New Year's Eve is maybe the best time to decide what we want to support, and what we want to let go of in our lives. We have a certain amount of Life Force Energy to work with. Do we want to use it  expressing love and creativity? That will expand us. Do we want to use it to hold grudges, and on belittling ourselves and others? That will diminish us. At New Year's there is a great thought form to tap into on self re-creation. People expect others to be a bit contemplative, and to drop away that which doesn't  serve a person any more.

My resolution this year is to open even further to direction from the Holy Spirit, by following what leads me to joy, and to pay great attention to what and who comes to me. This is the first year since I can remember that I am without children at home, and without a full time job. I am going to have a great year! I know God loves me more that I can possibly know, and you as well. 

This morning I'm meeting a "new cousin" for coffee at the Kalaheo Coffee Shop. We've met intellectually, but today it is face to face. Pam Woolway, religious page editor for our local paper,  invites Kaua'i religious leaders to speak about a certain subject once a week. We both wrote on meditation, and decided that we'd like to get together to see what happens.

I think of her as my "cousin" because I believe that we were created by a Loving Spiritual Creator to love and be loved. As I meet her, and open my heart and mind to her, we will discover another expression of this love. And just like we don't choose to hang out with all our family all the time, we may click or not, but the heart and mind will be open to my new cousin.

Today is my friend Karen's birthday. Stephen Poplin, an astrologer friend, suggests that you tell the universe what you want for the year by doing it on your birthday. If you love to read, read; enjoy being with people, gather some together; be in nature, take a  hike, etc. I always take some time to tune into my highest self to get the best picture I can of where I should aim my life, because it's important that Spirit walks with me. It cause far fewer mistakes, and brings miracles. And by the way if you are having a bad year, throw yourself a re-birthday party, make your attunement, and focus this time on what you truly want for yourself, from your soul. Time is irrelevant to Spirit.

For years I would think to myself when I thought someone harmed me, "Well, karma will take care of that. He'll get it back and learn from it." Now the truth is, that that is a possibility. What we set in motion comes back. But now, I wish no one harm. I've learned how to better express my needs, and communicate non-violently. Usually I can do that unless I'm really thrown off. I do always pray. I believe that by letting "offenders" know how I feel, they might not do it again to someone else. If they learn it, they will experience Grace!

If I become one who would no longer behave as I previously did, I need not experience the karma of a thoughtless action. Forgiveness is our gift of grace to others. We recognize that people are hurtful out of ignorance, and we can forgive them because in the True Reality, where we exist as Spirit, they can cause no harm.  

God, and the God within us wants us all to be happy. God even supplied us with a limitless supply of the gift that we really all want, love and a loving connection. We are always connected to God and each other. As spirit, we have all we need. In this world, a good dose of feeling loved and belonging can cause wellness, wealth, happiness and peace. The only challenge is that some people can't believe they are lovable enough to receive your love. Give it anyway.

There are gifts that last forever, are guaranteed to make the receiver happy, cost nothing, and will make the giver feel good. They're gifts of love, caring, peace, forgiveness, and non-judgment.  Tonight as you tuck yourself in, be the best Santa ever, and in your mind give these gifts to your loved ones, and pray that they be received. You could imagine the whole world enveloped in your warm golden love. Once you start praying for everyone, you have a new relationship with everyone in it. There are no more strangers. You meet everyone with some connection. Have fun with it. Spread your joy! We all need your love.

During the holidaze we tend to push ourselves. Our minds fidget with all we're supposed to do, and our bodies have to follow thought. It can lead to exhaustion. It is more efficient to just stop,  recharge, and remember. You'll get more done is less time. So sit or lie down comfortably, and breathe deeply from your belly. Do a quick review of your body to find tension spots, and stretch it out or massage it a bit. Thank your body for all it does for you. Imagine that each heartbeat is pulsing warm golden love to every cell of your body.

Now that your body feels better, you can focus on remembering that you are not a body. You are a beautiful child of God, complete, whole and at peace at all times. This is the true source of your energy. So still your mind's chatter. If a thought comes up, gently return to mind stillness. Ask your Holy Self to guide you in all that you do, and trust that it will be so. You'll know when you are done. If you doze a bit, it will refresh you like a 2 hour nap. God is good. Feel the grace.

Dear Friends,

You just can't escape God's love, no matter what you do, because God is You, your Real Self, and somewhere inside of you, you know that. Now there's a reason to celebrate the season, and to honor Jesus who is a teacher who demonstrated that for us. Happy Day!    Annaleah

My friend Margaret Alston from Virginia Beach sent this quotation to me yesterday. I thought it was important for all of us. May you receive and enjoy your angels!

"It is very important to pray for others; because when you pray for someone, an angel goes and sits on the shoulder of that person."
-The Virgin Mary to the children at Medjugorje

From "Angels Around Us." Compiled by Karen Maguire. 

     Like many of my peers I grew up in a family with a mother who didn't express much physical affection. Observing plenty from my friends' mothers, I thought I was unlovable. Feeling unloved is about the saddest thing in the world for a child. My Mom later told us that she didn't get much as a child either. But the pattern of feeling unlovable took years for me to undo. I substituted achievement and appreciation for it.

     It doesn't come close, does it my friends.

     What I know now is that I have all the love I need within myself. I even have enough for others. Maybe others aren't expressing love to us because they don't know how. It's O.K. We can show them how by loving them, and blessing both of us. Perhaps it will help them discover the limitless love within themselves. And if they don't respond, we have still blessed us both. Giving true, unconditional love is an investment with an infinite return, in God's time.

     "Tis the season to be jolly" for most of us. Sadly, some of us are facing great losses, and grief causes us to pull in. I know. Last year was the first Christmas without our precious daughter. Let me honor her by telling a "Mary Story".

     Mary was about 8 at the time. We were at a church in Asheville, NC, and we were supposed to hug our neighbors. A solitary elderly gentleman with crutches had set himself apart from the group and sat on a couch. He looked down and wasn't going to participate.  Mary didn't know that. She walked over, and put her sweet little arms around his neck, and have him a hug. Instantly the man beamed! Her pure innocent love was irresistible. He hugged her back, then picked his crutches up and walked over to the group, and began sharing his love.  

     Never underestimate the power of your love. We are love billionaires. We have an eternal supply of what the world is hungry for. In the long run, it's not usually the "things" we remember about the holidays. It's the people, and how we interacted with them. Remember?

I have known PMH Atwater since 1979. She knows many things, but first found fame writing about her personal near death experiences, and then researching and publishing more about NDE's as information  became available. She wanted to share the following with you. Thanks PMH for sharing your Light with us.

[I want to tell them] how incredibly great I feel.  There is so much chaos and fear and anger and pain everywhere one looks; yet that wellspring within me states simply and with strength: "This is why you are here.  This is what you were born for - these times."
Knowing this, I feel so ready, ready in that I see evolution all around me,
the turning of the Great Cosmic Clock, lifestyles and cultures crashing
while new knowledge and hope births anew.  So many are losing everything,
yet in loss there is also gain.  I've walked paths like this before, with
the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the path of death I had to walk each weekday
on my way to school.  So many gold stars in people's windows - gold stars
awarded to each family when a loved one was killed during the war.  I grew
up with trauma.  I grew up having to be thrifty in order to survive.  I
guess I never caught on to that grandiose manner of flaunting my good.  I
just enjoyed it, and made way for the next step, the next opportunity, the
next blessing, the next challenge, the next awesome revelation of how light
and dark are equal sides of the same configuration in Creation's Story.

There is hope everywhere present, abundant hope, and great ideas and
inventors already probing here and there coming up with the next great
gadget or method that will make a significant difference in the lives of
many.

Aloha Friends,

My lastest "Cuppa Light" is on the Teen page. It's called "Keeping Cool when Conversations Get Hot". Teens of all ages can learn about the relationship of feelings to the basic needs that we all have, and how we can get farther if we speak with empathy than if we react. Hope it helps. We all have difficult conversations sometimes.

Hope it helps,

Annaleah