Author: Waya

I come from a Heinz 57 of Irish, English and Cherokee descendants. I consider myself not of one religion, faith or path but of all. I am simply a messenger … my goal here is to help as many as I can with the stories I have lived and those yet to come. I will share with you my journey, my walk on this path. I don’t put myself in one category or belief … I feel that I am of many ways… from many paths .. I feel that I am more of a universal soul who has experienced many paths .. and have found truth in many forms.

The 4 Cards Before Me

4 Cards lay before me and instead of looking at them separately, I will give you the message they give us together as a whole.

The cards before me are:  Security, Fertility, Endurance and Integrity

When we feel secure we are more fruitful in our actions. We do more and accomplish more when we feel that we are in our safe place.

Then moving on to endurance, we are given a message to not let the fires within us go completely out. They may be doused a bit but the embers continue to glow and burn inside us. This tells us that we have what it takes to endure whatever it is life throws at us.

When we have endured hardships we come out of it with much more than material things. We come out of it with knowledge, growth and the knowing that we can overcome.

One of the most important things we can do as we travel our path is to maintain our integrity. Nothing hurts our souls and our growth as much as not acting with integrity.  You have to be your own judge of character and as the old saying goes,  “do unto others…” if you follow that rule… you surly cannot go wrong.

 

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

The Path Alone

WP_20140521_037Today I feel inclined to speak a bit about the road of life we each walk (Our Path).

I know some are having a tough time dealing with the lonliness you feel on your path. The truth is each path is a lonely one. We each have our own individual path to travel. Some paths may be similar but we all walk our own.

When there are things going on in our lives to keep us busy and preoccupied we don’t notice much about how alone we are on the path.

When things are calm and quiet,  you notice that yes indeed this path is yours and yours alone and there is no one else who can walk  that path for you. That is when those feelings of lonliness overcome us and we begin to feel isolated.

Try and change the way you see it. When those feelings come about it also means there is no chaos in your life and that you are simply at a point on your path of quiet calm and peace. Which is one of the things we strive for… so push those feelings of lonliness to the
side and enjoy the peace and quiet. Feel the blessing of not having the chaos to deal with. Enjoy this break.

Many Blessings,

ravensig

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To Believe


To Believe

 To believe is to know that every day is a new beginning.

It is to trust that miracles happen, and dreams really do come true.

To believe is to see angels dancing among the clouds,

To know the wonder of a stardust sky, and the wisdom of the man in the moon.

To believe is to know the value of a nurturing heart,

The innocence of a child’s eyes and the beauty of an aging hand,
for it is through their teachings we learn to love.

To believe is to find the strength and courage that lies within us,
when it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.

To believe is to know we are not alone,
that life is a gift and this is our time to cherish it.

To believe is to know that wonderful surprises are just waiting to happen,
And all our hopes and dreams are within reach.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

After A While…

This poem is not one of my own but one I found years ago… stumbled across it again this morning and thought I would share. ENJOY!

After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul.

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning and company doesn’t mean security. And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises.

And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans, and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight. .

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to leave you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure; You really are strong, you really do have worth.  And you learn, and you learn With every goodbye you learn.

~Artist Unknown~

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Standing Still

Today I want to speak about standing still within so that we can learn more about ourselves. Stepping back to clearly see yourself and how you behave and how you react to life’s many situations.

How many times do we speak when we should have stayed quiet ?
How many times have we taken a leap when we should have stood still?
How many times did we think we saw something that just wasn’t there?
There are so many ways that we learn about self… these are just a few.

The key is learning how to find that place in yourself where you can stop, stand still for a moment and really see clearly .. so that we may not make that leap if it is not needed.. so that we may be able to keep our words quiet until they need to be heard .. and so that we may see things as they are and not how we think they are or how fear would like us to see them or how we wish they were.

It takes time and practice and lots of self discipline to learn about standing still within yourself. Maybe take a few minutes a day to try it at different times throughout your day. Take that time and learn about that place within you. .. get to know it… feel it… love it and you may find that often you will go back to it withmore ease each time you visit.

So lets all take a moment now to sit in the stillness within to have a more clarity of our lives and of ourselves.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Message from Spirit 9-23-2011

The following message may or may not make sense to those who are reading the words to follow.. but know that you are reading this post for a reason.

Message from Spirit:

Words that have been spoken/written fell upon unready ears/eyes …..

Those who speak/write will speak/write again…
Those seeking will listen/review/read with ready ears/eyes.

 

It is time…

How do you know which you are? YOU KNOW.
It is within you and you are already what you have always felt you would be.

Allow life to flow through you .. both the speaker/writer and the listener/reader. Allow it.

You are ready. Don’t doubt yourself or question it. TRUST and DO.

 

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

 

If I could share…

waya777777If I could share with you a bit of me I would ask you to take hold my hand and let go

Let go, not of my hand .. but of all else .. so that you can experience what’s inside me

Holding my hand you would know my pain and that I hurt just as you when things go wrong

You would know my love and how its always growing

You would know my tears an what gets them flowing

You would know my passion and the roar of its fire

You would know my song without hearing it sung out-loud

You would know my heart and what makes it melt

You would know my touch.. both gentle and strong

You would know my faith and the strength of my will

You would know me just by holding my hand and standing still

You would know my faults, my failures and my sad regrets

You would know me and all my secrets

You would know not just what you see but those things that don’t always show

You would know me … just by holding my hand and letting go.

Many Blessings,
Waya

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Remember Who You Are

IMG_8974Remember who you wanted to be when you were young?

Remember the dreams of growing up?

Remember ………

It is time to find yourself again …. through the chore of growing up and living you have forgotten or lost who you are …

It is time to remember ….

It is never too late to be who you are.. Walk with love in the direction of your dreams and keep with you always that inner child who wishes on stars, pinky swears and who believes in fairytales and wishes coming true.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

My Magical Life

I love, love, love my magical life.. I really do.. it brightens my days and brightens the light inside me as well.  That being said.. I have to tell you about my commute home from work this afternoon. Here we go:

Well, earlier today I was blogging about work ethics and about doing the best you can do and then taking it a step further … all the while that I was writing about this I was thinking about my husband because he is that way as well. He just cannot make himself do something half way. He always has to go a step beyond what one might think you should do so that he does it better than what was done before.

Well.. the thoughts of my darling husband lingered through my mind all the way home. Every time I think of him, I can’t help but smile. It’s one of those smiles that starts right in the center of your being and just jumps right out onto your face as though it cannot be contained! So, I’m driving home and thinking about him and smiling all the while and I thought to myself, “thoughts of my hubby are just fluttering through my mind like a butterfly upon a breeze” I know,  I know.. I’m sappy that way.

Just a few minutes into my drive and “Our Song” comes on the radio… ok so you know I had to chuckle a bit to myself as a grin covered my entire face. I reach over and turn up the radio and at that moment I am in a que to merge onto another section of the interstate and as I sat there singing along to “our song” I look over at the traffic and in the median bounces a butterfly right past my car.. LOL! Finally I make it up to the merge and as traffic from the other lanes are mingling a truck moves over in front of me with the license plate of 777LVV. I think to myself…. “OMG, can this get much better!” You see we were married on 7/7/07 :-). I continue singing and making my way home.

The song is over and I can’t get much happier. I’m on my way home, I have a wonderful husband and life is pretty good today. As these thoughts fill my mind, it’s time to merge again and you won’t believe this but now I am behind another car with one of those angelic numbered license plates. This time it’s 444, which means the angels are surrounding you and  with you. You can imagine, I am all grins!

My commute is about an hours drive and now I am getting really close to home. Again, I am qed up to merge onto the last bit of highway just before hitting the back streets to home. I’m sitting there at a mere crawl inching my way forward, the windows are down, the radio is on and a cool breeze comes into my window. I breathe a heavy sigh and think to myself,” What a beautiful day” just then a car slowly passes by and yep you guessed it another plate with angelic numbers. This time it’s 111, which means opportunity and new doorways opening up.

Just seconds after seeing the 111, this thought rolled into my head,  “I just need to let go of thinking about the things I don’t have and concentrate on what I do have in my life”. Just as that thought finished, I look over and there is yet another car with 444 on the license plate! I’m thinking.. no one will ever believe this! This was the universe confirming my path or at least that’s how I like to believe.

Just amazing! Funny how life works. Those things that can’t be explained. Some call them coincidences … I call it magic!

Love life and watch it love you back!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Getting the Job Done

Today as I made my way into work, the thoughts rolling through my head were about work ethics and being replaceable in the workplace.

I thought I might blog about those thoughts and then decided not to because I didn’t want to come across as being full of myself or anything like that. Later in the day, I was having a conversation with a co-worker and funny enough that the conversation should suddenly turn into the same topic that I was pondering earlier. We talked about our own work ethics and those of others along with the pros and cons of both.

My personal style of work is a competition with myself. Yeah I know it sounds funny but that’s just me. Every day …. ok maybe not EVERY day but most days I strive to out-do what I’ve already done. Always looking forward and working at making what I do the best. No matter the job… no matter the task.. I am out to “WOW” as many people as I can. If I can “WOW” someone then I feel good about my job, myself and whatever task it was that I had completed.

I’ve always been a people pleaser, so it makes sense that I work in this way. It’s really pretty selfish really … making others smile, making others feel good, and “Wowing” them .. makes ME feel good. It’s a high like no other and besides that the days are so much easier to get through. Liking what you do sure does make life easier to handle.

There are parts of my job I can’t stand, just like everyone else…. it’s not always roses and smiling faces. Sometimes the tasks seem impossible or just a big ol’ headache… but… being the positive outlooker that I am, I take on each task hoping for the best and striving to be better each and every day.

Let’s face it .. everyone is replaceable when it comes to the work force. At the end of the day, there will always be someone out there to replace you as soon as the opportunity arises. My goal is to be that person that does such a great job.. going above and beyond the duty at hand to shine .. that when I am gone.. it will be a noticeable difference.  Sure, I can be replaced. Just about anyone could do what I do.. but … can or will they do it as good as I have???

I received a great compliment today. An agent said to me that the real benefit to being with our company was having access to me. 😀 Whew.. that means I’m doing my job! And that’s just it … I have set my goal to not only doing my job but also doing it well.. as well as I possibly can. No matter what anyone else thinks or feels, at the end of the day I feel good about the work that I have done. I am able to rest easy knowing I stepped outside the easy way out by just doing what was needed to get the job done, but also by going that extra mile and putting in extra effort just because that’s who I am.

I’ll leave you with a great quote: “Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself.” Henry Ward Beecher

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

The Coming Season

WP_20141008_048Autumn is here… can you feel it?

The air becoming crisp and cool, the leaves gently drifting toward the ground and all things in nature preparing for the winter that is to come.

You may feel torn at this time with so many things to be done and the feeling of so little time to complete your tasks… calm down and relax.. know that it is simply nature taking its course. Just as the squirrels are busily running around gathering nuts and preparing their winter nests … we as humans do the same but most don’t even recognize this as a seasonal feeling.

In the days of old, this is exactly what we would do .. prepare for the coming winter. Harvests would be stored and our homes would be readied for the cold. Today we have central heat and air and grocery stores to take care of all that.. but for centuries those things didn’t exist and we had to physically do these things ourselves at this time of year. So you see, that feeling still stirs within us when the air begins to cool… we have simply forgotten why.

Understanding nature and your own bond with it … consciously or not … will help you during these times. You feel this stirring within you and yet have a hard time understanding why.. this frantic need to hurry and get things done … but once you understand why this feeling stirs within … then you can relax and let go … you can see more clearly and are more able to manage life’s tasks.

Many Blessings for a beautiful autumn season,

ravensig

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Change, Trust and Fear

Change, Trust & Fear

Change is something that must happen all the time. Change doesn’t have to be scary and it doesn’t have to be drastic. Small changes are occuring within and around us every day.

Changing your surroundings for instance, doesn’t always mean a change in location. There are many things in your life you could change if you think about it. Maybe it’s the way you interact with people or a certain person. Maybe it’s routine things you do that can or need to be changed. It really could be anything in your life, it doesn’t mean you have to physically move or change locations.

Maybe there are things you would like to do or say but those things are outside your
comfort zone. Keep in mind the golden rule “harm none” including yourself and then give some of these things outside your comfort zone a try. By doing that,  you will definately shake things up a bit … even if it is just within yourself.

Another rule to keep in mind “Don’t bite off more than you can chew”.

Trust is a hard one. I for one, know how hard it is to trust not only others but most importantly… yourself. The question comes to mind of how do you know the difference between instinct/gut feelings and fear? For instance.. say a choice in your life appears… how does one know if you are leaning toward or away from that choice because of instinct or because of your own fears?

From my own experiences, I have found that my true gut feelings/inner knowing doesn’t cause fear. They don’t make me nervous or hesitate. Instead I am filled more with a knowing, a confidence and a positive outlook. Only when my fears come into play do I begin to second guess myself and question my true inner guidance.

Examine how you feel about all the many things in your life as you plan ahead.  When that little voice whispers in your ear… “Oh no you can’t do that” but everything inside you feels so right and it feels as though you were going against your inner knowing  by not doing it ….. then I’d say that “Oh you can’t do that” voice came from your fears.

If the voice says “Don’t do that” and with that voice you feel a sense of knowing it was indeed the wrong thing to do… then thats the voice you should be listening to.

See the difference?

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to keep.” – Scott Adams

The Hamster Wheel of Life

We’ve all heard it before.. it a phrase that is said all the time.. life is a circle.. everything comes in cycles.. everything is connected .. we are all apart of the same circle.

We all know this and we understand what it means… but do you truly see?

We must do far more than understand the meaning .. we must live our lives with that same understanding.

Imagine if you will your life as a hamster wheel … you are on that wheel sometimes walking at a comfortable pace… sometimes running like hell… sometimes we even stop for a bit of a rest but when we get going again we are still traveling on that same wheel (our life).

So it should be easy to see that what ever you leave on that wheel will come back around to you at some point.

The question of the day is: What have you left on your wheel of life?

Many Blessings,
ravensig

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Reaching Out to Others

Reaching Beyond Yourself

Reach out beyond yourself.. beyond you own circle.. reach out to friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, people in your community, etc.

It is a great feeling to touch the lives of others in a positive way ..  Don’t let the holidays or special events be the only time of the year you reach out to help another.

The greatest gift is a gift given from the heart…  gifts come in many sizes and in many ways.. sometimes it is a gift to just listen. Gifts don’t always need to cost money. Give a gift of your time. Whatever you have, reach beyond yourself and give it with your heart… act with love and watch and feel how that love is returned.

Sometimes others just need an ear to listen.. a shoulder to cry on or a friend to lean on… be there for others.. and not just when it’s convienent.

It’s not always easy to be so available… and it’s not that you should ALWAYS be .. you do need time for yourself as well. But try and make yourself more available to help… that’s all I ask today.

You just never know what storm is going on inside someones life and you just may be that smile that helped them make it through.

Most don’t ask for help.. but if you are aware of others and you have opened up your perception of the world around you …  then you will know when someone needs that help.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Wind Dancer – Stained Glass Panel

Wind Dancer

Last weekend I started a new stained glass piece titled : Wind Dancer

She is so near being finished now.. This weekend I was able to get her all pieced togather … now all she needs is some putty.. some patina, polish and framing.

Here’s a short video of my progress 🙂 ENJOY!

Time for Appreciation

Today being 9-11, I thought this would be fitting.

Take some time today to think about all the things that made you laugh or smile. I bet most of those things had nothing at all to do with material possesions… but more likely they were acts of kindness, friendship, family bonding, and basic human interaction. Maybe it was finding your very first 4 leaf clover, or watching the sunset or rise.  Maybe it was the look on someone face when they had lost the plot and became confused… maybe it was your child’s first steps… whatever it was … I can almost guarantee it had nothing at all to do with something you “thought” you wanted or needed.. instead it was something that just came to you freely and without some supermarket price tag.

I’m not saying that life isn’t hard and that there are no tragedies.. today is a reminder that tragedy happens …. I’m simply saying to take a moment and appreciate all the little things in life that bring you unexpected joy.. take a moment to appreciate those around you … tell those close to you that you love them and appreciate them. Hug a whole lot more and complain a whole lot less.

Take time today to appeciate the fact that if nothing else in this world you still have life to live … and if you still have life you have dreams, hopes and possibilities.

Remember to take time daily for appreciating all the great gifts that have come your way. You just never know when one of those gifts will be gone.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Stained Glass Kaleidoscope

Recently bought a kaleidoscope kit to learn how to make them. I think they are both fun and beautiful!

So Labor Day weekend I set off to create my very first kaleidoscope… it could do with some improvements.  Through the week I searched for the parts to make another to see if I could make it a bit better than my first … whew.. I think I have this down now!

Here’s my first kaleidoscope…. it looks solid and for the most part it is.. my color wheel on the front is just a bit wobbly .. which I can fix… just haven’t yet 🙂

The color wheels on this first one are the  simpler 6 piece wheels…

Here is my second one … I doesn’t have any feet on it yet .. I may end up making a wood stand for it instead. The color wheels on this one are 12 piece wheels… so that’s 24 tiny little pieces of glass! Nothing wobbles on this one! Plus I added a bit of extra detail on the top of this one!

Here are some pics of what they look like on the inside 🙂

The first 3 photos are the effects using the 6 piece color wheels:

6 piece color wheel

6 piece color wheel

6 piece color wheel

These photos are the effects using the 12 piece color wheels :

12 piece color wheel

12 piece color wheel

12 piece color wheel

12 piece color wheel

12 piece color wheel

12 piece color wheel

Many Blessings,
ravensig

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Awakening To Your True Self

Lets talk today about Awakening to your true self..

These are my thoughts alone so please don’t think I am saying that any of this
is ultimate truth for all.. because we all need to find our own truths .. and
that indeed is a part of awakening to the true self.

I feel as though we are born to be a certain person … or at least a
particular type person .. we are all born with particular gifts and it is for
us to find those gifts and develop them .. and then take them out into the
world and share them.

As we develop and grow we try on many faces. Hoping to find one that really
fits and feels right.

Awakening to our true self is identifying the face that needs no mask.
Identifying with your own soul .. finding the true you .. and then allowing
that person to be free.

Awakening causes us to put down our masks and be true to not just all that come
in contact with us but also true to ourselves.

We must awaken to the gifts we have been given and we must put them to use.

We must stop finding faults within and stop holding ourselves back with self
created fears and doubts.

We must find love for ourselves and then that love is free to pour out into the
world.

Be proud and not ashamed of who you are.

Be strong and hold your head high. Do not allow the ideas and thoughts of
others make you hide your gifts or any other part of who you truly are.

Awakening to true self gives you freedom from such negative thoughts others may
project onto you.

Awakening to true self  … makes you aware of not only your surroundings in
the world.. but also to your own thoughts, actions and gifts.

When you are truly awake .. you see the world with new eyes … like the fog
has been lifted and suddenly things start becoming clear.

It’s not something that happens overnight, so don’t sit there expecting that to
happen..lol

I’m sorry to say that there is not set ritual.. ceremony .. life experience ..
or certain age that the awakening will happen. The awakening will happen
when the time is right and when you are ready.

You might say, “Oh I am ready now”, so I will do ceremony on next full moon
and from that point on I will be awake.. quiet giggle… I won’t say that it
won’t work. What I am saying is that it will work only if it is time and you
are TRULY ready .. so don’t give up ..  just continue the journey as you are
guided and learn to trust your inner senses.

The awakening process is a long and often painful one.. again, I will say …
well worth the effort.. 🙂

Many blessings to all
Raventalker

 

Listen…

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. quiet yourself.. quiet the world around you and listen ..

The trees are whispering among themselves… it’s nearly that time again for them to take their rest. It’s been a long hot summer and they have survived once again… so now they find some time to relax and let down their hair as leaves gently fall toward the ground. A heavy sigh and it’s nap time once again for the trees, the flowers and even some of our four legged friends.

This weekend while I was taking breaks from working on my newest stained glass projects… I would quite easily lose track of time starring outside my window .. watching the birds and the squirrels prepare for the cooler weather on its way.. leaves fell from the trees like a gentle rain and my back yard now looks a lot like a patchwork quilt with colorful patches of leaves blanketing the ground.

What a beautiful sight! Many may have looked out that window and said.. oh great now I have to rake.. but not me.. I just thought .. How Beautiful! Thank you Creator for the gift!

Make sure you take some time from your days to enjoy nature. Enjoy life. Enjoy just being.

It does the mind and  body good to rest. We need that down time to recharge and refuel.

What is life without the time to enjoy it?

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

It’s all about who you know….

“It’s all about who you know….” How many times have you heard that phrase?

Well, it’s true!

In so many instances it really is about who you know…. some of the best breaks, opportunities, deals.. etc.. come from people you know or are connected to in some way.

This year I won 1st place for Best Visual Artist and Best Blog because of who I know… yep .. that’s right .. because of who I know!

But, it’s not exactly what you think…. Let me explain.

The people I know come from all walks of life.. most everyday folks just like me. All of us doing our best to make our way in this world.

They may or may not be the most politically influential, they may or may not be the highest in command at what they do, they may or may not be the wealthiest  (as far as monetary value goes), they may or may not have much power in this world … but they are by far the most caring, dedicated, hard working, dependable, friendliest and kind hearted people that I know!

It is because of these people, standing by me throughout the voting process that I was able to win 1st place.

The thing is …. the award and acknowledgement is great .. but what’s even greater is that I have enough of these people on my side… who cared enough about me to cast their votes daily for an entire month..  who despite my constant and annoying voting reminders .. still stood by me and together we ruled the Toast of Music City 2011!!

It is indeed  “who you know”  and in this case I am proud and honored to know so many wonderful, caring folks!

Who you know doesn’t always mean you have to know the wealthiest, most powerful people…  you just have to know the ones who truly care about others.

Thank you to everyone who voted for me this year… and most of all thank you all for your friendship, support and for being who you are!

I’m so glad I know the best of the best! The Cream of the Crop! Love You All!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Magical Living

Normally I don’t post much from other sources… but this guys view of the world we live in is great.. he’s definately got the talent for creating a magical world… Check out his video… watch it all the way through .. he takes us on a tour of how he has built his very own magical world.. working with the Earth and the magic that already exists. I wish everyone could see and feel the magic around us everyday…. It’s sad to know that most never truly see or experience it.

Many Blessings, Raventalker

Balance of the Good and the Bad

Today is a good day for me so it’s easy to say that we should take each day as it comes… look beyond the trauma, the stress, the pain and the sorrow and hold your focus on the horizon for the storms never last forever .. they move on quickly (tho it may not seem so) just like the weather.

These are easy words today … because for me at the moment anyway .. the weather is good. But, I have been through many storms and as I reflect back on those times… I have to say that it was keeping my focus on the horizon that got me through each moment of that storm.

In general I am a very positive person.. always looking at the good in everything. That character trait in me has often been the very thing that has gotten me mixed right into the middle of some really bad storms. My eyes, so focused on the positive and the good … that I completely overlooked the bad crap that was standing right in front of me.

So, in saying that … I have to say that we need to find a good balance between the two.

You can’t live your life always looking for that negative aspect of everyone and everything .. for thats all that your world will become.. one giant heap of negative CRAP! You also can’t just look at the positive in everyone and everything … because you will still find yourself deep in the crap.  But it would be unexpected crap and sometimes that can tear your world farther apart than always expecting the worst.

BALANCE is the key… I’m still working on that, myself.

It’s certainly not an easy task.. and I don’t have any clever wisdom that will suddenly make it all come into play…. but what I do know is that as long as you are aware of your own view of the world (yours and the world around you) then at least you are working on it and that is the first step forward.

Remember, you can’t just stop at acknowledgement … it has to be an on going task within yourself to see the whole picture every moment of every day.

Sounds exhausting, I know!

But really what we are talking about here is being awake and aware in this moment.. and this one.. and this one … and the next ..

Many Blessings and Good Luck on Your Journeys,
Raventalker

Believe in Your Own Truth

Spirit gives me but a single statement today: Believe in Your own Truth.

So I sit here and I ponder this statement for a moment ..

The world is vast with many different beliefs stretching from shore to shore… None superior to another. (Tho many will love to disagree)

It’s not a matter of who is right and who is wrong .. it’s a personal matter of what the truth is to you.

What feels right to you?
What resonates inside you … ringing out the tones of truth to your soul?

Whatever that is .. THAT is the truth. The truth for you and you alone.

THAT is your path .. stay true to it and it will stay true to you.

Many Blessings for a beautiful day,
Raventalker

That Wicked Witch and Her Wicked Ways

There’s that wicked witch working her wicked ways
Healing others with the words she says

Colored chords and candles castling light
People talk and rumors spread that she’s just not right

Casting into the heavens for dreams and wishes come true
They says she conjures and cooks up some sort of terrible brew

Misunderstood and shunned to always be alone
This wicked witch is surely evil, straight to the bone

The smiles, goodness and light, people rarely choose to notice
You see, this wicked witch has as many layers as the lotus

She protects, she heals and she cares
But all that they talk about is how she scares

Dare she own a pet, especially a cat that is black
For the stories will grow of how once she flew off into  the night like a bat

Herbs hanging around the kitchen walls
Oils on the shelves with her crystal balls

There is meaning behind every tools she owns
But what they say is .. she kills animals to keep their bones

You see, they know not of what they speak
Their ignorance makes them ever so gullible and weak

This wicked witch is not what they make her out to be
She is as gentle and caring as a warm summer breeze

She follows the moon as it begins to wax and wane
She’s not afraid to dance nor sing in the rain

Her life is filled with magic in every way
Deeds for the good are done day by day

Caring for the Earth and all it’s creatures
Come, take a closer look at her features

You’ll not see a warted nose upon her face
Only a gentleness within her eyes and a smile to take its place

So, when you hear of them speak of the wicked witch and her wicked ways
Remember the words within this phrase:

Harm none .. do as ye will
For this is the motto of a witch that is not a fairytale but 100% real!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

~ Judge not others by what you “think” you know…..
~ For you never know when the day will come that you’ll find yourself eating a bit of crow!

Many Blessings,
ravensig

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The Blue Jay’s Surprise!

hee hee.. I just couldn’t help myself.. photos taken this morning in my back yard after filling the bird feeders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tuberose

There is this older gentleman in my office who has the greenest thumb I have ever seen. All the plants in the office were looking pretty sad until he came along and I swear it’s as if he waves a magic wand over them.. it seems as though over night they are the biggest brightest plants ever!

Well he grows Tuberoses and every year when they are in bloom he brings cuttings in for the  whole office to enjoy. As soon as one vase goes away .. another will take its place until they are no longer in bloom.

He could keep these beautifully scented treasures to himself but noooooooooo…. always thinking of others .. always wanting to share the beauty of his gift, he brings them into the office year after year.

I’ve only heard a handful of people ever thank him for what he does… and sooooooooooooooooo … I thought I would do a little something for him.. I’m terrible with plants ..LOL.. so I got my paint brush out today and attempted to do a tuberose painting for him. You can see below how it turned out.

I’m terrible when it comes to painting flowers … but thankfully this one didn’t turn out so bad :-)!

We’ll see if he likes it tomorrow when I go back to work.. 😐

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Where the road takes us….

IMG_8415Spirit has been whispering in my ear this morning and leading me to write a bit about the road we travel…. bare with me, for sometimes when I get these type messages from Spirit .. I  seem to ramble…

Our roads are never perfectly clear from beginning to end and certainly not smooth …. along the way we are to encounter many obstacles .. it is not so much the obstacles that are important but how we handle these obstacles.

Each obstacle is an opportunity to learn and to grow.

At times our road may become dark and it will take a lot of inner strength to make it through.  This is where Spirit screams and shouts and wants me to make it clear to everyone that the path does not stay dark for too long, although at the time it may seem unending to the traveler.

The light will return … when it returns is entirely up to you.

You may not feel that it is in your control but Spirit urges me to say .. YES.. YES indeed it is.

The decisions you make along this path can keep you in the dark …. seemingly isolated, burdened and distressed. Spirit again urges me to make sure this is SEEMINGLY … not REALITY.

The reality is that there are other choices you can make that will take you out of the darkness much quicker.. though the choices may not be all that clear to you at the time .. they may “feel” impossible .. or they may “feel” harder than the choice you have currently made.

Stop! Calm Yourself… Focus.. then step back from your situation and look at it from other points of view.

Step outside of your own situation and imagine that it is someone else going through this dark period.. now think of what advice you would give that other person.

See? Things start becoming more clear to you. You see that there are other options. They may not be easy but they are there.

The important thing to know is that they are there… Think about this long dark road you are currently on. Now think of how hard it would be to continue down this road in the darkness for an undetermined amount of time… now think of those other options and though they may seem hard to commit.. once committed to finding another way .. you’ll find the darkness nothing more than a memory.

Whatever you do … do your best … mistakes will be made.. that is a given .. focus on doing your best and giving your best … mistakes are merely lessons for growth and knowledge.

Many blessings for a smoother journey,
Raventalker

Learning from Nature – The Birds

One of my favorite things to do is to sit out in nature and take in the beauty that surrounds us. Not only is it relaxing and beautiful.. there are many things we can learn from observation. Take a moment to enjoy this video slide show of photos I’ve taken of the birds in my very own back yard.  Below is a bit of information about some of our bird friends.

Information below comes from linsdomain.com


The Hummingbird
Hummingbird a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible.
It can teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living in your own life.

Hummingbird medicine is herbal; it shows us how to use flowers for healing.
They teach us how to draw life essence from flowers and create your own medicines.

This totem reminds us to explore the past and extract the sweetness from it.
It can help you find joy and sweetness in any situation.
Grab joy as swiftly as you can.

The Cardinal
Cardinal reminds us that no matter what time of the day or year it is,
there is always the opportunity to recognize the importance of our life purpose.
They remind us to add “color” to our life and to remember that everything you do is important.

The Blue Jay
If you have a Blue Jay totem, you must learn to use your personal power properly. Be careful not to become a bully.

If Blue Jay is your totem, you may have tremendous abilities and potential, but you must learn not to be scattered and neglect to develop your abilities to their fullest. Blue Jay people can become dabblers – a little bit of knowledge about many things but master of none. Develop your gifts and you will have unlimited potential.

The Bluebird
Bluebird is a reminder that you are born to happiness and fulfillment,
but you can sometimes get so wrapped up in everyday things, that happiness seems rare.
Bluebird reminds you to take time to enjoy yourself.

Bluebird is symbolic of the need to work hard and play hard.
Be careful of shouldering too much responsibility.

The Finch
A Finch totem increases the opportunities to experience a variety of activities.
Everything is amplified.
There is a distinct possible of mingling with a wide variety of people and environments. Life will become more active after a Finch totem has arrived in your life.

The Chickadee
Chickadee is associated with the thinking process, higher mind and higher perceptions.
It is also associated with mystery and the feminine.
Chickadee can help you uncovering the mysteries of the mind.
With a Chickadee totem, you can perceive more clearly in the dark and understand higher truths.

For the Cherokee, Chickadee is the bird of truth.

The Robin
A Robin totem will stimulate new growth in all areas of your life.
Believe in yourself as you move forward.
Obstacles will fall by the wayside if you do and confrontations will be for show only.
This totem gives you the ability to will new growth into your life.
Meditate on Robin and the correct path will be revealed to you.

The Woodpecker
When a Woodpecker totem enters your life, it indicates that the foundation is there and it is safe to follow through. It will stimulate new rhythms. It reflects a wakening of new mental faculties.

You may be so wrapped up in mental and spiritual activities that you’ve neglected the physical.
Listen to your body’s rhythms and sounds and heed what it is telling you.

Many Blessings for a Great Day,

Raventalker

The thrill of a good scare!

Well.. I just can’t help myself.. I have to tell you all about one of my secret loves… ok well to some it’s not a secret .. hahahahaha

I absolutely LOVE scaring the crap out of people. I know .. crazy right??? LOL

I use to design and create and work in haunted  houses.. this began when I was a teenager .. I have always loved Halloween and would always go all out decorating and getting into character and ok so I still do …

Halloween is the one day of the year that you can become whatever in the world you wish to be and it’s ok! The weird looks and tilted heads are all part of it.

So now that you have a bit of the history I have to tell you about what just happened.. hee hee

I was standing on my back deck really quiet and still trying to capture some bird photographs. I had taken a few earlier this morning … and still had not gotten rid of the bug.. so I grabbed my camera and went back out to try and capture the humming birds playing in the back yard.

Suddenly this little girl comes riding through my yard on her bike.. completely unaware that I was standing there just a few feet from her on my deck. She gets near the edge of my property when she suddenly spots me. She does a double take.. stops and with a confused look on her face does a little wave. I’m still trying to be very still and quiet to capture the birds and so I slowly raise my hand to wave back without speaking a word. This really freaks her out and she nails it in high gear and takes off! hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa

You guys really should have seen her face… giggles…

I bet she thinks twice about taking the short-cut through our yard again! hahahahahaha

Not only did I get some great pics of the humming birds.. I scared the crap out of some kid..  can it get much better?? LOL

Happy Haunting!!
Raventalker

….And We Shall Celebrate!

For those of us who are the givers in this world.. remember to take some time for yourself…. it’s ok .. no reason to feel guilty for taking a moment for you … you are worthy and you deserve just as much as anyone else.

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As the wind blows we shall embrace our freedom and we shall fly.

We shall explore all the wonders of not only life here on Earth but in the spirit world as well …

Most important we shall explore all the wonders of ourselves and we shall celebrate.

We shall swim the rivers within and splash around in all that we are and we shall celebrate.

We shall walk the many paths of who we are and frolic in the essence of self and we shall celebrate.

For we are worth celebrating.. even if no other cares –  we care and we celebrate our own being.

All life is sacred and should be celebrated and we shall not be left out for we are worthy!

This life is each our own and we shall celebrate .. we shall dance!
Many Blessings and Celebrations,
Raventalker

Finding Your Life Path

WP_20140521_037Finding your way or your life path….

Over the years I have seen the question come up many times .. “How do I know which path is the right path for me?”

I cannot tell you what path to follow or how to find your path but I can tell you how I found my own and continue rediscovering my way in this world.

It would be easy if all roads were paved and smooth and ran in a straight line to where you want to be …. But thats not really how it is .. the paths are not smooth and certainly not paved!!

I see our paths more like hiking trails up a very large mountain … the trails are our choices .. the things we take on.. the way we live our lives .. some head straight up the mountain and some curve around and around that mountain … some make loopty loos and take us in a few circles as we make our way to the top…

The Mountain is this lifetime … this Earthwalk

The top is where all the paths lead and where we all wish to find ourselves at the end of our journey.. at the top looking over all that we had accomplished… all that we had been through and all that we had survived.

Finding where you belong can be a very long and tricky road .. don’t expect to open a book and suddenly find your way and then again it could happen that way… you never know.

By reading about many different ways of life is a good way to begin finding out where you do or don’t fit in. It also opens your mind to ways you probably never thought of and yet possibly felt within.

Experience life ..

Go out and meet new people .. put yourself out there to take in all experiences ..

Most importantly learn to go within yourself and follow your heart.. your heart will always be true to you when the head might interfere.

I feel that life is a journey of exploration where we are constantly learning about who we are and where we wish to be. I, myself will continue rediscovering my path as I make my way up the mountain… over and over again.

I learned a long time ago not to expect things to stay the same.. and that change is inevitable. Change can be scary … not knowing whats around the corner is something that causes fear in many of us. The trick is not letting that fear stop you from experiencing what life has to offer.

I describe my own path as coming from everything .. from many ways of life .. I am not of one religion or belief … I am from all … My ancestors come from all over and in the many lives I have experienced and not all of the same place, religion or path.. I have been on many different trails up the mountain and from each I have taken something with me and from each I bring with me something special into this life ..

My path I have found is to live and enjoy the hike up the mountain … to honor and respect all that come to pass as I make my way and to continue living, loving and dreaming.

Many Blessings in finding your way,
Raventalker

Lost in his kiss….

Sigh…. It never gets old or common place.. that kiss…. when his lips touch mine I find myself lost in his kiss. You know how in those romantic movies the camera slows to focus on the couple locked in a magical kiss.. the camera zooms in on their faces and slowly encircles them as the background becomes fuzzy and fades away …. as if the world around them has completely disappeared… well that’s exactly how I feel every time my husband’s lips touch mine.

No matter what else in the world is going on … my worries and my stress lessen and I am lost in the magic of a single kiss. Moments I treasure … moments that stay with me long after they are gone.

Take time in your life to treasure those moments… a kiss, a warm embrace, a glance in your direction, a smile, a touch … time passes so quickly and our lives are filled with things to be done.. don’t let these small but priceless treasures get lost in the busy… busy .. hustle of  day to day living.

When those moments come … take in the moment and relish it … allow yourself to truly be in that moment and not elsewhere.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Quotes from the Sauna

Today was another great day .. after my workout .. off to the sauna I went to sweat for another 30 minutes.

This time in the sauna were two older gentlemen and they started telling me about this guy they know.. William Lee Golden … for those of you who don’t know who that is .. he was once a part of The Oak Ridge Boys … before the Oak Ridge Boys he was very well known for gospel music .. here’s a link to his website for those interested http://www.williamleegolden.com/

Well… one of the guys in the sauna was telling me how great of a guy William is and how he looked at him as more of a wise sage.

He then gave me this quote that William had said to him one day and I said right away… THAT IS SO AWESOME! As soon as I get home I’m blogging this bit of great wisdom.. so .. sticking to my word.. here you go:

He was sitting with William one day at his house and it had been raining all day… he spoke up and said to William .. Boy, what a dreary day … at which point William slowly leaned back in his chair .. turned his head to look out the window and then said to this fella .. it may be dreary but if a painter had to paint it, he would still use color

Now tell me .. how great is that quote!!!!

Oh and here’s another one..

He and Mr. Golden were having a disagreement and the fella stormed off to his room but then felt bad and couldn’t sleep so went over to Mr. Golden’s room.. knocked on the door and appologized for shouting and storming off..

Mr. Golden’s reply was this: It’s ok… Sometimes you have to shout to be heard, you only lose when you walk away without a resolution.

sigh…. what great company I was in this evening in the sauna!

Many Blessings,
Waya

 

An Unexpected Break Through

me and mom

Ok so I’m sure this happens to everyone at some point and time.. you think you have gotten past something and BAM you realize that maybe you haven’t.

So I’m at the gym .. did my all time best on the bike today 10.69 miles in 35 minutes .. wooohoooooooooooo …. I’m hot and tired but feeling good about my accomplishment .. proud I made myself go to the gym today .. then off to the sauna I on my usual routine.

The sauna can be an awkward place some days .. depending on who else is in there .. you have all personality types do deal with… some won’t speak or look at anyone else.. some will speak briefly to say hello.. some will just nod and others don’t mind striking up conversations.

Well after the men leave the sauna there is a lady that comes in and sits right next to me… at first we both sit there silent .. relaxing .. enjoying the sauna and then I spoke up and mentioned how nice it is that the weather is going to be cooling off into the mid 80s this week and from that point we continued to chat.

She was telling me about one of her daughters in college and how last year she was called to a college in Seattle to speak and how worried she was letting this child go alone because she is oblivious to all things around her. Well the story goes on with the daughter getting in a car with a 26 year old man she had just met .. he offered to take her to the airport and her being the naive one says .. ok no problem and gets in the car with this man.. everything turned out ok.. the man wasn’t an axe murdered or rapist .. thank goodness… but the daughter said to her mom.. it’s ok  Mom, he’s a vegan! hahahaha what the heck does that have to do with anything! The mother was at a loss for words.. and explained to me this is how her daughter is and went on to say her son is street smart and totally opposite of the daughter,  thank goodness .. she says ..

Well then she asks me if I was that way as a kid or was I more like her son.. street smart…

I replied with .. oh very street smart .. always looking at everyone around me s if they were up to something..lol… and then something made me tell her about when I was 4 I had to watch after my two younger cousins because we had an uncle that lived a block from my grandmother’s house and when my grandmother would leave at dawn to go for her daily walk he would make is his way up to her house where we laid there sleeping without anyone else in the house.  So, now you know his intentions. I need not describe what he would do to us.

It only took once for me to then be aware and make myself aware when my grandmother would leave and at that point when I heard him making his way up the trail I would grab my cousins and we would hide or run out of the house and up into the woods until my grandmother got back home.  He would on occasion catch us …. thankfully not often… those times were few and far between for me at least .. I have no idea about my cousins when they were there without me.

So the next thing she says to me is …. I bet you didn’t sleep well as a child.

OMG! Ding Ding Ding .. the bells go off and the light is on … I said to her .. I still don’t.. I never have been able to sleep … and never even thought to put 2 and 2 together.

Then I got emotional.. I had thought I had made peace with it all but at that moment in telling her my story I relived it all again and then when she mentioned not sleeping .. I was stunned.. and I broke down… it was a break through way over due. I’ll be interested in seeing if now after nearly 40 years I’ll begin to actually sleep at night without the tossing and turning and the restlessness that I have had since I can remember.

I stepped out of the sauna and went to refill my water bottle and it was all I could do to hold back the tears. I went on out to my car and sat there for a few minutes.. collecting myself and my thoughts … trying to keep it together.. WOW! So you could say going to the gym today did far more than help heal my body … it may have also just healed a part of me that has been so long ago damaged.

What happened to me as a child is something I’ll certainly not ever forget …. these type things we live with each and every day of our lives. I never told my mother … she had told me about her brother this to her and her sisters and how she still had issues from it … I guess she told me the story as a way to make me aware of what he could do .. hoping it wouldn’t happen to me..  so even at the early age of 4 I could see and feel the pain that it had caused her and I then felt that  I had to protect my mother from more harm from this brother .. I thought that if she found out that he had done the same to me that it would have crushed her .. so I thought that I could be stronger and could handle the burden and protect her from further damage. I was now very aware and I took this responsibility upon myself  to protect my mother.. my cousins and me… and as I sit her telling you the story .. I think back to when my own children were 4 and can’t imagine them bearing something like this at that age .. I guess the survival mode kicks in at all ages.. and this was my way of survival back then. My mom still doesn’t know. This is certainly something I’ll never tell her, I still feel that she wouldn’t be able to handle knowing it. It’s hard enough knowing myself.

I am ever so thankful for this chance meeting with a woman I don’t even know. I’m still in shock really .. the next few days I’m sure to have many moments of reflection and at the end I hope to be stronger and more aware.

Wow…. pretty much sums this up for me.. just wow!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Starting Over

Every day we wake up .. we have another opportunity to begin again.. no matter what happened the days, weeks, months or years before.. every new days offers us a NEW chance to begin again.

Whether it is getting back on track with a diet and excercise routine or mending relationships.. each day brings us an opportunity.

What you do with that opportunity is what really matters.

Stop beating yourself up over things you wish you had or hadn’t done just start fresh with that new days clean slate and make the changes you so desparately want and or need.

It’s never too late to be who you always wanted to be.

Take each day as it is .. an opportunity to learn, grow, heal and move forward.

Many blessings for a great and prosperous day,
Raventalker

Hand Made Treasures

Whatever happened to hand made gifts? I know there are still a few out there that still make gifts for all occasions and I want to say to those few.. please, please keep doing what you are doing.

When someone takes from their own lives, the time to craft something for someoen else.. that gift is worth far more than any store bought gift could ever measure up to.

The time.. the thought… the effort alone is an invaluable gift all on its own.

Years ago I would craft far more than I do now… but I keep trying to step it up and continue this tradition. I just feel that for the above mentioned reasons .. the hand made gift speaks louder than anything else to say to the receiver that they are worth my time, thought and effort.

Well… its 4 months til Christmas .. the time to get started on those gifts is now!

You have  plan on what to make… how much to make and start collecting supplies..

You see already how much more effort goes into that hand made gift.. you see hand made gifts takes months of thought, planning and doing … where as a store bought item can be purchased minutes before the giving occasion.

I’m not here to lecture you on what to do or not to do .. but more so to inspire and help.

Hand made items don’t have to be huge, expensive or elabortate… and you can add them to a purchased item as well.. it’s teh thought, time and effort like I said before.

Here are some of things I have done in the past ..

– Mini stockings with the receivers name on it .. I would make these for everyone in my family and that means aunt, uncles, cousins and all tehir children .. yeah so that did take a long time to finish ..lol.. especially since I did these before I had a sewing machine and sewed them all by hand.. over 100 I do believe that year. Stuff  a few treats in them and give them out at the big family christmas dinner. Here’s a link to a quick and easy how-to http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-make-mini-stockings

– Coffee filter angels …. soooooooo simpe and affordable .. on these I also added everyone’s name to each angel for that little extra personal touch. Here’s a how-to for you http://crafts.kaboose.com/easy-coffee-filter-angel.html

– Painted mugs.. one year for valentines day I found some nice large (but plastic) mugs …. I painted them and filled them up with homemade chocolates and candies … these days you can find nice ceramic mugs for this or still go with the less expensive plastic ones.. depends on how many you want to make and what your budget allows. Michaels, Joan Fabrics and Hobby Lobby are great sopurces to find these products.

– Guardian Angel Ornaments… these are super easy .. take a clear christmas ball ornament .. add in some glitter of choice and a small white feather  with an attached tag containing a story about the feather … you can google many diofferent versions of this saying for your ornament or make up your own.

– Holiday pins – with beads and jeweley making supplies the possibilities are endless. Not just for Christmas these can be for Easter, Halloween , Thanksgiving, Valentine’s day, Saint Patrick’s Day, etc.. For instance one year for easter I found some tiny straw hats .. decorsated them with a bit of pearl paint to look like beads and small ribbon .. add a pin backing and gave them to all the women at our Easter get together … let me tell you my aunts still talk about those pins.

– One year for Mother’s Day I took some silk roses… wrapped the steps in floral tape.. added a bit of scented oil and attached a poem I wrote for Mother’s Day to each one with a bit of ribbon.. I have no idea how many I made but that year every mother I passed during my day .. I handed them a rose and the reactions I got were more of a gift to myself than anything I could have ever imagines.

– Holiday wreaths… easy to make you can go from simple to elaborate depending on your budget .. greeat gifts for any occasion!

Other ideas: Dream catchers, home baked goodies, sun catchers, quilted throws, painted bird houses and bird feeders, decorated frames, pine cone christmas trees, ornaments, silk floral arangements, center pieces, bath salts, candles,  etc…

The list goes on and on .. if you are having a hard time figuring out what you want to make.. first figure out how many you want to do then figure out what kind of budget you have to work with and start googling or ideas.. there are thousands of ideas on the web ranging from the simplest and least expensive to the more intricate and well expensive….

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Finding Your Dreams

Spirit brings me a peculiar message this morning … I’m not going to question it .. I’m just going to keep typing as the message evolves….

Finding Your Dreams

Have you lost your dreams?
Do you remember what once you dreamed?
Does it seems like a battle to let the visions flow?
Do you feel lost?
Does it feel like hope for tomorrow is gone?
Has passion left you?

Spirit tells me that you have yourself wound so tightly that you have cut off the flow of life…. everything for you now will seem like a struggle.

It is like you have allowed your worries, stress and your need to get to a good place choke the flow of life and energy from your being.

Meditation is one way to help you find a calm, relaxing place within yourself.

Spirit says you have got to let go… you have got to find some kind peace with yourself and with life in general.

The stress is killing you… the worries are drowning all hope from your life.

Hope is not truly gone.. it is there .. just as your visions are still there … but it is like you have a thick cloud bank covering them.. blocking you from seeing and from feeling their presence.

Change your current behaviors… mix things up a bit and get yourself out of some of the damaging routines that have developed over time.. never fear change.. change is necessary for us to move forward and to grow.

Take a good look at the things in your life that are no longer doing you any good and make the changes necessary. YOU are the only one who knows what these changes are …. so don’t let others tell you whats good for you … take those decisions upon yourself and trust your inner guide.  You know what needs to be done even tho you may feel quite lost .. once you awaken to the knowledge that change needs to be made.. you’ll know what changes those are.

Be careful not to let fear and doubt steer you.

Many blessings,
Raventalker

The Possibilities are Endless

You’ve heard it before…  “The possibilities are endless”

I’d like to argue but really I’d just be making excuses. If we want something bad enough … we have it in us to obtain whatever it is we seek.

Ok, so someone says … I’d like to obtain a million dollars…. well with work, planning and dedication.. I’m sure thats a goal one could certainly obtain.

Is it easy?

I don’t think that was ever a part of the phrase nor do I think anyone ever thought the two go hand in hand…  You know that other saying… “Nothing worth while comes easy”

Here are some thoughts I’d like to leave you with today ….

What is it you truly want?
How far are you willing to go to reach that goal?
Are you ready to work for it?
Do you believe you can do it?

What are you waiting for?

To quote from the movie Soul Surfer ” I don’t need easy, I just need possible.”

What possibilities are waiting for you?

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

All Signs Point To…..

On my in to work this morning I was greeted right away with the angelic numbers 222. (222 meaning  – Have faith. Everything’s going to be all right.)

This made me smile as I felt blessed and comforted seeing the numbers there in front of me as I drove to work. I began to think about signs in general.. what they mean to people and their significance to others.

I also thought for a moment about those who would like to tell us that we make things up to mean things and that none of it really means anything .. we just say that it does.

Then I thought … well who cares if it is real or not. If I am able to find comfort in something as simple as a set of numbers, then whats the harm… what does it matter to anyone else but me. It means something to me and that is all that matters.

The truth is that none of us can truly say what is at the end of our road until that end has come to be. Having faith and something to believe in doesn’t hurt anyone at all.  If in times of stress, hardship, struggle, loneliness or whatever the case may be .. you are able to find comfort in whatever sign it is you have chosen to see then so be it. You are the only one effected by the sign.. so whats the big deal. Why is it some are so bent on arguing about what sign you chose to believe in and whether or not it is a real sign or not??? I think maybe the case is that they have their eyes closed so tightly to what cannot be explained that they don’t “SEE” .. and when others say that they have “SEEN” they feel.. .well they feel a bit left out and since they haven’t “SEEN” any signs then they must not be real.

Finding comfort in finding a feather.. seeing sets of numbers.. hearing a birds call… feeling like someone of a higher power is watching over you harms no one. Go ahead and believe as you wish .. it is all our given right.

Signs are everywhere you just have to ask for them. When asking for a sign you are making yourself aware of your surroundings.. so what was there all the while is now visible to you.

Just as that line from one of my favorite songs goes… Only the ones who believe, ever see what they dream, ever dream what comes true.

So says the raven today… DREAM.. BELIEVE.. HAVE FAITH.. LIVE.. LOVE… LAUGH and SEE!

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

STOP! You’re Going the Wrong Way!

WP_20140423_010How many times have you started down a path that you just knew was not the right path for you?

This happens to us all. It’s all a part of life and being human, making mistakes, learning and growing. I can tell you from far more experience than I’d like to admit …. that path is a torturous one.

So there we are walking down the path laid before us… something inside us tells us something is wrong. The universe starts throwing signs in front of us to let us know that this path we have started on is not the one for us and yet we continue to walk forward. Oh how silly are we? We don’t intend on taking the wrong path. We don’t intend on making our lives harder, but somehow .. there we are… doing just that! Ignoring our own inner knowing and ignoring the signs in front of us.

Why? Why do we do this?

So many factors come in to play as to why we go down that wrong path.

Every path, every situation, our motives and reasons for our choices are different. Here are just a few of examples as to why oh why we go down that road:

Sometimes it is ego… dare we admit we have made a mistake..LOL…damn that ego!

Sometimes it is worry and fear. Worried that we are afraid of the path unknown to us, afraid of hurting others, afraid of what if I’m just making excuses and this is the right path. Don’t you just love it when you argue with your own inner knowing.

Sometimes it is a case of walking past that point where you feel you have already traveled beyond that half way point and you think to yourself.. well I might as well keep going to the end. You tell yourself that turning around and going back is further than just going on and making it to the end. Ummm, hello! Is it not further to keep going in the wrong direction and then having to turn around .. than it is to just stop what you are doing .. no matter the point… and get your butt back to the beginning to travel down the road better suited for you?

When in the thick of it all, we have a hard time seeing clearly. We question every move, we ignore the obvious and we make excuses not only for ourselves but for others and for our actions and motives. Hoping for the best and intending on doing the right thing for all involved.

I mean really! Who wants to admit they are wrong???  hahahahaha I can laugh now … but during those times when I was on that wrong road… whew, was it ever so hard and troubling!

I believe this is something we will all do at some point in our lives and often more than once in our lifetime. The key is recognizing your mistake and in the best way that you can … correcting it. People will get hurt, times will be hard… but we all have the ability to heal and in the end everyone will benefit from better choices.

Pay closer attention when life throws you a road block… there must be a reason for it. Don’t make things out to be more complicated than they need be and don’t let fear guide you. I know… easier said than done.. but the first step is realization.

Many blessing for a path well traveled,
Raventalker

The Upside of Living

I won’t pretend life is all roses and smiles… life gets crazy, hectic, hard, painful and down right insane at times… BUT … my message for you today is … The Sun is ALWAYS Shining.

Beyond the clouds… the sun is ever shining. Though we may sleep .. the sun never does.. it’s rays of light are continuous.. and when the moon takes it’s rest and the clouds part way… we are given the gift of light to brighten our way.

Take each day as it comes…. hardships are expected …. none of us are immune to that fact… but how we make it through.. how we handle ourselves through those times.. how we endure.. is completely up to us. We can give in or we can fight it out.

When times get hard and you are finding it difficult to keep going .. think about the bright days you’ve already had.. think of the blessings that have come your way .. remember the days when smiles and laughter filled your heart and know that those days will come again.

Hard times are temporary just like the weather… hang in there and keep walking forward. Brighter days are just around the corner. Focus on the positive. Let the negative slip away.

Many Blessings and great big hugs to all,
Raventalker

Reflection

It is good for the mind, body and soul to take some time out of our busy and hectic days to reflect. Reflect on the good, the bad and the in between…

Lessons come from more than bad experiences… All shades of life bring to us oportunites to learn… to learn about ourselves and others.

It is good to take a moment from time to time for reflection.. just be careful not to dwell too long.

Lessons of kindness, friendship, opportunity, achievement, and much more can come out of positive experiences .. so you see lessons can come along even in the best of times.

Many Blessings for a great and prosperous day,
Raventalker

The Good and the Bad

Inspired by the words of a friend this morning … “Its the choices we make in the toughest of times…that show us and others who we really are….” by Bear Medicine Walker

I thought I’d take some time to elaborate on this topic for a moment.

It’s easy to be great when things are going well… but when things go bad that’s when our true colors and our true nature sings out loud.

We may not make the best choices or decisions during hard times but if we are of good intentions and a good heart, we will do the best with what we have and what we know.

Mistakes happen .. we all fall down from time to time. It’s easy to be pulled down into a slump of depression and negativity… but it’s how we pull ourselves out of it that matters most. The will and intent to want to pull yourself out of the darkness and into the light says more than words could ever do.

I want to offer just a small bit of advice at this time: Please do not judge others by their immediate actions.. instead take a longer look at the whole picture and give them time to regroup. Treat each as you would hope you would be treated in times of hardship and struggle.

If I alone were to be judged by some of my decisions and actions from the past … Ooooooo boy would I be in a world of trouble.

We each walk our own path … although it may seem similar to another .. each walk is different.. with different circumstances, experiences, knowledge or lack of and different actions and reactions. None should be compared to another.

Our life here is about learning and growing … so mistakes will be made without doubt. EVERYONE makes them .. big , small…. we all are similar in this way.

Be kind to others as you walk through your day .. you just never know what they may be going through … behind that smile maybe a broken heart, a stressed mind and a confused weary soul… so be kind and considerate with your actions always.

Many blessings for a great day!
Raventalker

Toast of Music City Awards

So here we are again this year … just 1 month ago Toast of Music City kicked off the voting for “The Best of” for the Nashville area .. the public got to vote for everything in the area from Best Restaurant  to Best Child Care and Local Celeb..

You or someone you know can submit any business or local person for any category and then for 4 weeks votes are cast daily.

So there I am listed in Best Blog and Best Artist (Visual) .. every day for 4 weeks I posted links hoping for votes .. fingers crossed .. hoping for the best.

Any artist will be able to relate.. we do what we do because it’s who we are .. it’s in our blood to create … we don’t do it for money or fame but in the back of our minds it sure would be great to be recognized for all that we put into our creations.

Late yesterday the winners were posted online..  I am truly humbled and honored to say that I MADE IT!!!

I certainly don’t believe I am the best artist or blogger by any means … but what I am certain of is that I have the very best friends and fans anyone could ever ask for. Taking time out of their day for 4 weeks straight to cast a vote my way and for that I am truly .. truly blessed.

As an artist and blogger I give it my all each day .. with every blog .. and every piece of  art I create. Always working to improve and do the best that I can do.  My hopes are to bring a bit of peace and healing to the world in any way that I can through my blogs and writing and with my art .. I just hope to make others smile, relate and connect.

Heavy sigh … and GREAT BIG SMILES!!!!

Thank you to everyone who voted this year. You guys are the best inspiration anyone could ever ask for. I could not have done it without you.

Many Blessings and Thank yous all around!!!
Raventalker

To Dance Among the Trees

Swaying with the wind
I dance beneath the willow, a long time friend
Branches so long and flowing
A place where magical dreams come to life
The willow, it heals me without even knowing

Beyond the hill the mighty oak stands
Like a courageous warrior in the night
The thunder Gods begin to sing and share their electric light
Strong and true, the oak reaches for my hand
Keeping our feet firmly planted to the ground
We sway together, right there where we stand

With a twirl and a twist I begin spinning
The birch tree reminds me of a new beginning
A good cleansing of the past
Visions begin to fill my mind really fast
Oh where will my imagination take me
These are the gifts from my friend, the birch tree

The view from here is of a natural perfection
I think I’ll two step on over to the cedar
He offers healing and protection
Beauty and justice, this cedar does share
As it’s branches reach up high through the air

Dancing on over to the next in line
Oh look, it’s the tall and lovely  pine
Creative and robust, he stands so very tall
Lending longevity to us all

Stumbling over the fields and hay
The maple helps me find balance on my way
Promises we make as we dance across the plane
The maple’s colors are absolutely insane

Now, I close my eyes and let intuition be my guide
I find myself beneath a great elm tree
Letting out a heavy sigh, it’s strength and will fill me

On my tippy toes, I flutter about
There’s an elder tree across the way, I scout
With a jiggle and a bounce or two
Well hello, there’s my friends the fairies
How do you do?

To Dance Among the Trees
It’s a blessing, like a cool Summer breeze

Twist and twirl, shake and bounce, swoon and sway
Have You Danced Among the Trees Today?

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Passion!

Heavy sigh .. and not in the way that you might think a heavy sigh would go with the topic today…  This heavy sigh is in frustration.

How do you get people passionate about what they do?

How do you get people to care about their own way of business… ?

HOW HOW HOW??????

No matter what you do .. do it well .. do it with care and do it with pride.

It doesn’t matter your part in the world… waitress, business man, company owner, delivery person, receptionist or store clerk…. what matters is how you do your job.

It may not be your dream job … but it’s your job …. do it with passion, pride and care… you may not be in the happiest place doing the best of jobs but your attitude toward what you do makes all the difference in the world.. not only to you but to those around you as well.

It feels to me that for the most part .. getting others passionate about what they do is like trying to light wet firewood … soaking wet firewood!

I suppose it’s probably not my job to get others passionate about what they do … but it frustrates me to see people not taking care and pride in their own jobs.

If you don’t like what you do .. change it…  I know .. its not always that easy … but if you don’t even try to change it .. its not going to change on its own.. and in the mean time .. find something in what you are doing that you DO like and focus on that .. and if nothing else just take pride in doing a job well done..

Even if you are a file clerk .. you can be the best damn file clerk that office has ever seen! or best receptionist, storage clerk, maintenance person, delivery tech, computer tech, support staff, cook, cleaner, sales person, etc. You are limited but none other than yourself.

Ok .. that’s my gripe of the day … sorry for going off on a tangent…. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH .. whew.. ok I feel better now!

Many Blessings for a beautiful day,
Raventalker

P.S.
I have to add a personal experience here:

years ago I worked at a place that at first I liked and then because I wouldn’t follow the manager around like trained dog I was put on the blacklist and made to feel bad every day … made  to have lunch alone instead of in the group with everyone else.. made to be the one to go fetch things from the storage building from hell .. and just made to feel inferior every day.

What did I do about it?
I made sure I was best damn employee that company had ever seen .. making myself so valuable that once I was gone I would without doubt be missed! I managed a system for the storgage building from hell that only I knew.. so again when I was able to leave .. they would be lost. I took it upon myself to do the best of my ability and I challenged myself daily to out do myself .. and this took the focus off how others were trying to make me feel and I felt pride in myself for a job well done and for knowing that what I was doing was to the very best of my ability. I took the power out of their hands and put it in my own .. I was determined to do well despite the things they were trying to do to make me feel bad.

To this day .. I still smile..  Months after I left I went back to visit a few friends and it was nice seeing a huge mountain of stuff that needed to be done and wasn’t because I was gone.. hahahahahahahaha THAT WAS THE BEST!

Do your best no matter what others are doing …. just do your own personal best and take joy from knowing that you have done exactly that.

Watch Your Words

IMG_3338The simplest of statements can change who you are and how you feel and how you live.

Think about these statements for a moment and think of how many times you may have said them …

I am broke
I am sick
I am hurt
I am sad
I am afraid
I can’t do it
I don’t know how…

Think for a moment how these statements effect you …

Now change your statement to define you in a better way

I’m not broke.. I just don’t have the money right now … but its coming

I’m not sick .. I’m just not feeling my best at the moment .. but better days are ahead

Here’s to using better words…

Many Blessings for a great and prosperous day,
Raventalker

Your Song

Each of us has a song inside … it resonates who we truly are. It comes from our heart and soul… bellowing out from the core of who we are inside and out.

Each song is unique to the person in which it resides.. none more important than the other.

The question of the night is: Do you know your own song?

Here are a few other questions one might ask about your song:
Can you sing it out loud?
Do you sing it proudly?
Does it ring of pride?
Does it carry a tune of sadness or joy.. maybe a mixture of the two?
Does the sound of it make others want to join in and sing it too?
Is it a pleasant melody or something quite the opposite?
Does it beat fast or slow?
Does this song bring tears or smiles… or maybe both?
Is it a healing song?

The answers only you will know… important to none other than you.

Step inside yourself for a moment and listen to your own song … allow yourself to be filled with its melody … get to know it .. get to know yourself..

Within this song are the answers you seek… the person you maybe thought was lost is still there … listen to the sounds and find yourself …. sway with the beat and dance to the tune of you and be proud of the person that is there.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

From The Front Porch Swing

From the Front Porch Swing

Sipping my cup a tea, a luminous sunrise greets me
Song birds flock overhead with ease singing their lovely melodies
A squirrel, a chipmunk and a lizard or two, stop by for a quick hello and how do you do

From the Front Porch Swing

Life can be so grand… sitting next to my love, holding his hand
A cuddle, a kiss, a wink… all go hand in hand with a nice cold drink
Conversations about the day … listening closely to everything he has to say

From the Front Porch Swing

The view is absolutely amazing … the sun above with brilliant rays of light blazing
Listening to the rustle of the leaves as the wind blows through the Summer trees
With a heavy sigh and a soft smile .. I could sit here for a very long while

From the Front Porch Swing

The days light slowly turns to night
The June bugs slow their hummm and lightening bugs come out for a bit of fun
The moon’s light and twinkle from the stars above fill me with a warm, gentle kind of love

From the Front Porch Swing

Problems and stress all fade away, now this is the way to spend your day!
Swinging to and fro… letting it all go.
Come have a seat next to me… You’ll soon see how great life can be.

From the Front Porch Swing

Many Blessings,
Raventalker