Thing Are Not Always What They Seem

I like this story and I hope you will too.
Lionel
Two travelling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,

“Things aren't always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could she have let this happen? "The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die."

“Things aren't always what they seem,” the older angel replied.

“When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it.”

“Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem.”

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until sometime later...

On Death and Love - Red Cloud

In the 1930's a little lady named Estelle Roberts used to hold thousands of people spellbound in The Royal Albert Hall in London. Why? Because she was the trance medium through whom the spirit of Red Cloud spoke. Once under the control of Red Cloud, this tiny lady filled the vast spaces of the Albert Hall with the deep, masculine voice of this wonderful native American Guide. Here are some of his thoughts on death and love:

Death is not such a bad thing after all. Is it not a blessing in disguise to some? When you look around at humanity suffering in its ignorance, would you not rather think that those you love had passed from a body of suffering into a world of fullness? Or is your love too selfish? With true love it is greater to give than to receive; it is greater to love than to be loved; and it is greater to give a cup of cold water to one who is suffering. That is to know the glory of God.

If you love with an unselfish love, then you have set out to learn the way past death. From whence I come it is not a place of airy clouds. It is not a place of vapour. It is solid, practical and full of common-sense people. If you would only stop for a little while to think of the great plan of the universe, the great plan of the earth, with its beauty and sunsets, and flood of blossom and then realise what Jesus meant when he said, "Eye has not seen nor vision beheld the glories that God has prepared for man."

Do you think the Law that brings you from childhood to full manhood would drop you from a state of manhood to nothing? Is it logical? Of course not. Man does not die. He is indestructible.

Now some of Red Clouds thoughts on the natural world:

"Gaze upon the face of a flower and note its beauty. Inhale the perfume which rises gently to your nostrils. In that moment of silent admiration you reach God's garden and your spiritual home. For home with God can only be in beauty, whatever way you seek it. Perhaps you will find it on a summer's evening as you gaze across the sky, the sun setting in its beauteous colourings and the gentle moon rising. Your heart and soul with wonderment are filled with the beauty of God's kingdom and its blessing. Thus you find inspiration, for you are awakening and sensing God."

Taken from "Red Cloud Speaks." With grateful thanks to Tudor Press (London)

What is Love?

Here is a poem I found in a little book called "Reasons Why." I think it is lovely. It was written by M.L. Bromfield. Enjoy, Lionel


At child stood at its mother's knee,
And in a voice so clear
He said, "Mother, what is love?
I do so want to hear,
We are told to love each other,
But I just don't understand,
I cannot see or hear it
Nor catch it in my hand."

The mother looked kindly on her child,
Whom she held very dear,
And told him very gently
The thing he wished to hear.
"Love isn't very hard to find,
It's around us every day.
It's in every single deed we do
At work, at home or play."

"For when you visit Grandma,
She greets you with a kiss
And gives you cakes and chocolate,
Which to you is bliss.
But she is trying to show you
How very much she cares,
And that's what love is all about,
An open heart that shares."

"It's in giving and receiving,
In thought and word and deed,
It's the helping hand to others
Whenever they're in need.
And when you meet a lonely soul
Who has lost someone so dear,
Give them a little of your time
And lend a kindly ear."

"And so my son, as you grow up,
And walk on life's highway,
I trust you'll keep the memory
Of what I've said today,
And you will truly be a man
Of whom God will be proud,
And I will too, because you see
You'll stand out in a crowd."

M.L. Bromfield

The Shadow & The Reality

The following is a brief extract from an introduction by the Rev. George Daisley to a book called "More Alive Than Ever," the story of her daughter Karen who passed to spirit from cancer in her twenties by Jeanne Walker. George Daisley was invited to write the introduction because it was through his mediumship that Karen first communicated. It is an excellent exposition of the Spiritualist truth that earth is the shadow and the spirit world is the substance. For those living in the USA, you may be lucky enough to get the opportunity to watch the TV Documentary "Always Karen" which is repeated from time to time and is based on the first book about Karen's conversations from the world of the spirit.

"Prevalent ideas picture death as an end in itself and the severance forever from those we love. This is a very poor conception indeed of Creation and, so far as Christian thought and teaching are concerned, it shows an utter failure to evaluate Christ's answer to the penitent thief, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

Rebirth into a world of spirit is clearly shown as the birthright of every living soul and it is in no way conditional upon religious beliefs or personalities.

Both saint and sinner went to the same place in spirit from the "cross." What Christ referred to as paradise, is better known to students of metaphysics as "The Astral" and it is important that I write something about it. It is that area of life eternal in which, sooner or later, we shall all find ourselves. It interpenetrates the earth with all the atomic vibrations that go in to making up our physical planet; it is a duplicate of the earth - but without the environmental desecration. What I am saying is that all the continents of the earth, its rivers, mountains, places and every form of nature we know is reflected in the astral. While this may seem incredible, it is only further proof that truth is stranger than fiction and is a much more logical interpretation of creation and death than is currently thought.

The basic difference between earth and the spirit world is vibrational. We cannot see into the afterlife with physical vision because its rate of vibrations is too high but the world of spirit can discern all that goes on here; so those interested in a particular area of earth - home and loved ones for instance - can keep themselves informed. They are aided further because we of earth exist in "duplicate," a fact of which most are ignorant despite the fact that St. Paul said to the Corinthians that we have not only our physical frame but also a spirit body that carries its own illumination, known as the aura. "There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:44)

Because our thoughts are, to the world of the spirit as objective as is speech to us on earth, Karen (the subject of the book) was also able to listen in to what her parents were thinking. The careful reader will observe time and again that the author found her daughter giving the answer that complemented questing thoughts. It is most essential that I make clear at once the fact that although Karen knew what her parents were thinking, her thoughts were on a closed circuit, so to speak. Thus privacy was maintained.

Karen says that all on the other side of life are young. This is true; age is restricted to the physical body, which is burned or otherwise obliterated when it ceases to house the living spirit. This withdraws in its spirit body to the world of spirit where it manifests as a mature being if it has had a long enough earth life. If it was a young life, it grows over the years to maturity and schooling forms part of the growing process."

Where There’s a Will …

Spirit will invariably find a way to communicate where the need is urgent – even if no medium is present. The following is a true story that happened to a Methodist Minister some years ago:

The minister was sitting alone in his study one night when he heard the doorbell ring. Going to the door he found standing there a young woman whom he knew fairly well. She was from a village some five miles away. The village was in an adjoining Methodist Circuit from which the minister had moved some sixteen months before.

“Good evening,” she cried, “I expect you have forgotten me but I have come on a very urgent errand. My father is dying. He never attended church much, but once or twice when you were in the Circuit we persuaded him to hear you preach. I do wish you would come and pray with him before he passes away”.

“I will come at once,” replied the minister. Putting on his hat and coat and taking an umbrella from the stand, he set off in the pouring rain on a five mile walk accompanied by the young woman.

On his arrival at the house, the wife welcomed him warmly. “Oh, how good of you to come,” she said, “But how did you know my husband was passing away?”

“Your daughter came for me,” he replied, with some surprise at the question. It was the woman’s turn to be surprised now.

“Come upstairs at once,” she said, “And we will talk afterwards.”

The minister went to the bedside of the dying man, spoke to him and prayed with him. Shortly afterwards, the end came. Turning to the woman who was now a widow, he asked where the daughter was, for he had not seen her again since they entered the house. The woman replied,

“I was surprised when you came to the door this evening and I asked you who told you that my husband was dying. You said that my daughter called and that you had come out together. You have not heard then that my daughter died a year ago?”
Now the minister was astonished indeed. “Dead!” he exclaimed, “She came to my door, rang the bell and walked out here with me.”

“Love conquers all!”

The Bliss of Solitude

“For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon the inner eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”


In this way, William Wordsworth concluded what is probably his best known poem. Recalling those lines sets me to thinking about solitude and its attractions, particularly to artistic people and religious thinkers.

What can possibly be blissful about being alone? Many people today seem to fear being alone almost more than anything else. Is this not reflected by the almost constant need many young people find for loud music, by the abhorrence shown by couples at the prospect of one of them being left alone on the death or disappearance of the other, or the fear demonstrated by so many at the prospect of a “lonely old age”?

All such fears are understandable for Man is a gregarious creature and being deprived of social contact for lengthy periods can have unfortunate psychological and physical effects on most people. It is not by chance that ‘solitary confinement’ is one of the most feared punishments in prison. Why should it be that solitude, feared by so many, is at the same time prized as a pearl of great price by the great artists, thinkers and philosophers of the world? Could it be that solitude and loneliness are not synonymous? Is being alone different from being lonely?

Have you never taken a walk in the country on a fresh, spring day and felt the inexplicable joy that steals over you and eventually fills you with such ecstasy that you feel you want to shout out loud and tell all the world how wonderful you feel? Is this feeling not more intense when you are alone? This is the bliss of solitude. Have you never sat quietly at home and allowed your mind to wander hither and thither and suddenly found yourself reliving the joy and happiness of an event in your childhood? This is the bliss of solitude. We can each recall instances similar to those I am sure and so accept that bliss can be discovered in solitude but why should this be so?

As well as being a social creature, Man is also a spirit. It is essential for our health and well-being that our physical and spiritual natures are in harmony with one another. To achieve this, time and effort have to be devoted to feeding and exercising both. Essential elements in satisfying our physical nature are the love and companionship of other human beings. Indeed these are also helpful to our spiritual side also. By its very nature however, the spirit needs to turn away from more physical, earthly things from time to time in order to seek sustenance: to recharge its batteries, you might say. This is not to suggest that un-worldliness is a desirable aim. On the contrary, as spiritual beings each of us chooses to dwell on earth just because meeting and overcoming the trials and temptations of this life provide unique opportunities to refine our spiritual nature. Nevertheless, periodically we are well advised to expose our spirit selves to a more rarefied atmosphere. To do this, we need to be alone – not lonely. Indeed loneliness, which is a state of mind we impose upon ourselves, is a barrier to true solitude.

The power of the spirit is within everything we see around us and the spirits of our departed loved ones both human and animal are only a whisper away. In solitude, the spirit within each one of us is enabled to reach out, to touch and to respond to this power which is the very essence of life. So complex is our makeup that the intensity of our response is bound to vary but when that real “we,” deep within us, truly touches the great source of all life – the light of the world – then do we experience in full, the bliss of solitude.

Our World of Illusions

The following is a quotation from "Song and its Fountains" by the great Irish mystic George William Russell or "AE".

"I can only speak where I have been faithful. I have never ceased from the inward search and might by that faithfulness have gone far if I had not had a rabble of desires tugging me by the skirts to travel alluring roads in the world of illusion."

And another from "The Candle of Vision":

"We are indeed most miserable when we dream we have no power over circumstance, and I account it the highest wisdom to know this of the living universe, that there is no destiny in it other than that we make ourselves."