. I suppose that is what the new heaven and new earth are all about, where the lion lies down with the lamb and peace reigns supremely across the lands.
“We shall find peace. We shall hear the angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.”
Brrrrr, is it ever cold and windy from this high vantage point! All I can remember, really, is somebody took me for a long car ride and when the vehicle finally stopped, I was thrown out of it into a very dark and scary night. I am so thankful that I have excellent night vision because it helped me negotiate my unfamiliar surroundings. The side of the country road had pieces of rock salt which went in between my “20 paws and 22 claws” and I let out a squeak as I attempted to find some soft snow to wash away the sting. Yep, I was born with five toes on each of my paws and two extra claws which are located nicely between my “thumb” and four toes on my front two legs. Do you think THAT is the reason why they left me here? I know I have really big paws, but that’s what makes me unique!
Then, this really LOUD truck went chu-chugging along by where I had been soaking my paws and the bright headlights startled me as I ran away from the roadside into the pitch blackness of the slopping field below. There were rocks and clumps of snow together with prickly bushes and a barbed wire fence. Somehow I negotiated through the midnight maize towards some dried grass and welcoming brush. This seemed like a reasonable spot to take a rest for a bit, or so I thought. All of a sudden, some type of wild animal came out of the blindness of the night running right towards me! I must say my heart skipped quite a few beats as it felt as if it had jumped up into my throat as I sped towards the closest tree I could find. I climbed up as high as I could because I am still very young and don’t weigh very much yet so the very tiny limbs can support me.
Well, do you remember me telling you about how many toes I have? Now I know why God equipped me with such gargantuan paws. For what seemed to be an eternity for me, I held onto those fragile branches atop that big old oak tree. The wind picked up and the tree began to sway in the wind as I trembled and clung even tighter to the tiny branches. Then, the sun began to rise up over the hilltop as the sunlight shed some warmth on my nearly frozen body. Some chickadees flew up to see me as they sang their morning tunes. In different circumstances, I would have been dashing after THEM up the tree, but in my current situation, I was gladdened by their company.
Once the sunshine began to allow me to see my predicament more clearly, I literally wanted to take my one paw and place it up over my eyes in disbelief. What in heaven’s name was I going to do to get myself out of this situation? I had climbed so far up this friendly oak that my only solution would be to attempt to turn around and climb DOWN the tree. That’s about when the hypothermia began to set in. I hadn’t slept all night. I was hungry and dehydrated so I did what any logical person would do in a similar situation – I began to cry. What happened, though, is that I couldn’t stop crying. I’m sure you’ve heard this expression before: HAULT – don’t let yourself get too hungry, too angry, too lonely or too tired. Well, I had reached full-tilt on all four of those topics and then some!
As I cried deliriously, the most amazingly wonderful thing happened! A woman had been walking alongside the road and heard my calls. She climbed over the barbed wire fence and was underneath the tree looking up and talking to me. When I finally took a few deep breaths and subsided my almost hiccup crying reaction I was having, she began walking around the bottom of the oak’s trunk as she attempted to climb up a few branches. Then she motioned for me to jump down to a bigger limb which was quite a caper from my perspective. I just couldn’t let go. She then climbed back down the tree and went on her knees and prayed. Now, these past twenty-four hours have really encompassed the full spectrum of emotions for me, to say the least. Here I was last night being discarded by someone who didn’t appreciate me to this gal who not only tried to climb the tree to get me, but is now praying for me?
That was the “ah, ha” moment for me as I took my “first of many quantum leap of faith” to a lower limb and my enormous claws and paws grabbed onto the tree’s bark firmly. She encouraged me as I knew I would have to jump one more time before she could climb up to reach me. So, I literally closed my eyes when I sprang the second time and landed on the side of the trunk with pieces of the oak’s rough outer layers and small branches falling away. It was then that I truly learned what unconditional love really is. As she reached for me, I felt this amazing calmness come over me because I knew I had been saved.
Enveloped in her comforting and warm embrace, she wrapped her rainbow-hued fluffy yarn scarf around me and held firmly onto my paws else I decide to spring out of her arms. At this point, that was the last thing on my mind! Trembling and exhausted, I kept dozing off on our walk down the road and up the hill to where her home was nestled. As we approached our destination, a neighbor met us and offered a few cat toys, litter box and comforted me as I welcomed her kind words.
When we walked down the driveway to her home, a loud ruckus of several dogheads barking startled me as I almost sprang out of her grasp. Gladly, these friendly but very talkative neighbor’s pets were contained in a large fence surrounding their property. Whew, thank goodness for that! I’m sure they are friendly as they were my older brother’s girlfriends, but just the same, I am a kitten – not a doghead.
Sylvester came into my life Thanksgiving weekend while my brother and I were playing catch football outside. He was still a kitten, but determined to make his home were I lived. From the beginning, I could see that Sylvester didn’t know he was a cat because he believed in himself and that he could do anything that he set his mind to.
From “flying” from the back deck to the birch tree, wading in the steam alongside the property, “pointing” at pheasants in the brush, jumping to turn the light switch on or just climbing as high as he could go, he made certain that his message to me was clear – stand your ground, listen to your heart and follow your dreams.
The above video was a weekend project many years ago with friends as Sylvester was filmed doing somersaults, or the Slovak term, “koperdonitz” as Grandma Marge would call them. (Found on YouTube). After a weekend of filming, he decides that he isn’t interested in somersaulting anymore and lets me know it on the last clip! My first encounter with this acrobatic ability occurred as he somersaulted into his food dish one day! He brought much joy and laughter into my life and his message of believing in myself has resurfaced once again as a reminder to be true to my God-given gifts, talents and abilities and to somersault joyously through life!
“All you birds of the air, Bless the Lord; Praise and exalt Him forever.”
Daniel 4:80
On this Mother’s Day, Grandma Marge will be flying around as a hummingbird in her angelic realm for certain! The above painting of a hummingbird in acrylic I painted on one of her party dresses and used the beaded hemline to create a border around it. She was so thrilled when I brought it for her to see, and am so very thankful for the time I spent with her throughout my life! But especially during the time from when my Mom passed and I moved back to New York from California. Our relationship merged into that of Grandmother/Mother and Granddaughter/Daughter. It is these memories that are cherished in my heart for always!!!
I was with her a few hours before she passed. It was the Feast Day of The Blessed Mother’s Assumption. During that most sacred time, she emphatically asked me to put her “poppuchies” on now (slippers in Slovak), put a hat on her head now and she wanted to sit in her chair as if to wait for the angels to come to carry her home! When she had spoken with Father Tim earlier that week, she said that she just wanted to go home and be with Jesus, her best friend! I recall the gathering of birds that flew by me that evening, their haunting calls were not of common birds. As some of you have read from my previous postings, Grandma gave me a gift of spiritual stigmata on my left hand the following day of her passing and it disappeared when I brought her rose embellished urn vase to her resting place at Calvary Cemetery seven days later.
In memory of her unconditional love and forgiveness, I am posting a short video of her singing at United Methodist Homes accompanied by Ralph with his harmonica. She sings “You Belong to Me, Now and For Always.” Ya Ti Muc Muc Muc Lubiem Starinka!!!
“All things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”
Matthew 21:22
As an Artist, Pianist and a Creative Life Coach, I am continually opening myself up to a variety of inspirational experiences to expand my horizons. Tofino Photography has brought a whole new perspective to my landscape, seascape and wildlife palette’s perspective! The pristine, untouched captivating beauty of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada is a kaleidoscope of color full of richness, solitude and preserved nature.
This oil painting is an interpretation of “Romeo’s Sunset Rapture”¹ with similar composition, texture and colors, yet allowing for the essence of deeper hues intrinsic to the moment captured in timelessness to be preserved. Through these splashes of vibrancy, frequency and light, our spirits quantumly soar!
“This is the mastery that is inside the DNA…of love, unity and peace…For when the DNA is working at 100%, you have the empowerment of the Creator fully manifested within…The efficiency factor is not chemical, but informational. It’s about multidimensional energy…not chemistry.”²
Nature is our truest guide in learning regarding matters of the heart.
“…Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud…
It does not hold grudges, and will not notice when others do it wrong…it rejoices whenever truth wins out…”
The seasons teach us the various wonders of our own symphony of life.
“…When you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him…”
Bleeding love into its very essence, blooming into a joyous rhapsody.
“…Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now…”
Delicately displayed, the heart is either embraced or crushed, so let us love and forgive one another in order to live in joy and peace.
“…There are three things that remain – Faith, Hope and Love – and the greatest of these is Love.”
There is a favorite saying from the Law of Attraction which states “No amount of action can compensate for misaligned energy.” Potent statement which reveals the vital importance of inner clearing, aligning, strengthening and empowering to connect with all that is, our purest relationship with God, Source, Love, Light, Peace, Joy to embody the music of our heart. This moment captured in time conveys the rainbow loving energy of God’s Love embracing, surrounding and flowing from within, the softness of angelic whispers blowing through Dad’s Crimson Kind Maple, the fragrance of roses, the taste of fresh, crisp enlivening air, the harmonics of birds singing and the inner knowing of an incredible monumental moment where the saturation of joyousness shown through to remind us of how loved we are. This was my first experience of transcending the linear to embody the infinite. I even had an orb caught on my face! This digital age has allowed for things which were not seen but felt to now being revealed.
If faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen (Hebrews 1:11), why are we “seeing” and “hearing” amazing colors, bell-tones and applying quantum leaps of faith now more than ever? Sometimes we just have to have faith, trust and patience in the process of our new journey to living in peace, where the lion lies down with the lamb. It is time. Grandma Marge would say in Slovak “uj moy dost” or “uj je ches.” Sometimes, we just have to believe.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord…”plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
