Although we’re hearing about irrational hate and violence more and more in this country, we never think that it’s going to happen in our own backyard.  Well, this past Saturday, while I was writing on my computer, my husband called me in to our bedroom to see what was on the television.  There, on the TV screen, were the words “active shooter” and the image of the Tree of Life Synagogue, a lovely building that is a couple of blocks from my house which I pass by every day.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, especially as the number of the dead went from an initial report of four people to the final count of eleven dead, six wounded.

These were devout, sweet people, whose lives were taken as they sit in their place of worship, praying to God.  It was unthinkable, and it immediately sent my family and our neighbors into a state of shock.  And they were older individuals — the oldest among them was an amazing 97 years old.  What an unspeakable tragedy.

In the days that followed, we watched the news, attended unity marches, and drove by the synagogue, which was now covered with flowers, memorials and other personal messages to the victims.  Our neighborhood came together as one, decrying the violence and underscoring the need for love and the continuation of our faith — irrespective of our actual religion.  This was always a kind, inclusive community, where Catholic children played with their young Orthodox Jewish neighbors, and everybody accepted each other as they are.  This incredibly sad act of violence actually underscored just how important spirituality is in our lives — how it has the power to bring us together, to share our thoughts, and to heal.

Please join me in praying for those individuals who perished due to this unthinkable act, and for their families and friends, as well as for the policeman, clergy and caregivers who came together to protect and take care of all concerned.

I woke up with a beautiful thought this morning.  As a Catholic, I was raised with the knowledge that I could pray to God and ask for help and guidance with any issues I was having.  This gave me great comfort, especially in times of need.  But, as I got older, I met people who didn’t know that they could pray — perhaps due to their upbringing or a lack of religious instruction.  However, as I was writing my book, I came to realize that even religious people who knew about prayer were limiting their prayer experience.  They knew that they could ask God and the divine for guidance, but they didn’t realize that they could actually receive the answers they were seeking.

Many devout people are also very humble.  And I believe that humility is an incredible virtue, and something that we need more of in today’s world.  However, it’s important not to confuse humility with a lack of self esteem and empowerment.  Some people who pray also think that asking is enough, and that they may not receive an actual “answer,” per se.  “Why would God deign to speak to me?  Who am I to receive such clear guidance?”  But prayer is a two-way street.  Receiving answers and divine guidance are part of the process.

 The gift within us is the ability to access this divine guidance, divine wisdom — in answer to our prayers.  We’ve all heard the wonderful phrase, “Ask and you shall receive.”  But I don’t think that phrase is meant to be taken literally.  If I ask for help with a problem, it doesn’t mean that the problem is going to be instantly solved.  So my inspiration this morning was this: That if we ask for something through prayer, we will receive…the divine guidance we need to resolve the issue in question.

It’s important and good to ask for help and guidance through prayer, but we need to be open and confident in the fact that we will receive wise inspirations and answers by listening to our inner voice.  By listening to our inner voice — and accessing the gift within us — we will be able to get the direction we need to fulfill the intention of that prayer, and to resolve the issues at hand.

My story about psychic artists is currently being featured in a special issue of New Dawn Magazine, a leading spiritual magazine which is based in Australia.  It’s a pleasure to have my writing featured in this forward thinking magazine, which often covers thought provoking topics by noted authors from all over the world.  Here’s a link to the story if you’re interested in learning more about psychic artists — also known as Spirit Artists: http://bit.ly/2ErzDjP

Gary Schwartz, PhD and I had the pleasure of being interviewed on a wonderful radio show called “Conscious Talk Radio” on Wednesday, February 7th.  Hosted by Brenda Michaels and Rob Spears, the show’s tagline is “Radio That Makes A Difference” and, if you listen to the show, you will understand why this radio show is truly unique and how it does make a difference in the way we view consciousness and reality.  During the interview, I talk about my book, The Gift Within Us, and Gary Schwartz talks about his book Super Synchronicity.  Although our books cover different topic areas, the basic message is that there is a vast universe that offers us tremendous resources, or divine guidance, as I call it — and that we all have the ability to access this abundant wisdom to improve our own lives and the world that we live in.  My thanks to Brenda and Rob for having us on their show, and I hope to have a link to the interview on my website soon.  In the meantime, you can listen to the interview by going on the Conscious Talk Radio website — here is a link to the site:  http://www.conscioustalk.net/

The New Age Journal, one of the leading magazines that cover the topic of intuition, recently published my story about “The Rare — And Fascinating — World Of Spirit Artists.”  In the story, I interview psychic medium Nancy Smith, who can not only communicate with your deceased loved one, but who can draw their portrait as well.  Although I’ve interviewed many psychics and mediums for my book, I’ve never met anyone with this ability.  However, there have been a few other mediums who are “Spirit Artists,” and I mention then in my story as well.  Here’s a link to the story: http://newagejournal.com/2007/the-fascinating-and-rare-world-of-spirit-artists