Dear Friends,

Today is PAY IT FORWARD DAY. Please read the delightful story under April’s “Multifaith Calendar.” I believe everyone loves to hear uplifting stories about
people doing and being GOOD in the world. We hear the opposite so often in the papers and the TV news. ONE GOOD story can carry us forward with inspiration
and delight for the day or a couple of days. Even though
“Pay it Forward” is a designated one day declaration, we can choose to make it an everyday declaration in our lives.

Spreading Kindness can be an everyday joy.
Wake up in the morning and ask God/Spirit/Universal Love
to show you where you can spread the most joy.
I guarantee, you will be guided all day with ideas and possibilities. There are no BIG or SMALL deeds in God’s Universe. Every thing, all words, all actions,
all thoughts count. From a smile to a stranger, to a silent prayer when you see a fire truck and ambulance pass by, is important
in the Universe.

Paying It Forward is a state of mind, not a one time action.                                Believe it or not, on my morning walks I pick up snails on the street and bring them over
to a grassy area. In my car I keep baggies of non-perishable food, a $5 bill and a telephone number to an excellent organization, Interfaith Community Services,
which provides the homeless food and shelter. Just the other day, I had the opportunity to hand out a bag. The gentleman was overjoyed.
Who is to say, he wasn’t an angel in disguise or a Master Soul, here purposely to encourage people to SEE the vulnerable people.

What can you do today to PAY IT FORWARD?
Buy groceries for the elderly.
Donate food to a family in need.
Buy gift cards for a local shelter.                                                                                           Be open to opportunities.

In Joy and Love,
Abigail and Steve

Dear Friends,
We have returned from our trip to Chicago to attend a dear friend’s funeral service. I have reflected on our trip these past few days and realized I was truly
compelled to attend her service. It was as if I was being pushed and pulled all at the same time. Truth…I knew I had to go, and yet I was fearful of going. Why?
I have not been on a plane in 5 years and have always been an anxious traveler.
I believe I am the kind of person who shows up and follows through on a commitment. I committed to my friend’s husband by saying, “I will be there.”

Interesting things happen when you commit to something you are challenged to do. I began to have a health challenge. I felt a painful throbbing in my head that
came and went. I saw my wholistic doctor who looked at me and asked how my teeth were. I said my new crowns are sensitive and I still have a hard time biting down
on them. He said I needed to go back to the dentist to have the crowns filed down so my bite is correct. Because I am not biting correctly, my jaw is out of
alignment and creating the pain. The dentist!? I am terrified of having dental work done and thought I was done with the crowns. As good, and as nice as my dentist is, I still dread going to him.
I had to calm my fears, and go to the dentist. He filed back my crowns so my bite is correct. A couple days later the pain stopped. All this happened one week before our Chicago trip. I even had Steve call the airlines to see if we could get insurance in case we did not go. The airlines said
‘no’ we had to have purchased the insurance at the same time we purchased the tickets.
I remembered my commitment to Bob and my long term commitment to DO what I say I will DO, no matter what.

Challenges are blessings in disguise. On the plane and at the visitation and funeral service, I was deeply grieving.
I love to sing and could not sing the songs, because I was tearfully trying to keep it together. Even though this was a sad time for me,
after the service came many blessings. Both sons of my friend recognized me and one looked at me and said, “Auntie Gail!”
It was what he called me when he was a child. It brought JOY to me and melted my heart.

It was wonderful reconnecting with the family and friends from my past. I loved sharing stories of our crazy antics and memories of the fun we had.
We sat with a friend (I will call him Mike) and his friend ( I will call her Kary) at the lunch reception. We found from our conversation we were
on the same wave link spiritually and metaphysically. We talked about souls, past lives, universal energy and more…. Come to find out both are Reiki
Masters, which I did not know. What a joy and blessing to reconnect with them. We are still texting and emailing! Steve said, because of our table conversation,
he could incorporate a story told by Mike, in the ‘Epilogue’ of his next book. More Joy and Blessings! Needless to say the trip brought bountiful good in the
midst of sadness, to both Steve and me.

What challenge are you facing today? What obstacles are coming up that are trying to keep you from completing your challenge or commitment?
Fear has an ugly way of rising its head. Picture fear as ice and then watch it melt into water where you can easily walk, wade or run through.
Commitment is a choice. You DO have the strength to follow through and discover the joy and blessings once it is completed.

I would like to close with a quote Frannie always used at the end of her emails.
Fran Browne
Reiki Master
“There is a light in this world …a healing spirit much stronger than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force.. w
here there is suffering, too much pain. And suddenly the spirit will emerge…through the lives of ordinary people and answer in extraordinary ways.”
Mother Theresa
Remember: Hugs surround you with love.

In Joy and Love,
Abigail and Steve

One of my dear friends of 56 years passed away and Steve and I will attend her funeral this week. Easter Sunday was celebrated with the story of Jesus the Christ
rising from his death and letting the world know there is no death. I keep that in my heart because I do believe it is real and we all rise from a human death
to a new life, new journey, new experience. The memories of my dear friend Fran continue to flood my mind and heart as I gather photos of her and our past times
together. Endings are challenging for those still in this earth dimension who feel a sense of loss bereft and shattered when someone they love makes his or her
transition.

Memories are precious. It is important to reminisce and share stories about that person. Crying, anger, laughter are all part of the grieving process and need
to be expressed. At first it is hard to believe they have passed. Fran and I spoke just over a month ago and I knew she was going through health challenges.
I heard her voice, I heard her laughter. It is hard to believe she is gone from my sight.

Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, “There, she is gone.”
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me — not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, “There, she is gone,”
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!”
And that is dying..

by Henry Van Dyke

I stand strong in my faith that life goes on. God is now expressing as Fran in a new life form. Her journey is complete on earth and yet she is now on her next adventure in Spirit. As Chief Seattle says.
“There is no death, only a change of worlds.”

We are in the middle of EASTER Week and I would like to share what Easter means to me and in the New Thought tradition.

PALM SUNDAY                                                                                                               As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, people were praising him, waving palms and shouting Hosannas. Jesus took it all in stride by humbly riding on a
donkey into Jerusalem. This simple act was a lesson in RISE IN HUMILITY.
Being humble reminds us to thank GOD for our good always.
Jesus always said, “It is not I that doeth the work but the FATHER within.”

MONDAY
Jesus cleared out the temple where seedy transactions took place and money changers worked. It was not a sacred worshipful place of God.
This is a lesson for us to: RISE IN CLEARING OUT OUR TEMPLE
(Our Consciousness)
Clearing out our consciousness temple is like Spring Cleaning.
What do you have in your life that no longer serves you? Clean them out.
Let them go.
Find IDEAS that lift your spirits, ideas that make you feel good about who you are! You are God’s perfect child, filled with Divine Potential!
1 Corinthians 3:16
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, that the spirit of God dwelleth in you”

TUESDAY
Jesus preached in the temple, after it was restored to a place of worship.
We can be in our cleaned out temple/consciousness in daily prayer practice and meditation.

WEDNESDAY
Judas took the 30 silver coins from the Pharisees knowing he was going to lead them to Jesus. Many think Judas was hoping Jesus would boldly stand
up to the Pharisees. Would you take 30 pieces of silver to betray someone or take money that is not in integrity? Does the ends justify the means?

THURSDAY – The Last Supper
Jesus celebrated PASSOVER with his beloved disciples.
We always need to remember our history and teachings.
It began with a JEWISH Man. These are not Christian teachings.
Jesus and His disciples were celebrating the Jewish Holy Day, Passover.

Jewish people are celebrating Passover April 5 to 13, 2023 to commemorate the anniversary of their exodus from Egyptian slavery.
and freedom, as told in the Bible. On the first two nights of Passover, a ritual meal—the Seder—is held at family homes, synagogues and temples.
The Haggadah—which tells the Passover story–is recited and sung, and symbolic foods are eaten. Since the Jewish slaves had to leave Egypt quickly,
allowing no time for bread to rise, Jewish people eat matzah, which is unleavened, instead of bread during the week of Passover and forego other leavened
food items. Jesus was reminding the disciples to remember HIM during this meal, as he broke unleavened bread and served wine. Bread and wine are symbols of nourishment and what is needed in life. He wanted them to remember his teachings to LOVE one another and nourish their faith. His teachings are what is needed in our lives today as a RISE IN LOVE.

REMEMBER, JESUS KNEW with his Divine Intuition, what his Divine Purpose was and allowed everything to happen as it should.
He told Peter he would deny him 3 X and told Judas to go and do what he needed to do
The story moves to the Garden of Gethsemane – Jesus prayed, the disciples slept and the soldiers came, Peter cut off the ear of one soldier and Jesus healed it saying,
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Then Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

In the Divine Plan, there is always a place for betrayers.
They are part of the whole plan which leads to greater understanding, love and        RISE IN CONSCIOUSNESS.
We RISE IN LOVE by loving those who betray us and those we feel are our enemies and those who purposely gossip or find ways to hurt us.
We rise in love when we love irritating people, family, co-workers, heads of governments, terrorists. EVERYONE is seeking LOVE. It is easy to love the loveable.
We RISE IN LOVE when we love the unlovable and unforgiveable.

FRIDAY
There was the trial by Pontius Pilate, the release of Barabbas and the Crucifixion of Jesus.

The CROSS is a reminder to RISE ABOVE.
The Horizontal bar represents huge blocks, suffocated, pinned down by wrong action, fear, anger or judgement.
The Vertical bar reminds us to RISE ABOVE our negative fearful mind, and action. We soar upwards to empower ourselves and bring forth our Christ Consciousness.
On the CROSS Jesus says: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
FORGIVENESS is for US not the other person
RISE IN FORGIVENESS is a RISE in CONSCIOUSNESS

SATURDAY
The guards were outside to safeguard the stone tomb, to be sure Jesus did not leave. There will always be someone trying to keep you down FROM fulfilling your
life purpose. When the time is right, open the tomb go forth and forward towards your purpose!

SUNDAY – RESURRECTION
The Earthquake shook the ground, and a brilliant light flashed before the guards. They saw the tomb stone was rolled away and the BODY of Jesus was GONE!
The three Marys came to anoint Jesus’ body with oil and found him gone. (Mary, mother of Jesus, and her sister, Mary, wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdelene).
When the 3 Marys discovered the empty tomb, they told the disciples. Everyone finally realized Jesus has risen and there is no death,
for LIFE is Eternal.
RISING UP is a gift we give ourselves. Just as Jesus, the “Great Example”
was no longer tomb-bound, neither are we. We live beyond our stones and barriers by choosing to reveal and release our hidden splendor (God Self).
There is a “higher place” in consciousness where we can envision and create lives of deep meaning, love, and a world that works for all. We set aside barriers of fear & doubt, and give life to the joyful, creative process of God being God as us, working through us.

In conclusion, the Easter story is our story.

Rising in Love,

Abigail and Steve