Study Guide - When God Spoke To Me

Study Guide for
“When God Spoke to Me”

By DavidPaul Doyle
Table of Contents
How to Use This Study Guide 6
She is Mine 8
The Subway Train that Saved My Life 15
The Whisper in My Dreams 21
The Lesson from the Tattooed Angel 27
A Prisoner's Experience 34
Goose Bumps from Heaven 40
Lord Stay with Me 46
The Buick That Changed My Life 50
Throw-Up Yellow Just Like Me 57
The Man Who Hears the Voice 63
The Day the Twin Towers Fell 66
A Surrogate Sermon 71
Tiny Prayers 74
The Gift of Grace 77
Remembering Oneness 82
Lukie’s Love 87
From Monster to Emissary 90
The Listener 96
Initiation 99
New Beginning 104

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© 2010 by DavidPaul Doyle. All Rights Reserved. Duplication and Sharing Prohibited.
The Voice for Love. P.O. Box 3125, Ashland, OR 97520 www.thevoiceforlove.com
The Shade 111
Drive South 116
On Loan 122
Through the Mouth of a Stranger 125
Four Glorious Days 131
Three Words 137
Succumbing to an Unlikely Death 140
Now Is the Time, This Is the Place 143
In My Own Backyard 146
My Angel 152
The Day I Got a New Name 158
Just in Time 161
Free At Last 167
Finding a Personal God 173
Clarity 180
The Simplest Thing 185
Brothers and Sisters 189
Healing with God 195
Mom and the Birdhouse 200
Cutting Through the Fog of Uncertainty 205
Journeying to God's Voice 210
One Breath at a Time 214
Expressing God’s Voice 217

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A New Sensation 224
Twist of Faith 230
Falling in Love 236
Love in its Purest Form 241
Don’t Judge A Book by Its Cover 244
God’s Whispers 247
Simple Synchronicity 252
Overcoming My “Autism” 257
Tap, Tap, Tap 262
A Homeless Man 265
Awakening 268
Ugly Teddy 274
God Speaks Up 277
Eggs, Farm Smells and Hidden Gifts 282
Alone But Not Alone 287
Becoming the Change 290
Follow Me Home 295
I Do It For You 300
Healing for a Wounded Heart 303
The Auction 306
Finding Peace Amidst Despair 309
Fall in Love with Yourself 312
Third Time's the Charm 316

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Coins from the Hear 319
Advice from a Dear Friend 322
Life Changing Birthday Gift 325
He Was There All Along 328
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How to Use This Study Guide
The stories included in When God Spoke to Me are inspiring, heart warming, and
profoundly moving. Many will move you to tears. Others will force you to pause,
contemplate, and recount important moments in your life. This study guide was put
together to support you in getting as much as you can out of these stories.
When you read a story for the first time, I recommend that you read through the entire
story without stopping so you can fully enjoy it without dissecting it, analyzing it, or
contemplating your own similar experiences. Once youʼve read the story in its entirety,
use this study guide to deepen your experience, insight, and understanding of hearing
Godʼs voice in the story by filling out the worksheets and reading the commentary for
each story.
Below is a brief description of items included on the worksheets.
Description: Write a brief one or two sentence description of the story so you can
easily jog your memory about it in the future.
Inner Struggle: Describe the inner experience of the person in the story just prior to
hearing Godʼs voice. What were they thinking or believing? What were they feeling or
experiencing? This will help you to identify the “before” and “after” experience of hearing
Godʼs Voice.
Miracle Mindedness: Contemplate and describe the qualities of heart and mind
present in the individual that brought about their experience of hearing Godʼs voice in
that exact moment. What were they thinking, believing, feeling, intending, or doing the
moment they heard Godʼs voice which opened them up to having that experience?
Moment of Hearing: What moment in the story did they experience “hearing Godʼs
voice,” or what was happening in the story the moment they “heard Godʼs voice?”
Form of Hearing: What form or expression did Godʼs voice take in that moment? How
was Godʼs voice perceived in that moment?
Result/Benefit: What was the immediate result, outcome, or benefit the person
received in hearing Godʼs voice? Were there any long-term benefits the person received
from having this experience? If so, what were they?
Message/Lesson: What reminder, lesson, or message do you personally take away

from this story?
Notes: Write down any additional notes, ideas, or reminders that come to mind as you
contemplate this story.
Commentary: Before I (DavidPaul Doyle) ever thought about creating a study guide for
When God Spoke to Me, I went through these stories myself and wrote down my own
thoughts and insights on each of the items above. I never thought I would share these
notes and comments with anyone else. I simply did it for my own benefit. However, as I
started putting these worksheets together, I envisioned the possibility of making this
study guide available to individuals who may be studying the book on their own and do
not have the benefit of enjoying other peopleʼs insight, ideas, or experiences as part of a
group. As a result, I decided to include my personal notes in this study guide so others
may benefit from them. However, I do recommend that you fill out the worksheets on
your own prior to reading my commentary. There is tremendous benefit to thinking about
these stories on your own before ever soliciting other peopleʼs opinions and
experiences. So please fill out the worksheets for each story before reading my
commentary.
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She is Mine
Contributor: Rita Carlson "" Pages: 15-18
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Commentary
Description: With her daughter gravely ill, lying on the floor no longer moving, God
asks Rita the unthinkable. He says in a very loud voice, “Will you give her me?” Sobbing
hysterically, she does what God asks and experiences the most profound moment of
her life.
Inner Struggle: Tremendous fear, desperate, imminent loss of a loved one
Miracle Mindedness: Recognizes that it is not in her control, out of her hands, nowhere
else to turn, surrender, willingness, directly asks God for help, not knowing
Moment of Hearing: Driving down the road in her car crying and screaming at God to
save her daughter
Form of Hearing: Audible voice, all encompassing, from everywhere, ultimate surround
sound
Result/Benefit: Loss of fear, relief
Message/Lesson:
1. Our children are not our own. "I realized that, in Truth, she was already His. She was
“on loan” to us from God. It was the single most profound moment of my life. My
heart was breaking, yet at the same time was relieved because the fear had gone. I
couldnʼt lose what I didnʼt possess. This was the first time since her birth that I fully
realized my little girl belonged not to me, but to her Creator.
2. What does it mean to be of service? What does it mean to serve God. What is
required to be worthy of serving God?
Notes: Importance of surrender, letting go of one's attachments, willingness, not

knowing: qualities of mind, state of mind and heart that opens the door. God speaks to
us exactly where we are, we hear what is in our highest good, Hitting Bottom, Ya Gotta
Ask, Hearing in Any State of Mind. Possible loud voice, what brings it about?
Commentary: She Is Mine by Rita Carlson
In the story, Rita is a young woman who did not grow up in a religious household. As a
young girl, she neither read the Bible nor attended church, but regardless of her
upbringing, Rita spoke to God as a child. She says she doesnʼt ever remember hearing
God speak back to her, but that it didnʼt matter to her. She had a relationship with God
nonetheless, and she called Him her “imaginary friend.”
Now for this story, let me set the stage.
Here Rita was...
• A 26-year-old new mother

• A physically ill daughter, hospitalized twice in her first 90 days with pneumonia
• Ritaʼs working two jobs just to make ends meet
• She has no health insurance for her herself for her family
• And then she gets in a car crash and becomes unable to work
For the first time in Ritaʼs life, she truly felt helpless and real depression set in.
Right when she was at her lowest, the unexpected happens, her daughter suddenly
becomes very ill, “a lifeless form lying on her living room floor with a 102 degree
temperature thatʼs climbing.”
Now letʼs fast-forward to for the moment God spoke to her.
Ritaʼs racing down the road in her car trying to get to the pharmacy before it closes.
Sheʼs hysterical. Sheʼs crying and screaming her pleas to God to heal her daughterʼs
body. And then she hears it... a firm and loving male sounding voice that seems to fill
her car and yet also seems to be coming from within her.
“Will you give her to me?” the voice asked.
Now letʼs pause for a moment and take a look at whatʼs really happening within Rita
right now.
Rita is terrified of losing her only daughter. This moment is her lowest of lows. She
might lose what she loves more than anything else in the whole world. Her heart, mind,
and body are doing everything they can to hold onto this child, to not let go, and to
somehow keep her precious baby alive. This fight for survival is the relationship that
Rita is having within her right now—this—holding on with all her might to keep
something alive, BUT there is so much more going on within Rita than what appears to
be happening.
While all of THIS is going on, Rita is simultaneously asking for Godʼs grace and healing.
At her lowest of lows, she asked God with all her heart and all her willingness, for help.
She had nothing more to lose. There was nothing more that could possibly be taken
from her in that moment. In her mind nothing else mattered. Nothing else had any
meaning besides this one event, and she fully knew in her heart that she did not have
the power or the capability to make it happen on her own. So at her lowest of lows, in
the same moment as this excruciating relationship within her, Rita finds the willingness,
the tiny grain of willingness, to ask for help from that which is greater than herself.
Let me repeat this.
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At the very same moment that she finds herself at the end of her rope, committed to this
THIS, this relationship of survival, she simultaneously connects with this grain of
willingness within her and directly pleas for Godʼs help.
So what does God say to her in this moment of joining?
“Will you give her to me?”
In this profound moment of absolute survival, absolute desire, absolute attachment, God
asks the unimaginable, “Will you give her to me?” Or in other words, “Will you
surrender? Will you let go? Will you have faith? Will you surrender your will to Mine?
Will you serve my will, instead of your own?”
God sees and understands the dynamic, the relationship that Rita is in, and with one
small question, asks her to let it all go.
God is so brilliant! He knows exactly what to say to each of us to heal our hearts and
minds, for it is exactly these words, this question, “Will you give her to me?” that forces
Rita to get that she is not the one in control; she is not the one in charge; she is not the
one who is ultimately responsible for whether someone lives or dies.
Rita screams out, “Why would you ask this of me?” and God answers her, not in words,
but with the message and the understanding within her heart and mind that truly her
daughter is not her own, that in fact, she was already His ... regardless of whether she
lives or dies.
So God is speaking to Rita in both words that she can hear as well as silently within her
own heart and mind, inserting a truth within her mind that she experiences as a shift in
perception or a new way of seeing her relationship with her daughter. And itʼs with this
change in perception, this new way of being with her daughter, that allows Rita to say,
“Yes, I will give her back to You.”
And what did Rita say happened to her in that moment, that moment of seeing her
relationship with her daughter through God eyes? Her fear disappeared.
In one moment of seeing the world through Godʼs eyes, her fears were gone, dissolved
instantly within her heart.
By sincerely asking for Godʼs healing, hearing His words, and taking those words into
her heart to become her own, Ritaʼs fear existed no more. Rita didnʼt just pay lip service
to God. Sincerity of heart is a huge piece of the equation. This sincerity came in part
because of her sincere love for her daughter, but it was also born out of the fact that her
mind had nowhere else to go. There were no other solutions available for her mind to
grab onto. There was no other hope available to her. This is the blessing and the gift of
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hitting bottom in oneʼs life, whether it be in oneʼs finances, in oneʼs marriage, in oneʼs
dreams or aspirations, or anywhere in oneʼs life. When one truly hits bottom, the mind
has exhausted all other avenues for safety, security, and fulfillment.
In Truth, there is nothing in the world that is capable of fulfilling our needs for safety,
security, happiness, love, or fulfillment than God. Nothing else is capable of filling these
voids within us. When one hits bottom, the world is finally seen for the empty promises
that it offers, and in that moment, one surrenders to the only Source that offers true
healing, true comfort, and true joy, and that is God.
For Rita, everything came together in that moment, the circumstances, the relationship,
and the willingness to ask for help, the willingness to see things differently through
Godʼs eyes. And it was this magical mixture of love, fear, willingness, surrender, hitting
bottom, and asking God with all her heart for help that enabled Rita to experience Godʼs
miracle.
Of course, I love that God says to her, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” in the
most loving voice she had ever heard.
What does it mean to be of service? What does it mean to serve God. What is required
to be worthy of serving God?
I think there are many valid answers to these questions, but in this particular context,
every time that we surrender our small, fearful, and limited will to Godʼs all loving, all-
knowing, all-powerful will, we are being of service to God and to all of our brothers and
sisters in the world. In the moment we are willing to hear and follow Godʼs word,
regardless of our backgrounds, our education, or our life experience, we are serving
God and all of humanity.
It doesnʼt take much to serve God. All that is required is the desire and the willingness to
do so. In any moment that we are willing to release our fears, our judgments, our
attachments, and anything else in our lives that keeps us in survival or separate from
our brothers and sisters, and any moment that we are willing to give those things to God
and to receive Godʼs love and faith in return, we are serving God.
Thereʼs one more important point that Iʼd like you to take away from this story. While it
was necessary for Rita to hit bottom in this particular moment of her life in order to
motivate her to put her daughterʼs life into Godʼs hands, it is not necessary for you to hit
bottom in your own life to create what I call miracle mindedness, the state of mind and
heart that opens the door for you to hear Godʼs Voice. All it takes to hear Godʼs voice is
the desire and the willingness to do so.
In any moment that you want or need to hear Godʼs voice, can you let go of your own
control? Can you let go of your own fearful, limiting, survival oriented desires, so that
you can be open to receiving what God truly wishes for you? Its our attachments to
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what we want, to how we want things to be, to what we want other people to say or do,
that keeps our hearts and minds closed and shut off from hearing Godʼs voice. We must
be willing to let go of our limiting and fearful wants and needs in order to receive the
loving, compassionate, and caring wishes of God in our lives.
It is these fearful, judgmental, and controlling thoughts within our own minds that keep
us closed to Godʼs unconditional love and grace. But as Rita demonstrated, it is okay if
we find ourselves clutched like THIS from time to time in our lives, in our jobs, or in our
relationships, but if we can be willing to release our catchmentʼs to THIS and ask for
guidance, wisdom, healing, forgiveness, and love from our Creator, the door will be
opened to us and Godʼs all-powerful, all loving, all-knowing wisdom will be given to us
and will immediately dissolve and erase every ounce of pain within our hearts and
minds.
Darkness cannot exist in the light. Fear cannot exist in the presence of Love. When we
are willing to surrender our attachments to these limiting and fearful thoughts and
beliefs within us, Godʼs love will pour into our hearts and minds and eliminate every
ounce of pain and separation within us. That is indeed the purpose of the Holy Spirit, to
heal our hearts and minds and restore our awareness God.
Ritaʼs gift to us is the reminder that all we need to do to hear Godʼs voice is to to ask, be
willing, and surrender with all our hearts, with absolute sincerity, and it will be done.
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The Subway Train that Saved My Life
Contributor: Leonard Robertson" " Pages: 19-22
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Commentary
Description: After being hit by a train, Leonard watched from above his body as the
doctors attempted to save his life. Attracted by a bright light, Leonard traveled to the
light where he felt energized, buoyant with joy, and infused with the warmth and
calmness of perfect Peace. It was then he heard a calm, loving, soothing, but strong
male voice say, "Go back. We are not ready for you yet." His life was changed forever
when given a second chance to learn the lessons of Love.
Inner Struggle: Angry, bitter teenager who battled with epilepsy. Rough childhood. Felt
unloved and alone.
Miracle Mindedness: As I approached the light, it became obvious this was no light
bulb. I walked toward it until I was surrounded by a glorious brightness that soothed my
core. I felt energized, buoyant with joy, immersed in a welcoming brilliance that filled
my heart with great love and infused me with the warmth and calmness of perfect
Peace. It was then I heard the Voice.
Moment of Hearing: The moment he was surrounded by the soothing peaceful light.
Form of Hearing: Calm, loving, soothing, but strong male voice, and also the warm,
calming, peaceful light he felt.
Result/Benefit: Energized, buoyant, infused with peace by the light. He reacted to the
words God spoke, but the long-term result was to rid his heart of self-pity and anger and
learn the lessons of love.
Message/Lesson:
• All of Godʼs children are worthy of love.

• We are here for a reason. We are here to learn the lessons of love.
Notes: God speaks to us not just in words, but in feelings. God is love. All the qualities
of love, compassion, peace, joy, etc. are all communications from God.
While we might not understand why God leads us in certain directions that we might
perceive as fearful or painful, we can trust that God is always leading us deeper into His
love. What might seem like a punishment, or an unloving act, is in fact what will deliver
us from the thoughts and feelings that separate us from our experience of God's love.
All things have a purpose, everything can be used by God to restore us to the
awareness and presence of love that God is.
Love cannot lead us into pain. We can resist or judge laugh and put ourselves in that
pain, but God cannot and will not lead us into pain or suffering. That is only of our doing
with how we relate to God, to ourselves, to those in our lives, and to the world.
Commentary: The Subway Train that Saved My Life by Leonard Robertson
Leonard was a troubled, angry, and rebellious youth who also have a severe case of
epilepsy. One day after sneaking across the border from Canada to Philadelphia, he
suffered a petite mal seizure on the platform of a subway station. In his dazed and
confused state, Leonard inadvertently stepped in front of one of the moving subway
train and was run over by it—full force.
Rushed to the hospital, Leonard recalls looking down upon his body in the operating
room as the doctors frantically worked to keep him alive. But this didnʼt last long. He
was overwhelmed by the site of the doctors trying to resuscitate his body below him and
soon found himself flying through the night sky where he approached a bright light at
the end of a tunnel.
He said, “I walked toward it until I was surrounded by a glorious brightness that soothed
my core. I felt energized, buoyant with joy, immersed in a welcoming brilliance that filled
my heart with great love and infused me with the warmth and calmness of perfect
Peace. It was then I heard the Voice.”
Now, before I tell you what the Voice said, Iʼd like to talk a little bit about the many ways
that God speaks to us in our lives.
As it says in John 4:16 in the Bible, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and
God in them."
God is love. God is infinite, all healing, all powerful, unconditional, love. Whenever we
experience love, share love, or receive love, we are joining with God in that moment.
True love only comes from one place, one Source. The moment that we experience
love, we are experiencing the Presence of God.
Now, there are many different qualities or aspects of Love, or what I sometimes like to
call, flavors of love. These aspects or flavors of love include peace, compassion,
understanding, acceptance, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, joy, passion, and all the
many other qualities that God possesses. These love based qualities are all flavors or
aspects of God, and as such, they are also flavors or aspects of Love as well. so
whenever we experience some quality or aspect of Love, whether it be peace, joy,
happiness, compassion, or any other quality of love, we are experiencing God in that
moment.
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Thereʼs another quote Iʼd like to share from John 1:5. “This is the message we have
heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”
So letʼs listen again what Leonard shared with us. He said, “As I approached the light, it
became obvious this was no light bulb. I walked toward it until I was surrounded by a
glorious brightness that soothed my core. I felt energized, buoyant with joy, immersed in
a welcoming brilliance that filled my heart with great love and infused me with the
warmth and calmness of perfect Peace. It was then I heard the Voice.”
Leonard was already joined with God in light and love before he ever heard God speak
to him in actual words. Leonardʼs first moment of hearing Godʼs Voice was not the
words he heard, but the glorious brightness of love and light that soothed his core and
fill him with the greatest joy and peace he had ever known.
Hearing Godʼs voice is much more than hearing words spoken to you. The purpose of
the Holy Spirit is to restore our awareness to God. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to
extend Godʼs love and light into the world to heal our hearts and minds so we can
remember our union with God. So whenever we experience any aspect or quality of
Godʼs healing love, whether it is peace, joy, comfort, compassion, or understanding, we
are hearing Godʼs Voice in that moment because our minds are being restored to the
awareness of God.
In truth, Leonard heard Godʼs Voice calling to him the moment he began moving toward
the light. The more he moved into the light, the deeper his awareness of God became.
Although not expressed in words, what Leonard heard and received by the light and the
love was, “You are safe, you are loved, and you are whole.” Those were the messages
that Leonard received from Godʼs love and light.
How many times have you felt Godʼs love in your life? How many times have you felt
comforted knowing that God was with you? How many times has Peace been with you
when youʼve asked for it?
One of the most important steps in hearing Godʼs voice more consistently in our lives is
to recognize how God is already speaking to us and we didnʼt know it. From this day on,
begin to recognize all the times in your day where you feel love, joy, happiness, peace,
or any other quality of God. When you notice that you are experiencing one of the many
qualities or aspects of God, stop for a moment and validate the fact that you are hearing
Godʼs voice right now, in this moment of joy, in this moment of peace, in this moment of
love. Say to yourself, “I am hearing Godʼs voice in this moment. My mind is being
restored to the awareness of God.”
The more often you can acknowledge and validate these moments in your life, these
moments of union with God, these moments of hearing Godʼs voice through your heart
and emotions, the more consistently you will experience hearing Godʼs voice all through
your day.
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So Leonard first experiences Godʼs Voice in the form of love and light. He then
experiences Godʼs Voice in the form of words.
He said, “It was a male voice; calm, loving, soothing, but strong. It seemed to be coming
from everywhere—surrounding me just as the light did. It spoke words I could hear and
words I could not, saying, "Go back. We are not ready for you yet."
To Leonard, hearing those words was heartbreaking. He didnʼt want to go back to all the
pain and suffering in this life. Heʼd never felt so loved and so filled with peace in all his
life, but then Leonard said, “What had changed me were not the words God had spoken
to my ears, but the subliminal words He had spoken to my heart—the message that I
wasnʼt done here on earth yet. Now I had a second chance—borrowed time to learn the
lessons of Love.”
God and the Holy Spirit healed Leonardʼs heart and mind in those brief moments. When
he woke up in the hospital from a coma three months later, he was not the same angry
young man he once was. He was motivated and inspired to learn the lessons of love,
the lessons of the Holy Spirit.
Leonard himself demonstrated, all of Godʼs children are worthy of love, and each of us
is here to learn the lessons of love, just as Jesus did.
Earlier, I shared with you the following quote from John 4:16, “God is love. Whoever
lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” But if I had read the two sentences
following this quote, you wouldʼve heard this: “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in
God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will
have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.”
We are all here to learn the lessons of love, just as Jesus did, and every other great
teacher and master who has ever learned these lessons before us. This is indeed the
purpose and function of the Holy Spirit, the Voice of God within each of us, to help us,
guide us, and support us in learning the lessons of love in our lives.
Every time you experience love, you are hearing Godʼs voice. You are remembering
Godʼs word. You are receiving the Holy Spirit. Live your life in love as Leonard did, so
that Godʼs love is made complete within all of Godʼs children.
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The Whisper in My Dreams
Contributor: Janice Uebersetzig"" Pages: 23-25
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Commentary
Description: After seeing her husband's death come true in exactly the way she dreamt
it, Janice realizes that her dream was no nightmare at all but God's voice speaking to
her letting her know that she is always where she is supposed to be and that God can
speak to her in many different ways, not just riding a bolt of lightning out of the clouds.
Inner Struggle: Death of her husband, but God's loving message and communication
created profound grace and peace in the process.
Miracle Mindedness: Open, willing
Moment of Hearing: Having a dream while she slept.
Form of Hearing: Seeing the future in her dream.
Result/Benefit: Once she recognized her dream as God's voice speaking to her, it
brought her understanding, peace, and the courage to be present and appreciative of
her time with her husband before he passed away The peaceful memory of him was a
gift to her, but the greater gift was the knowledge but she will always be where she is
supposed to be and that God can speak to her in many different ways. As a result,
peace, faith, allowing, surrender, acceptance, grace.
Message/Lesson:
• God can speak to us in many ways

• There is a plan, there is something bigger going on than we can't possibly understand,
and orchestration for our deepest learning and growth, and if we can embrace that, we
receive all that God would give to us, peace, faith, allowing, surrender, acceptance,
grace.
Notes: Seek faith in difficult times, you don't need to know and can't possibly know what
something is for, or how it serves the greater good. How might I see this differently?
God, what would you have me know in this? What would you have me learn from this?
How can I see this through your vision?
Commentary: The Whisper in My Dreams by Janice Uebersetzig
Janiceʼs story starts out with her husband being rushed to the hospital. But before they
get there, she shares with us a dream she had had one night while sleeping. In the
dream, her husband whispers to her, “I hate to put you through this.” And she assures
him, “Itʼs okay. Iʼm supposed to be with you when you die.”
Janice didnʼt understand her dream at the time. She thought it was a nightmare. But the
dream had nudged and prodded her every day since to truly appreciate each moment
she spent with her husband and to live her life with him to the fullest.
And then BAM, there she is, suddenly sitting by her husbandʼs side in the hospital
when he looks up at her from the bed and says, “I hate to put you through this.”
Even though she had remembered the dream every day since she had had it, it was
gone from her in that moment, until he said those words. And then she remembered it.
“Itʼs okay,” she said, “Iʼm supposed to be with you when you die,” the very same words
she and he had said in her dream.
“Thatʼs when I knew,” she said. “I had been lovingly prepared so that I might understand
the tumor wasnʼt just some random horror. It was simply part of a picture too big to see.
A purpose too great. What Iʼd thought was a nightmare had been the voice of God.”
I love this message. Not only can God use everything in our lives as an opportunity to
communicate to us, including our dreams, but the message that this was meant to
happen, that it was somehow scripted long ago, was an incredible gift for Janice. It
brought her tremendous understanding and peace, and the courage to be present and
appreciative of her time with her husband before he passed away. But the greater gift
was the knowledge that she will always be where she is supposed to be and that God
can speak to her in many different ways.
In my own life, Iʼm constantly getting messages, communication and healing from God
in my dreams at night. Iʼm a really light sleeper, and I wake up a half a dozen or so
times each night just rolling over or changing position, but each time I wake up, Iʼm
usually in the middle of a dream, and because my dreams are so much more dramatic
or intense than my normal waking life, what I become aware of as Iʼm rolling over is
usually pretty captivating, and I asked God nearly every time, “what does that mean? or
how does that relate to my life? Or what am I learning or releasing in that experience?” I
donʼt wake up fully to ask those questions or it would be too difficult for me to get back
to sleep, but Iʼm aware of whatʼs happening in my dream and I simply pose the thought
that God to tell me what I can learn or gain from it, and I almost always get a thought
back immediately with some sort of insight or understanding about how it relates to my
waking life.
To God, everything in the world can be used as an opportunity to communicate to us.

everything in our life is symbolic of a deeper learning or lesson that we are gaining, and
God can use every symbol as an opportunity to teach us about the lessons of love,
truth, and oneness.
So if you want to practice hearing Godʼs voice in a really fun and engaging way, before
you go to bed at night, ask God and the Holy Spirit to work with you while you sleep, to
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help you learn, grow, heal, and deepen your relationship with them in your dreams while
youʼre sleeping. you can ask for them to work with you on specific issues that are going
on in your life, or general issues. And you can ask to be reminded of your dreams when
you awaken in the morning or in the middle of the night .... And donʼt worry if you donʼt
remember your dreams at first, or ever. If you ask for God and the Holy Spirit to work
with you and to help you to heal your heart and mind while you sleep, it will happen,
whether you are fully aware of it or not.
Iʼd also like to share another story with you from my own life. When I was 20 years old
as a young cadet at the Air Force Academy, I too had an experience of God showing me
a glimpse of my future that changed the course of my life. It was about two weeks
before the first day of my junior year, the day on which all cadets must sign their
commitment to the military. I was sitting in the backseat of a friendʼs car while we drove
down the highway when my favorite saxophone song came on the radio. In the middle
of listening to the song, I was suddenly enveloped by the most powerful, overwhelming
experience of love I had ever known. It came over me like an explosion and a very clear
question came into my mind, “If I was an old man on my deathbed, what would I have
done in my life to have had absolutely no regrets?”
I asked myself that question as soon as I heard it in my mind, and within moments I
knew deep in my heart that my answer had nothing to do with being in the military.
I immediately asked the question, “Well what would I have done in my life to have had
absolutely no regrets?”
And immediately I saw this very clear vision in my mind of a light reaching out to the
ends of the earth and beyond touching peopleʼs lives, and the idea came to me that I
would write a book that would impact peopleʼs lives in a profound way all over the world.
I had absolutely no idea how this would ever come to pass or what, if anything, I would
be writing about, but I knew in my heart that it was true. Up until that moment, it was
the most profound experience of love and truth I have ever known, and I made a
decision in that moment to follow that love wherever it took me.
20 years later Iʼm living that vision. Thereʼs been a lot of struggle and heartache during
that time, but I know Iʼm living the life that both God and I wanted for me.
There is a divine plan in place so great that we canʼt possibly fathom it. We canʼt always
understand why things happen the way they do. We canʼt always understand in the
moment the blessings that will come from the hardships and pain that occur in our lives.
But what I do know is that if we follow our hearts, follow the voice of love within us that
guides us into the moment of our compassion, into the moment of our bravery, into the
moment of our forgiveness and love, the joy, the peace, the healing, and the faith that
comes to us as a result is worth all the struggle and pain that we may go through to
receive it.
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God will replace every ounce of pain and separation within us with unconditional love
and wholeness. God will replace every ounce of fear and sorrow with comfort and joy.
God will replace every ounce of confusion and loneliness with truth and connection.
God knows how to accomplish all things, and God has given us the Holy Spirit to fulfill
His divine plan of awakening to His Unconditional Love and Truth.
Even if you donʼt understand why things are happening the way they are, why things
arenʼt unfolding as you would wish them to be, have faith that there is indeed a plan,
there is a reason why things are happening the way they are, and once you get to the
other side, you will be filled with the joy, the peace, and the understanding that all is as it
is meant to be.
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The Lesson from the Tattooed Angel
Contributor: Debbie Milam" " Pages: 25-27
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Commentary
Description: After seeings a sad and troubled, tattoo covered teen on Christmas
morning, all alone with tears in his eyes, Debbie is guided to buy him a gift that changes
both of their lives.
Inner Struggle: Compassion for the young man's grief. Wanting to ease his pain.
Miracle Mindedness: Compassion, prayer, open heart, extending love, desire to be of

service, willingness
Moment of Hearing: While standing on the sidewalk looking at the young manʼs grief.
Form of Hearing: Still, small voice spoke to my heart—a voice familiar yet so different
from my own inner thoughts. Tender and loving words reverberated through my entire
being, “Buy him a present. Show him that someone notices him and cares that he is
here.” Stream of thoughts that speak to our hearts with love and inspiration. I also
believe her original compassion was God's voice.
Result/Benefit: Gratitude, joy, connection, knowing that we are not alone.
Message/Lesson:
• We can make a profound difference in people's lives if we are willing to be present and
to ask for God's guidance. Everyone needs love, guidance, and comfort. Every single
person in the world wants to be loved.
• The littlest willingness can create profound miracles.
Notes: Noticed another human being! Such busy lives, walking around in our own
thoughts. heart expanded with compassion, prayed for God to surround him and
comfort. She welcomed the opportunity and used it for joining with God and with her
fellow human being. Each one of these steps opened the door even more.
Knowing the power of parent trusting God would take care of this child, she let it go.
She asked God to show her how to uplift this young man. That was the key! Ask and
you shall receive. Canʼt be fully loving when also in pain. Serving two masters.
Experiencing the world through our hearts and not our heads.
Commentary: The Lesson from the Tattooed Angel by Debbie Milam
Debbieʼs story begins one Christmas morning during a quick trip to the store to buy a
few forgotten ingredients for her sonʼs poundcake. As she gathered the sugar, eggs and
butter, she noticed a young man of 16 or 17 whose body was completely covered in
tattoos and multiple piercings, and although his appearance attracted her attention,
what was most evident to her was the level of pain and sadness on this young manʼs
face. She described it it as a look of utter despair, deep loneliness, and mournful
suffering. Debbieʼs heart expanded with compassion, thinking this was someoneʼs child
in the deepest state of despair, and she began to pray for him, asking God to surround
him in comfort. Each aisle she walked down, there he was—not following her, but there
for her to notice and to continue praying for.
How often do we notice people on the street who are different than we are and judge
them for it? How often do we notice people out in public who look sad, frustrated, angry,
or alone and turn the other cheek not knowing what we can do for them, not knowing
how to handle their emotions, or feeling like itʼs not our problem? How often do we really
notice people on the street at all, engrossed in our own inner world, our own needs and
concerns?
One of the reasons I love this story so much is because it serves as a beautiful model
for how simple it can be to bring Godʼs love into the world. Instead of turning away out
of fear or judging this young man, Debbie opened her heart to Godʼs love and extended
that love by feeling compassion for this young man and openly praying for him. In this
moment, Debbieʼs heart was open and not restricted by fear.
Do any of these thoughts sound familiar?
• I donʼt have the time right now to get involved in this persons life, or give them what
they need.
• I have no idea whatʼs going on for this person, so how can I help them?
• I donʼt want to complicate my own life by getting involved with this person.
• I canʼt solve this personʼs problems, nor do I want to take their problems on and make
them my own.
• What Iʼm able to offer this person right now is not enough to make a real difference in
their life.
I donʼt know about you, but Iʼve certainly noticed these thoughts within me and others
like them while out in public, and then chose to believe these thoughts and turn away
from those in need.
Now Iʼm not saying that we should or even can solve someone elseʼs problems, nor am
I saying that we all need to stop whatever we are doing and help every person we see
or meet. But as Debbie so beautifully exemplified in this story, we can at least open our
hearts to those we see and meet in public. It doesnʼt mean we have to solve their
problems. It doesnʼt mean that we need to put our own lives on hold. But we can all
open our hearts and minds to the calls for loves that we see in the world. We can all
extend Godʼs love, compassion, and kindness to one another, and ask the Holy Spirit to
be with one another in our times of need.
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Debbie did what we are all capable of doing. She noticed a call for love and extended
Godʼs love in return, that is all.
If what we see in the world is not loving, then what we are seeing is a call for love.
When we notice a call for love, we are seeing with the vision of the Holy Spirit. That is
how the Holy Spirit would see things in the world, as an expression of love or a call for
love. When we choose to see with the Holy Spirit, we are indeed hearing Godʼs Voice in
that moment.
The moment that Debbie noticed this young manʼs grief and opened her heart to Godʼs
compassion, that was a moment of hearing Godʼs voice. Instead of judging this young
man or turning away as a result of believing a fearful thought within her, she saw this
young manʼs call for love and extended God love in reply through her compassion and
prayers.
We all have the capability of responding to every call for love in the world with
compassion and prayer. We donʼt have to agree with what we see. We donʼt have to like
what we see. We donʼt have to want what we see. But if what we see is not an
expression of love in our understanding, then it is a call for love and we all have the
capability of responding to every call for love by extending Godʼs love in return.
That is indeed the purpose of the Holy Spirit, to extend Godʼs love and compassion in
the world. When we extend love, we are joined with the Holy Spirit in that moment, and
while we may not be hearing Godʼs voice in actual words, we are certainly hearing the
Holy Spiritʼs call within us to extend Godʼs love in the world, and we are heeding that
call.
So Debbyʼs first moment of hearing Godʼs voice in this story was the moment her heart
welled with compassion for this young manʼs call for love. And as Debbie said, “Knowing
the power of prayer and trusting God would take care of this child,” she then let the
experience go.
But it wasnʼt over. As she exited the store, she saw the young man on the bench with
his hands buried his face. “His hard tattooed exterior trembled with overwhelming
sadness, each tear showing his deep vulnerability.”
So she took her prayer to the next level, calling out to God in her mind, “Please show
me how to uplift this young man. Do I need to sit with him? Do I need to call Mental
Health Services? Do I need to bring him home with me?”
Seeing this manʼs deep sorrow inspired Debbie to want to do whatever she could to
help this man, and she directly, with sincerity of heart and mind, asked God to show her
how to uplift this young man.
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It was this depth of heartfelt willingness, surrender, sincerity, and direct asking of God
that opened the door for Debbie to hear the Holy Spiritʼs still, small voice within her—a
voice familiar to her yet very different from her own inner thoughts.
People often describe hearing a still small voice within, the voice of the Holy Spirit, but
very few people are able to clearly describe what this voice sounds like. Iʼve interviewed
hundreds of people over the years and asked each one to describe in as much detail
how this still small voice within them actually sounds, how exactly they perceived this
voice within them.
There are many variations of hearing the Holy Spirit as a still small voice within. For
many, this means hearing a stream of thoughts within their mind. Itʼs not a loud, audible,
stereophonic voice as you might see in the movies or read in a book, but itʼs simply a
sentence, a phrase, a word, or a quiet non-audible stream of thoughts in their mind that
are clearly different than what theyʼre used to hearing. They are not thoughts they tried
to think of, but an immaculate and unexpected stream of thoughts so different from their
normal way of thinking that they capture their attention and lead them deeper into Godʼs
love and wisdom.
In addition to the very distinct nature or quality of these thoughts is the accompanying
feelings of love, clarity, certainty, compassion, peace, or excitement that is also present
for most people when they hear them. They notice these spontaneous, seemingly out of
place thoughts, and simultaneously feel these emotions and presence within. There is a
full experience that occurs in that moment, a connection to something greater and more
expansive, a connection to something that feels infinite and divine.
Debbie said, “These tender and loving words reverberated through my entire being,
“Buy him a present. Show him that someone notices him and cares that he is here.”
She didnʼt hear a loud audible voice in response to her prayer, but loving and kind
thoughts to show this man that someone cares about him spontaneously arose within
her mind, accompanied by a feeling of love that filled her whole awareness.
One of the most common methods of hearing the Holy Spirit is as a still small voice
within, much more common than hearing a loud audible voice. The Holy Spirit will speak
to us in many subtle ways within our hearts and minds. It will speak to us through
inspired, wise, and loving thoughts, and compassionate, forgiving, and kind feelings.
When you pray to receive an answer, communication, or guidance from God, donʼt limit
yourself by only listening for a loud, audible voice within you. Donʼt limit yourself by
intending to hear Godʼs voice in only one way. Allow yourself to be open and willing to
receive Godʼs reply in any way imaginable. When you do, you give the Holy Spirit the
opportunity to use anything and everything as a means of communication. Be mindful of
what you notice or become aware of as you listen for Godʼs reply in that moment and
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throughout your day. Just stay open, and you will receive the communication God has
for you.
So how did it all turn out for Debbie? As she gave this young man his present, he burst
into tears and said over and over again, “God bless you! Thank you! You do not know
how much this means to me,” and he said he would now be okay.
Of course, she burst into tears as well when she got to her car knowing what a profound
moment that was for both of them.
Just as Debbie did, something that took no more than a few minutes out of her day, we
too can make a profound difference in one anotherʼs lives if we are willing to be present
with ourselves and each other, and ask for God's love and guidance. Every single
person in the world wants to be loved. It is the one thing that we all have in common. No
matter what we believe, no matter where we live, no matter what our background may
be, we all want to be loved.
The littlest willingness can create profound miracles in the world. If you notice a call for
love, no matter how big or small it may be, find the little rest willingness within yourself
to extend Godʼs love in reply. Your moment of giving is your moment of receiving. As
you extend Godʼs Love, you become joined with God in that moment and receive the
love yourself that you are extending with God. This is why giving and receiving are One
in God.
Thank you in advance for every call for love you notice and fail to turn away from. When
you notice a call for love and open your heart and mind to the Holy Spirit, you are
bringing Godʼs Voice into the world, for everyone.
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A Prisoner's Experience
Contributor: Joseph Wolfe" " Pages: 28-30
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Commentary
Description: Although Joseph Wolf had long given up on God, while serving a 10 year
prison sentence and in fear for his life, his prayers prompted a profound miracle and a
direct experience of his oneness with God.
Inner Struggle: Fear for his life. Had long abandoned God, but desperate to survive
and nowhere else to turn.
Miracle Mindedness: He was at the bottom. Sincerity, willingness, surrender.
Moment of Hearing:
1. After hours of begging, pleading, promising, and asking God for a way out, he "had
the thought to write out a note for help and give it to the next guard who would pass
by my cell."
2. Experience of his Oneness with God
Form of Hearing: A thought in his mind, and a powerful experience of his oneness with
everything.
Result/Benefit: Physical safety, tremendous gratitude, and an all-comforting assurance

that real Love is unshakable, all-prevailing, all powerful and forever devoted, like a
Father has for His Child. He felt acknowledged and deeply loved. God heard his prayer
and showed him how deeply loved he really is.
Message/Lesson:
• God answers all prayers.

• There is a profound oneness that joins all of creation, and that oneness is God, and
we are joined in the oneness. We are one with God, for God is within us, and within all
of creation.
• There is something there but we cannot fully understand but it is possible to
experience if we are willing.
Notes: There is something there but we cannot fully understand but it is possible to
experience if we are willing.
It doesn't matter who we are or what we have done, God is available to all of us.
Our oneness with God. Surrender, willingness, sincerity opens the door. That's why
hitting bottom is so effective, we are actually sincere with our intentions. Fully
committed.
Profound experience as a guiding light, to show you what's possible. Many people. My
personal experience as well. You don't have to have the same experience to have it be
a guiding light for you.
Commentary: A Prisoner's Experience by Joseph Wolfe
Joeʼs story takes place while he was serving a ten-year prison sentence. Joe made the
mistake of arguing with another inmate who was the leader of one of the largest gangs
in Chicago, and shortly thereafter the order came down that he was to be killed the
following morning.
This was Joeʼs darkest hour. He knew he was going to die and he was more terrified
than he had ever been in his entire life. Joe had long given up on God, but the
incredible fear and dread he felt forced him to get on his knees and pray for the first
time in many years.
Kneeling on the hard concrete floor of his cell for many hours, Joe prayed, begged, and
pleaded to God to save him. After several hours, an inspired thought came to him to
write a note for help and give it to the next guard who passed his cell.
This inspired thought was Joeʼs first experience of hearing Godʼs Voice, but there was
much more to come.
He continued to pray for many more hours, and his prayers were finally answered when
he was given the opportunity to pass his note to one of the guards who ended up
returning just before dawn to take him away to a minimum security prison miles away.
The moment Joeʼs new cell door locked behind him, he got down on his hands and
knees again and thanked God with all his heart for saving him. After hours of thankful
prayer, he became weary and laid his head down on his new bed. It was in that moment
of resting his head on his pillow after a nighttime of prayer and gratitude that the most
powerful experience of his life unfolded: He said a vibrant sensation of comforting
lightness, gentle but all powerful, engulfed his body. It saturated him and seemed lift him
away. Musical sounds filled his being as if all the instruments of every band and
orchestra in the world and in heaven saturated his tiny cell in perfect harmony.
Then something else began to occur. He felt an expansion and slowly became aware of
a distinct new connection with everything around him. It felt as if new life had been
breathed into the walls of the cell, into the air, the floor, the ceiling, and the trees outside
his barred window. He felt and heard everything around him as if for the first time, and
soon felt at one with all of it, the floor, the ceiling, the walls, as well as with the air, the
trees, and grass outside his window.
And then, just as swiftly, it was gone. The experience ended, and he felt normal once
again.
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I love this story because itʼs a fantastic example that it doesnʼt matter who we are or
what we have done in our lives. God is available to all of us. Joeʼs moment of briefly
experiencing his union with God was commensurate and a direct result of his surrender,
his willingness, and his sincerity of heart and intention. So many people have profound
and miraculous experiences of God when they are faced with death.
There is nothing in the world as strong a motivator as oneʼs mortality. So many people
are blessed by the gift of facing their own mortality, whether it be cancer, an accident, a
drug overdose, or in this case almost losing his life in prison.
Our darkest hours are often the greatest gift and blessing in our lives because they are
the only thing strong enough, powerful enough, to motivate us to seek Godʼs love and
grace above anything else in the world.
In this particular case, it took the threat of death to motivate this ungrateful, unspiritual,
unbeliever of a man to give his whole heart and mind to God. He had nothing to lose,
nowhere to go, and because of that, he was able to give everything he had to God. It
was his depth of surrender, his depth of willingness and sincerity that opened the door
for Joseph to experience of his oneness with God and all of creation.
I donʼt share this very often with people, but I too have had a direct experience of my
union with God, and Iʼm here to tell you that it is very real for all of us. When my mom
died at the end of my junior year in college, I was devastated. When school ended for
summer break, I hiked deep into the Yosemite backcountry and prayed, meditated, and
talked to God in a small, remote cave, 8 to 10 hours a day for three weeks straight. I
had never done anything like that before. No one had ever taught me how to meditate
or hear Godʼs voice, but my misery and pain was so great that I felt compelled to do it. I
would sit for hours feeling my union and oneness with God, the trees, the stream
flowing nearby, and everything around me. Over the course of those three weeks, I went
deeper and deeper into myself and into God until I felt at one with Him, one with my
mother, and one with all that is.
I came down the mountain three weeks later a different man, a healed man. Every
ounce of grief and sadness for my motherʼs death was gone and I only felt joy and
connection with her, knowing she was in a better place and feeling no pain herself. I
never heard God speak to me as an audible voice, or even a still small voice within me,
but I can tell you that I changed more in those three weeks than I ever had before.
Simply joining with God and feeling my oneness with Him erased years of sorrow, grief,
guilt, and confusion within me.
When we join with God and experience our union with Him, in any way, we do hear
Godʼs voice. We may not understand or recognize the form or expression that Godʼs
love, wisdom, and truth take in that moment. We may not understand how God is giving
us all that he has to give, but by the mere fact of our joining, we do receive it. We
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receive Godʼs wisdom, Godʼs wholeness, and Godʼs love and truth. Whenever we join
with God, all that God has to offer us is given. It doesnʼt matter whether it takes a form
that we can recognize or identify visually, verbally, or perhaps physically. Our union with
God goes beyond what our bodyʼs senses can recognize, and we receive Godʼs
blessings and truth directly into our being.
The truth is, you are always joined with God. You are part of God and God is part of
you. The only thing we are really praying for and receiving is the awareness of it. All that
God has to give us has already been given to us by the Holy Spirit. Our union with God
has already been given. God is all that is and we are part of all that is. What we are
each praying for and striving to experience is our awareness of that truth. That is indeed
the purpose of the Holy Spirit, to restore our awareness of God. To restore our
awareness of our union with God, our oneness with God and all of creation. When we
experience our union with God, we immediately become aware of the joy, the peace,
the wholeness, the wisdom, and the love that God is and we are.
We are all worthy of experiencing our union with God, because in truth we already have
it. All that is necessary for us to become aware of it is our sincere desire for it and our
willingness to surrender that which keeps us from it.
When you are sincere and wholehearted in your desire to experience your union with
God, and youʼre willing to release the fearful and limiting thoughts within you that keep
you from that awareness, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spiritʼs awareness of your
oneness with God, your oneness with the Holy Spirit, and your oneness with Christ.
By opening up to receiving God grace and union in his life, Joseph became a guiding
light in the world. He was not a special man. He was not a devoted man. Nor was he a
religious man. But in his moment of sincere prayer, willingness, and surrender, he
opened the door to the awareness of his union with God and it changed his life forever.
You are no different than Joe. It is through your sincere asking and willingness to
receive that you will become aware of what God has already given you, your true and
everlasting oneness with Him and all of creation.
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Goose Bumps from Heaven
Contributor: Terri Nelson" " Pages: 30-33
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Commentary
Description: Attending the funeral of her beloved sister, Terri prayed to Jesus to help
her get through delivering the eulogy. When she opened her mouth, the words were not
her own.
Inner Struggle: Sad, confused, exhausted, loss of her sister, fear, willingness. She
prayed silently, “Please help me get through this crisis. I need You, oh Lord, so much!”
Miracle Mindedness: Willingness, prayer, faith, courage, integrity, staying true to oneʼs
heart, intentions of doing what is in the highest good
Moment of Hearing: Moments after confirming her willingness at the podium, “No, I will
try to do this.”
Form of Hearing: A warm sensation spread over her. She felt a presence holding her
left hand. A bright light beamed upon her from the window as she spoke God's words to
the congregation. Speak Godʼs words.
Result/Benefit: Felt at total peace with an inner calmness she could not explain. Her
weakness was replaced with the strength of security. All her fears and emptiness were
erased. She felt like she could go on forever in joy and bliss. Very inspirational to herself
and to those in the church. Comforted Terri and her family. Reassured her that her sister
would live a happy life eternally with God, and gave Terry hope to continue her journey
without her sister, knowing that Jesus and God were always with her.
Message/Lesson:
• We can all be messengers for God. All it requires is our desire and willingness to open
our mouths and allow God's love to come forth. God is always with us.
• We can receive God's messages to us through others as well.
Notes: Step four: expressing God's voice, opening our mouths in trust and faith.
Intention. Surrender, willingness, not knowing. Practice makes perfect. Can practice on
your own.
Commentary: Goose Bumps from Heaven by Terri Nelson
Terri is a devout follower of Christ who experiences the heartbreaking loss of her
beloved sister. At the funeral, Terri is scheduled to deliver the eulogy, but the problem
is, sheʼs so devastated by her sisterʼs death, so emotionally and physically exhausted,
and under so much pressure to deliver the perfect eulogy that she is literally shaking
and crying as she sits in the pew waiting for her turn to speak.
It was at this point, uncertain if she could go on, that she prayed silently with all her
heart, “Please help me get through this crisis. I need You, oh Lord, so much!”
When she finally made it up to the altar with her husbandʼs help, her hands trembling so
bad she could barely hold her one piece of paper, her husband whispered to her, “Let
me read this for you.”
This was her moment of opening to Godʼs voice. She looked her husband in the eyes,
trying to express the great love she felt for him, and said, “No, I will try to do this.”
It was those two things that opened the door for her to allow this miracle to happen. In
such a challenging moment of her life, filled with incredible sorrow and fear, she
intentionally opened her heart to express her love for her husband and simultaneously
made the courageous commitment to serve her sister and everyone in the room. In her
moment of challenge, Terri bravely and consciously chose to open her heart and extend
Godʼs love.
In so doing, she created the greatest miracle of her life. She said, “only seconds had
passed when suddenly a warm sensation spread over me. I felt at total peace with an
inner calmness I could not explain. I felt so far away from my family and all the people in
the church, isolated in this warm bubble of calm, but I wasnʼt alone. Someone was
holding my left hand. It wasnʼt my husband, because he was holding my right hand.
The weakness I had experienced before was replaced with a strength of security, the
way a child feels cradled in its motherʼs arms. Then a glorious bright light radiated from
one end of the church to the other. It beamed through the stained glass windows and
shone with magnificence! This shining light blinded all my fears, erased my emptiness,
and dried my tears. It gave me instead a sense of hope and extreme joy. I could speak
to all Karenʼs loved ones so clearly. I wanted to speak all day! Please, I thought, let this
go on and on and never end!
This was the greatest feeling I had ever had in my life. For the first time I honestly felt
Godʼs presence! This was my long time friend, my Father of Heaven, my Jesus Christ!
He let me know that not only would He comfort me and Karenʼs loved ones, but that
Karen would live a happy life eternally with Him. I truly felt goose bumps all over me—
goose bumps straight from Heaven!”
Terri did not know this was going to happen to her when she stepped up to the podium,
but her willingness and encourage to open her heart and mouth to express and extend
Godʼs love enabled her to join with God and share Godʼs comforting and healing words
with everyone who was present. In joining with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in this
way, Terri literally became the Voice for God in that moment. She spoke and shared
Godʼs words, and in this joining, Terriʼs fears were immediately replaced with a profound
sense of hope, joy, and security. And of course, everyone was moved by the words God
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spoke through her, coming up to her afterwards and telling her how healing and
comforting those words truly were.
We all have the ability to share Godʼs voice in the world. All it takes is the desire and
willingness to open our mouths and allow Godʼs love to be expressed through us. We
donʼt need to know what weʼre going to say the moment we open our mouths. If we are
willing to surrender to the infinite, wise, and unconditionally loving spirit of God, if we are
willing to allow Godʼs love and truth to speak through us, then all we have to do is
courageously open our mouths knowing that we are joined with God and trust that
whatever loving and kind words come through can only come from the Holy Spirit.
This might sound too impossible to achieve or experience, but it is not. Your minister,
your priest, or your teacher who shares Godʼs voice with you each week is no more
special than you. They have simply made a deep commitment within themselves to
open their heart, to be of service, and to express Godʼs love and truth in the world by
opening their mouths and surrendering to the power of the Holy Spirit within them to
share Godʼs voice with you. And they make this commitment each and every day, which
builds strength, confidence, and deep trust within them. Those people in your life who
share Godʼs voice with you each and every day are not more special than you. They are
simply willing to practice, every day, at opening their mouths and sharing Godʼs voice,
and by doing this over and over and over again, they deepen their relationship with
God, they deepen their faith in God, and they deepen their knowingness and conviction
that they are indeed worthy and capable of sharing Godʼs voice in the world.
You too are capable of doing this in your life. You donʼt need to be a minister or
preacher to practice this each week. You can practice this in your own family, in your
work, and with your friends in need. You can practice this when you go to the grocery
store or meet a stranger on the street. Itʼs okay if you doubt your worthiness. Itʼs okay if
you feel uncertain or fearful. Every single person feels this way when they are first
learning how to share Godʼs voice in the world. You will feel uncertain, doubtful, and
afraid, just as Terri did, and just as your minister, teacher, or priest once did as well.
But instead of believing those fearful and unworthy thoughts, all you have to do is open
your heart, just as Terri did, and say, “No, I will try to do this.”
All you have to do to share Godʼs voice in the world is to
1) Desire to share it
2) Be willing to surrender and let go of your small, frightened, and unworthy sense of
self, surrender that part of yourself to God
3) Courageously open your mouth and allow your self to share the love and truth of the
Holy Spirit that is already within you and joined with you at all times
You do not need to know what to say or what you will say when you open your mouth.
Have faith that by opening your heart you are already joined with God and the Holy
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Spirit. They are part of you and you are part of them. When your heart is open and you
are willing to share Godʼs love within you, just open your mouth and allow Godʼs love to
speak.
When you are done, acknowledge the source of those words, thank God for sharing his
love through you, and take the love and wisdom that was expressed into your heart and
mind for your own learning and growth.
You are worthy of practicing this. You are worthy of trying this and doing this. Practice
this in your life, and your experience of joining with God and sharing His love in the
world will grow beyond your wildest imagination.
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Lord Stay with Me
Contributor: Gayle Lelekatch" " Pages: 34-36
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Commentary
Description: Gail hears God's voice on three separate occasions. First through angelic
music from a chorus of angels she physically sees and hears; secondly as an audible
voice while driving her car; and third in the form of a physical healing she receives after
praying. She is filled with hope, faith, and understanding each time. All of them are
related to life-and-death situations.
Inner Struggle: Gail wasn't necessarily attempting to hear God's voice in any of her
experiences. She was challenged and coping as best she could with her dying husband
the first time. She felt inspired to pray the second time, and the third time she was
looking for God's support and healing.
Miracle Mindedness: Willingness, prayer, In all three circumstances, she was simply
open and willing to receive the love, communication, and healing available to her.
Moment of Hearing:
1st: While playing Nintendo
2nd: Driving in the car
3rd: Looking out the window in the hospital.
Form of Hearing:
1st: Beautiful, angelic music and visually seeing cloud-like formations of angels in blues,
pinks and white on the ceiling of her utility room.
2nd: Beautiful, peaceful, monotone voice that very slowly said, "Gayle, I am always with
you."
3rd: I felt a warm peaceful feeling envelop me and a tingling sensation shot through my
body from my head to my feet.
Result/Benefit: Not to worry because everything was going to be alright. Comfort,

strength, knowingness that her husband was all right and in God's arms.
"It was as if the Voice was preparing me." Great peace and a profound “knowing.”
Prayed with all her heart for God to please heal her so that could go home. Immediately,
I knew God had answered my prayer.
Of all three experiences, comfort, reassurance, and ability to keep moving forward were
a part of all of them.
Message/Lesson: God is always with us. We are always being taken care of in one
way or another.
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The Buick That Changed My Life
Contributor: Diannia Baty"" Pages: 36-39
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Commentary
Description: After an unexpected car accident that put Diannia out of work for months,
she slowly discovered how to move past the anger and bitterness by learning to
meditate and practicing gratitude. One day as she listened to a beautiful violin Concerto
in the midst of a thunderstorm, tears formed in her eyes as she thanked God for such a
beautiful gift. It was in that moment that God spoke back to her. She has since heard
God's voice in many different ways.
Inner Struggle: Car accident, sadness, anger, out of work, afraid
Miracle Mindedness: Meditation, calm/quiet mind, gratitude, Listening to music
Moment of Hearing: While watching a lightning storm and listening to a violin CD on

her stereo, she mouth the words, “Thank you,” to God with tremendous gratitude in her
heart, and God answered.
Form of Hearing:
First time: Loud and soft. It was thousands of voices and yet it was one voice. It vibrated
through her entire body and froze her in place.
Later: She learned to recognize Godʼs voice in everything, nature, music, writing.
Result/Benefit: In the moment, she had never felt so complete, or so immersed in

happiness, joy and such overwhelming love.
Message/Lesson: God can speak to us in countless different ways, if we are willing to

listen.
Notes: Gratitude opens the door. State of mind. Negative thoughts act as barriers. State
of mind joins us with Godʼs mind. We are always joined, but we are not always aware of
our union with Holy Spirit.
God is the source of all creation. God's love sustains all of creation. Nothing exists
separate from God, because God is infinite and all encompassing. There is nothing in
the world that God cannot use as an opportunity or means to communicate to us.
Because we use the body senses to experience the world, God is also capable of using
the body senses as a form of communication to us. Vision, Feeling, Taste, Smell, Touch,
Sound, Physicality, Symbols. The object or the thing is simply a symbol. It's the
opportunity to connect with God and receive communication.
How do you know if you are hearing Godʼs voice? Flavor of love.
Commentary: Goose Bumps from Heaven by Terri Nelson
The Buick That Changed My Life by Diannia Baty.
Diannia thought she had it all, a good job, a nice house, and a great husband. But after
getting into a horrible car crash, she soon lost her job and eventually her husband left
her. Alone and unemployed for more than a year, Diannia grew bitter, angry, and very
depressed.
Then one panic filled evening, Diannia found herself in a spiritual bookstore looking for
help. One book encouraged her to learn how to meditate as a way to make conscious
contact with God. Another one encouraged her to practice gratitude as a way to know
God more deeply. And while learning to meditate was a little challenging for her at first,
she was soon able to quiet her mind and feel Godʼs loving and peaceful presence within
her.
She said, “As long as I held gratitude in my heart and mind there was no room for
negative thinking. I was grateful for what I had and felt calmer. Color and joy streamed
back into my life. I started painting and writing again, and the anxiety and depression
that had clouded my life for so many months disappeared.”
Now none of this occurred for her for her overnight, but by meditating consistently,
practicing gratitude throughout her day, and accessing the quiet place within her to join
with God more and more deeply on a regular basis, eventually Diannia was able to
replace all of that pain and suffering with the joy, gratitude, and wholeness of God.
Then one stormy days as lightning crackled across the sky and the rain fell sideways in
driving sheets, Diannia found herself standing in the middle of her living room listening
to a CD of violin concertos enthralled by the power of the storm outside.
She said, “The music was so hauntingly beautiful that I started to weep. I mouthed the
words, “Thank You.” Thatʼs when I heard it. The words were startling clear.”
”Youʼre welcome!”
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She said, “It was at once loud and soft. It was thousands of voices and yet it was one
voice. It vibrated through my entire body and froze me in place. I knew instantly that the
voice I heard was the powerful force of God speaking to me. I had never felt so
complete, or so immersed in happiness, joy and such overwhelming love.”
Dianniaʼs description of that moment is so vivid. You can just see her in her living room
with the wild storm, the lightning, the rain pouring down, her heart filled with joy and awe
as the violins rise to meet the intensity of the storm. And with a simple, yet fully heartfelt
expression of her gratitude, “thank you,” God speaks back to her in a very simple yet
equally powerful way, “Youʼre welcome.”
Now many of the people who share their stories in this book open up to hearing Godʼs
Voice when they are at the end of their rope. By hitting bottom in their lives, they
become forced to release the thoughts and beliefs that keep them from experiencing
Godʼs presence in their lives. But Dianniaʼs story is different. Itʼs an example of what we
are all capable of experiencing in our lives.
By consistently joining with God on a daily basis through meditation, prayer, and
gratitude over an extended period of time, Diannia was able to heal her relationship with
God, slowly but surely. She was able to replace all of the emotional and physical pain in
her life with Godʼs peace, Godʼs joy, and Godʼs wholeness. She accomplished this not
by hitting bottom followed by a brief moment of clarity, but by joining with God in prayer
and meditation on a regular basis and practicing gratitude all throughout her day. By
restoring her heart and mind to God, and releasing all that kept her from experiencing
Godʼs love and grace in her life, Diannia was able to join with God consistently and
open herself to hearing His Voice in a very clear and recognizable way.
But this one moment of hearing God speak to her was just the beginning.
She said, “I made a decision that day to communicate with God every day because it
was clear God was with me all the time. I sat in quiet expectation and listened to God
talk to me through my hungry heart. I used all my senses to communicate with Him,
coming to understand I should not discount anything because God could speak to me
through the beauty of a flower or the words of a song.
When I wrote and allowed His energy to flow through me, He communicated to me in
written form through my heart and being. Everything was precious because I absolutely
knew God was there, expressing His presence through me and everyone. There were
no coincidences. God answered my pleas to know him. I had only to pay attention.”
You donʼt need to suffer or hit bottom in your life to experience Godʼs loving presence,
Grace, and wisdom in your life. You donʼt need to go through a traumatic experience to
motivate you to want to hear Godʼs voice in your life. If you desire to hear Godʼs voice,
and receive Godʼs love and blessings, donʼt wait until you are forced to seek Godʼs help
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and comfort at the end of your rope. You have the opportunity and the ability right now
to join with God in joy, in peace, and with your heart filled with gratitude.
The same principles of joining with God and hearing His voice in your life exist whether
you are at the end of your rope or filled with love and peace in the quiet of meditation.
By joining with God now, you can gracefully and proactively allow Godʼs healing love
and light to wash away all that is painful within you. By hearing Godʼs Voice now, you
can allow yourself to be fully restored to God in this moment, so that you never need
suffer again.
How can you do that?
Practicing gratitude is one way to open that door within you, and thereʼs no time like the
present.
So right now, please close your eyes while youʼre listening to me speak. Go ahead,
really close them. The first thing I want you to do is take a nice big deep breath. Inhale
as deeply as you can, and then exhale nice and slow. Inhale as deeply as you can and
then exhale nice and slow.
Now I want you to think of something that you are grateful for in your life. It doesnʼt
matter what it is. You might be grateful for someone you know, you might be grateful for
a circumstance in your life, you might be grateful to have the opportunity to join with
God. It doesnʼt matter what you think of, just think of something right now they are
grateful for, whatever pops in your mind first is just fine.
Now as you think of that person, or situation, or picture in your mind, I want you to
continue to take nice slow deep breaths, and I want you to feel your gratitude deeper
and deeper and deeper. As you breathe in nice and slow, feel the gratitude in your heart
growing stronger and stronger, filling you up. As you exhale nice and slowly, feel
yourself falling deeper and deeper in to that gratitude. As you breathe in, the gratitude is
filling you evermore, and as you exhale, you are falling deeper and deeper into it.
Spend a few minutes right now just breathing and feeling your gratitude growing and
expanding within you.
Go ahead and click pause on whatever device youʼre using to listen to me speak, and
give yourself a few minutes right now to go as deeply into your gratitude as you can.
When youʼre ready, click the play button again and Iʼll walk you through the next step.
[Close eyes and fade away]
Now that you are filled with gratitude, I want you keep your eyes closed and to feel the
gratitude that you have for God. Think of God, and feel all the gratitude that you have
for Him, all the gratitude that you have for the love, and the peace, and the comfort that
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He gives you, all the gratitude that you feel for Him always being there with you. Feel
your gratitude deeper and deeper as you think of Godʼs presence in your life. Feel that
gratitude around you and within you. Feel that gratitude filling your heart, filling your
body, and filling all the space around your body as you think of Godʼs presence. Let
your gratitude grow and grow, feel it everywhere, and as you feel it, begin to feel Godʼs
presence all around you, surrounding you, within you, filling every part of your body,
your mind, and youʼre being. Feel your union with God, and feel your gratitude for that
union. Your gratitude and union with God are joined in Godʼs love. Your gratitude and
union with God are joined in Godʼs presence. Allow the presence of God and the
gratitude you feel continue to grow and grow. Feel Godʼs presence all around you. Feel
Godʼs presence within every cell of your body and being. Continue to take nice slow
deep breaths and allow yourself to feel the presence of God within you and around you.
As you breathe in, Godʼs presence fills you up, and as you breathe out you fall into
Godʼs embrace. Continue to feel that all encompassing presence, and enjoy the peace
and the comfort that presence gives you.
Youʼre welcome to click the pause button and simply allow yourself to be in this
presence of God that you feel. Spend as much time in this place as you want, and when
you feel complete and filled with Godʼs Presence, open your eyes.
This meditation is very simple. You can do it in 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or as long as you
want. You can do it when you first wake up in the morning, before you go to bed each
night, while youʼre riding the bus, as part of your lunch break at work, or at any other
time during the day.
Gratitude opens the door to God. Gratitude is part of God. When you feel gratitude, your
heart is joined with God. When you feel gratitude, you are feeling the presence of God
within you. Allow the practice of gratitude to open your heart and mind more and more
each day to the presence of God within you.
God is grateful for you. God is grateful for all of His children. And God is grateful for
everything He creates. Practice feeling gratitude in your life, for everything, and you will
begin to join your heart with Godʼs so fully and so completely that you will know
experientially that God is always with you. You will know that God is always speaking to
you, and you will know the oneness that you share with God and all of creation.
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Throw-Up Yellow Just Like Me
Contributor: Ariadne Romano" Pages: 40-43
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Commentary
Description: A young mother in an abusive relationship, Ariadne was addicted to pills
and uncertain whether God existed or not. One day while surfing TV channels, she
paused briefly to listen to Billy Graham. Billy's message that God loved her just as she
was penetrated her heart in a life-changing way.
Inner Struggle: Young new mother, abusive relationship, addicted to pills, feeling very
low, uncertain whether God existed or not
Miracle Mindedness: Willing, surrendered, timing, ready
Moment of Hearing: While watching Billy Graham speak about God's love and
acceptance, she pondered how it could be possible for God to love her in that way. In
that moment tears began streaming down her face, and she experienced God's
presence for the first time.
Form of Hearing: A strong Presence in her bedroom. The Presence felt soft and strong
and gentle all at once. Time stopped as she experienced a profound communication
that penetrated far beyond words or anything known to her. She received a deep
understanding that she was loved and accepted no matter what.
Result/Benefit: Presence so all-pervasive she felt nothing but smoothness and peace
where a moment ago there had been nothing but roughness and pain. Her whole body
seemed to melt as if thawing from an ice age. She felt alive and hopeful for the first time
since she could remember. She felt love in every part of her being. She felt totally
wrapped in peace. She sobbed from the depths of her being with relief and, surprisingly,
acceptance that God really does exist. She no longer felt lost or alone.
The experience and knowledge of God's love for her has increased her self-worth and
given her the strength to keep going during difficult times. It gave her the strength to
leave her abusive relationship. Remembering that Presence and experience has given
her a lifetime of comfort, peace, and love whenever she needs it.
Message/Lesson: God loves and accepts us no matter what. All that is necessary is for
us to receive it.
Notes: Godʼs love is already given to us. The only thing that keeps us from it is our own
sense of guilt, worthiness, and self-condemnation. Questioning sincerely opens the
door. Not questioning with an agenda, proof, or to be right. But with a sincere desire to
receive the truth from God, innocently, is a profound way to open up to Godʼs truth and
love. We can all receive Godʼs love through innocence and sincerity.
Speaking through another.
The feeling is the communication. It doesnʼt need to be a mental or verbal

communication. Itʼs like a hug or a gentle touch that speaks volumes. And knowingness
is part of God and therefore gets transferred in the process. Thatʼs why direct
experience is undeniable, because the knowingness is immediately transfer and part of
you. Thatʼs the power of direct experience. Bypasses the forms/mind through the heart.
Commentary: Throw-Up Yellow Just Like Me by Ariadne Romano.
Ariadne was a 19-year-old mother in an abusive relationship, addicted to pills, and

uncertain whether God existed or not. One day as she lay bed mindlessly watching TV,
wondering how she had gotten herself into such a depressing situation, Billy Grahamʼs
TV show started playing. Too lazy to get up to change the channel, she began to listen.
“Something about him drew me in,” She said. “I listened as he asked people to come
forward and accept Jesus. The song, “Just as I Am,” blended into the background like
wallpaper, setting the stage as Billyʼs soothing words kept flowing like honey about how
God loves me and accepts me just as I am. Billy even spoke to those of us watching TV
and said we could accept Jesus and God in our hearts right then.”
Ariadne then said, “I had begun to ponder how that could possibly happen when tears
began streaming down my face. I didnʼt hear Billy Graham or the TV any more. All of it
was muted by the strong sense of a presence right in my bedroom, a presence so all-
pervasive I felt nothing but smoothness and peace where a moment ago there had been
nothing but roughness and pain. I felt love in every part of my being and my tears kept
pouring. So powerful was this feeling of gold and violet, of all that is sweet and calm,
that I felt totally wrapped in peace. I sobbed from the depths of my being with relief and,
surprisingly, acceptance that God really does exist. Time stopped as I experienced a
profound communication that penetrated far beyond words or anything known to me. I
received a deep understanding that I was loved and accepted no matter what I had
done or what had been done to me.”
Ariadneʼs life was changed forever in that moment. Not only did she become active in
her local church, but her experience and knowing of Godʼs love for her has since given
her the self-worth and strength to leave her abusive relationship and keep going during
difficult times.
What did she do to open up to this profound experience of God?
Before I answer that question, I think itʼs important to acknowledge that sometimes itʼs
just the right time in our lives to make a change.
God has a plan for all of us, and part of that plan includes how and when we will
awaken to His Love for us. Because the Holy Spirit is in charge of Godʼs plan for our
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atonement, or as I like to call it At Onement, the Holy Spirit has perfect faith and
knowledge of the divine timing of our awakening. In truth, we canʼt be at the wrong
place in our lives. We will each awaken to Godʼs love and truth at just the right time for
us. Sometimes we crash and burn to awaken at just the right time. Other times we work
consistently day by day to gracefully fulfill Godʼs divine timing. Other times, weʼre
working and preparing even if it doesnʼt look like it.
Ariadne could not have predicted that she would awaken to the awareness of Godʼs
love and oneness in that moment, but she was ready and willing for that transformation
happen. She had been preparing in her own ways that not even she was aware of, and
we are each doing the same in our own lives. Sometimes, weʼre just ready to know and
experience our loving union with God, and it happens.
While I do think divine timing was a big part of the equation for Ariadne, there are a few
qualities of mind that she also possessed that helped her to open up to Godʼs love. First
of all, she was in a willing and surrendered state of mind. She wasnʼt grappling to hold
onto a particular perspective or belief. Her mind was fairly docile in that moment, even
too lazy to get up and change the channel. At the same time, it was clear that she
wanted to believe that God loved her. She didnʼt know if God really existed or not, but
she was open to the possibility that He did exist and that He did love her.
This not knowing and willingness within her to know the truth of God manifested the
moment she pondered how God could love her. In response to Billy saying that she
could accept Jesus and God in her heart right then, she said, “I had begun to ponder
how that could possibly happen when tears began streaming down my face.”
That moment of pondering opened the door for her. With true innocence and sincerity,
she posed the question to God in her heart, “How can I possibly accept your love.” She
didnʼt say those exact words, but by authentically pondering how that could possibly
happen, God answered her prayer and she received His answer. Immediately her whole
being became filled with the loving Presence of God. It all just happened in a moment.
A moment of divine timing when she sincerely questioned how she could receive Godʼs
love, and by simply asking that question within her, she received Godʼs answer and the
results were instantaneous.
We are all worthy of being aware of Godʼs love and union with us. Godʼs love and union
is already ours. We are not separate from God, and God is not withholding His love
from us. The only thing that keeps us from it is our own sense of guilt, worthiness, and
self-condemnation. The only thing that keeps us from experiencing Godʼs love and
union are the painful thoughts and beliefs we hold within ourselves that keep us from it.
If you want to know how to receive Godʼs love in your heart, ask God to show you. Ask
God to help you release everything within you that would keep you from him. Ask God
to support you, guys you, and lead you into releasing all that would separate you from
Him in your awareness. God gave us the Holy Spirit to answer our questions and
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provide us with all the resources, tools, understanding, and forgiveness we need to
open the door to Him.
Know in your heart that you cannot be off your path. You cannot be separate from God
or separate from the divine timing of Godʼs plan for your awakening.
Ask God to help you open your heart and mind to Him, and it will be done.
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The Man Who Hears the Voice
Contributor: Anonymous" " Pages: 43-47
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Commentary
Description: A man about to lose his wife and children threatens God to show up in his
life. Within minutes, he hears a distinct and audible voice tell him to get a paper and pen
and take dictation. The messages he writes changes his life forever.
Inner Struggle: Broken heart, confused, desperate, threatens God in a moment of rage
and surrender
Miracle Mindedness: Willing, timing, ready, conviction
Moment of Hearing: As he sat down for dinner, and audible and friendly voice said to
him, “You tried to write something yesterday. Go get your paper. I have something for
you to write down now.”
Form of Hearing: Loud yet mild and friendly voice that dictates a letter to him in his
head, syllable by syllable.
Result/Benefit: Intense love, joy, and happiness for everyone. Beyond words. He was
just happy to be, for no reason. While the feelings faded a few days later, the negative
thoughts in his mind were gone forever.
Message/Lesson: You are not alone. You are supported by God.

The Day the Twin Towers Fell
Contributor: Elizabeth Ellames" Pages: 48-49
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Commentary
Description: On September 11, 2001 in Adelaide, South Australia, Elizabeth watches
the twin towers fall on television. Wanting to do her part to end conflict in the world, she
asks God to help her forgive someone she holds a grievance with. Later that day, she is
guided to go to church, where a wonderful healing takes place for her and the person
she was trying to forgive.
Inner Struggle: Watching the twin towers fall. Feeling sad.
Miracle Mindedness: Wanting to forgive. desire to heal, willingness to heal, self

responsibility
Moment of Hearing:
1st: The moment the lady came into her mind.

2nd: Being guided to church that day.
3rd: Whispered her name.
Form of Hearing:
1st: An image in her mind.

2nd: Being inspired to go to church.
3rd: Speaking Godʼs voice out loud.
Result/Benefit: Forgiveness, healing, peace, inspiration, increased self-worth and

value.
Message/Lesson: We make a difference in the world. Peace begins with us. That is
what God calls us each to do each and every day. To forgive and love one another and
ourselves. Gandhi quote. Similar to other story.
Notes: When we take personal responsibility for our own healing, for our own
forgiveness, and for listening and following Godʼs loving guidance, we make a big
difference in the world. Peace must begin with us. It must begin with our personal
search for God, experiencing God, and receiving Godʼs forgiveness, love, acceptance. It
is only then that we are able to extend Godʼs forgiveness, love, and acceptance to
others.
Commentary: The Day the Twin Towers Fell by Elizabeth Ellames.
On September 11, 2001 in Adelaide, South Australia, Elizabeth and her son watched
their TV in horror as the Twin Towers fell in New York. Once the shock wore off and
Elizabeth realized it was actually happening, she immediately stopped all she was
doing, connected with God, and asked the Holy Spirit within her, “Who am I in conflict
with? Who is it that I need to make peace with right now?”
Elizabeth knew on some level—no matter how small—she had been contributing to the
madness. Immediately a womanʼs name came to her, someone she had been quite
judgmental about, and in that moment, she said, “I offer this to you God. I totally release
this conflict within me and will be aware of my words from this moment on. I offer this to
you to be healed.”
Now this, in and of itself, is inspiring Because hereʼs a woman, halfway around the
world, clearly not directly involved in any of this, yet sheʼs choosing to take responsibility
for the grievances that sheʼs personally holding in her life, to do her part to bring more
peace into the world. If thatʼs all any of us did, we would probably have world peace
right now. If every single person in the world just took responsibility for their own
grievances and turned those grievances over to God for healing and release, we would
have world peace.
Yet Elizabethʼs experience of hearing Godʼs Voice was not over. Later that day, after
taking her husband to the airport, sheʼs inspired to visit The Lady Chapel, an area
dedicated to The Holy Mother at the back of the main altar at St. Peterʼs Cathedral. As
she walked into the chapel, the only other person there was the woman she had been
judgmental about that morning, the one she needed to make peace with. The other lady
had her eyes closed, so Elizabeth gently put her hand on her lap and whispered her
name. The lady looked up and sweetly said, “I thought you were The Madonna.”
In her story, Elizabeth wrote, “How beautiful! She was seeking comfort from the Holy
Mother just as I was. My hand on her lap, me saying her name and her innocent
response was all a precious blessing from the divine to heal us both.”
Whether symbolic or actually true, I believe that Elizabeth became the manifestation of
the Holy Mother in that moment. Her clear and sincere request for healing, her
willingness to follow Godʼs unspoken promptings that led her to the chapel, her soft and
gentle open-heart, and her willingness to extend Godʼs love and healing to the other
woman by reaching out to her and whispering her name, were all divine expressions of
Godʼs love. I believe the Holy Mother was joined with Elizabeth in that moment, and that
the other woman did in fact hear the Holy Mother speak her name.
When we take personal responsibility for our own healing, for our own forgiveness, and
for listening to and following Godʼs guidance, we can each make a profound difference
in the world. Peace must begin with us. That is what God calls each of us to, every day
of our lives, to forgive and love one another and ourselves.
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Peace begins with us. It begins every time we choose to experience Godʼs love and
healing in our lives. When we receive Godʼs love, forgiveness, and acceptance, we are
able to extend love, forgiveness, and acceptance to others. By receiving it for ourselves,
we are able to extend it to others.
God can speak to us in many ways, through a thought or picture in our minds or through
the love and words we share with others. Donʼt be afraid to share your love with others.
Follow the inspiration and the loving thoughts that arise within you. Those common
directly from God. That is how the world becomes healed, by allowing God to work
through each of us, in just the right ways, at just the right time, to bring peace into the
world.
You are Godʼs messenger in the world. You are Godʼs vehicle in the world. Seek peace
within yourself first, and you open the door for God to share that peace with everyone in
your life.
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A Surrogate Sermon
Contributor: Jodi McDonald" Pages: 50-53
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Commentary
Description: Jodi's uncle, who was a minister, was hit by a car. While in intensive care,
he delivers the sermon of his life, though he never knew it happened. It was strictly a
sermon God meant for Jodi alone.
Inner Struggle: Afraid, guilty, exhausted
Miracle Mindedness: willing, wanting to be of service, loving
Moment of Hearing: The moment her uncle sits up in bed and start speaking.
Form of Hearing: Out loud through her uncle.
Result/Benefit: She was able to forgive her past and see that everything in her past
was a gift and a blessing, assisting her in her growth and learning. She discovered she
could see the world differently.
Message/Lesson: Everything in life is a gift or blessing if we choose to see it.

Tiny Prayers
Contributor: Anita Grimm" " Pages: 54-56
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Description: Anita discovers that God is real and that it is possible to hear his voice in
the world.
Inner Struggle: Doubt, skepticism
Miracle Mindedness: open, timing
Moment of Hearing: When Ernie said, "“I only asked Him to show it to me.”
Form of Hearing: Manifesting the pocket knife and having Anita give it to him.
Result/Benefit: Helped to open Anita's heart and eyes to the possibility that God did
exist and that it is possible to hear his voice in the world.
Message/Lesson: We all hear God's voice when we are ready and willing to receive it.
The Gift of Grace
Contributor: Raena Avalon" Pages: 57-60
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Description: One day while sitting in a bar, Raena hears God tell her to call AA.
Following the Voiceʼs instructions, she discovers she is an alcoholic. In rehab, she
learns she is pregnant but receives guidance to keep the child nonetheless. Having her
daughter turns out to be the greatest gift of grace she has ever received.
Inner Struggle: Denial, disconnected, numb, alcoholic, grief
Miracle Mindedness: Divine timing, asked for it, willing, ready, innocence, sincerity,
surrender
Moment of Hearing:
• In the bar, tapping sensation on her head. Firm audible voice, loud, authoritative, all
around her.
• Meditation, a vision of two people in robes during meditation
Form of Hearing:
• Tapping sensation on her head. Firm audible voice, loud, authoritative, all around her.
Man that tells her about the bus, bus driver.
• A vision of two people in robes during meditation. inner dialogue.
Result/Benefit: Stopped drinking. Had a beautiful daughter. Strength. Processing

ability.
Message/Lesson: Godʼs love and healing is always available to us, but it is up to us to

be willing to receive it. If the desire and willingness is there, God will do whatever is
necessary in the world to bring it about. Desire, Willingness, openness. Allow the
universe to lead you.
Commentary: The Gift of Grace by Raena Avalon.
The 23-year-old daughter of a Baptist minister, Raena was an alcoholic, but she didnʼt
know it. Homeless and living in the park, she would go to the local bar each day for
lunch to hustle drinks and free food from the male patrons. On this particular day, just
sitting in the bar and “feeling no pain” as she described, Raena experienced a tapping
sensation on her head and heard a very firm voice tell her to go call AA. She said, “It
was a loud voice with a tone of authority. Whether it was really loud, or it was just noisy
where I was, Iʼm not sure. It was as if I heard it audibly in my mind and wondered if
anyone else heard it too. It seemed to be coming from all around me.”
The voice kept repeating itself and wouldnʼt leave her alone, so she went downstairs to
the pay phone and called AA. The woman who picked up the phone said she had
missed the meeting for that day, so Raena returned to her bar stool and continued to
drink.
Five minutes later, she felt the knocking sensation again and the voice insisted that she
call AA once again. This time, a man answered the phone and told her if she got on the
right bus outside the bar it would take her to her meeting.
Unconvinced she had a drinking problem, they told her to have just two drinks a day for
the next 30 days and let them know how it went. By the third day she awoke in a motel
in another state without a dime in her purse or a clue as to how sheʼd gotten there.
One thing led to another and Raena finally entered into rehab, but the story doesnʼt end
quite yet. While in rehab, Raena was raped. Everyone she knew advised her to abort
the baby, but she couldnʼt do it. The reason she was so messed up in the first place is
because sheʼd given her first child up for adoption when she was only 16, which had led
to her drinking in the first place.
While in rehab, Raena also learned how to meditate. One day sitting on her bunk bed,
practicing a deep, quiet meditation, she deliberated on what to do with this tiny growing
fetus inside her. She said, “I was searching, reaching for some form of guidance.
Suddenly, two guys in white gowns appeared before me. It was as if I could actually see
them in my mind. Iʼd always had a deep faith and had experienced the presence of
angelic beings on occasion since I was young. These two beings looked male, but it
was hard to tell. They said I was going to have another girl and she was coming just for
me. They explained she was a gift from God, a replacement for the one Iʼd given away.
They even gave me her name and spelled it for me.”
Raena then said, “From then on, I have never looked back at the past or questioned the
method of her conception. I had that baby and sheʼs been the greatest joy and gift in my
life. Sheʼs a beautiful, sensitive and caring person with an affinity for the homeless
population and is currently getting her masterʼs degree in Social Work. Brienna has
saved my life many times over the years and is the best gift of grace I could receive in
this world. I thank God for her every day.”
There are so many beautiful messages this story offers us, but there is one message I
would like to focus on.
If we are sincere in our desire to restore our awareness to God, or to experience peace,
love, and healing in our lives, God will do everything possible and necessary to help us
accomplish it. Two years before Raena stepped into that bar, she had told God that she
wanted to dedicate her life to Him but she just wasnʼt quite ready. She may not have
known she was ready that day in the bar, but she was, and God worked through
everyone in her life to guide and direct her in her healing, from catching her attention in
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the bar, getting her to her first meeting, supporting her in hitting bottom soon thereafter
so she could go into rehab, and even gifting her with a child that would Grace her life
with all the learning and love that God would give her.
Iʼm not saying that I condone rape, what Iʼm saying is that God has the ability to use
everything that happens in the world as an opportunity for us to receive His love and
blessings in our lives. God has the power to speak through everyone to bring us the
guidance, direction, and wisdom that we are seeking. God has the power to direct the
events in our lives to continue to shuffle us in the direction of our highest good.
When you ask God for anything in your life, know that God has answered your prayer
and will work with all of creation to help you receive His answer. It may come to you as
an audible voice, a physical or emotional sensation, a picture or vision in your mind,
through a friend, relative, or loved one, through a stranger on the street, a bus driver, or
even someone youʼve never met. It may come through the loss of a loved one, a job, or
major change in your life. It may come to you as inspiration, a dream or passion in your
heart, or project or opportunity that comes your way. It can even come to you through
the process of releasing a painful or difficult emotion.
God is good, always, and everything that happens in our lives can be seen and
experienced as a direct gift and blessing from God. When we join with the Holy Spirit in
our thinking and our perceptions, everything in the world can be experienced as a gift
from God. Everything in the world can be seen as the means to our salvation, as the
pathway to our peace and freedom. When we see the world through the Holy Spiritʼs
eyes, we see the love and blessings that everything offers us, no matter what it is.
When we see and experience the world in this way, we are seeing the infinite and all
loving presence of God in everyone and everything. This is how we create heaven on
earth, by seeing and perceiving the world through the eyes of the Holy Spirit.
If we want to hear Godʼs voice in the world, then we must choose to perceive Godʼs
voice wherever we are, in whatever weʼre doing, and in every way we can imagine. God
is speaking to us and guiding and directing us in every moment, through everyone and
everything, if we have ears to hear. If we listen with the Holy Spirit, we will hear Godʼs
voice and only Godʼs voice.
God is speaking to you in every way possible, through everyone and everything in your
life. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see differently, hear differently, and you will have the
faith, the trust, and the knowingness that everything that unfolds in your life is Godʼs gift
to you to awaken you to the truth of who you are, Godʼs holy and beloved child.
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Remembering Oneness
Contributor: Nicole Gleason" Pages: 60-62
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Commentary
Description: After purchasing a book about Jesus, Nicole begins to hear Jesus speak
to her in her mind. One evening, she wholeheartedly gives herself to Jesus and the Holy
Spirit and experiences a profound oneness with God and all of creation.
Inner Struggle: Fearful, wanting to release her fear
Miracle Mindedness: willing to ask and listen, strong desire for healing, sincerity,
wholehearted, eventually becomes peaceful
Moment of Hearing: Moments after asking, I felt a sudden strong urge to enter a little
bookstore. A particular shelf seemed to hold more appeal. I could feel this book was
why I was here.
Form of Hearing: Strong urge. Drawn to a specific shelf. Feel the book. Peaceful.
Passionate about the book. Actual voice. Desire. Direct experience of oneness.
Result/Benefit: Peace. Passion. Oneness. Freedom from fear. Miracles. Gratitude.
Message/Lesson: Many ways to hear God's voice. We are truly one with God.
Notes: God speaks in many subtle ways. The Gift of Grace showed how God works
through other people, but this story illustrates that God works within us in many ways,
and to trust all of those promptings, including our own desires ... We are one with God.
Personal experience.
Commentary: Remembering Oneness by Nicole Gleason.
Nicole was tired of feeling afraid, and frustrated that she didnʼt know how to get over it.
So one day, unable to muster the courage to speak with someone she was attracted to,
she turned to God and said, “Why am I so afraid, God? Please show me what to do. I
canʼt go on like this.”
Within moments, Nicole felt a strong urge to go into a nearby bookstore. When she
entered, she asked God to show her what she needed to see. Drawn to a particular
bookshelf, she wandered over, picked up a book about Jesus, and decided to take it
home.
For three months, she immersed herself in this book. Then one afternoon, exhausted
from reading, she lay back on her sofa thinking of Jesus. As she settled into the
cushions, she suddenly realized that a loving gentle male voice was speaking with her
in her mind, further explaining to her what she was reading in the book.
This relationship continued for many months. She would read passages from the book,
then listen to this loving and wise voice within her explain in more detail the passages
she was just reading.
So incredibly inspired by what she was reading and hearing within her, one night as she
drifted off to sleep, Nicole felt an incredible desire to invite the Holy Spirit and Jesus to
have all of her. With a conviction and willingness she had never felt before, she
surrendered to the Will of God with all her heart. Immediately, she was jolted awake as
she experienced what felt like the entire universe whooshing in through the top of her
head.
She said, “The rain outside was now raining inside of me. A living rain poured down,
cleansing the whole of me, yet the rain was also me. I was no longer a body lying in my
bed. I was the universe and nothing existed outside of me. I was one with God and all
existence. I had never felt so complete and so alive. An incredible energy cleared its
way down through my center, then left where the universe had entered, leaving me lying
in a body on a bed. Now I knew without doubt my Reality was Spirit, One Self, united
with my Creator and every aspect of Creation.”
There are a lot of little pieces that I love about this story. Iʼve previously mentioned that
God can speak to us in many different subtle ways. While hearing the voice of Jesus or
the still small voice of the Holy Spirit within us can be a subtle experience or a not-so-
subtle experience, one of the subtle ways that God can speak to us that we sometimes
miss or overlook is through our desires.
In Nicoleʼs case, directly after asking God for help, she felt a strong desire to go into a
nearby bookstore. She felt the urge to wander over to a particular bookshelf, and she
felt a call or impulse within her to pick up that exact book on Jesus. All of those desires
and sensations within her came directly from God in response to her plea for help and
healing.
Because we are part of God and God exists within us, every desire we have that leads
us deeper into our awareness of God can only come from one place. Our desires that
drive us deeper into our relationship with God can only come from the Holy Spirit.
Nicoleʼs passion to immerse herself in this book for three months came directly from the
Holy Spiritʼs passion to restore her to the truth.
Your desires that lead you into joy, peace, love, forgiveness, acceptance, wisdom, and
union with God are all communications to you from the Holy Spirit to restore you to the
experience of God. You are not alone in those desires, for those desires are Godʼs
desires for you.
Everything that leads you closer to God, God wants for you. Every desire you have that
opens you evermore to Godʼs love comes directly from God. It is Godʼs guidance and
communication to you, and how God communicates with you directly.
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So if what you want is peace, love, union, joy, happiness, forgiveness, or compassion in
your life, feel those desires. They are the voice of God within you, guiding and leading
you into the awareness of your union with God. Follow those desires within you. Allow
them to direct your actions. Allow them to direct your words. And allow them to be the
source of your inspiration and your dreams.
When you feel your desire for Godʼs love and peace in your life, you are hearing the
Holy Spirit in that moment. Allow the Holy Spirit through your desire to create your life
with you. When all you desire is peace, it will be given. When all you desire is love, love
is all you will know. When all you desire is union with God, you will feel connected to
everyone and everything. You will know what to say and what to do because your will
and Godʼs will will have become one. Your desires and Godʼs desires have become
united in restoring all of Godʼs children to the truth of who they are and the love their
father has for them.
Listen to the desires within you that are filled with joy and peace and union, and you will
always know that God is with you in all that you do.
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Lukie’s Love
Contributor: Christine Power" Pages: 62-66
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Description: While following through with her plans for committing suicide, Christine is
stopped by an unexpected voice which reminds her of her love for her nephew, Lukie.
Inner Struggle: Suicidal, hopeless, desperate, despair, nothing else to lose, nowhere
else to go
Miracle Mindedness: Open
Moment of Hearing: “Aunt Chris, when will you be back?”
Form of Hearing: audible voice.
Result/Benefit: Hope, feeling alive, love
Message/Lesson: Our love for one another is more important than we may realize. Itʼs
the little things that often matter most.
From Monster to Emissary
Contributor: Stephen Ruiz" Pages: 60-69
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Commentary
Description: With a past of gang violence and prison, Stephen discovers a course on
the Internet that teaches how to hear God's voice. To his surprise, on his third time
through the program, he hears, "All is fine." In that moment, all stress, turmoil, and
anguish were erased within him, and all his suffering for the past 65 years was gone in
a single moment.
Inner Struggle: Suicidal, hopeless, desperate, despair
Miracle Mindedness: hope, commitment, willingness, desire, patience
Moment of Hearing: during our 30 day course
Form of Hearing: The idea, "All is fine."
Result/Benefit: Removed all stress, turmoil and anguish. I was left with an emptiness I
cannot describe. Sweet, subtle bliss? My sixty-five years of suffering was gone in a
heartbeat! The relief was so great I didnʼt know how to deal with it.
I melted, wanting to embrace them with forgiveness and compassionate understanding.
My life has begun to flow with Grace. To start over and to love life.
Message/Lesson: It doesn't matter what we've done in our lives, we are worthy of
God's love and forgiveness and healing. All that is necessary is for us to receive it, to
believe we are worthy of it, and to open our hearts and minds to receiving it.
Hearing God's voice is teachable and learnable. With desire, willingness, commitment,
and dedication.
God's healing knows no bounds. God's love can heal all things.
Notes: Desire is most important. Itʼs our desire for peace, love, and healing that opens
the door. Followed by our willingness and commitment to walk through the door that we
allow ourselves to receive Godʼs love and healing in our lives. This process goes on
throughout our lives.
Commentary: From Monster to Emissary by Stephen Ruiz.
Like many of us, Stephen was a man filled with pain and heartache who did not possess
the understanding or the tools to effectively heal those rifts within him. As a youth, he
turned to alcohol, drugs, and gang involvement for security and strength, but of course
they didnʼt work for long. After landing a 30 day lockup in prison, Stephen couldnʼt take
his denial any longer, and began his long road to recovery and a relationship with God.
For 20 years, Stephenʼs spiritual growth and development consisted primarily of reading
spiritual and self-help books, trying to understand and learn how life, God, and his own
heart and mind worked, how they all fit together. But after a while, the intellectual
knowledge he was gaining was simply not enough to truly feed his soul. What he
wanted was to directly experience the truth. Theory and beliefs had become hollow. He
wanted to experience a deep and fulfilling relationship with God, not an understanding
of God, but an experience.
One day, Stephen asked God to help him accelerate his spiritual growth. Immediately
after asking that question, the word prayer popped into his mind. He went to the Internet
and typed in the word prayer. One site jumped out at him. It stated we could hear the
Voice of God within! Everything he read resonated with him. The message he found
advised extending love to every thought of doubt and judgment. And then bless them!
The site said, "Be open to whatever comes, however it comes."
Stephen thought, “What a challenge. What unconditionality!” Trust and be still. Listen
quietly with patience. That is all.
Excited about the possibility of truly hearing Godʼs Voice, Stephen downloaded the
websiteʼs 30 day audio course on How to hear Godʼs voice. Nothing occurred for him
until the 75th day on his third time through the program. As he sat wondering what he
could do about releasing his resistance to hearing Godʼs voice, a clear and distinct
message came to him: "All is fine." Although not his idea of an answer, the words
washed over him, completely removing removed all stress, turmoil and anguish.
He said, “My sixty-five years of suffering was gone in a heartbeat! How could this be
true? The relief was so great I didnʼt know how to deal with it.”
Then, in his mindʼs eye, he suddenly saw himself forgiving the many people of his past,
seeing their innocence and the suffering they too had been going through. In that brief
moment, Stephen received the answer to his prayers. He directly experienced Godʼs
loving and healing presence within him, and his life has never been the same since.
As weʼve seen with many of the other stories, Stephenʼs experience is a wonderful
example that we are all worthy of God's love, forgiveness, and healing. God does not
withhold His love and healing from anyone. All that is necessary for us to receive all that
God would give us, is the belief in our worthiness for it and our willingness to open our
hearts and minds to receive it.
We are the ones who decide when we are ready. We are the ones who decide when we
truly want to release our pain. We are the ones who decide that what we want more
than anything else is to feel whole and complete once again. This is why the first
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commandment is to love God. When we love God above all other things, when we
desire God above everything else in our lives, above our resistance and petty
grievances, above our desire to be right and justified in our pain, when we desire to love
God above everything else, we open our hearts and minds to fully receiving the love
that God has for us.
Stephenʼs experience is also a wonderful example that it is indeed possible to learn how
to hear Godʼs voice. The ability to hear Godʼs voice is within all of us, because God and
Godʼs voice is within all of us. We are part of God, and God gave us the Holy Spirit to
serves as His Voice in the world. The Holy Spirit is not separate from you. The Holy
Spirit is literally part of you. Itʼs the part of yourself that knows its oneness with God. Itʼs
the part of yourself that sees only through the eyes of love. Itʼs the part of yourself that
understands your human experience and can perceive the challenges in the world but
sees only through the eyes of truth.
Every person in the world has the ability to hear Godʼs voice within them. It is a natural
ability that we all have, an ability no different than learning how to smile, seeing the
world through the eyes of a child, or learning to dance and sing. We all have the ability
to do these things, and we do these things naturally as little children, but as time wears
on, and we come to believe in hurt, anger, injustice, retribution, and lack, we slowly over
time forget how to hear Godʼs voice within us. We allow the fears and painful
experiences of our lives to slowly transform our innocent and open hearts and minds
until we no longer naturally feel and know our oneness with God.
But regardless of how far we may stray from our awareness of God and Godʼs voice
within us, God is always there, ever present and always with us, just waiting for us to
release the barriers within us that keep us from our awareness of Him. God hasnʼt gone
anywhere and neither has the Holy Spirit. All that weʼve done is innocently believe the
fears, judgments, and thoughts and beliefs within us that keep us separate from God in
our experience. But when the pain of those fears, judgments, and beliefs become too
great to bear, and our desire for peace, love, and wholeness rises to overcome them,
we will remember and restore our awareness of God once again ... And it is possible to
learn how to do this more quickly and directly than figuring it out on our own.
The website Stephen found that day on hearing Godʼs voice was actually my website.
In fact, 7 of the stories in the book are a direct result of the authors learning how to hear
Godʼs voice through one of our books, DVDs, or courses on how to hear Godʼs voice. I
didnʼt want this information to be in the book because I didnʼt want the book to seem
promotional or be a big advertisement for our teachings on how to hear Godʼs voice. Iʼm
telling you this now because I want you to know that it is possible for you to learn how to
hear this voice within you. You donʼt have to hit bottom in your life to open up to hearing
Godʼs voice spontaneously. With just a little bit of practice, commitment, and patience,
anybody can learn how to hear Godʼs voice in a very clear and recognizable way within
them. Itʼs not complicated. Itʼs not abstract. It doesnʼt take years of dedication or hard
work.
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Now this was not the case for me. It was very difficult for me to learn how to hear Godʼs
voice, and this is precisely why I have dedicated my life to helping others so they donʼt
have to go through the heartache and pain that I did in learning to reconnect with this
part of ourselves. As a result of my own struggles, the Holy Spirit has given us a very
simple process that anyone can use.
I want you to believe that you are worthy of hearing Godʼs voice. I want you to believe
that you are capable of hearing Godʼs voice. And I want you to feel your desire within
you to hear Godʼs voice in your life. This desire is within all of us, because it is Godʼs
desire that we hear His voice. It is Godʼs will that our awareness of Him be restored in
its totality. This is why He gave us the Holy Spirit, so we would have an advocate and a
teacher within us to guide and lead us in our lives.
If you want to release the fears that hold you back in your life, if you want to release the
anger, pain, and heart ache that you have carried within you for years, if you want to
always know what is in your highest good, what to say, where to go, and what to do at
all times, and if you want to experience Godʼs unconditional love, peace, and wholeness
in all situations, then you are ready and capable of experiencing the presence of God
within you in a very clear and tangible way.
Listen to the calling within your heart to experience Godʼs loving presence within you all
through the day. follow this calling wherever it leads you, and know that God is with you
every step of the way.
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The Listener
Contributor: Kathleen Hellenberg" Pages: 70-73
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Description: In hearing the subtle cries for help from her friend Chris, Kathleen allowed
Godʼs loving voice to speak through her to heal Chris's turmoil.
Inner Struggle: Concern
Miracle Mindedness: willingness, desire, intention
Moment of Hearing: Higher alert, feeling uneasy, attention being diverted, asking and
receiving
Form of Hearing: Feelings, speaking Godʼs voice out loud
Result/Benefit: Healing, peace, hope, gratitude
Message/Lesson: All that is necessary to hear God's voice and share that healing
loving voice with others is a little willingness.
Initiation
Contributor: Colleen Freeman" " Pages: 74-75
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Description: During a frightening earthquake, Colleen is held and comforted by a
Presence that erases her fears and instills a profound knowingness that changes her
forever.
Inner Struggle: Fear, earthquake
Miracle Mindedness: yearning, desire
Moment of Hearing: Feeling of being held in the midst of the earthquake
Form of Hearing: Lifted up into the arms of what I can only describe as a Christ-like
being—perhaps Jesus Christ himself. I was aware of being held.
Result/Benefit: A warm peaceful calm settled my stomach and eased my heart. I now
know the true peace and connection that is possible in the world, and can no longer
settle for anything less.
Message/Lesson: Sincere desire opens the door.
Notes: Direct experience provides profound communication, goes beyond the intellect
and directly into the heart. Profound experiences plant seeds of possibility and give
people goals for what is possible. The peace is so profound, itʼs difficult to settle for
anything less. This is a repeated theme throughout this book, and in my life. There is
always a joining when it comes to hearing Godʼs voice, and itʼs this joining that creates
miracles in our lives.
Pattern: joining with God eliminates fear. God is the opposite of fear. Love is the
opposite of fear. Love is what heals.
It felt so normal. This is not the first time someone has said how comfortable the voice
felt or sounded. Itʼs because itʼs a part of us, the real us, itʼs where we are truly at home
in God.
Commentary: Initiation by Colleen Freeman.
One night, in the wee hours one morning, Colleen awoke to what sounded like a freight
train plowing through her bedroom. The walls, the desk, dresser and everything on them
shook violently. It was an earthquake, nothing like Colleen had ever felt before. As her
heart exploded with fear, Colleen sensed an unexpected presence creep over her. It felt
as if she were lifted up into the arms of what she can only describe as a Christ-like
being—perhaps Jesus Christ himself. A warm peaceful calm settled her stomach and
eased her heart. Her body was still in bed, yet in that moment, she was aware of being
held. In that moment, she knew there was nothing to fear. She said, “Oddly, it felt so
ʻnormal.ʼ At last I was with someone who would keep me safe.”
The next morning, Colleen felt like the same old person. If someone had jiggled her
chair, it would trigger that same crashing fear brought on by the earthquake. But a seed
had been planted in her. Before the earthquake, she had hoped there was more to life
than just the day-to-day struggle to survive. She longed for a meaningful reason for her
existence. Since that night, she knows without a doubt that there is.
Although she didn't receive any distinct or audible communication, the deep peace,
comfort, and profound sense of “knowing” spoke directly to her soul in a way that
changed her forever. Since that moment of union, she now knows the true peace and
connection that is possible in the world, and can no longer settle for anything less, filling
her with awe, wonder and gratitude to this day.
This story is about the power of directly experiencing the presence of God. Direct
experience is so much more powerful than hearing words. It goes beyond our intellect
and directly into our hearts. Iʼve spoken to dozens of people over the years who have
had similar experiences, and Iʼve had a number of these direct experiences myself, and
every time someone experiences God in this way, it plants a seed of what is truly
possible to experience in the world, and gives us a goal or vision to strive towards in our
lives.
When one directly experiences the presence of God, the peace is so profound, so
beyond anything else in the world, that itʼs no longer possible to want to settle for
anything less. This outcome is repeated in many peopleʼs experiences throughout this
book, and itʼs certainly been the case in my life as well.
When I first experienced the presence of God, it changed my life forever, and I could no
longer go back to the life I was living. This has happened repeatedly in my life, major
course corrections as I sometimes call them, that have driven me deeper and deeper
into my relationship with God and my desire to feel Godʼs presence in every moment of
my life.
What youʼll notice in all of these stories is that when it comes to hearing Godʼs voice,
there is always a joining with God in some way or on some level, and itʼs this joining that
creates the true miracles in our lives. The words and the actual messages are
secondary to the experience of fullness, love, and connection that we feel in joining with
God. The words and the messages are wonderful, helpful, and insightful, but itʼs the
joining with God that changes our lives forever and gives us a hint of what itʼs like to be
fully joined with God in our awareness.
God is infinite, all-encompassing, unconditional love. When we even dipped our toe into
that profoundness, itʼs so far beyond anything the world can offer us. As so many of the
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stories share, when we join with God, fear is eliminated. God is the opposite of fear.
Love is the opposite of fear. When we join with God, Godʼs love will immediately
dissolve all fear.
Youʼll notice in this story that Colleen didnʼt hear a voice speak to her. She simply
experienced the presence of God, and in that joining, her mind became transformed.
Direct experience is always accompanied by a shift in perception. Direct experience is
always accompanied by profound communication, whether itʼs tangible or not.
The communication Colleen received was the outcome. “You do not need to be afraid,
for I am with you. I am always with you. Join me in my embrace, and feel the love and
comfort that is always available to you.”
That is the core message she took away. That communication could have been spoken
to her, but it didnʼt need to be. Hearing Godʼs voice is not always about words. Itʼs about
joining with God and receiving all that God has to give us in that moment.
Colleen said “It felt so normal.” This is not the first time someone has said in these
stories how comfortable the voice felt or sounded. This is because Godʼs voice is part of
us, the real us, the part of us that is joined with God.
The Holy Spirit embodies the part of us where we are truly at home in God. When we
join with God, we are joining with our true home. We are returning home in that moment
in our awareness. Thatʼs why feeling Godʼs presence feels so inviting, comforting, and
nurturing. We are truly going Home to the truth of who we are. We are truly going home
to where we have always been.
Know that God is with you, and you are always with God. You cannot be separate from
God, and God cannot be separate from you. Allow yourself to experience this truth in
your life, and you will be Home where you have always been.
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New Beginning
Contributor: Tonya Lewis" " Pages: 76-78
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Commentary
Description: In a moment of despair, Tonya is guided by an inner voice to read from the
Bible. She opens the Bible and reads, “Follow Me.” These words speak directly to her
heart and transform her her experience of life.
Inner Struggle: Hitting bottom with sadness, crying, despair,
Miracle Mindedness: Hitting bottom, complete inner silence
Moment of Hearing: Guided to pick up the Bible, reading the Bible, reading the words
“Follow me,” in the Bible. ʼIf anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny
himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.ʼ
Form of Hearing: Inner voice, Godʼs voice in the Bible, minister friend, feelings of joy,
hope, purpose
Result/Benefit: Meaning, direction, purpose, enjoy, hope, seeing things differently,

different experience of the world
Message/Lesson: Godʼs voice is not filled with anger, revenge. Godʼs voice will not
speak over the voice of the ego, but it will speak in place of the ego, in the quietness of
our right mind.
Godʼs voice in the Bible speaks directly to our heart. The Holy Spirit speaks directly to
our heart.
Notes: How can you know if you are hearing Godʼs voice or not? Only two voices.
Commentary: New Beginning by Tonya Lewis.
The story begins with Tonya discovering the other woman and her boyfriendʼs life. Tonya
said, “After crying every tear I had inside, I came to a place of complete silence. In that
silence I heard a soft voice that carried such authority—a voice I had come to recognize
over the years as the Voice of Truth that spoke to my heart in times of trouble or need. I
didnʼt hear this Voice often, but when it came, my body automatically responded to it,
much as it would to the command of a parent.”
What a way to begin her story! She conveys so much insight in so very few words.
“After crying every tear I had inside, I came to a place of complete silence.” Weʼve
spoken quite a bit in other stories about the dynamics of hitting bottom. When we hit
bottom, it means we have lived out and expressed every ounce of ego we have inside
of us in that moment. Our pain, our misery, and our emotions have played themselves
out to their end. They have given all they have to give, and in that final moment, their life
comes to an end and our mind becomes open to the wisdom, love, and presence of
God. It is this place of silence that all people come to when they reached the end of
their rope. The flame of misery burns itself out, and in the moment it becomes
extinguished, a new flame rises up to take its place, the light and truth of the Holy Spirit.
When the voice of the ego runs its course, the voice of fear, judgment, and pain within
us, and our mind becomes open to hearing the voice of truth, with our pain all but gone
in that moment, there is only one voice to listen to within us, that is the voice of God. In
the absence of ego, we do respond to Godʼs voice as one would a loving and
authoritative parent, because that is the truth of our relationship with God. In the
absence of pain, our will and Godʼs will become one in our awareness, and it is simply
the flow of God within us and through us that naturally follows its own voice within.
The way Tonya describes this dynamic is just so beautiful, because it so accurately
describes what happens to all of us when our pain is finally let go, because it has lived a
full and complete life. In its inevitable passing emerges the arisen Christ within us, that
part of ourselves that is joined with the Holy Spirit, one with our Creator, that naturally
hears and follows the voice of God within.
Following the Holy Spiritʼs guidance, Tonya opened her Bible and read these words,
“Follow me.”
Still joined with the Holy Spirit in her awareness, Tonya said, “These words pierced my
soul and became engraved upon my heart like a fingerprint.The words left me in awed
fascination. I wondered how a book written so long ago could speak to me with such
intensity.”
The Holy Spiritʼs words pierced Tonyaʼs soul because there were no barriers between
her and the Holy Spirit in that moment. Her mind and heart had a clear channel of
connection and union, but then something happened. The ego reared its head.
She said, “I was not certain how to follow this Voice. Moments later, the silence within
me vanished.”
“I was not certain.”
When we are fully joined with God, there is no uncertainty. There is no uncertainty or
confusion in the Holy Spirit. When we are fully joined with the Holy Spirit, there is only
knowingness, truth, and clarity of mind. It was in this moment that Tonya lost her
awareness of the Holy Spiritʼs presence. It was this thought of confusion that she so
innocently identified with that opened the door for her pain and misery to rush back into
her awareness.
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Tonya wrote, “Moments later, the silence within me vanished. My anger and heartache
rebelled and wouldnʼt allow me to sit there doing nothing. I continued to cry out to this
Voice, but the more I cried out to it, the more voices I heard. I became overwhelmed,
unable to shut out the chaos of all the different voices telling me to do different things.
Which voice should I obey? I followed the instructions of the loudest, angriest one
because it was the most prominent.”
Tonyaʼs experience in such a profound gift for all of us, because her experience so
beautifully describes what happens to all of us in our moments of pain. Now
disconnected from her awareness of the voice of the Holy Spirit, Tonyaʼs pain is free to
rage once again.
In all honesty, Tonya wasnʼt in control in that moment. Her awareness was simply riding
the wave of thoughts and emotions within her. Initially, she had become her grief, and
when that grief had depleted itself, she became joined with the Holy Spirit and began to
follow His Voice. But when for a brief moment she grew uncertain in how to continue
following His lead, a whole new wave of pain arose within her, and her awareness
simply became those thoughts once again, only this time it wasnʼt pain or sadness, it
was anger and revenge.
Once more, Tonyaʼs emotions were given the opportunity to run their course, and when
they had depleted themselves yet again, Tonya found her way back to God.
This story is such a beautiful illustration of what we all go through, in one way or another
in our lives. It might not always be this dramatic, but this basic dynamic of bouncing
back and forth from one thought system to another, over and over and over again, so
beautifully describes our journey of deepening our relationship with God.
There are only two voices in the world. One voice is based on fear and judgment. It is
the voice responsible for all of our pain. It is the voice that brings about all suffering in
the world, sadness, heartache, loneliness, despair, anger, rage, and jealousy.
The other voice is based upon love and truth. It is the voice of our father, the voice of
the Holy Spirit within. It is a voice that is incapable of judgment and knows no fear. Out
of this love and truth arises all joy, peace, serenity, forgiveness, compassion, happiness,
wholeness, and completion. This voice of love is the voice of God, and when we join
with this voice, it erases all fear and judgment within us in that moment.
Ultimately, it is our choice which voice we listened to in our lives. The voice of love, or
the voice of fear. The voice of God, or the voice of ego within us.
Like Tonya, we are each bouncing back and forth between these two voices all the time.
Sometimes, it doesnʼt feel like we have much of a choice at all, we are simply at the
mercy of these two forces within us. But the truth is, we do have a choice. Yes, it takes
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practice, and commitment, and more practice to be able to build our strength and our
ability to make this choice. Our ability to be aware of which voice we are listening to in
any given moment, and the strength to choose the voice of God more and more
consistently in our lives.
In this particular instance, Tonya was on the cusp of finding the motivation, the
willingness, and the desire within her to be able to choose Godʼs voice consciously and
consistently in her life. Weʼve all been at this place to 1° or another, or we simply
bounce back and forth unconsciously between love and fear, between peace and
sadness, between joy and pain.
But Iʼm here to tell you that we can all overcome this unconscious back-and-forth in our
lives. Itʼs not always easy, but we can do it. We can build this muscle within us, the
strength, this commitment, and this capability to be aware of our thoughts, our feelings,
and our wants and needs without becoming them, without being a slave to them. We
have the ability to build our willingness, our desire, and our strength in choosing to be
aware of Godʼs voice in our lives and to follow that voice more and more consistently, in
all areas of our lives.
Tonyaʼs struggle is our own struggle, but just as she overcame this struggle in her life,
we can overcome it in our lives as well. This struggle is won through surrender, through
desire, through willingness, and through following our hearts.
Every time you live out that pain and follow the voice of fear, forgive yourself. Extend
compassion, kindness, understanding, and forgiveness to yourself, and then pick
yourself back up and choose the voice of God instead.
Every time you speak hurtful words to another, forgive yourself, and choose the voice of
love instead. Every time you respond from fear, forgive yourself, and follow the voice of
courage and passion within you. Every time you judge another, forgive yourself, and see
the goodness and love within your brothers and sisters.
You will listen to the voice of the ego in your life, and that is okay. Do not judge yourself
for it, for God does not. Simply extend forgiveness, compassion, and love to yourself,
knowing that you did the best you could in that moment, and in this moment, you are
choosing differently, you are choosing to be in union with the holy spirit, in union with
Godʼs love and peace.
When you can forgive yourself every time you listen to the voice of ego within you, you
give yourself the opportunity to choose differently. Unless you forgive yourself, you are
still in the throes of ego. You are judging yourself, and judgment only comes from one
place, and that is not from God. When you judge yourself, forgive yourself, and choose
to see anew through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, so that you can see the innocence and
the love that you truly are. This is how God sees you, and when you see yourself
through the eyes of God, you have restored yourself to God in that moment.
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When you do this over and over and over again in your life, you are building that muscle
within you that joins you with God. When you practice forgiveness and love, over and
over again, you are choosing to hear Godʼs voice in your life.
The more that you choose Godʼs voice, the less and less youʼll hear the painful and
fearful voice of ego within you. You have the ability to do this. Practice. Practice.
Practice.
The more that you practice, the stronger you become, the easier it becomes, and the
more rewarding your life will be.
This is what Tonya discovered as she turned her life over to the Holy Spirit.
I want to leave you with her words of inspiration:
“Now my life has meaning, direction, and purpose. I am able to focus on this Voice
instead of my own misery. I have hope. How I view my problems, the world, and lifeʼs
situations has changed. I know I donʼt walk through life alone. Iʼve been given new eyes
and am able to see through Someoneʼs eyes who sees beauty in pain, promise in ruins,
and the world the way He created it. I can look in the mirror and truly love the person I
am in spite of things I may or may not do. I have the peace inside I always wanted, the
joy I never knew existed, and the love I thought had died. My life has become a journey
where every day is filled with beauty I never noticed before. It is filled with the many
challenges I always craved and opportunities I never thought Iʼd have as a woman.
Every day for me is a New Beginning.”
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The Shade
Contributor: Katie Rodriquez Banister" " Pages: 79-81
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Commentary
Description: Katie is guided to keep her mouth shut and not to respond angrily to a
woman who infuriated her. She returns home and is instructed to write her thoughts on
paper. A beautiful and illuminating poem is the result.
Inner Struggle: Anger, resentment
Miracle Mindedness: willingness, following guidance
Moment of Hearing: As she opens her mouth, writing down words on paper
Form of Hearing: Inner voice, writing, thoughts
Result/Benefit: less conflict, less guilt, understanding, learning, more peace and
acceptance
Message/Lesson: Silence negative reactions when possible to bring forth more beauty,
compassion, understanding, and love.
Notes: We all get angry. We all feel wrongly accused, judged, or attacked. But lashing
back rarely gives us what we truly want, which is to feel loved and accepted, and to love
and accept others. If we are unable to offer someone else compassion, forgiveness, or
understanding when they say or do things to us out of fear or judgment, it is helpful to
keep our mouths shut so we donʼt add to the negativity and conflict. If we are unable to
respond with love or kindness in that moment, hold your tongue and allow yourself to
spend time with God on your own so that you can heal your wounded heart and extend
love, compassion, and understanding when youʼre ready. Minimize the damage to the
other and ourselves (guilt and shame) and find peace and healing.
If you canʼt say anything nice, donʼt say anything at all.
Commentary: The Shade by Katie Rodriquez Banister.
Three years after an auto accident that left Katie paralyzed from the chest down, she
asked a family relative, Mary, if her two children could attend a weekend campout for
kids with disabilities.
Katie asked, “Do you think the girls are up to this sort of experience?”
Mary quickly dismissed her two girls from the room and then turned to Katie and hissed,
“My children canʼt be around those kinds of kids because it will give them nightmares.”
Stunned by what she just heard, Katie said, “My anger started to build like the flames of
a raging fire. I wanted to yell. I wanted to smack this horrible woman for disrespecting
the members of my new culture. Livid and ready to blow, I opened my mouth but then
quickly closed my lips. A voice from the back of my head told me to do so. I thought for
sure Mary had heard the voice too, but she hadnʼt. She still sat nearby like a lump.”
So Katie kept her mouth shut and just got out of there as soon as possible.
When she got home, she heard a still small voice within her say, “Katie, write your
thoughts.”
So she strapped on her writing brace and ended up writing, to her surprise, a beautiful
poem about rising above our own prejudices and extending love and compassion to
those in fear and pain.”
Katie was so tempted to follow that voice of anger and hurt within her that wanted to
lash out at Mary for her fear and ignorance. And she almost did, but because of Katieʼs
connection with Holy Spirit and her practice of hearing Godʼs voice in her life, Katie was
able to hear that still small voice of Holy Spirit within her that instructed her to keep her
mouth shut and not blast Mary in reply.
We all feel wrongly accused, judged, or attacked. But lashing back rarely gives us what
we truly want, which is to feel loved and accepted, and to love and accept others.
Even though we always feel justified in defending ourselves or in attacking others for
the hurt we feel theyʼve caused us, it rarely makes us feel good for long. We might feel
righteous and justified in the moment, but we rarely feel peaceful and connected with
them as a result.
If we are unable to offer someone compassion, forgiveness, or understanding when

they say or do things to us out of fear or judgment, one of the most helpful things we
can do is to simply keep our mouths shut so we donʼt add to the negativity and conflict.
If you are unable to respond with understanding or kindness in that moment, hold your
tongue and allow yourself to spend time with God later so you can heal your wounded
heart and then extend love, compassion, and understanding when youʼre ready. When
we are able to do this, we minimize the damage that we do to the other person and
ourselves. When we donʼt hold our tongues, we hurt ourselves too because we donʼt
actually feel the love and connection we truly want, and we often times end up feeling
guilty or disappointed in what weʼve created.
I have to be honest, this has been a big struggle for me in my own life. When I would
become hurt or angry at someone elseʼs comments to me, for a long time my first
reaction was to defend myself and tell them how wrong and unjustified they were.
Setting them straight and getting them to see the truth just felt like the right thing to do,
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but the problem was, it never seemed to make things better. Both of us would just end
up feeling frustrated, angry, and justified in our opinions. So a few years ago, I started
trying really hard to simply allow the person to think and feel how they wanted to. I
wouldnʼt like what they were saying, and I didnʼt agree with them, but I tried hard to not
say anything that I would later regret. I would just try to listen to them, and then
afterwards go meditate on my own to release my pain and get some clarity and insight
from the Holy Spirit. In doing this, I would almost always finish my meditation and
conversations with God feeling happy, peaceful, and compassionate towards the other
personʼs feelings and needs. My heart would open up to them, and I could feel my love
and compassion extending to them once again. I wasnʼt able to do this in the moment of
my conversation with them, but by doing it later on my own, I was able to achieve the
same results, of loving and accepting them as they are and feeling connected with God
in my relationship with them.
Obviously, it would be great to be able to do this in the moment, but we arenʼt always
able to do that, so the point is, just do the best you can to not make the situation worse,
to not say or do something that you will later regret, and to simply join with God later for
your own healing and peace of mind.
If you truly want to bring Godʼs love and peace into the world, do all that you can do to
heal your own heart and mind and not inflict your pain on others.
Ask God and the Holy Spirit to be with you in this goal, and you will see the rewards in
all areas of your life.
Like all things in life, the more you practice this the easier it will become, and the more
consistently youʼll be able to be the presence of Godʼs love in the world.
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Drive South
Contributor: David Schock" " Pages: 81-85
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Commentary
Description: Dave is guided by the voice of Holy Spirit to return to his roots in New
York City, a day of healing and forgiveness he will never forget.
Inner Struggle: Open, willing, free time, no agenda
Miracle Mindedness: Open, willing, free time, no agenda
Moment of Hearing: In stillness, early morning meditation
Form of Hearing: I heard a quiet, still voice within me quite clearly. It wasn't like hearing
a physical human voice. It was more like an inner dialogue that seemed to appear
immaculately. The words were not an extension of something I was thinking, and a
sense of power and peace accompanied them. I think the Voice was so clear that
morning because I was open to it.
Result/Benefit: Miraculous healing of mind and emotions. Forgiveness. Release of

judgment. Peace. Joy. Fulfillment of dreams. Increase in trust of God.
Message/Lesson: If we become quiet and still within, we can hear the still small voice
of holy spirit guiding and leading us in our lives to healing, peace, and the fulfillment of
our dreams.
Notes: We don't always have to have a dramatic event or be hitting bottom to hear
God's voice. We can learn to be quiet and still within ourselves so that we can hear that
still quiet voice of the Holy Spirit within us, to guide and lead us in our lives. This voice is
always with us, knows what is in our highest good at all times, and has as its only
intention to restore our awareness to God's. It does this by helping us to release our
judgments and fears so that we can experience the peace, joy, and love of God in our
lives. Take the time to learn how to quiet your mind and still your heart so that you can
hear God's voice within you, so that you do not have to hit bottom to receive God's
healing and laugh, but so that you can have more grace, comfort, peace, and joy
throughout your life, every day.
I use the Holy Spirit every day to figure out how to best use my time, who to call or
contact, where to focus my energy and attention for the highest good of all.
Trust, faith, not knowing, surrender, willingness, takes practice, courage, patience.
Commentary: Drive South by David Schock.

Weʼve spoken before about the purpose and function of the Holy Spirit, to act as a
guide, comforter, and teacher within us, helping us to restore our awareness to Godʼs.
Because God and the Holy Spirit are infinite in nature, the Holy Spirit can fulfill its
purpose in an infinite number of different ways. One of the ways it helps us to restore
our experience to Godʼs is by helping us to forgive.
Drive South is a story of forgiveness. Itʼs a story of how the Holy Spirit was able to guide
David Schoch into the heart of New York City to help him release his judgments, beliefs,
and resentments toward what he thought was the truth of New York, its people, and the
life he used to live there.
Dave had been reading a book about the Holy Spirit that claimed we each have access
to a far greater wisdom than we currently use. This Voice of "Holy Spirit" existed and
knew exactly what was best for each of us in every situation, if only we could learn to be
still and hear it.
In reading this, Dave became determined to hear this Voice within, yet struggled
endlessly, “never knowing if the voice I sometimes heard was that of a deeper wisdom,
or simply my imagination.”
One morning Dave woke up and realized I had absolutely no plans for the day. The art
gallery he managed was closed until the weekend, and he was open to anything. He
checked in with stillness, trying yet again to hear the "Holy Spirit." To his surprise, he
said, “I heard a quiet, still voice within me quite clearly. It wasn't like hearing a physical
human voice. It was more like an inner dialogue that seemed to appear immaculately.
The words were not an extension of something I was thinking, and a sense of power
and peace accompanied them. I think the Voice was so clear that morning because I
was open to it.
It said, "Drive south."
With nothing to lose, Dave jumped in his car and started driving. Each time he
checked in with the Voice, it just said “Drive South.” Three hours later, Dave ended up in
New York City, where he once lived as a student artist. Once there, he continued to ask
for guidance and direction, and the still small voice within him continued to guide and
lead him to all the places of his past, to all the places he had struggled with in his youth.
What unfolded for Dave was a day of miracles, a day of revisiting his past with
new eyes.
He said, “In each place I initially felt some old memory of the harshness of the
city; the rudeness, the lines, the constant pushing, the anonymity, the concrete and
steel, the lack of humanity. But these were old memories. This day, each place I visited
felt different, lighter, cleaner, forgiven. Everywhere, people went out of their way to be
nice and helpful. Everywhere I went, a blessing came.
I had wanted to be freed from my negative feelings about the city and the people
there, but had no idea how to go about it before now. I had struggled for months with
this while living there. Now, healing was happening before my eyes, and I knew I was
not the one doing it. I wouldn't have even been there if not for the "Holy Spirit."
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To cap off a fantastic day of miracles and blessings, when Dave went to check in
with the Holy Spirit to see if it was finally time to go home, the Holy Spirit told him to
stick around and then guided him to an art gallery where he had already visited earlier
that day, where to his surprise, he got to meet the Andrew Wyeth, a famous and
reclusive painter who had influenced Daveʼs life as an artist more than any other.
This was a day he would never forget.
So many of the stories in this book are about men and women who undergo
extreme challenges in their lives and then awaken to the voice of God within them. But
the truth is, we don't always have to have a dramatic event or hit bottom in our lives to
hear God's Voice. We can learn to quiet our minds and enter that still, peaceful place
within us any time we want, so we can hear that still quiet voice of Holy Spirit to guide
and lead us in our lives. This voice is always with us, knows what is in our highest good
at all times, and has as its only intention to restore our awareness to God's.
As Dave demonstrated, if we take the time to learn how to quiet our minds and
access this still quiet place within us, we can receive the Holy Spiritʼs guidance and
direction, not as a one-time miracle, but as a natural and everyday part of our lives.
In my own life, seeking guidance and direction from Holy Spirit is a big part of my
day and relationship with God. Each morning, before jumping into the world of phone
calls, e-mails, and to do lists, I spend time with God in meditation, feeling His presence
and communing with the Holy Spirit in my heart and mind. Once I feel really filled with
Godʼs love and wholeness, and Iʼve let go of any stress, fears, or grievances I may be
holding onto from the previous day, I then ask the Holy Spirit to help me plan how to
best use my time that day. I ask what I should be working on, what my priorities should
be, who I should contact, and where to focus my attention for the highest good of all. I
specifically ask these questions so the Holy Spirit and I are joined in purpose and will
throughout the day, and so I can serve in my greatest capacity in the world.
When I take the time to ask these questions, and I follow through in
accomplishing them, when I put my head down on my pillow at night I feel good about
what Iʼve accomplished. I feel good about myself for being joined with Godʼs will and
purpose for my life, and I feel good of the impact that Iʼve made in the world.
Anybody can live their life this way. Itʼs not a tall order, or an order of magnitude
beyond what you can personally accomplish. All it takes is the desire and willingness to
develop this relationship within you, to learn how to hear and trust this Voice that exists
inside of you, and to make hearing this Voice a priority in your life.
As a young child, you were trained to brush her teeth each day. You were trained
to shower and wash her face each day. You were trained to eat when you were hungry,
to clean up your room when it became a mess, and to say thank you and please to
people in your life. By doing these things every day, they simply became a habit and a
part of you. You donʼt even have to think about them every day, you just do them.
Seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit and following what you hear is exactly the
same. You might resist it at first. Just as you did when you first learned to brush her
teeth or shower on a regular basis. But once you start doing it, and someone shows you
the little tips and tricks for doing it more easily, and it becomes a habit, then hearing
Godʼs voice and receiving guidance and direction in all that you do simply becomes a
way of life.
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Yes, it takes practice. Yes it takes patience and courage. And yes it takes
willingness, surrender, and faith. But by practicing these things each day when you
wake up in the morning for just 5 to 10 minutes can and will build upon itself to the point
where it simply becomes who and what you are in the world. You are a divine child of
God, joined with your Creator in all that you do, in all that you say, and in all that you
think. This is already true for you. And by spending just a few minutes each morning
joining with God and the Holy Spirit in your awareness, asking questions and following
the guidance you receive, you will come to know this truth as your own.
You have the ability to do this in your life. You will do this in your life. Hearing
Godʼs voice is not a matter of if, only a matter of when. The timing is up to you.
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On Loan
Contributor: Valerie J. Foster" " Pages: 85-88
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Commentary
Description: With Valerie's daughter in a coma after a traumatic car accident, Valerie
learned to let go and let God. She experienced peace and faith that God knew what was
best. It was then that she experienced God's miracle.
Inner Struggle: Fear, sadness, desperation, exhaustion
Miracle Mindedness: surrender, open heartedness, faith
Moment of Hearing: Her mind was washed clean.
Form of Hearing: My mind was washed clean.
Result/Benefit: My mind was washed clean. All the desperation vanished and joy
entered my heart. My heart had opened completely, and I suddenly realized that this
was not about me and my wants. I let go of my desires and hopes, and let God in to
make this life and death decision. In that moment I gave my daughter away to Godʼs
care. I was feeling love for God and my little girl. I waited patiently, wrapped in Godʼs
peace.
Message/Lesson: Giving up our wants and attachments and surrendering to God's will
is not a recipe for secretly getting what we want. But it will give us peace and the
knowledge that whatever does happen will be in the highest good of all.
Through the Mouth of a Stranger
Contributor: Kenneth Dyer" " Pages: 89-91
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Commentary
Description: Ken was unable to hear God's voice himself, but through his sincere
desire to hear that voice through another, God was able to work through a willing person
to deliver the loving communication that Ken longed for and needed to hear.
Inner Struggle: Despair, prayer
Miracle Mindedness: Sincerity, hopefulness, faith, hope
Moment of Hearing: Several more minutes had gone by when I felt a hand on my
shoulder. She spoke quietly, saying, “I don't know who you are, but God told me to
come over and tell you that He loves you.”
Form of Hearing: Hand on my shoulder. She spoke quietly, saying, “I don't know who
you are, but God told me to come over and tell you that He loves you.”
Result/Benefit: Although I have had several spiritual experiences in life, none felt
sweeter than the one this dear lady delivered to me that day.
Hope and the knowledge that God is there for him.
Message/Lesson: God hears our prayers and is here for us even if we are unable to
consciously or directly receive his loving guidance and communication in the moment.
But if we are open to receiving it however it might be given, we will. And God can use
any means possible to deliver it.
Notes: Itʼs important to not be attached to hearing a voice within us. Open and willing to
receive it in any way possible. listen for Godʼs love, comfort, and guidance in everything,
through everyone. Ask yourself, what is God trying to say to me in this moment through
this person, through this situation, or symbol? And trust the insights, thoughts, and
subtle feelings within your heart to be Godʼs answer to you.
Through another, while watching TV, at work. While walking in nature, animals,
circumstances. how can that personʼs words restore you to the truth, to love, to peace,
understanding or compassion? It might not always be the exact words theyʼre saying. It
might be something deeper, or the Holy Spirit may not use their words at all, but the
message may be something deeper within. Godʼs message may be literal or symbolic.
Practice. Practice listening for Godʼs communications to you for your friends, family
members, coworkers, or while you watch the news. What messages does God have to
give you to restore your to him.
Commentary: Through the Mouth of a Stranger by Kenneth Dyer.

Ken had spent the better part of a year in and out of psychiatric hospitals. What had
started out as depression turned into a serious mood disorder coupled with
hallucinations. Mentally and emotionally shot, abandoned by friends and family, and
drugged up on medication, Ken could no longer trust himself and believed that not even
God cared about him.
One day, Ken accompanied a group of friends from the hospital to a religious service.
His secret intention for going was to be in a temple of God and pray for hope and
answers. Not believing he could hear God himself, Ken convinced myself that if just
one of his friends came up and talked to him while he prayed, that would be God's
answer for him that he was okay.
So after the service, Ken bowed his head and started to pray while his friends and
others stood talking with one another nearby. Slowly but surely, his friends started to
walk away. After 15 minutes had passed, he looked up and not a single one of his
friends was still there.
He was already feeling lost and alone, uncared for and unloved. He couldnʼt trust his
own thoughts and feelings, let alone trust his ability to hear Godʼs voice within him. To
Ken, this was his one shot at somehow finding some proof that God still loved and
cared about him. So when he looked around, having convinced himself that this was his
one chance for God to answer his prayers, he lowered his head and started crying
inside. He said, “Nothing in my life felt worse than to feel I now was forced to accept that
even God didn't want me.”
Several minutes passed by when suddenly Ken felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't
know who it was and thought maybe it was a friend who had returned, but he was still
crying so he didn't open his eyes to see who it was. Then he heard a womanʼs voice
whisper to him. She said, “I don't know who you are, but God told me to come over and
tell you that He loves you.”
Ken totally lost it and started crying even harder. It turns out that she was one of the
older ladies who had been talking with her own group from the other side of the room.
She then told him that she had ignored Godʼs promptings several times because she
didnʼt want to bother him while he was praying, but she could no longer ignore the
promptings and came to deliver Godʼs message.
Ken said, “From that day on, I learned that I may or may not ever get a answer straight
from God because of my condition, but He will send me an answer through another
person. Had she ignore the promptings or not delivered the message to me, I don't
know where I would be today.”
God hears our prayers, always, even if we are unaware of receiving His reply in that
moment.
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One of the most important things that we can do after we finished praying, is to
surrender to what is in our highest good. We cannot know what is best for us. We
cannot see the big picture of how everything fits together, of why things happen the way
they do, and how God is working with us to deepen our relationship with him. But what
we can know, is that God does know what is in our highest good and the highest good
of everyone.
When we pretend that we know what is best, that we know how things are meant to be,
or what Godʼs will is, we actually close ourselves off to God. We close ourselves off with
our small and limited thinking.to the unlimited power and creativity that God possesses.
When we pray and then surrender to what is in our highest good, we open our hearts
and minds to all that God would give to us. We acknowledge that God is in charge, that
God knows all things, and that God can best orchestrate all that needs to unfold.
After relinquishing our own personal agendas for how we think things should unfold, itʼs
then time to listen for what God would have us know or do. Just as God can work
through everyone and everything in the world to bring about the answer to your prayers,
you are an equal part of that creation, and God may ask you to do your equal part in
helping to unfold His plan.
When you go to listen to Godʼs reply in response to your prayers, do not be attached to
hearing Godʼs Voice within you as distinct and conversational voice. You may indeed
hear Him that way. But more importantly, be open and willing to hear His voice in any
way possible. Listen for Godʼs love, comfort, and guidance in everything, and through
everyone. Ask yourself, what is God trying to say to me in this moment through this
person, through this situation, or through this thing? God can speak to you as you read
the newspaper, while you watch TV, or attend a business meeting at work. Godʼs
answer to your prayer might come through the words you read or hear in your life. The
communication may be the specific and literal words you hear, or something deeper and
more subtle.
God can speak to you through nature, animals, or the way a particular circumstance
unfolds. Trust the insights, thoughts, and subtle feelings within your heart to be Godʼs
answer to you. Practice listening for Godʼs communications to you through your friends,
family members, coworkers, or while you watch TV.
Take a moment and ask, “God, what are you saying to me in this moment?” You can
ask this question in any and every moment of your day, because God can use anyone
or anything as an opportunity to communicate with you.
The more willing you are to release your thoughts and beliefs about how God can and
will communicate with you, the more open you will become to hear his voice all
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throughout your day, in countless different ways, gently reminding you how loved and
adored you truly are.
Say these words throughout your day, “God, what are you saying to me right now?”
And simply be open to whatever you notice, feel, observe, or become aware of, no
matter how subtle, small, or unexpected it might be. Something may come to your mind,
a thought, an image, a person, an idea, or a sentence. Your eyes may fall upon
something around you. You may feel a change in your emotions, a sensation in your
heart, or perhaps a loving feeling of one kind or another.
There are no limits in God. Allow your mind to have no limits in how you hear Godʼs
communications to you, and you will come to experience the ongoing communication
that you and God share in Truth.
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Four Glorious Days
Contributor: Alan Brooks" " Pages: 91-94
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Commentary
Description: After discovering his wife had cancer, Alan directed all his fury at God.
Immediately afterwards, his thoughts stopped. Within the stillness inside him, he lost all
ability to judge the world and felt peace and love beyond anything he had ever known.
Inner Struggle: Rage, ultimatums, wanting to understand, threats, desperation
Miracle Mindedness: commitment, hitting bottom, surrender
Moment of Hearing: His thoughts stopped
Form of Hearing: Silence, peace, love, stillness.
Result/Benefit: Silence, peace, love, stillness, no judgment, no inner dialogue of ego
Message/Lesson: Our judgments, attachments, and incessant fears, evaluations keep

us from seeing the world through the loving eyes of God.
Notes: I empathize with the story, because it's so similar to my own.
We don't want to have to hit bottom in order to let go our thinking and surrender to
God's will, to God's vision, so we can experience the peace and love that God has to
offer us. Instead, we can learn to be lovingly mindful and aware of our thinking, our
fears, and our judgments, the incessant dialogue within our mind that it's ever so subtly
judging and evaluating everything we notice and observe in our lives. If we can be
mindful of the style, we can give those thoughts over to God to replace with his vision
instead. We can be lovingly mindful of all those thoughts and look upon them with the
love, compassion, and understanding of God so that they know a way within us and are
replaced with God's love instead.
Teach about mindfulness.
Commentary: Four Glorious Days by Alan Brooks.
Alan was an alcoholic who struggled with the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous,
including the first step which encouraged him to develop a relationship with God. Alan
had grown up to believe that God was the cause of all the suffering in the world. So
when his wife was diagnosed with cancer, Alan went into a rage.
He found himself standing on a beach at sunset, staring at the clouds and yelling at the
top of his lungs, “No deals!”
Allen said, “I was done, finished, completely fed up with bargaining, beseeching, or
trying to communicate with God. If He was the kind of God who would give my wife
cancer, he might as well kill me. I had no use for Him or what I thought I knew about
Him.”
In seconds, Alanʼs thoughts stopped. He was so upset, so bereft of any hope for himself
or his wife, so shocked at the possibility she had cancer, that his internal dialog stopped.
He said, “I stood silent, still, without a single thought. Within this stillness inside me, I
lost all ability to judge the world. I have no memory of wanting to stop my thoughts.
They just came to a halt. In place of all that inner dialog came a Peace unsupported by
the facts.
For the next four days Alan loved everything and everyone he laid his eyes on or
thought about. He felt gentle, appreciative, kind, and in a state of love with every
moment of his experience. He listened to his childrenʼs voices as he would to music. He
looked at the color of carrots on my dinner plate as he would a Picasso painting. He had
been transformed to some state superior to the ordinary, some way of perceiving that
left him transfixed with the very experience of life itself.
But when Alan accompanied his wife to see a cancer specialist four days later, the
specialist diagnosed her lump as a cyst requiring a simple office procedure.
Immediately, Alanʼs inner dialog resumed. The calm and joy heʼd been feeling vanished
as quickly as it had come. And while he was, of course, relieved his wife had no cancer,
he was also heartbroken to lose the wonderful feelings that had permeated his soul
those four days, falling into a despair worse than he had ever known."
I love this story so much because it is so similar to my own. I too had a life-changing
experience where my thoughts completely stopped, and all I experienced was utter joy
and bliss in relationship to everything I was aware of in my life. And just like Alan, this
was followed by total despair and heartbreak when it ended three months later and all
my thinking came back to life within me.
For Alan as well as myself, this contrast between our typical day to day human
experience and the utter joy, peace, and bliss, which we both believed was a direct
experience of seeing the world through Godʼs eyes, with such a stark and radical
difference that it sparked a flame or fire within us to somehow return to that state of
awareness.
These types of human experiences are so powerful and so life changing, and because
they are truly outside of this world, outside of the normal human experience, that is the
reason why it is so difficult for people to explain or talk about with others. Itʼs also the
reason why peopleʼs lives radically change as a result of these experiences. They are
so real, so compelling, and so alluring that they overshadowed the human experience.
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Iʼve talked with dozens of people over the years who have had similar experiences. For
most people, including myself, these experiences donʼt last forever. They are usually
short-lived, and yet for every person Iʼve ever spoken with or read about, including
myself, these direct experiences of God have instilled within each person the absolute
and unwavering conviction that Godʼs unconditional love is real, and that it is indeed
possible to experience the world through the eyes of Godʼs love and joy. What gets
birthed within each person is a very real, undeniable, and powerful desire within them to
seek, pursue, and recapture that experience in their lives for good.
I personally believe that this fire or flame within that continues to motivate us to seek
Godʼs love is our connection with the Holy Spirit. This desire to join with God comes
directly from the Holy Spirit. What happens in these types of moments is that a
permanent awareness of the Holy Spirit is forged within us. This is why the ongoing
desire to experience God more deeply and consistently can no longer be extinguished
or buried within us once this happens.
But the truth is, we all have this desire within us already, because we all have the Holy
Spirit within us. This desire and drive to experience Godʼs love is already part of you.
When you feel your desire to experience love, joy, peace, and union in your life, you are
feeling the presence of God, you are feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit within you.
The more you feel that core desire of your spirit, the stronger that desire becomes. The
stronger that desire becomes, the more consistently it rises to the surface of your
awareness and becomes the priority of your heart. When joining with God and
experiencing his love and peace become the priority of your heart, nothing can stop you
from having them.
As is the case for most people, as it was for Alan and me, once our thoughts came back
to life within us, then the journey begins of restoring our awareness to God over and
over and over again. This is the case for all of us.
Now there may indeed come a day when we are fully joined in our awareness with God,
just as Jesus demonstrated, but until that day comes, what we must each do in our own
ways is to restore our awareness to God through mindfulness, through practice, through
commitment, and through continually turning our relationships with ourselves, each
other, and our thoughts over to the Holy Spirit, so the Holy Spirit can help us to learn
how to relate to everything in the world as God does.
One of our chief practices in the world is being mindful of what we are thinking, feeling,
saying, and doing in our lives. We must take responsibility for what occurs within us and
how we behave in the world. We donʼt need to feel guilty about these things, or punish
ourselves for thinking and behaving in ways we wish we didnʼt. But what we do need to
do is to acknowledge our experience with honesty, compassion, humility, and
forgiveness. When we relate to our own thoughts, feelings, and behavior in these ways,
we are relating to ourselves with the Holy Spirit. When we judge ourselves in any way,
we are only perpetuating our experience of separation from God. But when we relate to
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ourselves the way the Holy Spirit does, with kindness, compassion, understanding, and
forgiveness, we begin to undo the thoughts and feelings within us that keep us separate
from God in our awareness. When we relate ourselves with love as Jesus and the Holy
Spirit teach us, we are in that moment joining with the Holy Spirit and restoring
ourselves to the awareness of Godʼs love and compassion.
This is a very big lesson. This is a very big change in perception and the way we relate
to ourselves and others. Do not beat yourself up for what you notice about yourself or
your thinking. That only perpetuates the judgment and pain you already experience.
Instead, begin to relate to yourself with love and kindness, as the Holy Spirit does, and
in so doing you are already joining your will with Godʼs, you are already joining your
heart and mind with the Holy Spiritʼs.
Our practice in the world is to first be mindful of what we are experiencing, and once we
are mindful or aware of it, to then relate to those things with the Holy Spirit, with love,
compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. If you just did these two things, 1) be
mindful of what you are experiencing, and 2) relate to your experience in a loving way,
you would be well on your way to restoring your awareness to God in every and all
moments of your life, for in your moment of doing this you are joining with God. Thatʼs
the beauty of this practice. The moment you do these two steps, your heart and mind
are already restored.
As Alan shared, and as I can personally attest to, this is indeed a lifetime practice, one
that never ends, but the more we practice it, the more fulfilling and deeply rewarding it
becomes. The more we practice it, the more peace, joy, and connection we experience
in our lives.
What enables you to accomplish this goal? What enables you to practice this discipline
in your life?
The Holy Spiritʼs desire within you to restore you to God. The same desire you feel
within you for love, peace, and joy in your life. Your desire for love is Godʼs desire for
you. Your desire for union is Godʼs desire for you. When you feel this desire within you,
you are feeling the Holy Spirit in that moment, you are joined with the Holy Spirit in that
moment, and it is the power within this desire that comes from the source of your being,
that comes from the your Creator, that will give you all the strength, commitment,
perseverance, and capability that you need to fulfill this purpose in the world. You
cannot fail in this, because it is Godʼs will for you.
Feel this desire within you, and allow it to guide and lead you every step of the way.
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Three Words
Contributor: Marilyn Fowler" Pages: 95-97
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Commentary
Description: Having discovered her children's hidden pain from their childhood, Marilyn
prayed for God's help and heard only three words that changed her life, "Just love
them."
Inner Struggle: Desperation, hopelessness, tears
Miracle Mindedness: very specific prayer, sincerity
Moment of Hearing: After praying fervently and sincerely.
Form of Hearing: A distinct voice coming from inside my mind, commanding and
strong, yet gentle and loving.
Result/Benefit: Joyful tears and felt my heart would burst with gratitude. Long-term joy,
more peace, opened the door to hearing Godʼs Voice more consistently.
Message/Lesson: Ask and you shall receive. Donʼt give up. Have faith.
Just love everyone.

Succumbing to an Unlikely Death
Contributor: Amy Christine Bush"" Pages: 98-101
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Commentary
Description: With physical violence in her marriage, Amy learned how to release the
fear within her through the loving guidance of God's voice within.
Inner Struggle: Fear, anxiety, shaking
Miracle Mindedness: Affirmations, breathing, willing, surrender, desire, conviction,

intention
Moment of Hearing: Waking up in the middle of the night, stumble into the bathroom to
get a drink.
Form of Hearing: I felt it on all layers—the clearest and calmest voice I'd ever heard.
Quiet, yet guiding. Calm, yet directional. I felt no hesitancy in following this voice. It
came from inside, yet it was also outside of me, extended in space.
Result/Benefit: My body tingled and a sense of peace began to settle upon me. the
release of fear. The knowledge that she is a spiritual being,that God is within and is
everything. There is no separation.
Message/Lesson: We are spiritual beings. God is within and is everything. There is no

separation.
Now Is the Time, This Is the Place
Contributor: Paul Lanoie" " Pages: 102-103
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Description: Paul patiently waited to receive God's guidance before asking his
girlfriend's hand in marriage. God spoke to him at just the right time.
Inner Struggle: Wonderful environment, patience, faith, commitment, peaceful moment,

joy, open
Miracle Mindedness: Wonderful environment, patience, faith, commitment, peaceful

moment, joy
Moment of Hearing: In nature, looking at rocks in the water.
Form of Hearing: I heard a deep male voice say, “Now is the time, this is the place.”
Result/Benefit: I was filled with all sorts of emotions: excitement, fear, disbelief. I gazed
over at Roxsan as she walked in a field of colorful wild flowers. This timeless moment
was beautiful beyond words. I began to cry, knowing the voice was correct. This was the
perfect moment. Became married to his life partner.
Message/Lesson: God knows what's in our highest good. If we have faith and trust in
God, all that is in our highest good will come to pass.
In My Own Backyard
Contributor: Rebecca Zimman" " Pages: 104-107
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Commentary
Description: After a deep and sincere prayer to God to come into her heart, Rebecca
experienced seeing, "rainbow clouds, blue skies, and the sounds of angels singing.” It
was the most beautiful sight and sound she had ever experienced. Years later while
reading a book about buddhas, blessings and prayers, she learned that such signs
represent the presence or passing of an enlightened being.
Inner Struggle: Fervent and sincere prayer, commitment, surrender
Miracle Mindedness: Fervent and sincere prayer, commitment, surrender
Moment of Hearing: Inner vision, words in her mind, signs in the sky
Form of Hearing: Inner vision, words in her mind, signs in the sky
Result/Benefit: tremendous joy, tears, gratitude, absolute certainty in Godʼs presence
Message/Lesson: God is infinite in the ways he can communicate to us.
Tolerance is very important. We cannot know what is best for another. We cannot know
or understand Godʼs plans in the world.
Notes: We canʼt truly know or understand the true breadth and power of God, how he
works in the world, how he serves and communicates the billions of different people in
the world who have different cultures, backgrounds, religions, and all the complexity that
goes on in our societies. And yet God has a way of reaching everyone, in some way,
that we just canʼt possibly fathom it all. For me, the messages to be open, innocent, not
knowing, excepting, allowing for all possibilities, so that I donʼt close or limit my
opportunities to experience God in my life. The more open I am, the less limited my
mind and heart are, the more open and willing I am to experience, feel, perceive, and
see Godʼs love, messages, and working in the world.
What truly opens the door isnʼt open heart and an open mind and a sincere desire to
experience God. Those are the most important things. What we do, what we believe,
what we say are certainly a part of bringing us closer to God, but they are not the most
important. The most important is simply wanting to experience God, wanting to have
God in our lives, and having a heart and mind open enough to be willing to receive Him.
Focus on that, and God will take care of the rest.
Commentary: In My Own Backyard Days by Rebecca Zimman.

Rebeccaʼs story is similar to most of the other stories in this book in that her experience
of hearing Godʼs voice came as a result of a deep longing in her heart to do so. At the
same time, her story is very different than most of the others in this book in the ways
that God spoke to her.
As a child, Rebecca would go outside and climb the tree in her backyard to listen to the
wind and watch the sky. She felt that if God were to speak to her, putting her ears and
eyes to the sky would be how she might hear Him best.
Raised Catholic, Rebecca attended Catholic schools, went to Mass six days a week,
and loved the quiet, holy space in church where she could talk to God. But as she grew,
she wanted to know how people of other faiths related to God in cultures other than her
own. After exploring many religions and philosophies of the world, she returned to just
going outside to listen to the wind and watch the sky.
In the fifth decade of her life, having grown accustomed to hearing Godʼs Voice in many
ways, she reached a point in her life where she felt a deep inner longing to know God.
On January 6, 2000, in the quiet of her home, she sat down before a large window
framing the open sky, closed her eyes, and repeated her one request to God. She
prayed, “Come, Lord, come. Please come into my heart.”
After several minutes of feeling immersed in this prayer, Rebecca opened her eyes and
gazed out the window. The midday sun shone brightly encircled by a large ring
resembling a halo. She sensed it to be a doorway in the sky leading to where she most
desired to go. Just that fast, she felt her heart and soul fly up through that doorway.
She closed her eyes and imagined flying up into the sun. Fascinated by what she was
experiencing within her, she didnʼt hear the voice speaking to her at first. When
eventually she heard it, the voice was saying, “Go outside. Go outside.” She didnʼt want
to because she was enjoying her experience so much, but the voice persisted, so she
finally got up and walked outside.
There, high in the clear blue sky, was a large feather-shaped cloud striped in brilliant
rainbow colors! She said the sight made her gasp. It wasnʼt a rainbow—it hadnʼt been
raining—it was a multi-colored cloud, stretching like a feather halfway across the
otherwise clear blue sky. Transfixed by its beauty, Rebecca began to weep, saying, “Oh,
dear God! Thank you, thank you, thank you.…” Moments later, she began to hear
celestial music and the sound of heavenly voices singing. Such angelic song she had
never experienced before. She thought her heart would burst!
A few years later on her birthday, Rebeccaʼs husband gave her a coffee table book
about buddhas, blessings and prayers, called The Buddha Book, by Lillian Too. On the
second page of the Introduction, the author described certain signs in the sky known to
Buddhists in the high mountain regions of the Himalayas—signs that are said to reveal
the presence, or passing, of an enlightened being. The author explained that in the Solu
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Khumbu region of Nepal, in a village called Lawudo, there lived the Lawudo Lama, “a
living Buddha who manifested as a meditator-teacher living in retreat in a cave in the
high mountains. Few knew him for what he really was, until the time came for his
passing. Only at his death did the Lawudo lama reveal the enlightened mind that had
resided in his enlightened body. For twelve days and nights the signs appeared—
rainbow clouds, blue skies, and the sounds of angels singing.”
I included this very different story of hearing Godʼs Voice in the book for one important
reason: tolerance. We, the children of God, have mastered the art of judging other
peopleʼs relationships with God. Weʼve mastered the belief that our way of experiencing
God, worshiping God, or hearing Godʼs voice is the right way, and yours is the wrong
way.
We do this because we donʼt know how to step outside of our cultural boundaries, the
cultural conditioning weʼve grown up with. How would we pray, worship, or experience
God if we grew up in a small African village, a far-off forest in Brazil, or a small hilltop in
Nepal?
God is infinite in the ways he can communicate to His children. We cannot truly know or
understand the true breadth and power of God, how He works in the world, how He
serves and communicates with the billions of different people in the world who have
different cultures, backgrounds, religions, and all the complexity that goes on in our
societies. And yet God has a way of reaching everyone, in some way, that we just canʼt
possibly fathom it all.
For me, the message that I take away from this story is to be open, innocent, not
knowing, accepting, and allowing for all possibilities so that I donʼt close myself off or
limit my opportunities to experience God in my life. The less limited my heart and mind
are, the more open and willing I am to experience, feel, perceive, and see Godʼs love,
communication, and work in the world.
What truly opens the door to God is an open heart, an open mind, and a sincere desire
to experience God. Those are the most important things. What we do, what we believe,
what we say are certainly a part of bringing us closer to God, but they are not the most
important. The most important is simply wanting to experience God, wanting to have
God in our lives, and having a heart and mind open enough to be willing to receive Him.
If we focus on those things, God will take care of the rest.
Judgment and intolerance can only lead to one thing, the closing of our own heart and
mind to Godʼs presence in our lives, the limiting of our own ability to experience the
infinite and the divine in all ways and at all times in our lives.
Our ability to embrace the unlimited variations that exist in communication with God is
what enables us to experience God more deeply, more profoundly, and more
consistently in our lives. When we limit other peopleʼs experiences of hearing Godʼs
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voice, we limit our own. When we acknowledge and validate the many different ways
that other people experience hearing God, we expand our own.
We do not lose by having tolerance, or better yet, acceptance of other peopleʼs

experiences of God. We gain by giving it. What we extend, we receive. By
acknowledging and validating the many different ways that God communicates in the
world, we immediately receive that gift in our own lives. By extending that grace and
reality, we receive that grace and reality. It is us who benefit by acknowledging Godʼs
presence and infinite nature in the world.
Allow your heart and mind to embrace Godʼs infinite presence and ability to
communicate with all of his children in ways we canʼt possibly understand. When you
do, you give that gift to yourself, immediately, and open the door evermore to the infinite
power and presence of God to communicate to you in your life as well.
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My Angel
Contributor: Zoe Stephens" " Pages: 107-108
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Commentary
Description: Zoe, a third grader in Roseville, California, is able to talk with her angel,
Lily. She says it is very comforting and she can talk to her when she is very quiet and
alone.
Inner Struggle: Usually very quiet and alone, eyes open or closed.
Miracle Mindedness: innocence, openness, nonjudgmental, lack of limiting thoughts

and beliefs
Moment of Hearing: Closed her eyes in class.
Form of Hearing: Visually sees her angel, words within her.
Result/Benefit: Comforting and empowering.
Message/Lesson: Can be very simple. Innocent.
Notes: God can communicate to us through Angels as well. Validate your children.
Support them in speaking with God or speaking with the Angels, whatever youʼre
comfortable with. If what they hear or share with you is loving, kind, compassionate and
filled with understanding and truth, encourage them to continue. Ask them questions
about their experience. When you dismiss, tell them they canʼt do that, but they
shouldnʼt talk to God or angels, he shut them down, make them feel guilty or unworthy,
and it could take decades or an entire lifetime to feel worthy and deserving again. Keep
the connection alive. Makes speaking to God a good thing, a positive thing, a rewarding
thing, not something to be fearful of, unworthy of, or crazy if you do.
Commentary: My Angel by Zoe Stephens.
This is such a sweet story. Zoe shares with us her experience of talking to her own
angel within her, an angel whose words come from Godʼs heart. Zoe said, “She usually
talks to me when I am very quiet and alone. When I close my eyes, I can talk to her
whenever I please. I can even talk to her with my eyes open. I talk to her because she
shares God's words with me and it can be comforting.” Zoe even described what her
angel looked like in her imagination.
Iʼm sharing this story with you because I believe itʼs a wonderful example of how God
speaks to us where we are. Itʼs been my experience in speaking with hundreds of
people over the past 10 years about their experiences of hearing Godʼs voice that God
and the Holy Spirit will communicate with us in the ways that we are able to receive.
The Holy Spirit will use our background, our education, our life experience, our culture,
interests, and personalities to communicate to us in the exact ways that are in our
highest good and that we are able to receive.
Let me give you an example. Imagine a row of seven people sitting in front of you: a 6-
year-old child, a physicist, a Catholic priest, a rebellious teenager, a mother of 5
children, a Buddhist monk, and a police officer. Now imagine that each one of these
people asks God the same exact question. It could be about anything…. What would be
in the highest good for me to say or do as I walk past this beggar on the street? What is
my true purpose in life? What message would you have me impart to this group of
elementary school students on career day? How can I best serve the world? Is it in my
highest good to invest in the stock market? What should I say or do when someone
yells at me or threatens me?
Regardless of the question, do you know what each person is going to hear when they
ask God the same question as everyone else?
They're going to hear something totally unique to them. The 6-year-old child will not
receive the same answer as the rebellious teenager, the Catholic priest, or the police
officer. The mother of 5 will hear something different than the physicist or Buddhist
monk. Each person has their own background, education, and belief systems. Each one
is learning their own unique lessons in life. Because the purpose of God's Voice is to
restore us to the awareness of God, to restore us to a perspective of Peace, Love,
Understanding, and Truth in our lives, each one needs to hear something very personal
and intimate to their unique situation in order to bring about this shift in experience.
Each one must be spoken to exactly where they are on their path. One person may be
learning about kindness or compassion, while another person may be learning about
forgiveness, abundance, or self-empowerment. What one person needs to hear to re-
connect with God is most likely different than what another person needs to hear.
In addition, we each need to hear God's messages in a way we can personally

understand and assimilate. The 6-year-old child may receive communication using very
simple terminology, while the Catholic priest may be inspired by a quote from the Bible.
God may remind the mother of 5 that all of God's children are equal, while the Buddhist
monk may be inspired to bless the beggar for his or her courage in learning about
surrender and nonattachment to material possessions. Each one will be spoken to in a
vocabulary and manner that makes sense to them. If someone enjoys gardening, for
example, God may speak to him or her using gardening analogies. If another person
has a background in biology, God might use examples from science or nature to
communicate certain messages to them.
In addition, we are constantly evolving and changing in our understanding and

awareness. The lessons we were learning 10 years ago are most likely different from
the lessons we are learning today. In fact, who we are in this moment is different than
who we were three months ago, three weeks ago, and even three days ago. Each time
we open up to a deeper understanding and experience of God, Love, and Peace in our
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lives, the fabric of our mind changes. We could probably ask God the same question
every year for the rest of our lives, and likely receive a different answer every time we
asked because what we are learning and assimilating in each moment is different. What
we need to hear right now to restore ourselves to the awareness of God is unique to this
moment.
This may be frightening for some people to hear, but in my experience itʼs a blessing. By
allowing yourself to receive the truth, the love, the understanding, and the insight from
God that is in your highest good right now in this moment, you become free from the
fearful thoughts that limit the infinite wisdom and guidance that you are able to receive
from God. You also become empowered to trust and have faith in the communication
you do receive in your heart and mind.
I also included this story because I think itʼs important to support and validate our
children in speaking with God and Godʼs angels. If what your child hears or shares with
you is loving, kind, compassionate and filled with understanding and truth, encourage
them to continue talking with their angels or with God directly. Ask your children
questions about their experience. When you dismiss their experience, or tell them that
they canʼt talk to God, or shouldnʼt talk to God or the angels, you shut them down or
make them feel guilty or unworthy, and it could literally take decades or an entire lifetime
for them to feel worthy and deserving of hearing Godʼs voice again.
Help your children to keep that connection with God alive within them. Make speaking to
God a good thing in their lives, a positive, rewarding thing, not something to be fearful
of, unworthy of, or crazy if they do it.
How long has it taken you to feel worthy and deserving and capable of hearing Godʼs
voice in your life? By encouraging our children to talk to God and to listen for Godʼs
answers within them, we are teaching them that they are deserving of Godʼs love,
communication, comfort, and support in their lives. If you have fear about talking to God,
thereʼs no reason why you need to pass that fear onto them. Allow them to pray and talk
to God, and then listen for Godʼs loving replies within their heart and mind. Ask them
what they hear or what they feel in response to their prayers or questions. Encourage
them to believe that God will always reply to their requests. And when they share with
you the messages or insights that they receive, do your best to validate their
experience, so they continue to want to develop that relationship in their lives.
You can make a profound impact on the relationship your children have with God.
Encourage them to have a deeply personal, ongoing, two-way relationship with God, a
relationship that they can trust and have faith in, a friend and parent they can always
turn to in need, by encouraging them to have a two-way dialogue with their Creator.
Imagine a world where this was true for everyone.
Thank you for helping the next generation of Godʼs children keep that awareness and
connection of God alive within.
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The Day I Got a New Name
Contributor: Jamar Caudy " Pages: 108-111
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Commentary
Description: In the yoga tradition, instructors are often given a new name by their
teacher when they are ready. One day in meditation, Jamar received a new name
directly from Source, which shocked him greatly since he had never heard God speak to
him before. Doubting what he had heard, he told God that He would have to send him
an undeniably clear sign, like a burning bush, to convince him of what he had heard. He
received the confirmation, and much more, shortly thereafter, in the restroom.
Inner Struggle: Meditation, calm, peaceful
Miracle Mindedness: Meditation, calm, peaceful
Moment of Hearing: Sitting in meditation
Form of Hearing: Inner voice, sign, inner vision
Result/Benefit: Shock, disbelief at first, gratitude and conviction
Message/Lesson: Follow your heart and trust. Ask and you shall receive.
Just in Time
Contributor: Marilyn Sapsford" " Pages: 111-115
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Commentary
Description: Marilyn receives life-changing guidance that rekindles a damaged
relationship with her sister just in time. Her sister suddenly passed away only days later.
Inner Struggle: Open, honesty, acceptance, allowing, desire, sincerity, willingness,

prayer, courage
Miracle Mindedness: Open, honesty, acceptance, allowing, desire, sincerity,

willingness, prayer, courage
Moment of Hearing: Moment of inspiration to write the letter
Form of Hearing: Inspirational thought
Result/Benefit: Connection, healing, love, gratitude, inspiration, trust, open

heartedness, extending life, mindfulness
Message/Lesson: God can speak to us through the inspirations in our heart. Follow the
inspirations in your heart that would cause you to join, connect, and open your heart to
others. Follow the inspirations in your heart that would bring you joy, peace,
understanding, compassion, forgiveness, joining, and love in your life and in your
relationships. That is Godʼs voice speaking to you in the language of love.
Notes: The tendency is to protect ourselves, to be safe or cautious, to not want to risk
being hurt or failing. But itʼs important that we be courageous in those moments so that
we can open our hearts and follow the guidance that God is giving us. Godʼs guiding
words and inspiration can only heal us, can only heal our relationships, and can only
deepen our love and connection with him. Trust the loving inspiration comes to you.
Acknowledge the fears or judgments that may rise up within you that would keep you
from allocating that inspiration or embracing that inspiration, and then choose that
moment with faith and encourage to follow Godʼs loving guidance. Only miracles canʼt
fault if you do.
Commentary: Just in Time by Marilyn Sapsford.
I really enjoyed working with Marilyn on this story. As did many of the contributors to this
book, Maryland shed a lot of tears as she revisited this time in her life. Now, I do know
if youʼve thought about this before, but for a vast majority of these contributors, writing
these experiences out for the first time was incredibly moving, challenging, and healing
for them. Many of them had never told these stories before, and for most of them, they
had to really work through some of the old or latent emotions around these profound
and sometimes painful experiences. In a lot of the cases, my job was to be a coach and
support system for them as they wound their way inside themselves to these profound
moments in their lives.
For Marilyn, it was very intense to relive this profound loss in her life and remember with
as much detail as possible what it felt like every step of the way.
Marilynʼs sister, Ruthie, was an adventurer. She traveled all over the world from one
adventure to the next, like getting gangrene climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or narrowly
escaping a life-threatening landslide in Tibet.
Marilyn and her sister had always been close, but like most siblings, they also had their
challenges. At one point, the tension between them was just too much to bear and they
parted ways, cutting off all contact and communication between them.
One morning while sitting on the beach watching the sunrise, Marilyn began to talk to
God about her struggles with her sister. She said to Him, "I feel shut out of her life and
hopelessly stuck when I try to reach out to her. When I try to do whatʼs right for me, she
tells me I donʼt love her. I do love her, more than anything in this world, and wish I could
spend time with her again. I want to be kind to her without losing myself in the process. I
pray for knowledge of Your will for me and the wisdom to carry it out. I hope You know
what to do, because I donʼt have a clue!"
As these final words left her lips, Marilyn felt her body relax, and for a brief moment, all
was quiet within her. and then it happened, and inspirational thought suddenly emerged
within her mind, something sheʼd never thought about doing before: why not write a
letter to Ruthie saying, “What I appreciate about you is ….” and then fill in the blanks?”
She said, “This thought was clear, powerful and electric. My skin erupted with goose
bumps as the thought took form.”
I love this example of receiving divine communication because inspiration is one of the
most popular ways that God speaks to our hearts. In this particular case, Marilyn was
consciously and deliberately talking to God and asking for His guidance and support.
Once she fully expressed all that was going on within her, really embraced her pain and
desire for healing, she said, “for a brief moment, all was quiet within me.”
By truly desiring to talk to God, by fully embracing her challenges and giving those to
God for healing, Marilyn entered that quiet still place within where the Holy Spirit exists,
and it was in this place of inner silence that she heard Godʼs voice speak to her in the
form of this inspiring, clear, electric thought that caused goosebumps to erupt all over.
We donʼt always have to be consciously talking directly to God to receive His

inspiration. Just holding the desire within our hearts to see something differently, to see
something from a more enlightened or wise perspective that is filled with truth, love, or
healing, that is enough to open the door to Godʼs wisdom and guidance.
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Now you may be asking yourself, “How can I know if the inspiration I receive is from
God?”
Any inspiring thought that would cause you to join, connect, or open your heart to others
can only come from God, because that is the purpose of the Holy Spirit, to help restore
you to the oneness that you share with God and all of your brothers and sisters. Any
inspiration that comes to you that restores your awareness to love, truth, peace,
wholeness, union, or any other quality or aspect of God can only come from the voice of
the Holy Spirit within you. This is the reason why Divine inspiration feels so good to
receive. It is a thought that connects us with God, connects us with the joy, the love, the
wholeness and union with God that exists within us. If following the inspiration you
receive would restore your awareness to God, you can know with confidence that the
inspiration you received came directly from God.
Sometimes, however, following through with the inspiration we receive takes a little
courage and surrender. This was the case for Marilyn.
Right after receiving this inspiring thought, a pervading sense of fear welled up within
her, and she thought to herself, “If I were to follow through with this, I might set myself
up for yet another painful rejection. I couldnʼt bear more pain or endure lengthy lectures
about how right she was and how wrong I was. Wounded as I felt, could I head back
into battle for the sake of love?”
But this little thought of fear was no match for the profound love and hope that Marilyn
was connected to. She went home from the beach and wrote a beautiful letter of
appreciation to her sister and immediately mailed it. Ruthie called her two days later and
invited her to dinner just days before she was scheduled to leave on her next adventure.
They had a fantastic night together filled with laughter and reminiscing about all the
happy times they had shared growing up.
That was the last time they ever saw each other. Ruthie never returned from her
backcountry trip to Yosemite. The Park Rangers searched and searched for her, but
they were never able to find her.
When we receive inspiration and guidance from God that challenges us to move past
our fears and uncertainties, we will often times feel a pull within ourselves to be safe or
cautious, to not want to risk being hurt or perhaps failing in our own eyes. In these
moments, itʼs important that we be courageous so that we can open our hearts and
follow the guidance that God is giving us. Godʼs guiding words and inspiration can only
heal us, can only heal our relationships, and can only deepen our love and connection
with Him.
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Trust the loving inspiration that comes to you. Acknowledge the fears or judgments that
may arise up within you that would keep you from following that inspiration, and then
choose with faith and courage to follow Godʼs loving guidance.
Divine inspiration can only enrich your life, can only open you to receiving more joy,
peace, and love. Yes, it may be scary at times to release the limitations you have grown
accustomed to, but when you release those limitations and embrace the inspiration that
God is giving you, only miracles will unfold for you, only wholeness and joy will follow.
Allow the inspirations in your heart that would bring you joy, peace, understanding,
compassion, forgiveness, joining, and love. That is Godʼs voice speaking to you in the
language of love.
As Marilyn shared, “Since those agonizing days, my life has taken a new direction. I do
not sit on the fence seeking inner guidance, fearing that following it will somehow end
badly. During a hectic day, I stop to be fully present with a friend, or pause to gaze at
natureʼs wonders. I help those who have nowhere to turn, and express love to the
significant people in my life. Love fills me, and I feel fully alive.”
As you hear and follow Godʼs inspiration in your life, that will be destiny as well.
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Free At Last
Contributor: Linda Bridges" " Pages: 116-118
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Commentary
Description: A wheelchair-bound young white woman's life is changed in a single
moment by the loving, accepting, and penetrating eyes of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Inner Struggle: Anguish
Miracle Mindedness: longing to be free, open, willing
Moment of Hearing: When her eyes met with Dr. Martin Luther Kingʼs eyes
Form of Hearing: Dr. Martin Luther Kingʼs presence and eye contact.
Result/Benefit: Freed her from her negative thoughts. Inspired her to make a decision
to make a difference in the lives of others by giving of herself in small ways to help
mankind.
Message/Lesson: We can make a profound difference in the lives of others by simply

extending Godʼs unconditional love, acceptance, and blessings in the world.
Notes: Simple things can change peopleʼs lives every day in profound ways. Embrace
the daily opportunities That come to you and youʼll know you lived in a life worth living.
We can do it all day long. In countless different ways.
Iron lung forced meditation. Itʼs our thinking. How we relate to our thoughts. Believe
them, attached to them, judge them, hide them, or undo them, question them, extend
love to them, and begin to release them.
Commentary: Free At Last by Linda Bridges.
In 1962, at 21 years of age, Linda Bridges was stricken with a disease that paralyzed
her body and altered her breathing, forcing her to live in an iron lung for three months.
In a moment of depression, after two weeks of isolation in the iron lung, unable to
communicate with any other people, Linda began to talk with God. One day, she heard
a voice within her say, “Girl, you have a choice. You can choose to be miserable or you
can choose to be happy.” Silently she replied, “How could I be happy in an iron lung?
The answer was, “Change your thoughts to good ones.”
With nothing to lose, Linda began changing her thoughts about everyone and
everything, and in a short period of time, her attitude and experience changed. She
even began to enjoy being in her iron lung. She said, “My awareness of my creator and
my union with Him became a driving force within me, and a deep sense of love for
others soon replaced any feelings of prejudice and judgment. This experience changed
my life.”
Finally able to breathe on her own after three months of being in the iron lung, Linda
began her extensive rehabilitation in the hospital. In many ways, being in the iron lung
was easier for her. She was able to spend a lot of time talking and listening to God,
healing her heart and mind without being influenced by the worldʼs thinking. Back in the
world, she had to deal with the stresses and strains that life brought. Her old negative
ways of seeing things soon crept back into her life, and she became depressed and
discouraged once again.
Then one day, in spite of her protests, her husband rolled her down to King Street in her
wheelchair. As she neared the street, she heard beautiful singing. A parade had blocked
the intersections of King and Calhoun. People were marching and singing freedom
songs.
Linda said, “Leading the parade was a radiant black man. He had a magnificent
presence. When he walked by me our eyes connected. We did not speak. A wave of
compassion washed over me and a healing took place in my soul. Although the man
was black, he did not care that I was a Southern white girl.”
As Linda shared with us, that man was Dr. Martin Luther King, and in that miracle
moment, Linda knew that God had not deserted her after all. He had come in the form
of Dr. King to set her free from my prison of negative thoughts. In that powerful moment
when their eyes met, she decided to make a difference in the lives of others by giving of
myself in small ways to help mankind.
There are a number of powerful messages in this story. The first involves our thinking.
Thought is the most powerful form of creation in the world. What one thinks, they may
come to believe. What one believes, they may come to make real in the world. And it is
the thought that one attaches to which becomes real, that then shapes the world and
the way one sees it.
The moment that we believe a thought, that thought immediately becomes real to us by
giving us the experience that it is true. Have you ever believed a judgment about
somebody, only to later change your mind? When you believed your judgment about
that person, you fully experienced the truth of that perspective. To you, it wasnʼt just a
thought in your mind, it was a full experience of the truth of that person. But then,
something occurred and you decided you no longer believed that thought, and the
instant you stopped believing it, your experience of that person changed.
You might think that your beliefs are the result of your experiences, but what if our
experiences are the result of our beliefs?
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The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to restore our thinking to Godʼs. The Holy Spirit
accomplishes this by guiding and supporting us in releasing the negative, fearful, and
judgmental thoughts within us that keep a separate from Godʼs love, peace, and joy.
The Holy Spirit is continually working with us to release all of the thoughts, beliefs, and
emotions within us that keep us from experiencing our oneness with God, that keep us
from experiencing the world through Godʼs unconditional love.
If you want to deepen your experience of God and hear His voice within you with more
confidence and clarity, releasing the painful thoughts within you that keep you from
experiencing Gods is one of the most important and powerful steps you can take.
There are many ways to do this. The first step is to become aware of any negative
thinking you might have within you. When you become aware of these thoughts and
perspectives, surrender them to the Holy Spirit that they may be taken from your mind
and replaced with Godʼs love, truth, and wholeness. Surrender any negativity within you
to the Holy Spirit so that your mind can be cleansed and healed. This is the role the
Holy Spirit plays in the world, cleansing our hearts and minds from the separation we
experience when we believe the painful, judgmental thoughts within us. When you ask
the Holy Spirit for help with your thinking, you give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to
replace those negative thoughts with Godʼs, to swap out the painful ones with those that
will give you eternal joy, wholeness, and peace.
While there are many ways to do this, and we do teach a number of them, the most
important thing you can do right now is to surrender the painful thoughts and beliefs
within you to the Holy Spirit. The sheer act of doing this will release the grip you have on
those painful thoughts.
Everything has the meaning that you give it. When you believe a painful thought, you
give that thought meaning and power in your life. Itʼs that meaning and power that
transforms that innocent thought into an experiential reality. By giving that thought to the
Holy Spirit, instead, you take back the meaning and power that you gave to it, and give
the Holy Spirit the opportunity to replace that meaning and power with God. By doing
this over and over and over again, thought by thought, youʼre replacing the thoughts
that no longer serve you with the thoughts from God that will always serve you, for all
time. This process takes practice, dedication, and work, but itʼs so much more rewarding
than the misery you get by believing that thought within you.
In addition to healing our hearts and minds with the Holy Spirit, I also want to
acknowledge the tremendous impact that performing simple acts of kindness and love
have in the world. All Dr. King did that day was extend Godʼs unconditional love and
acceptance to another through his piercing gaze. I say all he did because it was such a
simple gesture, requiring only a moment of his time and energy, but it was the focused,
honest, overflowing presence of God in him that had the power to transform a young
womanʼs life in that one moment.
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We all have the capability to have this impact in the world with a loving gaze, a kind
handshake, a sincere smile, or other small act we perform with the intention and
knowledge that we are extending Godʼs love. By healing our own hearts and minds of
negativity, judgment, and fear, we open ourselves to be vessels for Godʼs
unconditionally loving, healing energy. When God is present, simple things do change
peopleʼs lives every day in profound ways. Embrace these daily opportunities to extend
Godʼs love in seemingly small and mundane ways. Each time you do, you open yourself
evermore to receiving Godʼs love for you, as well as sharing that love with everyone in
your life.
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Finding a Personal God
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Commentary
Description: Jill experienced how it is possible for God to be both abstract and
personal, universal mind and someone she can communicate with in an intimate way.
Inner Struggle: Extreme fear
Miracle Mindedness: desire, willingness, prayer, affirmations
Moment of Hearing: Listening to the ladyʼs words on the prayer line.
Form of Hearing: Ladyʼs voice on the prayer line, inner joining with God.
Result/Benefit: She told me to still my mind and “go within” where there is perfect
peace and a knowing of wholeness and perfection. As she spoke words of faith,
wholeness, miracles, healing, love and Godʼs caring, I was no longer simply hearing
hopeful words. I became a tuning fork resonating with Divine Truth. It was as if Godʼs
Voice were speaking to Godʼs Child in a language I didnʼt know I knew.
As peace filled me from the inside out, all my fears about Ralph dissolved. I sat
straighter and breathed more deeply. I felt lighter. The weight of fear had been taken
from me. It was an experience of communion. The prayer she shared with me was God
speaking to me and through me. My heart opened in a new way, letting in a new
powerful Voice for Love that I could now find and recognize within me. Though I later
realized it had been within me all along, it took the intense emotional longing for Ralphʼs
healing to break down my defensive barrier. It was a barrier I didnʼt know I held in place
through the first forty years of my life.
That prayer changed me. Godʼs Voice became real for me through this experience. I
received Godʼs love and peace. I felt Godʼs Love being revealed to me as a Mighty
Creator turning His attention to my specific need in that moment. Only part of that
message from God was about Ralphʼs healing. The main part was about my
relationship with a loving caring God and a peace that passes all human understanding.
Message/Lesson: We can all have a personal relationship with God.
Notes: The only thing thatʼs required to have a personal relationship with God is the
desire and the willingness to have it. One of the main purposes of this book is to convey
this message. Talk to God. Pray to God. Spend time with God. Invite God to be part of
your day. Invite God to be part of all your planning, to be part of all that you do, to be
part of all that you say. share your deepest sorrows, fears, struggles, and desires with
God. Share with God all of your inspiration, your joys, and all your grateful for. And after
youʼve given all of this to God, everything that you have to offer him, listen. Listen to
what God has to say to you in return. Relationship is not just one-way. Itʼs a two-way
road. Speak and share an invite and join, and then listen, really listen to what God has
to say, to what God has to share, for the inspiration and ideas conference to share with
you. We can all have this two-way relationship with God, to be friends and partners with
God so that we are never left wanting more, never left uncertain, never left feeling
alone, disempowered, afraid, and striving for wholeness and fulfillment. When we
include God in all that we have and then listen for his divine guidance and support, we
will always be filled with the wholeness and completion that God is.
Commentary: Finding a Personal God by Jill Carel.
Jill was not a religious person but she did believe in God. To her, God was an abstract,
cosmological-like intelligence, and she found herself in judgment of people who
experienced a personal and intimate relationship with God, someone that they could
talk to and receive guidance and support from in their lives.
At one point, a man she knew questioned her stance that God was an abstract,
amorphous energy. He said, “If God is Creator and Universal Mind, why couldnʼt He be
both abstract and personal?”
An avalanche of doubts and questions immediately flooded Jillʼs mind. Eventually she
realized she really did want to know God in a personal way, but was simply afraid of
compromising what she deemed was rational and realistic. Jill shared, “A small prayer
went forth from my heart to find a way to have an intimate relationship with God that
would not breach my integrity or intelligence.”
15 years would pass before Jill was ready to receive the answer. Fast forwarding to that
time, Jill was working as an administrative assistant with the Fire Department. Her boss,
Ralph, was a devout Christian who lived his religion by being respectful and supportive
of everyone he worked with. Jill said, “Ralphʼs integrity was beyond any level I had
seen. He took the blame for anything that didnʼt work out well and gave credit to others
for everything that succeeded. His door was always open for work-related issues as well
as personal concerns. For me he had become a perfect symbol of a wise and loving
father, brother, friend, and chaplain, as well as a stellar boss. I had never met anybody
like him and couldnʼt imagine life without him.”
One day, without any warning, Ralph became gravely ill and found himself in the
intensive care unit of their local hospital. Jill was distraught. She couldnʼt bear the
thought of his suffering or worse losing him. She even called all her friends and asked
them to pray for him. Because her friends had never seen her so upset, one of them
who was worried about her suggested that she call a prayer line.
So here she was, 15 years after her intention to know God in a personal way, that she
found herself on her knees praying for Ralphʼs life. She called the prayer line. A woman
answered and asked if she could pray with her.
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Jill said, “There I was, sitting in my living room with a telephone receiver held to my ear,
yet it was as if a woman was no longer speaking across the miles to a worried
frightened stranger. She told me to still my mind and “go within” where there is perfect
peace and a knowing of wholeness and perfection. As she spoke words of faith,
wholeness, miracles, healing, love and Godʼs caring, I was no longer simply hearing
hopeful words. I became a tuning fork resonating with Divine Truth. It was as if Godʼs
Voice were speaking to Godʼs Child in a language I didnʼt know I knew.”
A tuning fork resonating with divine truth. I love that! Itʼs so descriptive of what happens
when we allow ourselves to be aware of our union with God. I want to repeat that ...
when we become aware of our union with God. The truth is, we are always joined with
God. It is not possible to be separate from God, ever, under any circumstances, but it is
possible to not be aware of our union with God, and thatʼs all weʼre really doing and
learning in our lives, how to become aware of what already exists within us, how to
become aware of what is already true. For Godʼs truth is absolute. It doesnʼt come and
go like the winds. It is universal, ever present, and unchanging. You are one with God.
You are part of God and God is part of you. You cannot be separate from the Creator of
all that is. Nothing exists outside of God.
God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us become aware of Godʼs truth in the world. God
gave us the Holy Spirit so that we could undo all the barriers within us that keep us from
the awareness of God, that keep us from experiencing the unconditional love and joy of
our Creator.
What God creates is perfect, for God creates in the image of himself, which is perfection
itself. Our job is not to fix ourselves, because we are not broken. Our job in the world is
to simply become aware of what already is, to become aware of what we already have,
which is a perfect, whole, and everlasting union with God and all of creation.
When we allow ourselves through our desire, through our willingness, and through our
surrender to join with God and experience the awareness of the Holy Spirit in our lives,
we become transformed, our awareness becomes transformed from the small self that
we think we are, to the awareness of our union in Christ, to the awareness of our union
with all that is.
As Jill listened to this beautiful woman share Godʼs Voice with her over the phone, she
said, “Peace filled me from the inside out, and all my fears about Ralph dissolved. I sat
straighter and breathed more deeply. I felt lighter. The weight of fear had been taken
from me. It was an experience of communion. The prayer she shared with me was God
speaking to me and through me. My heart opened in a new way, letting in a new
powerful Voice for Love that I could now find and recognize within me. Though I later
realized it had been within me all along, it took the intense emotional longing for Ralphʼs
healing to break down my defensive barrier. It was a barrier I didnʼt know I held in place
through the first forty years of my life.
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That prayer changed me. Godʼs Voice became real for me through this experience. I
received Godʼs love and peace. I felt Godʼs Love being revealed to me as a Mighty
Creator turning His attention to my specific need in that moment. Only part of that
message from God was about Ralphʼs healing. The main part was about my
relationship with a loving caring God and a peace that passes all human
understanding.”
Jillʼs life was changed that day. Not only did Ralph make a full recovery, but Jill began to
release her need to appear as “smart, rational, and realistic” and began to consciously
surrender more and more to an intelligence far greater than her own. She says, “The
experience of feeling Godʼs presence, guidance, and comfort is the greatest miracle and
joy of my life!”
We can all have a personal relationship with God. The only thing thatʼs required is the
desire and the willingness to have one. If you really want to have a relationship with
God, talk to Him. Pray to Him. Spend time with Him. Invite God to be part of your day.
Invite God to be part of all your planning, to be part of all that you do, to be part of all
that you say. Share your deepest sorrows, fears, struggles, and desires with God. Share
with God all of your inspiration, your joys, and all that youʼre grateful for. Literally invite
God to join you for lunch. When you answer the telephone, imagine that itʼs God on the
other end of the phone giving you the opportunity to join with Him, to listen and love
more deeply and intimately. Ask God to sit next to you in the car, or be with you in your
next meeting at work. If you want to have an intimate relationship with God, itʼs up to
you to include God in all that you do. No one else can make that happen. God is always
with you, but unless you recognize that, acknowledged that, and make that real in your
awareness, God doesnʼt exist for you. Heʼs just an idea that you occasionally think
about, but not a living breathing presence that is with you always.
Itʼs also important to remember that relationships are a two-way street. Share
everything you have to share with God, your thoughts, your feelings, your dreams, your
jokes, your finances, and everything that you can. But after youʼve given all that you
have to God, everything that you have to offer him, itʼs time to receive. Itʼs time to listen.
Listen to what God has to say to you in return.
Speak, share, invite, and join with God, and then listen to His reply, really listen to what
God has to say, to what God has to share. Listen for the inspiration and ideas God has
to give you.
We can all have this two-way relationship with God, to be friends and partners with God
so that we are never left wanting more, never left uncertain, never left feeling alone,
disempowered, afraid, or striving for wholeness and fulfillment. When we include God in
all that we have and then listen for his divine guidance and support, we will always be
filled with the perfection, wholeness, and love that God is.
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This is not rocket science. There isnʼt a specific formula you have to follow to have a
relationship with God relationship. Just be yourself. Be a friend. Share from your heart.
And then allow yourself to receive all that God is in return.
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Clarity
Contributor: Tom Halter" " Pages: 122-123
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Commentary
Description: While sleeping, Tom had a dream of what it's like to see through God's
eyes, and everything was transformed through eyes of love.
Inner Struggle: Sleeping, anger and judgment
Miracle Mindedness: willingness, seeing through Godʼs eyes, sleeping
Moment of Hearing: God came to him in his stream
Form of Hearing: A dream, Godʼs voice, Godʼs lens
Result/Benefit: Understanding, wisdom, inspiration and motivation to see through the

eyes of God
Message/Lesson: God is love, and God can only see the world through eyes of love.
Notes: God can speak to us in our dreams. God can use anything and everything as an
opportunity to communicate to us. Just as we can in the world look upon anything and
ask God what he is communicating to us, or what wisdom and insight he would like us
to gain, we can do the same in our dreams. And this is essentially what Tom story offers
us. Whether we are dreaming or awake in the world, we can ask God to show us how
To see things through his eyes. Literally. When we do, our perceptions change. We see
things through eyes of love, compassion, understanding, patience. The more we ask
God to help us see things differently, the more we naturally begin to see the world as
God to us. the more we practice this, the more natural it becomes, until that is the only
way we see the world, through the eyes of God.
Commentary: Clarity by Tom Halter.
Shortly after September 11, 2001, Tom experienced a very vivid and powerful dream
while he slept one night. In his dream, it was as though God took him by the hand and
said, “I have something to show you. You must understand you have a plank in your
eye, not just a speck. I will provide a special lens for you so that you may see more
clearly. I want you to see the world and the people as I see them, and not through your
own human eyes.”
In his dream, Tom was given the opportunity to look at a number of situations in the
world first through his own human eyes and then through this special lens that allowed
him to see through Godʼs eyes.
His journey began with an elderly lady sitting on a park bench. Her face was lined and
wrinkled, her hair streaked with gray. Her hands had twisted with arthritis, and she
peered at Tom through eyes dimmed with age. But when Tom gazed at her through
Godʼs lens, he saw a woman glowing with radiance. Her soft eyes and loving face
revealed angelic serenity, and her skin appeared smooth. He saw not an old woman,
but a woman who had lived fully and served God.
Tom continued onward to see several children at play. Through his eyes he saw a group
of loud children showing little respect for anything. But through Godʼs special lens, the
children appeared as beautiful butterflies scampering about the flowers as though they
had just escaped their cocoons.
Tom was then led to the events of 9/11, seeing terror in the sky, people running and
jumping from buildings to escape the flames. He was immediately overcome with fear.
He fumbled to put on Godʼs lens, but when he did, he saw many faces looking to him for
help and answers and he could feel Godʼs compassion so strongly that he began to
weep. It was in that moment that the plank became washed from his eyes.
Finally, Tom was led into a large room resembling an art gallery. Each piece displayed
represented a mystery. Tom was allowed to choose one of these mysteries of life and
view it through Godʼs lens. He chose to look at love, and He was soon filled with awe.
Tom said, “For the first time I saw the face of God.”
In John 4:7-8 in Todayʼs New International version of the Bible, John says, “Dear
friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has
been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God,
because God is love.”
Why is it that so many of these stories have to do with love? Why is it that so many of
the contributors experienced the most incredible, powerful, indescribable love they have
ever known when they experienced the presence of God, heard His voice, or received
divine guidance and communication? This love that so many of these contributors pour
their hearts out to share and describe is universally present in all of these experiences
because God is love, and as such, God can only see the world through eyes of love.
This is Godʼs vision, the vision of the Holy Spirit. When we look through Godʼs eyes, we
are looking through the eyes of the Holy Spirit in the world. This is why the Holy Spirit
has been given to us, so we can learn to see the world through Godʼs eyes.
As Iʼve mentioned before, God can speak to us in countless different ways, including
our dreams. God can use anything and everything as an opportunity to communicate to
us. Just as we can look upon anything in the world and ask God what he is
communicating to us, or what wisdom and insight He would like us to gain from what we
see, we can do the same in our dreams.
Whether we are dreaming or awake in the world, we can ask God to show us how to
see things through His eyes. Literally. When we do, our perceptions change. We see
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everything in the world through eyes of love, compassion, understanding, and patience.
The more we ask God to help us see things differently, the more we naturally begin to
see the world as God does. The more we practice this, the more natural it becomes,
until the day comes when love, compassion, union, innocence, and perfection are all we
see in the world. That is the day we are united in Godʼs vision. That is the day we are
united in the vision of Christ and experience that our will and Godʼs will have become
one, when our mind and Godʼs mind have become one in our own awareness.
Until that day comes, continue to ask God to see all things through his eyes. It is this
daily process and practice that will eventually lead you into the awareness of your
oneness with God.
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The Simplest Thing
Contributor: Lisa DeCorleto" " Pages: 123-125
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Commentary
Description: Uncertain whether she should call her priest during a challenging time in
her life, Lisa pulled up next to a large van with the priest's name painted on the side in
large letters. Peace flooded her awareness as she felt God's presence and guidance in
her life.
Inner Struggle: Uncertain, struggling
Miracle Mindedness: seeking guidance, open
Moment of Hearing: Seeing the van.
Form of Hearing: Van and inner peace.
Result/Benefit: Inner peace and communication with priest, knowingness of Godʼs

presence in her life, increased faith and trust.
Message/Lesson: Hearing Godʼs voice does not need to be a huge and dramatic
event.
Notes: It important to not just look for the life-changing cloud formations, for the loud
audible voice that fills our car, but for the profound experience of oneness we might
experience with God. Certainly be willing and open to receiving these very profound
expressions of God, and at the same time the open to experiencing God in the most
mundane ways imaginable. When we are open to receiving guidance in connection with
God and the smallest of ways in the most common and ordinary voice, we fill our life
with richness and blessings every day. When we believe and are focused on only the
big things, we close down all those possibilities for fulfillment and reward in our lives. Be
open to all of it and let your life be filled with riches.
Commentary: The Simplest Thing by Lisa DeCorleto.
I put this story in the book because the story itself, and its theme, matches its title
perfectly: The Simplest Thing. Lisaʼs six-year-old niece had been diagnosed with an
inoperable brain tumor. She and her family struggled to accept this horrible news. Lisa
had wanted someone to talk to, someone who could give her counseling and support.
She wanted to call a particular priest in her parish, but every time she thought of him,
she found herself talking herself out of it. One afternoon while driving down the road in
her car, she found herself torn and perplexed about what to do—should she call the
priest or not?
As she reached the top of a hill, she noticed a truck ahead ready to pull out in front of
her. As she approached the truck, her eyes struggled to focus on the huge letters
painted on its side. At first she didnʼt grasp the name she was reading. It was so familiar
that for an instant she couldnʼt believe the coincidence, but she immediately felt an
intense stirring inside her body and a sharp sense of awareness came over her. A chill
crept down her back as she stared at the name.
On the side of the truck, in big, bold letters was the name of the priest she had put off
calling. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears filled her eyes. It was a simple thing, just a
name on the side of a truck. But there it was right in front of her, a sign from God telling
her to call the priest, he will be there for you.”
Lisa said, “My heart was light and a warm smile covered my face. God had entered my
life, communicated with me, and helped me in such a simple and ordinary way. I was full
of joy and wonder at the realization of what had just happened. In that moment I knew I
was not alone in this world, nor did I ever have to be as long as my heart was open. I
headed for home with a definite purpose in mind. I would call the rectory as soon as I
arrived and make an appointment with the priest.”
This story is a wonderful illustration that hearing Godʼs voice does not need to be a
huge and dramatic event. Itʼs important for us to not just look for the life-changing cloud
formations, the celestial music from the heavens, for the loud audible voice that fills our
car, or for the profound, life-changing awareness of oneness we might experience with
God.
Yes, itʼs important to be willing and open to receiving these types of jaw-dropping
expressions of God, but itʼs also important to be open to experiencing God in the most
mundane ways imaginable. When we are open to receiving guidance and connection
with God in the smallest of ways, in the most common and ordinary ways, we fill our
lives with richness and blessings every day. When we believe in or focused on only the
big things, the Hollywood style experiences of God, we close ourselves off to all the
other possibilities of experiencing God in our lives.
Be open to all ways that you might experience God in your life, in a profound as well as
the mundane and ordinary. What youʼll discover is that no matter how it looks, big or
small, dramatic or simple, it will always feel wonderful, fulfilling, and filled with awe, no
matter how it appears in the world, because that is what God is, wonderful, fulfilling and
filled with awe. The circumstances might not match those descriptions, but the
experience will. Just donʼt limit yourself with how that might look in your life and you will
open your heart and mind to experiencing God in countless different ways.
Know in your heart that God is waiting to join with you in every opportunity imaginable,
and He will if you are open and willing to receive Him.
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Brothers and Sisters
Contributor: Jamie McNiven Smith" " Pages: 125-128
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Commentary
Description: A sex addicted gay man, Jamie was transformed by the love and healing
of God's voice first through the Virgin Mary, then through the Oprah Winfrey pray, then a
co-worker, and finally in many new everyday ways.
Inner Struggle: Feeling unloved, guilty, ashamed, unworthy, hopeless, powerless,

crying
Miracle Mindedness: Desire, prayer, openness, willingness, self-love and acceptance,

seeking
Moment of Hearing: Holding a picture of the Virgin Mary near his heart. Second
experience,
Form of Hearing: 1) As I wept against the wall, I felt a Love I had never experienced all
around me. 2) Immediately after the prayer I felt better, as if the universe really listened
to my cry for help. Calm and relaxed, I let the whole thing go, knowing God would
answer my prayer. 3) Three months later at my flight attendant job, one of my
colleagues put his arm around me and said, "What's up my brother?" 4) Itʼs been mostly
through people, like receiving a phone call from a loved one at the exact time I need a
dose of love. Sometimes itʼs just a shift in perception.
Result/Benefit: 1) Like a warm hug, it was so peaceful, so utterly relaxing, that all fear
melted away. For the first time I felt truly forgiven. 2) Calm and relaxed, I let the whole
thing go, knowing God would answer my prayer 3) Something suddenly clicked. If he
really were my brother, how would I treat him? All my life Iʼve felt less than others, but
on this glorious day I treated everyone on my flight as if they were family members. It
brought my heart such joy, and at the end of the day that same colleague said, “You
know, Jamie, I really felt loved by you today.”
Message/Lesson: God is continually speaking to us in countless ways, if we are willing

to listen. All forms of hearing Godʼs voice have one thing in common, they result is a
shift in perception. Instead of evaluating or discerning the form of Godʼs voice as the
measuring stick of whether you heard Him, look at the result. If you experience a shift in
perception that results in a deeper experience of inequality of God, love, peace, joy,
compassion, forgiveness, understanding, faith, etc. you have heard Godʼs voice.
Notes: Go through every example in the story. God is inching us forward every day, in
countless ways, to deepen our experience of Him. God is within everyone and
everything, so God uses everyone and everything to communicate to us and through
us.
Commentary: Brothers and Sisters by Jamie McNiven Smith.
Each story in this book offers something unique, an angle, an insight, a perspective, or
a piece of the puzzle that helps to round out the human experience of hearing Godʼs
voice in the world.
This story offers so many different elements that we could probably discuss for hours,
but there is one theme in particular that Iʼd like to focus on, and that is this: All forms of
hearing Godʼs voice have one thing in common, they all result in a shift in perception
towards a quality or aspect of God and away from a quality or aspect of separation from
God. So hearing Godʼs voice always brings us closer to God, and away from anything
that would cause us to feel separate from God.
Instead of evaluating the form or expression of Godʼs voice as the measuring stick of
whether you or someone else heard Him, look at the result instead, look at the shift in
perception instead.
If you experience a shift in perception that results in a deeper experience of God or a

deeper experience of an aspect or quality of God, such as love, peace, joy, compassion,
forgiveness, understanding, faith, etc. you have heard Godʼs voice. No other force in the
universe outside of God can pull you deeper into your union and relationship with Him.
There is no other voice outside of Godʼs that can bring you deeper into His truth, love,
and wholeness.
Whether you are hearing Godʼs message of love, truth, compassion, forgiveness, or
peace directly from the Holy Spiritʼs still small voice within you, or through the words in
the Bible, through your minister or priest as they deliver the Sunday sermon, from a sign
that you may be given in the world, from a best friend or loved one in your life, or
through any other means, it does not ultimately matter what that form or expression is.
God will use every one and everything in the world to communicate to you. God is not
attached or limited to using only one means or another to join with you and to restore
you to Him. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and ever present, and can use everything
within himself to touch your heart and mind with His truth and love.
Most of us love to evaluate whether we or someone else actually heard Godʼs voice by
the form or expression that God used to communicate. But the truth is, the expression is
insignificant. Itʼs the message, the truth, love, the forgiveness, and the shift in
perception that results in joining with God and hearing His voice that matters. Thatʼs the
measuring stick. Not the form, but the results.
The results of hearing Godʼs voice are always the same, they lead you deeper into the
awareness of God. The forms are always changing, because God will use whatever
form or expression is in your highest good right now to communicate with you. The
forms are merely the paint that God uses to create this masterpiece that we call life, but
the power and essence of the light shining on the paint is what brings the paint life. Itʼs
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the light of God that shines through the forms that brings him to life in our awareness.
Without the light shining upon them, they would not exist. They would have no meaning,
no power, no influence. But when God shines his light through and upon all of forms in
the world, everything can be used as an opportunity and a means to join with God.
When you start to focus on the results of hearing Godʼs voice, and not the means, you
will begin to see that God is everywhere, communicating to you at all times, in all ways,
through all things. At one time or another, we have all been guilty of evaluating and
judging the forms that we see in our lives. Weʼve done this with gender. Weʼve done this
with skin color. Weʼve done this with sexual preference. Weʼve done this with the shape
and form of our bodies, the textures of our skin, the clothes we wear, or the cars we
drive. We are constantly evaluating and judging the forms of the world.
But when we look beyond the forms, to the essence, to the humanity, to the innocence
of Godʼs holy and beloved child in front of us, we see one another through Godʼs eyes,
we see one another through eyes of love and truth.
When we look beyond the forms of the world to the essence of what is in front of us, we
are hearing Godʼs voice in that moment. That is the way God sees his beloved children.
He looks beyond the forms to the extension of love that he created. He looks beyond
the petty, human judgments that we make of ourselves and one another, to the light and
the love that we are in His image.
When we practice seeing one another and the world as God does, our hearts and minds
are joined with God in that moment. Godʼs will and our will have become one, and we
are hearing Godʼs voice within us, no matter what form or expression that might take in
the world. Look beyond the forms or expressions that Jamie shares in his story, and
look for the shift in perspective that happened to Jamie as a result.
Jamie shares, “After a night of feeling guilty and alienated from my boyfriend, I took a
picture of the Virgin Mary his mother had given me and brought it close to my heart. I
began to sob and sob, because somehow I felt the Virgin Mary loved me. As I wept
against the wall, I felt a Love I had never experienced all around me. Like a warm hug, it
was so peaceful, so utterly relaxing, that all fear melted away. For the first time I felt truly
forgiven. It was as if She said, "I know what youʼve done, but I still love you because I
know you can do better."
Later on in the story, Jamie shared, “I prayed, ʻUse me, God. Show me how to take who
I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.ʼ
Immediately after the prayer I felt better, as if the universe really listened to my cry for
help. Calm and relaxed, I let the whole thing go, knowing God would answer my prayer.”
Jamie then said this, “Three months later at my flight attendant job, one of my
colleagues put his arm around me and said, ʻWhat's up my brother?ʼ Something
suddenly clicked. Oh my God. What if he really was my brother? This concept of the
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brotherhood of man was something Iʼd heard before, but the depth of its meaning had
eluded me until now. My heart melted. If he really were my brother, how would I treat
him?ʼ All my life Iʼve felt less than others, but on this glorious day I treated everyone on
my flight as if they were family members. It brought my heart such joy, and at the end of
the day that same colleague said, “You know, Jamie, I really felt loved by you today.”
At the end of his story, Jamie said this, “For three years now, God continues to “speak”
to me. Itʼs been mostly through people, like receiving a phone call from a loved one at
the exact time I need a dose of love. Sometimes itʼs just a shift in perception, like the
Christmas I felt sorry for myself because I had to work … until my eyes gravitated
towards 15 homeless people lying in the subway. I had a job, a home, loving family and
friends, and no excuse for whining! God guides me daily to become more loving. I am
having a positive effect on others as well, which has helped my self-esteem and brings
me true joy.”
God is continually speaking to all of us in countless different ways, if we are willing to

listen, if we are willing to look beyond the forms and expressions that we see before us
and really be willing to perceive the light, the love, the truth, and the learning that God is
extending to us in that moment of joining.
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Healing with God
Contributor: Patricia Williams Scalisi" " Pages: 129-132
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Commentary
Description: Healing from an acute psychosis over a period of 16 years, Patricia learns
how to hear Godʼs voice within her through her breathing. Eventually, after reading
Conversations with God, she begins to journal with God.
Inner Struggle: Desperate, depressed, suicidal, starving
Miracle Mindedness: hit bottom, open, willing
Moment of Hearing: Lying in bed.
Form of Hearing: A force or energy rippling like waves throughout my body, and
through respiratory system. Journaling.
Result/Benefit: the effects were warm and comforting and I no longer felt alone in my
despair. Comforting.
Message/Lesson: God is within all of us. We can all experience Godʼs love and
communication within, if we desire to and are willing.
Notes: We can feel the presence of God within us. Described the many qualities.
Describe my old technique of getting yes and no answers. Describe how we can feel
Godʼs presence within us, and those feelings themselves will heal us, transform our
perceptions, dissolve our pain, transfer Godʼs wisdom to us.
Commentary: Healing with God by Patricia Williams Scalisi.
Patricia was a woman who struggled with an eating disorder for many years. One
evening as she went out to dinner with friends, she felt profoundly depressed watching
everyone eating heartily as she sat before my plate of grated carrots pretending to
savor every mouthful. She said, “In reality I was starving. I remember how utterly
desperate I felt when I went to bed. I simply couldnʼt go on any longer and wished I
could die.”
That night, Patricia woke up with a strange sensation, like a force or energy rippling like
waves throughout her body. Although the energy grew stronger until her entire body was
vibrating, she said that she didnʼt feel frightened because the effects were warm and
comforting and she no longer felt alone in her despair. She said she felt like someone
was with her, someone she could share her innermost thoughts with, and so she began
to talk to his Presence within her as she would a dear friend.
Not long after this experience, Patricia began to notice that when she asked this warm
and loving Presence within her questions, she would receive yes and no replies through
changes in her breathing. If the answer was yes, she noticed her breathing would
unfold in a particular way, and if the answer was no, her breathing would unfold in a
different way.
Now I personally have never experienced anything exactly like this before with my
respiration, but I wanted to share with you that I did receive two other story submissions
for this book from people who shared very similar experiences of receiving
communication within them through their breathing, both of whom had also undergone
years of physical challenge and illness.
This was one of the things that attracted me to this story in the first place. And although
Iʼve never had this exact experience, it does remind me of a similar experience Iʼve had
in my early years of trying to somehow open up to hearing Godʼs voice within me.
When I was 25 years old living in Hawaii, I desperately wanted to hear Godʼs voice in
my life. I prayed and meditated for hours trying to somehow hear a clear and distinct
voice from God within me, but no matter how hard I try, all I heard was silence. I would
meditate for hours and hours, feeling so peaceful, so blissful, and so connected, but no
matter what I did to try to hear thoughts or words from God, nothing would come to me.
At one point, desperate to somehow find some way to receive some guidance and
direction in my life, it occurred to me that I should play to my strengths. I was really
good at feeling. I could feel the physical sensations of my body and the depth of my
emotions very easily. When I meditated, these two sensations were very fluid and
dynamic. I could feel them both constantly changing within me as I meditated, so I
decided to use these two very fluid dynamics within me as barometers or measuring
sticks for my communications with God. I said to God, “Okay, I canʼt hear your words,
but I can feel my body and my motion very strongly and distinctly. Iʼm going to ask you a
yes or no question, and I want you to use my physical and emotional sensations as a
way to communicate with me.”
So I began to word my questions very deliberately to receive only yes or no answers.

For example, “Is it in my highest good to pursue this particular job interview? Or is it my
highest good to give this person a call today and talk to them about this topic?”
Question like that on all kinds of subjects.
after I asked the question, I would let go of all agenda, attachment, or intention to
receive a specific answer. My only desire was to hear Godʼs reply to my question. I had
to let go of all desire for specific answer or direction. Then I would just feel. I would feel
for Godʼs answer within me, both physically and emotionally. I would hold the conviction
that what I was feeling deeply into was God answer, and I would just feel it feel to allow
Godʼs answer to become stronger and stronger in my awareness.
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What I discovered was this: if the answer was yes, my heart would become more and
more open. Enjoy, peace, excitement, love, and wholeness would fill my emotional
awareness, and my body would become electrified, energetic, and expanded in its
sensations. If the answer was no, my emotions would close down. They would become
dull, non-joyful, and empty, and I would feel my body contract in isolation and a feeling
of being alone. The physical and emotional sensations and qualities that I would feel
were polar opposites, and it became quite easy to determine whether the answer was
yes or no.
I used this method of receiving guidance and direction from God for several years until I
was finally able to open up to hearing Godʼs voice within me in a more clear and
conversational way, just as Patricia eventually learned how to do as well.
Iʼm sharing Patriciaʼs story with you, as well as my own, because I think itʼs important to
validate and acknowledge that we can hear Godʼs voice within us using the physical
sensations within our bodies and the emotional qualities of our emotions as a
communication device. God is joined with all of creation, because all of creation exists
within God, so God is fully capable of using everything within himself as a method or
means to communicate to us and with us.
If you are incredibly visual, it may be easier for you to hear Godʼs voice through visual
means, whether itʼs through your own internal visual imagination or externally in the
world through visual signs and cues. If youʼre kinesthetic or body oriented, you may feel
Godʼs guidance and direction to you very literally in your body as physical cues pushing
or pulling you in certain directions, or physical impulses to say or do things at certain
times.
Itʼs important to not discount these many subtle ways that God can communicate with
us in our lives. Itʼs these types of subtleties and methods of hearing Godʼs voice that
can help us to have knowledge and feel Godʼs presence in so many different ways in
our lives.
Take some time to acknowledge the many ways that you do already receive guidance
and direction from God in your life. by validating the subtle communications from God,
you open your mind evermore to the reality that you can and do hear Godʼs voice in
your life. When you give this to yourself, you open your heart and mind even more fully
to Godʼs presence in your life, and you give yourself the experience of having God be
your constant companion in all that you do.
The more that you recognize how youʼre already hearing Godʼs voice, the more youʼll
come to see that God has always been communicating with you all along, even if you
werenʼt aware of it.
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Mom and the Birdhouse
Contributor: John Mulrooney " " Pages: 132-133
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Commentary
Description: John recounts the story of his motherʼs Draculaʼs experience of hearing
Godʼs voice, a voice which saved her daughter from harm.
Inner Struggle: Calm, open, but previous tragedy in her life
Miracle Mindedness: Calm, open to
Moment of Hearing: After leaving her daughter outside in a stroller under a tree.
Form of Hearing: Audible voice
Result/Benefit: Gratitude, life-saving
Message/Lesson: God is always watching out for us.
Notes: If something is not meant to happen, it wonʼt. Motorcycle accident. This story
brings tears to my eyes. God is watching over us. if something does happen, it must be
in our highest good even if we canʼt understand or see why in this moment. Faith.
Commentary: Mom and the Birdhouse by John Mulrooney.
When Johnʼs sister, Mary, was four months old, Johnʼs mother put Mary in an old
fashioned, carriage with the hood down out on the back patio. After tucking her in, she
returned to the kitchen and closed the screen door. As she began to wash the dishes in
the sink, she heard a voice say, “Put up the hood.” Why should I put up the hood, she
wondered? The sun isnʼt in Maryʼs eyes and thereʼs no wind. Again, the voice said, “Put
up the hood.” This time the voice was a little firmer. Almost robotically, she went out to
the stroller and snapped the hood into place. She walked back to the kitchen. She had
no more than closed the screen door behind her when a birdhouse that John and his
brothers had nailed into the tree a few years earlier, fell from its mount and bounced off
the hood.
Johnʼs mother, who had already lost two children before Mary, burst into tears as she
ran to pull Mary from the stroller. John said, “Hot tears ran from my motherʼs eyes and
she shook as she ran to pull Mary from the stroller. My mother sat on the back step of
our home rocking back and forth with Mary in her arms, sobbing like a baby herself.”
I do believe that God and his angels are always watching out for us. I have my own
personal experience Iʼd like to share with you.
When I was a 20-year-old cadet at the Air Force Academy, I was home for a few weeks
visiting my father. One day, my father and I got into a horrible flight. We were yelling and
screaming at one another, and my father told me to leave and that I was no longer
welcome to stay there. I had a motorcycle at the time, so I jumped on my motorcycle
and went roaring down the road as fast as I possibly could, just bawling my eyes out.
My dad lived in the mountains, on the very dangerous high-speed road, and I was
literally shaking and crying pushing my motorcycle as fast as I could around the corners.
As I came around one corner, leaning my motorcycle down as far as I possibly could, I
realized I was just going way too fast. My bike was drifting into the steep rock cliff
bordering the mountain highway, and I just knew I wasnʼt going to make it. So I threw
my bike up vertically, thinking that perhaps I could go through the dirt on the side of this
large corner, but the dirt was filled with rocks and boulders. The sign on the corner read
25 mph. I look down at my speedometer. I was going 70 miles right into the path of
leaves large rocks.
In that moment, I just surrendered. I remember saying to myself so clearly in such a

calm and totally relaxed way, “oh curse word .” And I just totally relaxed. There was
absolutely nothing that could be done.
In that moment, everything went black, and the next thing I remember, I was standing in
the middle of the road, on my feet, wondering how I got there. I looked around and my
bike was completely smashed against the cliff, the handlebars were broken right off, the
gas tank was crushed in, and there wasnʼt a scratch on me.
I donʼt actually know what happened that day. A few minutes later, a car driving by
picked me up and took me to a place where I could call my dad to come get me and
take me home. I laid in bed for the rest of the day in total shock, just happy to be alive,
and it was the last fight my father and I ever had.
I share this story with you because ever since this event, Iʼve been a believer that God
does indeed watch out for all of us. If something is not meant to happen, it wonʼt. And if
something does happen, we have to have faith that it must somehow be in our highest
good, even if we canʼt understand or see why in that moment.
Everything happens for a reason. And while some things may be challenging or difficult,
God has a way of using everything in the world as a blessing and a gift in deepening our
relationship with him. God has a way of using everything that unfolds in the world as
part of his divine plan for our restoration to Him. And if something is not a part of that
plan, it will not happen. It is this faith in Godʼs plan that allows us to have peace and
grace in our lives. When we donʼt trust that all things are somehow serving the highest
good of all, we give ourselves the experience of being separate from God in that
moment. We give ourselves an experience of fear, doubt, uncertainty, and the sense
that we are alone and unsupported by God in the world.
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But when we have faith that God is watching out for us and that all things are serving
Godʼs children in returning home to him, then we get to be united with God in our
experience, strengthening our faith, trust, and peace in our lives.
Know in your heart that although you may not understand why things happen the way
they do, God is always watching over you, guiding and protecting you at all times, in all
ways, and that you can never be separate from God.
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Cutting Through the Fog of Uncertainty
Contributor: Donna Moldovan" " Pages: 134-136
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Commentary
Description: After watching someone on TV who says that itʼs possible to ask God
questions and receive answers, she purchases his book and tries doing it herself. While
journaling, she experiences receiving communication within her.
Inner Struggle: Searching, hurting
Miracle Mindedness: Searching, hurting, wanting. Strong desire for healing
Moment of Hearing: Trying to Journal.
Form of Hearing: Instantaneous radical shift of awareness. “knowing” that gets

translated into words that sound like my own voice. Sometimes it comes as one instant
feeling that needs no translation, and sometimes as actual words, as if in a normal
dialogue.
Result/Benefit: Being shown a completely different world—a world of Love, of joy, of

peace, and of a happiness that has surpassed any expectation I could have ever had.
Message/Lesson: Godʼs voice is not always tangible. Sometimes itʼs a knowing, a

radical shift of awareness, one instant feeling that needs no translation. A picture paints
1000 words. This points to the results, a shift in perception.
Notes: It can be subtle, or profound, but simply be open and willing to receive that
knowingness in your heart and mind, and when it comes, trust it if it speaks of love,
peace, union, forgiveness, etc. Qualities of God.
Commentary: Cutting Through the Fog of Uncertainty by Donna Moldovan.
Donna was in a rough place in her life. A divorced single mother, popping anti-
depressants, drinking, and living in basic survival mode, Donna struggled to hold on to
her life for the sake of her three-year-old daughter.
One day while she was lying in bed, contemplating her life, she turned on the TV and
saw a man talking about God in a way sheʼd never heard before. She immediately went
out and bought this manʼs book. After reading just a few pages, she thought if he could
ask God questions and get answers, why couldnʼt she? So she put the book down, got
a pen and paper, and decided to try. She scribbled, “Dear God…” and then wrote a
question and outlined all the ways that she had tried to find happiness. She outlined all
the ways that she had tried to find love. Then she wrote, “Why is this not working? What
am I doing wrong?”
Donna said, “I waited patiently for an answer. I cried and listened, but nothing
happened. After 10 minutes, I decided if I wasnʼt going to hear anything, I might as well
keep reading. Just as I started to put the notebook away, the answer came. It was so
clear, so big, and so profound that it literally shook my whole being! It said, “My dear,
you have been looking for Love outside yourself your whole life. No one or no thing will
ever be enough to satisfy you. The Love you seek has been with you all along. The
Love you seek is Me. And you will never be satisfied with anything less.”
Such a beautiful message, but then Donna said this, “It was not really a “voice” as if it
were outside of me. I didnʼt receive the words separately in linear fashion. It was more
of an instantaneous radical shift of awareness. It was a profound inner knowing that cut
through the fog of uncertainty which I then had to translate into words.”
I think this is a very important aspect of hearing Godʼs voice. So often, we donʼt actually
“hear” Godʼs voice within us as distinct or clear words. For many people, including
myself, when we connect with the Holy Spirit within us, we oftentimes receive a very
clear knowingness of what is true, or what to do, or where to go. Godʼs voice is not
always tangible. Sometimes, it really is a radical shift of awareness, an instant feeling
filled with understanding, insight, or knowingness. Itʼs similar to the idea that a picture
paints 1000 words. You might see a picture in your mind, and joined with that picture is
a full and complete understanding of the message. This type of hearing Godʼs voice has
a very clear result, an instantaneous shift in perception or awareness. Itʼs oftentimes
one of the most powerful forms of hearing Godʼs voice because the shift in perception is
so profound and dramatic that the difference can be quite shocking.
In my own experience, these types of instantaneous radical shifts in perception are

often times accompanied by a deep and profound sense of love. Itʼs as if the love pours
into your heart and mind and literally washes away all of the painful emotions and
beliefs which have kept us separate from our experience of God. And itʼs such a
profound cleansing, that life for us is never the same again. This was indeed the case
for Donna.
She shared, “I could immediately see why I had been “seeking but never finding” and
why I had been so terribly unhappy for so long. With these words came the knowledge
that as this information was inside of me, all the answers I ever needed or would ever
need were right there inside of me too. The whole Universe had opened up within me,
and I didnʼt even have to get out of bed to find it! I began to wail and cry as if I were
being purged of an ancient misdirection. It was as if the Light of the whole Universe
were shining inside of me. I cried until I could no longer cry, and I fell asleep knowing
the entire direction of my life was about to change.”
While it can oftentimes be helpful to hear Godʼs voice in words, words are not
necessary to have a deep and profound experience of hearing Godʼs voice. When we
join with God, the knowledge, the truth, and the wisdom of God simply fills our mind until
we are overflowing with all that God is, which is love.
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Know in your heart that when you extend yourself to God, God will extend himself back
to you a thousandfold and more.
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Journeying to God's Voice
Contributor: Myra S. MacDonald"" " Pages: 137-139
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Commentary
Description: While being guided through a shamanic meditation ritual, Myra hears the
voice of God through “suspicious” cells and the mouth of a ferocious-looking wolf.
Inner Struggle: Afraid but willing. Suspicious cells found in her breast.
Miracle Mindedness: willing, willing to not judge, trust and faith
Moment of Hearing: Seagull, wolf, voice instructing her to journal.
Form of Hearing: Inner visions, inner dialogue, inner voice
Result/Benefit: Long-term reminder to take care of herself, love herself, nourish

herself.
Message/Lesson: God can use everything as an opportunity to communicate to us.
Notes: Let go of your preconceived ideas, notions, or judgments of how God can
communicate. When we let go of our judgments, we open ourselves to love. Directly
related to hearing Godʼs voice, but equally applicable to seeing our brothers and sisters
with Godʼs vision. When we stop judging one another, we begin to see one another
through Godʼs eyes. We donʼt have to understand another person symbols or rituals,
but we can have faith that they are the right ones for them in this moment in their lives.
She saw herself as a suspicious, judged them, feared them, so God shows that symbol
of the ferocious wolf as a form of communication, because if she could learn to accept
and love that simple, she could learn to love what she feared within her.
Commentary: Journeying to God's Voice by Myra MacDonald.
Myraʼs doctor had recently discovered some suspicious cells in Myraʼs right breast and
wanted to surgically remove them immediately. Something inside Myra told her to wait
and first seek Godʼs guidance within her. Shortly thereafter, Myra learned that a group of
women at her church were studying Native American spirituality and had contacted a
woman who had been trained by a Native American healer to lead internal spiritual
journeys. This woman had agreed to walk these women through an ancient Native
American ritual designed to help people go deep within themselves to receive inner
guidance and direction. Myra had never done anything like that before, but this
opportunity came at just the right time she was needing a way to go within herself to
hear Godʼs guidance and direction regarding her recent diagnosis.
So here Myra found herself one evening, sitting with a group of women being led
through a Native American guided meditation. Throughout the meditation, the women
were asked to visualize different things
Let go of your preconceived ideas, notions, or judgments of how God can communicate.
When we let go of our judgments, we open ourselves to love. Directly related to hearing
Godʼs voice, but equally applicable to seeing our brothers and sisters with Godʼs vision.
When we stop judging one another, we begin to see one another through Godʼs eyes.
We donʼt have to understand another person symbols or rituals, but we can have faith
that they are the right ones for them in this moment in their lives. She saw herself as a
suspicious, judged them, feared them, so God shows that symbol of the ferocious wolf
as a form of communication, because if she could learn to accept and love that simple,
she could learn to love what she feared within her.
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One Breath at a Time
Contributor: Sharron Brooks" " Pages: 140-144
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Commentary
Description: Sharron receives comfort, faith, and guidance during her husbands health
emergency and challenges.
Inner Struggle: Stillness of my mind. softly whispers between the spaces of my

thoughts.
Miracle Mindedness: stillness of mind, prayer, still small voice, whispers between the
spaces of my thoughts
Moment of Hearing: Sitting outside on the patio quietly meditating.
Form of Hearing: Still small voice, loud voice.
Result/Benefit: Peace, faith, comfort
Message/Lesson: Have faith... and trust that everything is as it is meant to be.

Expressing God’s Voice
Contributor: DavidPaul Doyle" " Pages: 144-149
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Commentary
Description: DavidPaul had to learn how to hear Godʼs voice through signs and others
before opening up to the experience of hearing and speaking Godʼs voice within.
Inner Struggle: nonattachment, peace, contentment, willingness, strong desire, letting

go of limiting thoughts and beliefs
Miracle Mindedness: nonattachment, peace, contentment, willingness, strong desire,

letting go of limiting thoughts and beliefs, absence of separation-based thinking
Moment of Hearing: walking to work signs, through other people, speaking out loud
Form of Hearing: signs, through other people, speaking out loud
Result/Benefit: comfort, connection, guidance, peace, faith, wholeness, fulfillment,

oneness
Message/Lesson: our expectations, assumptions, and beliefs about what it means to

hear Godʼs voice limit our experience of hearing this voice in our lives. Narrows the field
of options
Notes: The story of my life is my teaching, and I believe itʼs why I went through
everything that I did step by step, everything happens for a reason. I had to let go of all
my expectations, I had to open up to hearing this voice in other ways, through signs,
hearing this voice through other people, while reading books, watching TV, to begin
seeing things differently through Godʼs eyes and his ears. Once I began to experience
this voice in other ways, and could begin to validate that I could hear Godʼs voice, that I
actually did hear there was, belief and conviction that I could hear Godʼs voice in my life
began to grow, and as that belief grew into conviction, into contentment, Into
knowingness, and it was from this place of connection with God, of experiencing God
personally and intimately, that I was able to take the step of learning how to hear God's
voice in a very clear and recognizable when in my life, so this is my hope for you, my
prayer for you.
This is why I put this book together, to inspire you to hear God's voice, to inspire you to
believe it is possible to hear God's voice, to inspire you to validate and acknowledge
and recognize how you already hear God's voice so that you can come to believe that
you do haircuts voice, to inspire you to be open and willing to hear God's voice a new
and different ways, countless ways, infinite ways through every sense that you have,
feeling God, seeing God, tasting God, and in a free possible way that we can, and
finally, with all this conviction, all the certainty, all this experience of being joined with
God and hearing his voice in numerous ways, to teach you through all of the other
resources that we have to offer, how to hear God's voice within you in a very clear and
recognizable way, in words that you can write down and speak from your lips. This is my
dream for you, my prayer for you, that you can experience the depth and breath of your
union with God, that you can receive all the communication, guidance, comfort, and
healing that God the Holy Spirit have to offer you. This is the story of my life, and IDF
this story to you, I give my life to you, so that you don't have to go through the pain that I
went through, but can instead easily, gracefully, and directly hear God's voice within you
and receive all the wisdom, all the understanding, and all the love and peace you
desire.
Commentary: Expressing Godʼs Voice by me, DavidPaul Doyle.
Now, I have to tell you, when I submitted this book to my publisher, my story was never
included in it. I never wanted this book to be about me. It had never even occurred to
me to include my own story in it. But my publisher wanted me to include a story from
me, so I did.
Now to be honest, I have a lot of great stories and experiences of hearing Godʼs voice.
For me, hearing Godʼs voice has been an obsession since I was 21 years old, and Iʼm
the type of guy that when I want something, I focus everything I have on that one thing. I
put on the blinders and focus my whole being on what I truly want.
Over the past 20 years of doing everything I can to deepen my relationship with God,
feel my oneness with Him, and figure out every imaginable way of hearing His voice in
my life, Iʼve experienced so many miracles and disappointments, so many profound
experiences of God and yet so many struggles.
So it wasnʼt easy for me to decide which parts of my life to share, which elements of my
journey would benefit your life the most.
In many regards, the story of my life has become my lifeʼs teachings. I believe that I
went through every struggle and challenge, step by step in the exact way I did, precisely
so I could help others to avoid those pitfalls, misperceptions, and unnecessary
challenges. In Godʼs divine plan, I believe I went through everything I did for a reason.
My overwhelming desire to hear Godʼs voice as a loud and distinct voice within me was
in hindsight my greatest barrier to hearing Godʼs voice. Expecting, wanting, believing,
and trying to hear a loud voice in my mind that I knew came from God is what actually
kept me from hearing Godʼs voice all those years. This part of my struggle is probably
the greatest gift and lesson I can offer you.
How could wanting and expecting to hear Godʼs voice as an audible voice in our minds
be a barrier to hearing His voice?
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As youʼve seen in reading these stories, God can speak to all of us in countless different
ways. Hearing a loud voice is only one of many ways we can hear this Voice. When we
fixate on one method, and in this case one of the most infrequent methods, it limits our
ability to recognize all the other messages and communication that God is giving to us
all the time. By wanting to hear God in only one way, or expecting to hear God in only
one way, or believing that you can only hear God in only one way, all of the other ways
that God could communicate to you become closed to you. Because even if God did
communicate to you in other ways, you wouldnʼt recognize them. You wouldnʼt be open
to acknowledging them or receiving them.
Now it is possible to hear Godʼs voice as a distinct and clear audible voice, but it is not
the most common way. From speaking with hundreds of people over the years and from
my own personal experience, hearing Godʼs voice as a loud and clear audible voice
happens for most people under very unique circumstances. Often times, people who
hear Godʼs voice in this way are deeply struggling. Their minds are filled with a
tremendous amount of fear, and many thoughts and beliefs which keep them from
experiencing their union with God.
Youʼll notice from the stories that many of the people who opened up to hearing Godʼs
voice as a loud voice within them were people who were experiencing a tremendous
amount of separation from God just moments before their experience. In their moment
of hearing Godʼs voice, most of these people were hitting bottom in some way. They
were completely absorbed and identified with those painful and limiting thoughts and
emotions.
Itʼs my belief that when weʼre in the midst of experiencing profound separation and then
instantly open up to experiencing Godʼs voice, that that tremendous contrast amplifies
the experience of Godʼs voice and creates the perception of hearing Godʼs voice in a
very loud and audible way.
Itʼs like sitting in darkness for a very long time and then having the curtains suddenly
flung open. Our experience of the light is amplified by the profound darkness weʼve
been sitting in. Godʼs blinding light of unconditional love and truth pores into our hearts
and minds, and we perceive that light and love in a very dramatic way. For many
people, I believe that this contrast plays a part in hearing Godʼs voice in this way.
Now of course this is not true for everyone. There are many possible reasons why
someone might hear Godʼs voice as a loud voice within them. Perhaps God needs a
clear way to grab their attention, or perhaps there truly is a very specific need to
communicate a message that only using words can fulfill. Or maybe that person has
agreed to serve God as a messenger and carry forth a very specific message from God.
Whatever the case may be, I find that hearing Godʼs voice as a loud voice within us is
not necessarily something that we can will upon ourselves. For most people, it simply
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happens to them, and yet even for those people who have heard Godʼs voice in that
way or who are able to consistently hear Godʼs voice in that way, I have found that
hearing like that usually becomes much more subtle over time the more integrated their
awareness of God becomes.
The truth is, we can hear Godʼs voice in countless other ways all the time. Itʼs not
always in our highest good to hear Godʼs voice as an actual voice. Itʼs not always
necessary or even beneficial to hear Godʼs voice in only that one way. God is certainly
not attached to communicating to us in only one way, especially when he has every way
imaginable to join with us and share his truth and love.
So where am I going with this?
One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself in deepening your experience of hearing
Godʼs voice in your life is to let go of the expectation that God is going to communicate
to you as a big booming voice in the sky, or a loud stereophonic voice in your mind.
Let go of your expectations. Let go of all the ways that you think God can and will
communicate with you. When you release all of those thoughts and beliefs, you open
your heart and mind to an infinite number of possibilities. You open yourself to hearing
Godʼs voice in so many simple everyday ways.
You also open your heart and mind to recognizing the many wonderful ways God does
show up in the world.
The more you open up to hearing Godʼs voice in many different ways, the more you will
recognize the many different ways that God is already speaking to people all over the
world. God is speaking to all of us all the time. We just arenʼt always aware of it or
listening.
This is one of the biggest reasons why I put this book together, to inspire you to believe
it is possible to hear God's voice, to inspire you to recognize how you are already
hearing God's voice without knowing it, and to inspire in you the desire to deepen your
experience of hearing Godʼs voice in new and life-changing ways.
It is possible for all of these things to happen. Believe it is possible. Recognize all the
ways you already hear Godʼs voice. Feel your desire to deepen and strengthen your
experience of hearing Godʼs voice.
With desire, commitment, and practice, it is possible to feel God, hear God, see God,
and know God in every area of your life, to experience your union with God in every
moment of your day, not just as an idea, but as a living reality. Everything you feel in
your life can be an experience of feeling Godʼs presence. Everything you see in your life
can be an experience of seeing the face of God. Everything you hear in your life can be
an experience of God communicating to you.
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This is my dream and prayer for you, that you experience the depth and breath of your
union with God and that you receive all the communication, guidance, comfort, and
healing that God and the Holy Spirit have to offer you.
Open your heart and open your mind to Godʼs unlimited possibilities, because God is
waiting patiently for you to receive all that He has to give you.
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A New Sensation
Contributor: Rosalie McClung" " Pages: 149-152
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Commentary
Description: After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Rosalie discovers how to
hear Godʼs voice through extending love to herself and the world.
Inner Struggle: Determination, opening her heart and mind, choosing to see things
differently, fighting for her life, committed
Miracle Mindedness: Determination, opening her heart and mind, choosing to see
things differently, fighting for her life, committed
Moment of Hearing: Started experiencing life in the present moment with an open
heart
Form of Hearing: Feeling love, extending life
Result/Benefit: I experience more peace than ever before. I now have enough
sensation in my hands to write. I have enough sensation in my feet to walk. I see well
enough to participate normally in life. I donʼt fear things I have no control over. And I
surely no longer fear God. I know I am truly blessed with a loving husband, a beautiful
daughter, and a connection with my higher power.
Message/Lesson: With Gods love, all things are possible.
Notes: Love is healing. I think you would be hard-pressed to find any healer or healee
who would disagree. Godʼs love heals, and hearing Godʼs voice, experience has
precedence, and feeling Godʼs love doesnʼt need to be more complicated than simply
feeling love and extending that love in the world. What we extend to others, we receive.
Bible quote. Give unto others. What we give, we immediately receive.
Feeling takes us out of the mind, helps us to transcend all that we might be thinking and
believing and puts us right into our heart, where Godʼs love is. Iʼm very passionate
about this story and about feeling Godʼs love in general because for me, itʼs one of my
favorite practices. I love to feel, I love to feel Godʼs love, a within myself, and in
everything and everyone I experience.
If you want a simple way to experience God, or to heal your heart, your mind, and your
body, one very simple way to do that is to simply feel love, feel Godʼs love, and extend
them off to yourself, to others, and to the world. You extend it for your sake, because the
moment you do, you benefit from it as well. You cannot know if another person is open
and willing to receive your love, so donʼt hold that expectation. That is their choice, but
since heʼs given it, it will be there for them when they are open and willing to receive,
just as Godʼs love is always there for us when we choose it.
We can make our relationship with God very complicated, filled with rules, obligations,
and techniques and rituals, and if those serve us in experiencing Godʼs love more
deeply, then they are true blessing, but that is not to say that our relationship with God
canʼt be very simple, very direct, and very profound by simply feeling Godʼs love in any
and every moment that we are willing, and to extend Godʼs love in every and any
moment but we are willing. If we just did those two things, the world would indeed be a
different place.
Commentary: A New Sensation by Rosalie McClung.
Rosalie was on a downhill slide in her life. She grew up a very frightened child, and all
of her childhood fears were coming to pass. She said, “I remember a tearful
conversation with my husband while I watched our world falling apart. I was terrified of
traveling lifeʼs path alone … and I was seemingly losing my husband. I had dreaded
becoming homeless … and I was now without a home of my own. The thought of death
panicked me … and I was getting sicker by the day. I fell into helpless shock, numb to
the world. My husband asked, “What do you feel?” My reply was prophetic: “I donʼt feel
anything.”
Shortly thereafter, Rosalie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.Within months her,
vision blurred, her speech slurred. She lost sensation in her hands, legs, and feet. She
had trouble walking on her own. She could no longer bathe herself, feed herself, or think
clearly.
She said she begged God for help, to stop the pain and spreading numbness. But she
didnʼt really believe her prayers would help because she didnʼt believe God was
listening. An answer never came.
She shared, “I had to make a decision. Was I going to die and leave my husband, my 6-
year old daughter, my potentially purposeful life? Or was I going to survive, thrive, figure
out how to heal completely and then help my relatives and others to heal themselves as
well?”
Rosalie chose to survive and started reading positive, healing self-help books to
discover a way to become healed. In the middle of reading Louise Hayʼs You Can Heal
Your Life, Rosalie learned a technique for “extending love to her thoughts” through a
course on hearing God's Voice.
That course she found was mine. One of the most powerful techniques Iʼve ever learned
for joining with the Holy Spirit is a technique for extending love that the Holy Spirit gave
to my wife and I many years ago. It has since become one of the foundations of our
teachings.
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As it says in the Bible, God is Love. When we consciously extend Godʼs love in the
world, we are literally extending the healing power of the Holy Spirit. We are extending
the healing power of truth and forgiveness.
When we feel love within us, we are feeling the presence of God that is joined with us at
all times. Love can only come from one place, from one source, and that is God,
because God is love.
Rosalie so beautifully shares this when she says, “I started meditating and feeling love. I
told myself that God was love so what I was feeling was God. I started listening, really
listening, to people, the world, God. As I meditated outside on the back patio, I listened
to nature: the cooing mourning doves and the melodious wind chimes. I watched belted
kingfishers fish in the pond, hummingbirds buzz around me, and the squirrels crunch on
the peanut shells Iʼd thrown them. This was God for me. I never heard a “voice”
respond. Instead, I acknowledged God all around me and felt His loving Presence within
me.”
When we join in Godʼs love, our hearts and minds become joined with the Holy Spiritʼs.
When we see the world through the eyes of love, through the eyes of Holy Spirit, we
canʼt help but see and acknowledge the presence of God wherever we are and in all
that we see. This is where the healing power of the Holy Spirit comes from.
As an extension of Godʼs love, the Holy Spirit is only capable of extending love in the
world. The Holy Spirit is only capable of extending Godʼs healing grace, compassion,
peace, and forgiveness to all of creation. The Holy Spirit has the capability to look past
the perceptions of the world and to see the world through the eyes of God, through the
eyes of unconditional love and truth. So when we join our hearts and minds with the
Holy Spirit and thus see the world through the Holy Spirit eyes, we are able to see the
presence of God in everyone and everything. It is this power of the Holy Spiritʼs
perception that heals all things. It is this power of unconditional love that erases all
illusion and answers every cry for love and healing.
Rosieʼs decision to heal herself and live, opened her up to receiving the healing power
of God love. Her commitment to feel and extend Godʼs love allowed her to experience
the presence of God within her and in all of Godʼs creations. She didnʼt need to hear
Godʼs voice in words or in any other way. Acknowledging and feeling Godʼs presence
was all the communication and comfort she ever needed. Feeling Godʼs presence gave
her the wisdom and healing truth she had been seeking.
In addition, once Rosalie committed to listening and feeling, she found it possible to
actually live in the present. She used to constantly worry about her future, and felt
incredibly guilty about her past. When she joined God and the Holy Spirit through
extending love, she felt peace in the present.
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Itʼs here, in that still quiet place of the present moment, that we are able to receive
Godʼs messages to us.
Rosalie said, “I silently ask God a question, then empty my mind, breathe deeply, and
listen. What I feel is my answer.”
“I now have enough sensation in my hands to write. I have enough sensation in my feet
to walk. I see well enough to participate normally in life. I donʼt fear things I have no
control over. And I surely no longer fear God. I know I am truly blessed with a loving
husband, a beautiful daughter, and a connection with my higher power.
A woman I met recently in a doctorʼs office told me, “You are the most peaceful person
Iʼve ever met.”
How about that?
If you want a simple way to experience God, or to heal your heart, your mind, and your
body, one very simple way to do that is to simply feel Godʼs love and extend that love to
yourself, to others, and to the world.
We can make our relationship with God very complicated, filled with rules, obligations,
and rituals, and if those serve us in experiencing Godʼs love more deeply, then they are
true blessing, but that is not to say that our relationship with God cannot also be very
simple, very direct, and very profound, simply feeling Godʼs love in any and every
moment that we are willing, and extending Godʼs love in every and any moment we are
willing. If we just did those two things, the world would indeed be a different place.
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Twist of Faith
Contributor: Russell Hill" " Pages: 152-156
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Commentary
Description: After a challenging childhood, Russell began his spiritual path with
Buddhism, and then returned to Christianity. In wanting to hear God's voice, he started
speaking to Christ and feeling that presence within him. He then started hearing a still
small voice within.
Inner Struggle: Meditation, reflection, openness, connection, asking God to help him
understand the real meaning of Christ
Miracle Mindedness: Meditation, reflection, openness, connection, asking God to help

him understand the real meaning of Christ
Moment of Hearing: feeling the presence of Christ; knowingness; audible voice
Form of Hearing: Presence/feeling; knowingness; audible voice
Result/Benefit: Forgiveness, joy, peace, understanding, wisdom, guidance, comfort,

love
Message/Lesson: No matter what I was experiencing, I could trust that still small voice
within to offer meaningful guidance and wisdom, as well as insights. I felt amazed,
realizing I could attune my mind to receive communication from God whenever I needed
or wanted Him.
Notes:
There is real value in hearing Godʼs voice. Itʼs not about just hearing words. It changes
our entire experience of life. It provides us with the understanding, insight, wisdom, and
guidance necessary to create the life of our dreams, to create healthy relationships, to
make wise and loving decisions, to focus on what really matters, and to experience the
peace, wholeness, love, and connection that we really want in our lives. By having
these experiences, by seeing the world in these ways, we are able to navigate through
life with grace, confidence, ease, and real love and peace in our hearts and minds.
Start by simply talking to God and asking questions. Start by simply feeling the
presence of Christ within you. Start by simply feeling Godʼs love. Ask questions and
allow yourself to simply be open to receiving an answer. Ask questions and with an
open mind and an open heart, devoid of fear and judgment, allow yourself to simply
receive an answer. Feel it. Allow it. Acknowledge what feelings, sensations, inclinations,
or subtle ideas come into your mind or into your heart. Acknowledge what subtle shifts
in experience or perception result from asking and allowing yourself to received an
answer. Start off simply, gently, and allow this process to build and grow, just like it did
for Russell.
From feeling of presence, to reflecting and receiving answers, to hearing an inner voice
for dialogue, to hearing a very loud and clear in her voice. In full for overtime with
patience, practice, consistency, and openness. That is all that is required. Desire,
patience, practice, and openness. Just start the dialogue, and then stop and listen. And
just keep doing that every day.
Learning to hear Godʼs voice is like going to the gym.
Commentary: Twist of Faith by Russell Hill.
A majority of the stories in this book share peopleʼs experiences of hearing Godʼs voice
when they are at the bottom of the barrel. Hitting bottom is one of the most common
ways that people open up to hearing Godʼs voice because it is in those moments that
theyʼre willing to release their painful death grip on the thoughts, feelings, and emotions
within them that are keeping them from receiving Godʼs love and blessings in their lives.
This is a common dynamic that we all go through in one way or another, on one issue or
another, in our lives. We oftentimes have to push ourselves to the brink in order to be
willing to let go and surrender what weʼve been holding onto for so long. Itʼs our moment
of letting go and surrender to something greater that opens our hearts and minds to
hearing Godʼs voice, a voice that is always present and available to us when there are
no barriers within us that keep us from it.
One might believe from reading these stories that hitting bottom is the only way to hear
Godʼs voice, because itʼs such a prevalent theme in this book. The only reason these
types of stories are so common is because they are so profoundly life altering for those
involved. When something that powerful happens in someoneʼs life, they want to share
it. They want to shout it from the rooftops because the profound transformation that
happens to them is so deeply impacting. In one moment theyʼre in the most pain theyʼve
ever been in their entire lives, and in the next moment, they are filled with the most
profound love and joy theyʼve ever known. When someone experiences such a dramatic
shift in their life, they canʼt help but want to shout it from the rooftops. I know, because
Iʼve been there myself.
But the truth is, you donʼt have to hit bottom in order to have these profound
experiences or to hear Godʼs voice in your life. In Twist of Faith, Russell talks about his
dramatic and painful childhood, but his experiences of opening to Godʼs voice are not
the result of hitting bottom. They are the results of a consistent opening and willingness
within him to join with God in meditation and prayer.
In my experience, meditation and prayer are the most powerful methods we have for
deepening our experience of hearing Godʼs voice. Meditation allows us to heal the
thoughts and beliefs within our minds that keep us separate from God in our
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experience. It also allows us to move beyond these thoughts and beliefs so that we can
consciously access the quiet place within us where Godʼs voice is. Once we are in that
quiet place within, prayer is what opens the door to a dialogue with God. No dialogue
can occur unless one person begins the conversation. You could say that God is always
speaking, and we simply have to begin to listen, but the truth is, unless we ask God for
comfort, peace, healing, or understanding, in whatever way we do, whether itʼs
conscious or unconscious, we cannot receive all that God has to give us.
God cannot give us what we donʼt ask for or want. God loves us so much that He has
given us free will to choose what we want to experience. He loves us so much that He
would not presume to give us something that we donʼt want. It would not be
unconditional loving to give someone something that they donʼt want.
In John 16:23-24 in Today's New International Version of the Bible, it says, “Truly I tell
you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not
asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”
We cannot receive what we donʼt ask for.
Meditation and prayer are a way of preparing ourselves for hearing Godʼs voice.
Meditation purifies the mind by allowing us to become aware of the barriers within us, of
the fears and judgments that we harbor against our brothers and sisters, against
ourselves, and against our Creator. When we become aware of these things in
meditation, we can ask the Holy Spirit to be with us to help us release that which keeps
us from experiencing our union with God. This is an ongoing practice that we can all
pursue so that our minds are open to Godʼs unconditional love and truth. This is
something that we can practice regularly in our lives as a way to prepare ourselves for a
deep and profound experience of Godʼs presence and voice.
Meditation also allows us to access that quiet place within, a place that is beyond these
barriers, one step removed from our normal state of mind. In this place, we are joined in
awareness with the Holy Spirit and can hear Godʼs voice very clearly. In this place of
union, we are able to immediately hear Godʼs replies to our prayers, to our questions,
and to all that we seek from Him.
Russellʼs story is a testament that with practice, perseverance, faith, and trust, we can
slowly and consistently open ourselves to hearing Godʼs Voice in our lives. For Russell,
it began to unfold after years of meditation and personal healing. Eventually, he came to
believe that it was indeed possible to hear Godʼs voice within him, so he began to ask
Jesus questions while taking a shower each morning. Over the course of several
months, he noticed a pattern. He would talk or think aloud, then pause for a brief
moment of reflection where he would feel the answer had been received. As he
practiced hearing Godʼs voice in this way, his trust deepened and his conversations
became more and more frequent. Every time he prayed or sat for meditation, he did so
with the intention to hear Godʼs voice within him.
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Russell said, “As I continued to accept the love of God for myself and extend that same
love to family and friends, my discourses with Holy Spirit became more frequent. As my
prayer and meditation routine progressed, I swear I could hear an audible voice, but it
was so soft I could barely make out the messages. Still I was thrilled to know that the
presence of Holy Spirit in my life was real.”
Then one evening, on his way back from church, he narrowly escaped an auto accident.
A young driver recklessly maneuvered an expensive black Mercedes onto the road in
front of him. Russell slammed on his brakes thinking, “What kind of father would give an
irresponsible child such an expensive gift?” Within seconds he heard a very real voice
say, “What have you done with the gifts your father has presented to you?”
Russell said, “I pulled my car over as tears of joy streamed down my face."The impact
of the moment hit me full force. For the first time in my life I truly understood the value of
hearing Godʼs Voice. No matter what I was experiencing, I could trust that still small
voice within to offer meaningful guidance and wisdom, as well as insights. I felt amazed,
realizing I could attune my mind to receive communication from God whenever I needed
or wanted Him.”
I think this is such an important point. There is real value in hearing Godʼs voice. Itʼs not
about just hearing words. Hearing Godʼs voice changes our entire experience of life. It
provides us with the understanding, insight, wisdom, and guidance necessary to create
the life of our dreams, to create healthy relationships, to make wise and loving
decisions, to focus on what really matters, and to experience the peace, wholeness,
love, and connection that we really want in our lives. By having these experiences with
God, by seeing the world through his eyes, we are able to navigate through life with
grace, confidence, ease, and real love and peace in our hearts and minds.
You can have this in your life by simply talking to God and asking questions. Start by
simply feeling the Presence of Christ within you. Start by simply feeling Godʼs love. Ask
questions and allow yourself to be open to receiving answers. Ask questions with an
open mind and an open heart, devoid of fear and judgment, allow yourself to receive.
Feel it. Allow it. Acknowledge the feelings, sensations, inclinations, or subtle ideas that
come into your mind or into your heart. Acknowledge what subtle shifts in experience or
perception result from asking, and allowing yourself to receive an answer. Start off
simply, gently, and allow this process to build and grow, just like it did for Russell.
It will evolve over time with patience, practice, consistency, and openness. That is all
that is required. Desire, patience, practice, and openness. Just start the dialogue, and
then stop and listen. Just keep doing that every day, and your relationship with God will
deepen beyond your wildest dreams.
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Falling in Love
Contributor: Janet Calledare" " Pages: 156-159
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Commentary
Description: To build her self-esteem after a devastating breakup, Janet begins a
visual meditation exercise where she sees herself atop a tall mountain. For a moment,
the skies were clear, but then a dark cloud quickly approached. Knowing this dark cloud
represented all that she had been running from inner life, a loud voice permeated her
heart and mind saying, "You need to love it." In so doing, she became filled with
calmness, joy, peace, and happiness. Her life changed in a moment.
Inner Struggle: Joy, peace
Miracle Mindedness: Joy, peace
Moment of Hearing: at the top of the mountain
Form of Hearing: strong loving voice so clear and distinct I could not ignore it. It
sounded like someone else speaking to me inside my head.
Result/Benefit: Instantly I felt a calmness and joy of spirit I hadnʼt felt in years. The
peace and joy continued to increase until I was in a constant state of rapture. For days I
experienced a joy and love of life that I believe was heaven on earth. Hearing and
listening to Godʼs Voice that day was the most powerful and beautiful experience of my
life. The joy I experienced permeated every facet of my life. I have a much more loving
and positive attitude toward everyone, and have stopped complaining. Even my looks
have changed. Friends and family tell me my skin glows with soft light and my eyes are
clearer and softer.
Message/Lesson: Healing our negative and painful emotions doesnʼt happen by trying
to get rid of it, suppressing it, judging it, avoiding it, or somehow powering through it or
overcoming it. It happens by embracing it with love, compassion, understanding, and
acceptance. Only love heals, anything else just pushes it away from her experience, but
it doesnʼt eliminate the pain from our heart or mind, it simply moves it out of the way so
we donʼt focus on. But love, love truly heals. Love dissolves and melts away all that isnʼt
enough, just like darkness disappears in the presence of light, judgment, fear, sadness,
and anger dissolve and disappear in the presence of love. If you want to heal your pain,
fear, and judgment within you, extend Godʼs love to it with an open heart and an open
mind devoid of all judgment, and profound miracles will happen in your life.
Notes: Talk about my own experience of emotional healing. What Iʼve been personally
practicing and teaching for over 15 years. Give a little discourse on emotional healing.
Commentary: Falling in Love by Janet Calledare.

After an emotionally devastating breakup with her boyfriend, Janet realized that she had
very little self-worth, so she purchased a book called, How to Raise Your Self-Esteem
by Nathaniel Brandon.
In one of the first visualization exercises in the book, Janet saw herself atop a tall
mountain. For a brief moment, the skies were clear, but then a dark cloud quickly
approached her. Knowing this dark cloud represented all that she had been running
from in her life, Janet heard a loud voice permeate her heart and mind saying, "You
need to love it." So what did she do? She visualized and felt her love going out to this
dark cloud.
She said, “Instantly I felt a calmness and joy of spirit I hadnʼt felt in years. The peace
and joy continued to increase until I was in a constant state of rapture. For days I
experienced a joy and love of life that I believe was heaven on earth. Hearing and
listening to Godʼs Voice that day was the most powerful and beautiful experience of my
life.”
Janetʼs experience is near and dear to my heart because itʼs such a beautiful illustration
that love is the only thing that truly heals. Healing our negative and painful emotions,
beliefs, and self concepts doesnʼt happen by trying to get rid of them, suppressing them,
judging them, avoiding them, or somehow trying to will ourselves through them. True
healing happens by embracing these thoughts, beliefs, and emotions within us with
love, compassion, understanding, and acceptance. Only love heals, anything else just
pushes these things away from our experience, but it doesnʼt eliminate the pain from
our hearts or minds, it simply moves them out of our awareness so we donʼt have to
focus on of them any longer. But love truly heals. Love dissolves and melts away all that
isnʼt love. Just like darkness vanishes in the presence of light, judgment, fear, sadness,
and anger dissolve and disappear in the presence of love.
If you want to heal your pain, fear, and judgment within you, extend Godʼs love to them
with an open heart and an open mind devoid of all judgment, and profound miracles will
happen in your life.
This is what God told Janet to do as she saw those dark clouds coming towards her, the
same dark cloud she had been running from her whole life. This is exactly what the Holy
Spirit told me many years ago when I was judging and suppressing my own pain within
me. By being willing to embrace my pain, by being willing to look upon my pain with
compassion, innocence, kindness, and love in my heart and mind, my pain simply
melted away in the presence of love. When we judge our pain, try to get rid of our pain,
think we shouldnʼt have our pain, or think thereʼs something wrong with us for having it,
all of that judgment just keeps our pain alive. All of that judgment just keeps us in pain.
We cannot heal ourselves through judgment. As soon as we judge ourselves on any
level, to any degree, we will experience pain and there will be no healing. As soon as
we can open our hearts and see ourselves through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, through
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the eyes of unconditional love, that is when true healing happens in our lives, and that is
one of the the profound messages this story shares.
When you notice something dark and painful within you, when you notice fear,
judgment, or pain bubble up within your awareness, instead of running from them,
shoving them down, or trying to get rid of them by forcing yourself to think more
positively, allow yourself instead to take a deep breath, look at that pain squarely in the
face, open your heart, and allow yourself to feel Godʼs love, compassion, and
understanding within you and then gently extend those feelings and qualities to the pain
youʼre noticing.
There are truly only two things that exist in the world: an expression of love or a call for
love. Your pain is a call for love. Allow that to be so in your experience, and when you
notice it, extend your love to it so it can receive what it is truly asking for.
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Love in its Purest Form
Contributor: Sharon Caldararo" " Pages: 159-162
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Commentary
Description: Sharon spontaneously experiences the presence of God within her one
day at church. Years later, she remembers this profound experience and the desire to
deepen her experience of God is rekindled. One day in meditation, she begins to notice
an inner dialogue, and comes to realize she is hearing that voice.
Inner Struggle: Heartsick and bitter, I fell ill for a few days and disconnected myself
from everyone around me. Not long after, while sitting stoically in church with that bitter
chill in my heart. Feeling unworthy.
Miracle Mindedness: Open, willing, meditating
Moment of Hearing: Sitting in church. One day while meditating.
Form of Hearing: Suddenly, I felt a presence around me. I tried to shake it off, but it
would not leave. No words were spoken. No revelations came to me, no loud clap of
thunder or booming voice, just a simple feeling of peace and an inner knowing all was
well.
Notices an odd inner dialogue.
Result/Benefit: It was as if someone were telling me it was okay to just sit there. I felt
my misery was somehow understood and I would not feel that disconnected sadness
forever. Tears of joy formed in my eyes and a gentle smile crept across my face. I sat in
a state of amazing grace.
Feels a sense of purpose, and acknowledges the beauty all around her in life.
Message/Lesson: God is always with us.

Don’t Judge A Book by Its Cover
Contributor: Caroline McIntosh" " Pages: 162-165
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Commentary
Description: In a display of tough love, Caroline guides a the young girl from her
everyday painful experience at school to one that acknowledges the gift and blessing
she truly is in the world.
Inner Struggle: Caroline: uncertain, at a loss
Miracle Mindedness: Wanting to be helpful and of service, asks God, “what would love
to?” Surrendered, willing, open, doesnʼt evaluate, judge, or limit, simply opens her
mouth and face
Moment of Hearing: Opens her mouth and allows herself to speak.
Form of Hearing: Verbal.
Result/Benefit: Healing, acceptance, open heartedness
Message/Lesson: Love isnʼt always gushy. Sometimes tough love is necessary. Godʼs
love knows no limitation.
God’s Whispers
Contributor: Susana Silbermann"" Pages: 166-169
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Commentary
Description: Susana follows her heart and leaves her husband, although she does not
understand why. She later discovers the fortuitous wisdom behind her actions, which
ultimately saves her family from struggle and difficulty.
Inner Struggle: Out of the blue. inner experience seemed fine.
Miracle Mindedness: willing, open
Moment of Hearing: Several months after they purchased their home.
Form of Hearing: Feeling or impulse within her.
Result/Benefit: Able to financially provide for her family. Security. Deepened faith.
Simpler life.
Message/Lesson: We may not always understand the wisdom behind Godʼs

promptings, but if we can allow ourselves to have faith and follow the guidance and
communication we receive from God, there will always be a positive outcome.
We canʼt know whatʼs best for us.
Notes: Start with the small things to develop trust and faith. Develop a relationship and
build upon that relationship. Over time your trust and confidence will grow so that when
you need to have that trust and faith the most, you will be ready to follow.
People start out asking the most challenging questions, pointed questions, most
emotionally attached questions. Start out gentle. Craft your questions.
Commentary: Godʼs Whispers by Susana Silbermann.
Talk about a story of faith, Susana was a young Brazilian woman with five children and
a loving hard-working husband. Just when everything was going well for them, Susana
woke up one morning with an unexpected yearning within her heart to legally separate
from her husband. She said, “What a strange feeling! It grew stronger and stronger.
What was this? Why was I feeling this way? After working to make all our plans become
real I was simply sending them down the drain. I kept asking God why I was feeling this
weird compulsion. Had I offended Jesus by marrying a Jewish man? Was I being
punished because of my interest in reincarnation? Had I been captured by a negative
energy because I was trying to deepen my inner experience of God?”
Susana truly had no rational, logical, or explainable reason why this compulsion to leave
her husband had come upon her, but no matter what she did, no matter how much
prayer and surrender she allowed, the feeling just kept getting stronger and stronger, as
if the feeling itself was Godʼs answer to her prayers, and surrender to His will.
Feeling as if she had no other option but to follow this inexplicable guidance, Susana
legally separated from her husband but continued to have a full and engaging
relationship with him and her children. It was almost as if nothing had changed at all,
except they were no longer legally married.
Well, two years after the separation, her husbandʼs company went bankrupt. According
to Brazilian law, her husband immediately lost all his credit and was no longer allowed
to work. In Brazil, once a couple has been legally separated for two years or more, their
assets are no longer tied to one another, so all the assets that Susana had as a result of
the separation remained completely untouched, and she was able to use those assets
to support her family.
I think thereʼs a lot of wonderful lessons to learn from this story. First, itʼs a great
example that God can speak to us in many different ways, in this case as a strong
feeling or even compulsion within us. Susana did not know the source of this yearning,
but she continued to pray and surrender to Godʼs will, and the feeling just grew stronger
and stronger, a wonderful sign and validation that it was indeed Godʼs Will for her.
I think itʼs important for all of us to be mindful and aware of these feelings within us. Itʼs
so easy to doubt and be uncertain about what we feel. The lesson that Iʼd like to share
with you is this:
Donʼt wait to develop trust in your relationship with God, and confidence in your ability to
receive communication from God, until some huge dramatic life changing event comes
into your life that literally forces you to do so. Start to develop your confidence and
relationship right now with all the small things in your life. Ask God for mundane
guidance and direction. Ask God to help you create a to do list for your day. Ask God to
help you write a birthday card or e-mail to a friend. Ask God what you should cook for
dinner or what you and your family should do over the weekend together.
You donʼt have to try to hear Godʼs replies to you in words. Feel the answers within you.
Feel for the inspirations, the nudgings, the pulls, and the promptings. Start to feel for
these answers within you for all the little things in your life. By developing this trust and
faith with the little things, you will be much more prepared and capable of feeling God
answers to you for the big things. The confidence, trust, and faith developed in the small
things will roll over and create a foundation for the big things.
Eventually, you will no longer need to ask about the small things because those feelings
and prompts will simply be part of you. They will become integrated and natural in your
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experience. And then when the big things come up, you will be that much more
connected and aware of how God is guiding you.
So often, people donʼt ask God anything, and then when a crisis hits, they asked the
most challenging, pointed, and emotionally charged questions they have. The pressure
is so great and there is so much at stake that when their foundation and relationship
with God is weak and undeveloped, it becomes difficult to hear the answers clearly. By
developing this relationship with God and hearing his voice in lots of different ways with
all the little things in your life, your foundation will become solid, integrated, and familiar.
This is the way to prepare yourself for the big things in life, for the things that really
matter most.
I hope you take this to heart. Continue to deepen your confidence, faith, and
relationship with God in all the little ways you can. Doing so will not only be a blessing in
your life right now, but it will also make any challenges that come into your life in the
future that much easier to deal with.
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Simple Synchronicity
Contributor: Vicki Junk-Wright" " Pages: 169-173
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Commentary
Description: Vicki opens herself up to receiving Godʼs inspiration to paint just the right
picture for a hospital lobby, a picture that touches peopleʼs lives for the better.
Inner Struggle: Knew at once what to paint, then doesnʼt know about extra ingredient
and asks subconscious mind.
Miracle Mindedness: willing, open, wanting, voracious, attentive, observant, asks.
Moment of Hearing: Vision, angels
Form of Hearing: ideas, visions, spoken
Result/Benefit: a beautiful creation that touches peopleʼs lives for the better
Message/Lesson: Any inspiration that touches peopleʼs hearts, brings them more
peace, joy, comfort, understanding, and connection comes from God. Any inspiration
that serves the Holy Spiritʼs purpose comes from God.
Notes: Our minds are joined with Godʼs. It is through our mind that we are able to
perceive thoughts, feelings, ideas, visions, sensation, and what we feel in our hearts
that God communicates to us.
Ask God directly for inspiration, creativity, and ideas and passion that you can use to
touch peopleʼs lives for the better. Ask God to join you in all your creations so that you
feel connected with God, supported, guided, and blessed in all that you do.
Hearing Godʼs voice is not just about receiving. It can be in action, and all youʼre doing,
in the moment that youʼre doing it, you are joined with God. It doesnʼt need to be a two-
step process. It can be a one step process and a two-step process.
This can happen with everything, all types of creativity, not just artistic. Starting a
business, a family, a relationship, a hobby, a new job. It doesnʼt matter. Ask for God to
work with you and your heart and mind to inspire and plant creative, helpful, and
glorious thoughts in your heart and mind for you to bring into the world, and then be
passionate about taking in all of the ideas that come to you, feeling them out, joining
with them, playing them out in your mind, not the ones that fill your heart with joy and
love to grow and allow the other wants to fall away.
Commentary: Simple Synchronicity by Vicki Junk-Wright.

Vicki is an artist who was commissioned by a local hospital to paint a huge mural inside
the hospital lobby. Vicki knew she wanted to bring something special to this painting,
something spiritual, something that would touch peopleʼs hearts and bring them comfort
and peace through whatever challenges that they or their family were going through,
given the fact that this is in a hospital.
I really like the way that Vicki described how she goes about getting inspiration for her
paintings from God. Listen very carefully to how Vicki describes her process. She wrote,
“I presented my subconscious mind with the task of finding the missing ingredient. I
opened myself up to what was around me, having faith that some missing ingredient
would mysteriously bubble forth with an “aha!” moment. I went about my normal routine
and, as always, an undercurrent started to form which looked for the solution. Maybe
someone said something or I saw a phrase in a magazine. Anything might have brought
that current of an idea to the surface. When that happened, my mind grabbed at those
images bobbing around me, as if I had a limited time to pull them in. The phrases, the
visuals, the feelings all came rushing my way, formulating a great idea.”
I love this description because itʼs so beautifully describes so many of the ways that
God can speak to us and inspire us. Some people might read this description and say,
“There is no God in there. She doesnʼt even mention God.” But you see, our minds and
everything in the world is connected to God, is a part of God. Yes, she presented her
intention to her subconscious mind to find that magical, missing ingredient for her mural,
but that prayer and intention doesnʼt just go to her mind that is somehow separate from
God. Our minds are joined with God, always, in every way. There is no separation
between our conscious and subconscious minds, and the Mind of God.
Vickiʼs loving intention to bring something beautiful, inspired, and divine into the world
through this painting was heard by the Holy Spirit. And because the Holy Spirit is part of
everything, the Holy Spirit begins to bring forth all of the clues, the insights, the symbols,
and all the information and signs necessary to bring forth that divine creativity into
Vickiʼs heart and mind.
Vicki said, “ The phrases, the visuals, the feelings all came rushing my way, formulating
a great idea.” All of those things came directly from God and the Holy Spirit. Without that
intention that Vicki had, without that silent prayer and conviction in her heart, she would
not have received that divine inspiration. Some people might not call that prayer, or
might not call that intention prayer, but that is exactly what it is. Intention is a prayer and
a statement to God that this is what I want, and itʼs also a willingness and a conviction
to receive it.
Any inspiration that touches peopleʼs hearts, brings them more peace, joy, comfort,
understanding, and connection comes from God. Any inspiration that serves the Holy
Spiritʼs purpose comes directly from God.
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Iʼve said this once before. Our minds are joined with Godʼs. We donʼt have separate
minds. There is no separation in God. It is through our minds that we are able to
perceive the thoughts, ideas, visions, sensation, and feelings in our hearts that God is
communicating to us. Because our minds are joined, Godʼs communications to us come
directly through all of these different ways that we are able to perceive and experience
everyday.
Receiving inspiration or inspired ideas is not just for artistic people like artists,
musicians, or actors. Working with our hearts and minds to receive this type of
inspiration from God can happen with everything: Starting a business, a family, a
relationship, a hobby, or even a new job. It doesnʼt matter what the topic is. Ask God to
work with you to inspire and plant creative, helpful, and glorious thoughts in your heart
and mind for you to bring into the world.
Like Vicki, hold this very clear intention to receive all that God would give you and then
look everywhere for it. Be hungry to receive it in every way imaginable. Pretend that
God can inspire you through everyone and everything. Be like a sponge receiving the
inspiration, knowing that it can come from anywhere and from the smallest things
imaginable. Have fun with it. Be passionate about taking in all of the ideas that come to
you, feeling them out, joining with them, playing around with them in your mind. Allow
everything that fills your heart with joy and love to grow, and allow everything else to fall
away.
Hearing Godʼs voice is a very receptive process, but itʼs not only about receiving.
Hearing Godʼs voice also occurs through action, in all youʼre doing, in the moment
youʼre doing it. When you are physically doing an inspired activity, you are hearing
Godʼs voice in that moment because you are joined with God in your creations. Hearing
Godʼs voice is not only a two-step process, meaning that you hear something,
disconnect from God, and then go follow through with your guidance. Itʼs one fluid
motion of receiving and manifesting. Of receiving and expressing. That communication
is being received and expressed through you, and itʼs important to acknowledge that the
expression is just as important and meaningful as the receiving.
Have fun with this process. Have fun asking God for inspiration, holding a very clear
intention to receive it, and then being mindful and passionate about taking in everything
you possibly can. Remember, you can do this with everything, your to-do lists, your
vacation, writing a birthday card or e-mail, or dancing in your living room with the music
turned up high.
You can be a divinely inspired artist in everything you do simply by the way you
approach it.
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Overcoming My “Autism”
Contributor: Tara McClintick" " Pages: 174-177
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Commentary
Description: The parent of an autistic child, Tara has a meltdown right along with her
son yet hears an enlightening message from God as a result.
Inner Struggle: Crying, frustrated, angry, reached the limit of her patients and control
Miracle Mindedness: hit bottom, nothing else to hold on to, depleted of control,
surrendered, let go
Moment of Hearing: Crying
Form of Hearing: audible voice
Result/Benefit: a huge wave of relief rolled over me as the truth of those words flooded
my mind. It felt as if a weight had immediately lifted.
Message/Lesson: what we think about others is, in my experience, equally true for
myself. Keep it about me.
Notes: Talk about my own experience of projection and invite them to try it out and see
if it is equally true. Doesnʼt have to be on the same exact topic. In what areas of your life
is it true?
Commentary: Overcoming My Autism by Tara McClintick.
Tara is the mother of an autistic child named Jake. I can hardly imagine how difficult it
must be to raise an artistic child, but Tara felt extremely blessed to be his mother and
embrace the learning opportunities he brought to her life. On this particular day, though,
Taraʼs lessons came with a lot of tears.
Jake had a difficult time understanding things, and when things didnʼt always go his
way, he would often melt down screaming and crying. On this particular occasion, Tara
did everything she could, but his meltdown was beyond her control.
Tara had finally gotten Jake home from a ruined therapy session. She had just propped
the door open from her garage to her house with her purse. Jake remained in the car,
sobbing with his shirt pulled over his head, refusing to get out. Tears began streaming
down Taraʼs face as she pleaded to God out loud: “See? This is why I want him to be
able to understand me! He loves to go to the gym, and he couldnʼt go today because he
didnʼt understand enough to hear and trust me!”
Without any warning, a deep and loud voice suddenly pierced Taraʼs consciousness like
none she had ever experienced before. The voice said, “How are you any different than
your child? Why donʼt you trust where I am taking you?”
Tara froze in her tracks. The voice seemed to come from all around her. She said it
penetrated her self-pity and stilled her awareness to that moment alone. She said she
usually felt God as a quiet presence within her, and wondered whether she heard Him
right. This time, there was no doubt.
A huge wave of relief rolled over her as the truth of those words flooded her mind. It felt
as if a weight had immediately lifted and she realized she was very similar to Jake when
things didnʼt go as she expected! Maybe when things didnʼt go how she expected, she
could settle down and listen, just as she wanted Jake to do.
I wanted to share this story with you is because itʼs a great example of a concept called
projection. When painful thoughts, beliefs, and emotions arise within us, if we donʼt take
full responsibility for having them, what normally happens is that those thoughts and
ideas get projected onto other people. Let me give you a few examples.
When I have the idea that someone is being selfish, if I authentically look into my own
experience in that moment, I will more than likely discover that I am being selfish in that
moment. In that situation, for example, I might discover that I have a certain belief or
expectation in my mind that that person should behave a certain way. In that moment,
Iʼm caring more about my wants and needs and what I think should happen than what
that other person might want or need. If I actually had that personʼs best interests at
heart, I might be more open to understanding whatʼs really going on for them, what they
are experiencing and going through in that moment, with love, compassion, and
understanding in my heart and mind for them, not selfishly putting my own ideas about
what I think is best ahead of theirs or Godʼs. In that moment, Iʼm being selfish with my
own agendas and beliefs, and that selfishness gets projected upon them.
Let me give you one more example. Letʼs say I make an observation that someone is
being really judgmental and has some issues. In the moment that I think that thought,
Iʼm not acknowledging the issues that I have with that person, and Iʼm being judgmental
about how I think that person should act or behave. In that moment, Iʼm judging them
and not being the open, loving, accepting, and nonjudgmental person I think they should
be.
When we notice ourselves judging others or wanting them to be different, whatever we

think about them is actually what weʼre doing in that moment. If we think someoneʼs
being impatient, weʼre being impatient thinking that they should be different right now. If
we think someone else has a bad addiction problem, where do we have a bad addiction
problem? Are we addicted to judging that person and others? Are we addicted to having
a closed heart or feeling like we always know whatʼs best for others? Whatever we think
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about another is equally true for us in some way in our lives, even if itʼs only true about
our thinking in that moment.
This is called projection. We project our own pain onto others and believe those
thoughts are true. If we can notice when youʼre in pain and judging others, we give
ourselves the opportunity to turn our awareness onto ourselves. We give ourselves the
opportunity to heal our own pain, to release our own judgments, and the instant we do,
we will no longer see things the same way. As soon as we heal our own pain and
judgment through love and forgiveness, that love and forgiveness will naturally extend
to the people we were moments before judging.
Godʼs love extends. Thatʼs all it can do. When weʼre in judgment, we extend those
judgments to others. When weʼre in pain, we extend or project that pain onto others. But
when weʼre in love, peace, and wholeness, we will extend that love, peace, and
wholeness into the world and see others through eyes of love, compassion, and faith.
We are continually projecting our internal experience into the world. When we become
aware of what our internal experiences are, we can extend love to ourselves and heal
everything within us. When we do, our love will naturally extend to everyone and
everything we encounter.
Become aware of when you are judging others, in big and small ways, and when you
notice that, allow yourself to become aware of how you are doing the very same thing in
that moment, even if itʼs only in your thinking. When you discover this dynamic or
behavior that we all act out in our lives, extend forgiveness, compassion, understanding,
and love to yourself. All judgment is a call for love. All fear is a call for love. Extend love
to yourself in those moments, and when your pain dissolves in the presence of love,
your love will naturally flow into the world for all to receive.
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Tap, Tap, Tap
Contributor: Theresa Miller" Pages: 178-181
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Commentary
Description: After losing her daughter in a custody battle, Theresa opens up to hearing
the Holy Spirit within her after saying the prayer of St. Francis repeatedly for many
weeks. This voice now gently guides and leads her in her life.
Inner Struggle: Turmoil and pain in losing her daughter.
Miracle Mindedness: Fervent prayer. Openness, conviction, willingness. Desire,

intention.
Moment of Hearing: Tap tap tap, feeling, voice
Form of Hearing: Physical sensation, emotional feeling, thought voice.
Result/Benefit: Immediately I felt a huge wave of love and peace. It was as though a
million angels were hugging me and loving me beyond anything I had ever known.
Gentle and loving guidance, comfort, and communication
Message/Lesson: God's Voice is the Voice of Love, and Love is what I Am.
A Homeless Man
Contributor: Grace Ross" " Pages: 181-183
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Commentary
Description: Not knowing the significance or why she has guided to provide
communication to two of her students, Grace reluctantly follows her guidance and helps
to facilitate profound healing in their lives.
Inner Struggle:
Miracle Mindedness: open, willing
Moment of Hearing: While washing dishes
Form of Hearing: I did not perceive the voice to be outside of me, as if someone were
physically speaking to me, but it did not sound like my own stream of thoughts either.
Result/Benefit: Provided comfort, understanding, and guidance for others. Helped her
to see how connected we all are and how we can each serve one another with Godʼs
help.
Message/Lesson: We are all connected.

Awakening
Contributor: Kare Castle" " Pages: 184-188
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Commentary
Description: Over the course of several years learning to deal with her husband's drug
addiction, Kare learns to give all her pain over to God, gaining her freedom, peace, and
clarity in the process, not to mention a new and loving relationship.
Inner Struggle: First: Fear, worry.
Second: nagging feeling, still in pain, not letting it go,

Third: shame and guilt
Fourth: Trauma, shock
Fifth:
Miracle Mindedness:
First: She prayed, “Please God, show me where he is!” open, asking, willing.
Second: Acknowledgment that she is in pain and that nothing she does is solving it. She
turns to something greater than herself. Recognition that she does not know it is willing
to surrender to something greater than herself.
Third: there has to be another way, willingness
Fourth: Worked through her shame and guilt and ready to return to church.
commitment, desire.
Fifth: self-love,
Moment of Hearing:
First: A clear and distinct thought came to me.

Second: Decided to go to church.
Third: Changed to a spiritual support group in her home
Fourth: go back to church
Fifth: return to church
Etc.
Form of Hearing: Inspiring ideas that felt good and right, nurturing and healing, that
would bring greater peace and forgiveness
Result/Benefit: Peace, forgiveness, freedom, love, Faith
Message/Lesson: Continual inspiration and guidance if we are wanting and willing to

receive it. allow the love and support to come to you directly and through others.
Notes: Acknowledge the source of your inspirations. Validates, builds confidence, trust,
and faith, worthiness, gratitude, relationship. The more you acknowledge Godʼs
participation in your life, the more you have that relationship. Itʼs always there whether
you recognize it or not, but when you recognize it, validate it, focus on it, and received it,
your life takes on a whole new experience. From being alone, struggling, fighting for
your sanity and well-being to fulfilling relationship, guidance, Grace, support, comfort,
partnership, trust, someone you can count on.
Commentary: Awakening by Kare Castle.
Kareʼs story is a fantastic example that God is continually speaking to us. Most of us,
just arenʼt aware of it. So what Iʼd like to do through this story is point out all the subtle
guidance and communication Kare received throughout this challenging time in her life.
It began one night when Kare awoke with a deep sense that something was wrong with
her husband. She tried to reassure herself that everything was okay, that she was just
making it up, but nothing she thought about reassured her fears. Her heart was racing
and her stomach turned into a knot, so she pray, “Please God, show me where he is!”
In that instant, she thought she heard her husband crying. A clear and distinct thought
came to her: “Heʼs by the pool.” Although it wasnʼt possible to hear someone crying from
so far away, she said she didnʼt question the thought. She walked across the entire
apartment complex where they lived in her nightgown to the pool. She found him there,
drunk and crying.
So here she had these uncontrollable, unsoothable emotions, she prayed to know
where her husband was, she was open and willing to receive the answer, and then she
immediately had the thought, “heʼs by the pool.” So she went there and there he was.
Thatʼs the first example.
For the next couple of years, Kare lived her life in denial of her husbandʼs challenges.
They moved twice to try to find just the right environment to live out a more perfect life,
but nothing changed for them. Hopeless and not knowing what to do, Kare finally
acknowledged the pain she was in and shows to do something about it. She turned to
something greater than herself and decided to start attending church. That
acknowledgment of her pain, her surrender to something greater than herself, and her
decision to attend church is the second example of of knowledge of what is, seeking
something greater, and following the inspiration in her heart.
But attending church without her husband by her side was just too painful for her, so
one evening while she was driving home from work, feeling depressed and lost, she
silently ask God for help and immediately had the thought to start a spiritual support
group for women. challenge, request, inspired answer. Thatʼs example number three.
Having this support group in her home each week gave Kare the spiritual focus and
foundation she needed to deal with the next challenge in her life. When her husband
admitted to using narcotics, for a brief moment she panicked, but then very quickly she
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sought Godʼs guidance and felt inspired to return to church to seek a support group for
people affected by the addictions of others. Once again, challenge, surrender, asking,
inspiration, and follow through. That example number four.
So she returns to church and discovers that her churchʼs teaching the class on Maria
Nemethʼs book, The Energy of Money. In the middle of the class, Kari had an epiphany.
“Oh my god,” she said out loud to herself. “I have been handling money completely
unconsciously, and that is exactly how Iʼve been living my life—unconsciously.”
In a moment of complete surrender, Kare said a prayer that changed her life: “Dear
God, please wake me up!”
It was shortly thereafter that Kare found herself driving to the hospital to meet with her
husband and his doctor, chanting the prayer, “God help me see him through Your eyes.
Let me see the perfection in this moment.”
As she sat in the stark hospital room listening to her husband confess his horrifying
behaviors related to sex addiction, she very clearly heard a strong and peaceful voice
within her say, “All is well. Your peace and safety lie in your relationship with Me.”
Kare then shared in her story, “I believe the Holy Spirit spoke directly through me then.
The words issuing from my mouth were Godʼs. “You have done some terrible things,” I
said, “but I know the truth of who you are. You are a child of God and, for no other
reason than that, I forgive you.” Thatʼs number five and six.
And finally, Kare shared what happened when her six year old granddaughter came to
visit, drawing a picture with crayons in almost a trancelike state that depicted what was
going on in Kareʼs life: her husband in the midst of a tornado reaching out to an angel in
heaven, and Kare on the other side of the tornado with blood on her knees.
Looking at picture, it became clear to Kare that it was not her responsibility to save her
husband. He had an angel ready to help him. Her job was to stay on her knees and help
herself with prayer. Thatʼs the seventh example.
Each of these examples illustrates the dynamics of receiving guidance, communication,

inspiration, or healing from God. Thereʼs a challenge, we knowledge the challenge, we
seek for something greater than ourselves through intention and prayer, and then we
allow ourselves through surrender and willingness to receive the blessings that God has
to give us. Each of those examples illustrates this process, and we all go through this
process in countless different ways in our lives. They donʼt have to be big life-changing
things. They can be common, small, and mundane. Yet you can see by really looking at
all of these examples that God was guiding Kare every step of the way during this
challenging yet healing time in her life.
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We can all have this ongoing guidance, support, and healing in our lives if we are willing
to knowledge our struggles, ask for help, and are willing to receive it. We are no
different than Kare. She is just an ordinary person, struggling with not so uncommon
difficulties and challenges that will face in our lives. You have the opportunity and ability
to use the challenges in your life to become healed and free from pain, and deepen your
relationship with God in profound ways. But it takes honesty, humility, sincerity,
intention, and a willingness to receive. Acknowledge when you are in pain, ask for help,
and surrender to receiving the healing and peace that God has to offer you. Do these
things with intention and sincerity, and everything in your life will become a profound
blessing for you.
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Ugly Teddy
Contributor: Georgianne Giese" " Pages: 188-191
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Commentary
Description: Georgianne experiences an unmistakable knowingness that gives her the
confidence and faith to make a major life change.
Inner Struggle: Generally unhappy in her life
Miracle Mindedness: timing, willingness, ready
Moment of Hearing: The moment she touched the bear
Form of Hearing: A stillness welled within her. Overcome with a feeling of absolute
certainty, unshakeable knowingness
Result/Benefit: Able to recognize that connection when she needed to, faith, trust,
courage, willingness to surrender
Message/Lesson: God will give us what we need to take our next steps.
God Speaks Up
Contributor: Jamara Luma" " Pages: 192-194
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Commentary
Description: Jamara experiences an unmistakable knowingness that gives her the
confidence and faith to make a major life change.
Inner Struggle: General struggle. “Had made a mess of my life.”
Miracle Mindedness: Open, willing to ask for help, prayer. From my heart I prayed,
“Help me with this anger.”
Moment of Hearing: Immediately after praying.
Form of Hearing: Immediately I heard an authoritative, caring, and powerful Voice

within my mind saying, “Think of something else.”
Result/Benefit: Productive at work: Hours passed at work. Wow! I had accomplished

so much! Instead of feeling angry, I was calm, peaceful and happy. I felt amazed! My
prayer had immediately been answered!
Message/Lesson: Power of prayer.
Notes: What we pray for is very important. Are we praying for things to change? Or are
we praying for our own understanding, peace, forgiveness, and healing? We canʼt know
what is in the highest good. Chapter on prayer in The Voice for Love.
Commentary: God Speaks Up by Jamara Luma.
Jamara did not grow up trusting in God. She saw so much pain in the world that if there
was a God, she thought, she did not want to have anything to do with him. As an adult,
Jamara unknowingly married an alcoholic and one day found herself attending an
Alanon meeting, which is the 12-Step organization for the families of alcoholics.
Well, when she got to Step 3 of the 12 steps, which says, “Make a decision to turn your
will and your life over to the care of God as you understand Him,” all of her anger and
distrust of God came roaring to the surface. She did start to try to pray to God, but she
felt like she was just making it up and that nobody was really listening. Then one day,
she got into a good fight with her husband, and she asked God sincerely to help her let
go of her anger. Immediately she heard an authoritative, caring, and powerful Voice
within her mind say, “Think of something else.”
Jamara had never had an experienced anything like that before, so she just did with the
voice instructed her to do, and low and behold, her anger vanished.
This built a tremendous amount of trust in Jamara, so she continued to pray and receive
guidance and answers from God in all kinds of different ways. Over time, this
momentum of praying to God and receiving answers continue to build until she
eventually felt like God was always with her, providing her with guidance and
communication whenever she needed it.
I think this story is a fantastic example of the power of prayer. Prayer is absolutely
critical in our relationship with God. God is always waiting and willing to have a
relationship with us, but unless we open the door through prayer, no relationship occurs
for us in our experience. In order for us to experience a relationship with God, we are
the ones who have to initiate that relationship. The relationship is always there from
Godʼs perspective. God is always in relationship with us, but if we donʼt consciously
initiate our end of the relationship, we donʼt get to experience it.
Prayer can be thought of as any communication directed to God. It doesn't matter what
we pray for or how we pray, the simple act of talking to God opens the door to a
dialogue with God.
Prayer is necessary when we do not fully experience our union with God. If we fully
knew our Oneness with God, the Holy Spirit's function would be complete and prayer
would serve no purpose. We would be fully joined with God in our awareness and we
would naturally experience being the Presence of Love that God is. Prayer is the
acknowledgment that we are experiencing separation in one form or another and wish
to re-connect with God in our experience. So if we want to receive guidance,
understanding, or communication from God, it's important for us to begin the
conversation with God.
Prayer can happen on many different levels. Prayer is any communication directed to
God. It could be a single thought or feeling, an intention, a long drawn-out monologue,
or even an unconscious desire within our heart and mind. Any communication—on any
level of Being—that is directed to Source is considered prayer … and God answers all
prayers.
So if we want something in life, it's up to us to ask for it. It's up to us to put it out there
and then to do whatever is necessary within ourselves and in the world to open up to
receiving that desire in our lives. God answers all prayers instantly, but how and when
we receive what it is up to us. Luckily, we can turn to the Holy Spirit within us to help us
take each step along the way with as much confidence and grace as we are able to
receive.
Because the Holy Spirit sees only our Perfection and is not capable of judging us in any
way, the Holy Spirit joins with us exactly "where we are" in communicating with us and
answering our questions. As a result, the intentions we hold and the exact questions we
ask play a significant role in what it is we actually receive.
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As an example, let's take a look at the following questions: Should I turn left or right? Is
it in my highest good to turn left or right? Which would be a better path to take, left or
right? What would I learn if I went left versus right? What are the pros and cons of going
right versus left? What would be the most fulfilling path to take, left or right? Which way
would be filled with the most grace and ease, right or left? God, do you want me to go
left or right? God, can you tell me which way to go ... right or left? Which direction, left or
right, will deepen my union with God more fully? With what intention should I go left or
right? Does it matter whether I go left versus right? What would be in my highest good
to keep in mind as I think about going left versus right? Are there another other options
besides going left or right? And the list of variations could go on and on….
Each one of these questions has a unique intention and assumption. As a result, the
communication and insight you receive to each question will also be unique. Each
answer will be filled with Truth, but how it's presented to you and what is actually said
will be different depending upon the question you ask. Itʼs therefore important to be
mindful of what it is you are truly seeking and asking for in any given moment and how
you phrase your questions when seeking communication or guidance from God.
Iʼm sharing this with you so that you get the most out of your prayer with God. Be
mindful and specific with what you ask for. Really think about what it is you truly want. If
you want peace, ask for peace directly. If you want faith, ask for faith right now. So
often, we ask for God to make things happen in our lives because we think those things
will bring us joy, happiness, and peace. But if joy, happiness, and peace is what you
really want in the end, why not ask for it right now and bypass all the steps that you
think have to happen in the world to bring those things to you? This is what happened
for Jamara. She actually asked God to help her anger, so she was able to immediately
receive Godʼs help in reply. When you ask for things that can actually happen right now
within your own experience, with sincerity and openness, you can actually receive what
it is you truly want right now.
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Eggs, Farm Smells and Hidden Gifts
Contributor: Sharon Joy Landis" " Pages: 194-196
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Commentary
Description: Grumpy and peevish packing thousands of eggs on her chicken farm,
Sharon suddenly remembers the simplicity of hearing God's voice in the mundane and
everyday experiences of life.
Inner Struggle: Peevish, grumpy, judgmental, irritable
Miracle Mindedness: Tired of her peevishness. In the present moment, out of her
judgmental thoughts, feeling her experience, open to the moment, willing to experience
things differently.
Moment of Hearing: After experiencing many physical sensations while working in the
henhouse.
Form of Hearing: Suddenly, I feel enveloped in a gentle mist of profound gratitude.
Result/Benefit: Compassion, smile, gratitude, blessing everyone and everything, joy,

positive outlook on life
Message/Lesson: hearing Godʼs voice does not need to be a huge or powerful event.
It happens in the mundane. It happens every time we have a shift in perception that
moves us closer to God in our experience.
Notes: A lot of little subtle shifts in perception. God is present in the tiniest grain of
sand, smell, or sensation. By joining with everything and anything with an open heart
and mind, without judgment, we are poised to experience Godʼs love, gratitude, enjoy.
we put ourselves in the right state of mind and heart, miracle mindedness, to receive the
vision of the Holy Spirit.
Commentary: Eggs, Farm Smells and Hidden Gifts by Sharon Joy Landis.
Every time I think of this story, I just get this big smile on my face because itʼs so real
and true to life. Sharon and her husband own and operate a chicken farm, and Sharonʼs
such a good writer that she just brings you right into her experience, “I stifle a gag as I
open the door to the chicken house. My nose instinctively slams shut as if suddenly
submerged underwater; the strong scent of ammonia chokes out the unfolding
freshness of early morning on the farm. I donʼt want to be part of this ʻchicken
concentration campʼ as I often call my farmer husbandʼs main source of income; thirty-
five thousand laying hens.”
Here she is one day at work, grumbling and griping about having to work in such a
confined, grimy, and disgusting place day in and day out. But then something magical
happens. She says, “Tiring of my peevishness, I begin bringing my attention to what my
hands touch, the smooth, warm eggs and stiff plastic flats. The switch to the conveyor
belt is firm, cool as my fingers flip it on and off; running my hand over the belt Iʼm
amazed as it feels smoother than eggshells. I carefully nestle five flats of eggs on top of
each other, then lift the pile up on the egg cart, noticing the heaviness of the stack.
Suddenly, I feel enveloped in a gentle mist of profound gratitude. I am grateful for my
body, its ability to touch, to move and breathe, for my mind and the freedom to believe
differently than my husband, for our deep love, despite our differences. Gratitude and
love moves me from within, then radiates outward. I think about the farm cats, foxes,
and scavenger birds that eat the discarded raw eggs, about the people whose hands
will also touch these eggs: the processors and packers, the truck drivers, store clerks,
the cooks, and all the neighbors, friends and family who use our eggs. I reverently bless
each precious life.
She shares a bit more description, and then shares, “When I listen with openness and
gratitude, I see how rich I am with friendships and opportunities. Life is full of joy when I
am present and grateful, finding the hidden gifts in each moment.”
In my own life, Iʼve had thousands and thousands of experiences joining with God and
hearing His Voice within me, and Iʼve spoken to thousands of people over the years who
have experienced this joining of communication as well. In thinking about all of these
experiences both for myself and others, thereʼs one commonality or affect of hearing
Godʼs Voice that comes to mind for all of them.
What accompanies every experience of joining with God and hearing His voice is a shift
in perception that moves us closer to God in our experience. For every experience of
hearing Godʼs voice, there is always a shift in the personʼs experience towards one of
the many qualities of God, such as love, joy, compassion, peace, or wholeness, and
away from qualities of pain, such as sadness, anger, loneliness, frustration, or fear.
Here Sharon was, griping and complaining about her circumstances, when suddenly
she decides to return her awareness to the present moment, feeling what was actually
happening in her awareness. By returning her focus and consciousness to the present
moment, Sharon was able to open her heart with innocence, wonder, and great
compassion. She was able to reconnect with the presence of Godʼs love within her, and
allow that love to extend outward to everything in her life.
In the midst of her pain, she restored her awareness to the quiet joy of the present
moment and suddenly became enveloped in a gentleness of profound gratitude. She
wasnʼt doing anything profound, she was gathering eggs in a stinky henhouse, but it
didnʼt matter what she was doing, as soon as she opened her heart and mind to joining
with the divinity of that moment, she joined with God and experienced perceiving the
world through His eyes.
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She said, “There is a beautiful spacious quality to my life when I step back from my
present problems and become receptive to Godʼs Voice of love and wisdom. When I
listen with openness and gratitude, I see how rich I am with friendships and
opportunities. Life is full of joy when I am present and grateful, finding the hidden gifts in
each moment.”
This story is real life. Each and every day we all have many subtle shifts in perception,
moments of joining with the love, peace, and joy of God, moments of shifting out of
judgment, darkness, and despair and into faith, peace, and wholeness.
God is present in the tiniest grain of sand, the most horrid of smells, and every
sensation we are capable of having. By joining with anything and everything in our lives
with an open heart and and open mind, void of all judgment, we are poised to
experience Godʼs love, gratitude, and joy in any and every moment of our day.
When we put ourselves in the right state of mind with an open heart, what I call miracle
mindedness, the vision of the Holy Spirit becomes our own, and everything we see, we
see through Godʼs eyes. These subtle shifts in awareness and perception can happen
to us all through the day, and do all the time. All we have to do is be willing to
consciously receive them, and when we do, we are truly hearing Godʼs voice all through
the day.
Allow yourself to become aware of all the little shifts in perception you experience on a
daily basis that bring you closer to God, closer to Godʼs love, peace, and joy. In those
moments, give yourself the gift of acknowledging that you are joined with God in your
awareness in that moment, and hearing his voice whisper to you the truth of who and
what you are.
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Alone But Not Alone
Contributor: Timothy J. Adams" " Pages: 196-199
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Commentary
Description: Tim recounts the most profound experiences of his life and discovers a
common thread between all of them, “I was alone but not alone. I was home with God.”
Inner Struggle: As a child, innocence. As an adult, suicidal. Later on, openness and
innocence once again.
Miracle Mindedness: openness, innocence, surrender,
Moment of Hearing: feeling Godʼs peace and love, wholeness, completion
Form of Hearing: Feeling of wholeness, dream, in writing, inner voice
Result/Benefit: A feeling of being home, whole, and complete, joy, peace
Message/Lesson: The benefit or impact of experiencing God has long-lasting

consequences in our lives. The impact never leaves us. Continual source of inspiration,
strength, hope, comfort, faith, understanding, and love. A memory we can always draw
upon for strength. Itʼs not a short-term fix, but a long term cure for our pain.
Becoming the Change
Contributor: Vecchi Talarico" " Pages: 200-203
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Commentary
Description: While searching for inspiration on the Internet, Vec read a quote by
Gandhi and realizes that she must take responsibility for her thoughts and judgments
and stop wanting her husband to change. As she released her judgment and her heart
opened, her marriage changed dramatically.
Inner Struggle: Broken, hopeless, scared, uncertain, judgmental
Miracle Mindedness: Searching for spiritual fulfillment, hope, growth, and healing,
open and willing
Moment of Hearing: While surfing the Internet
Form of Hearing: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” quote on the
Internet.
Result/Benefit: Release of judgment. Household returned to one of laughter and

lightheartedness. Relationship improved. Prayer, meditation, and positive thinking
became a part of their lives once again.
Message/Lesson: God can use everything in the world as an opportunity to speak to

us. When we are in judgment of another, it is our hearts and minds that need healing.
Bible quote. Turn it around and heal ourselves. It is only through love, and not judgment,
that we can support others in their own healing.
Notes: There is only one God, there is only one source, and anything that restores our
awareness and our experience to that source of love, truth, peace, wholeness, and unity
can only come from that source. Nothing that does not come from God can restore us
to God, so anything in the world, in the words, any actions, situations, communications,
or anything else that restores you to God comes directly from God. and God can work
through everyone and everything to restore you to him, to restore your awareness and
experienced Godʼs. So if you read something in a book, in a magazine, or on your
computer that restores you to the experience of God, those words are Godʼs voice
speaking to you. God can use all of us to share his love and truth with each other. We
are all worthy of hearing and sharing Godʼs voice with one another just as Jesus and
the apostles did with us. Jesus and the apostles have been working with us for 2000
years to help us learn and grow and develop the capacity to hear and share Godʼs voice
with ourselves and each other. Begins to acknowledge when you hear Godʼs voice in
the world. The more you recognize, acknowledge, and validate how God communicates
to you in the world, the more you will recognize all the ways God is working with you
and everyone else to awaken to him.
I also think there is another powerful message in the story. Judgment, projection, turning
it around on ourselves.
Importance of taking responsibility.
Commentary: Becoming the Change by Vecchi Talarico.
After 34 years of marriage, Vecchiʼs marriage was in serious trouble. After her husband
first lost his father, and then his position at work, he took a downward spiral into
depression. He began to drink more and communicate less, and as he fell further into
despair, Vecchi began to resent him and see him this weak. She said, “A barrage of
negative internal chatter seized my mind daily. Iʼd already raised four kids, why did he
have to be my fifth? Why couldnʼt he see he was allowing other people, and
circumstances outside of his control, to dictate his future? Would I ever be able to look
him in the eye again?”
So there she found herself one day, looking at book titles on divorce, scared and
shocked that after 34 years of marriage she found herself in this position. and then one
day, while surfing the Internet for sites that fed her desire for spiritual growth and
awareness, she stumbled upon a quote from Mohandas Gandhi that read, “You must
be the change you wish to see in the world.”
She said, “I had heard this quote before, but this day it spoke directly to me. Waves of
goose bumps traveled throughout my body and my heart raced as wisdom took hold.
Here in bold revelation, presented in simple but astounding truth when I least expected
it, was the answer I had been searching for. An amazing gift of clarity had been specially
delivered to me and the screen of self-righteousness I had been hiding behind suddenly
collapsed.”
What does this have to do with hearing Godʼs voice?
This next part is very important to understand.... There is only one God. There is only
one source. And anything that restores our our experience to that Source, of love, of
truth, of peace, and wholeness can only come from that Source. Nothing, I repeat,
nothing that does not come from God can restore us to God. Let me say that again.,
Nothing that does not come from God can restore us to God. This means that anything
in the world, whether it be words, actions, situations, communications, or anything else
that restores you to God comes directly from God. God works through everyone and
everything to restore you to Him, to restore your Awareness and Experience to Godʼs.
So if you read something in a book, in a magazine, or on your computer that restores
you to the experience of God, those words are Godʼs words. Those words are from
Godʼs voice speaking to you. God can use everything and everyone to share his love
and truth with us. We are all worthy of hearing and sharing Godʼs voice with one
another.
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Every time you are restored to the awareness of God, to the awareness of any of the
qualities of God, begins to acknowledge the source of that restoration, regardless of the
form that it takes. The more you recognize, acknowledge, and validate how God
communicates to you in the world, the more you will recognize all the ways that God is
working with you and everyone else to awaken your awareness to Him.
Everything has the capability to be a communication from God, because God has the
capability to use everything in the world to communicate to you. Allow yourself to use
everything in the world as an opportunity to communicate with God, and you will hear
Godʼs voice speaking to you every moment of your day.
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Follow Me Home
Contributor: John Wilcox" " Pages: 203-206
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Commentary
Description: Praying for enlightenment meant for nearly 30 years, John finally received
the gift he had been seeking.
Inner Struggle: Connecting with his sincere desire.
Miracle Mindedness: Sincerity, desire, open heartedness, non-judgment.
Moment of Hearing: A tingling sensation started in my toes
Form of Hearing: Physical sensations and audible inner voice.
Result/Benefit: Release of old pain and hurt. I had been born to a new world. Even the
familiar was new. I was seeing with new clear eyes that made everything bright and
clean. Each brimmed with the most ridiculous joy, every minute full of love, every instant
holy.
Message/Lesson: It is through our sincere desire and non-judgment that we open

ourselves to experiencing Godʼs unconditional love.
Notes: I had been born to a new world. Even the familiar was new. I was seeing with
new clear eyes that made everything bright and clean. Each brimmed with the most
ridiculous joy, every minute full of love, every instant holy.
We are preparing ourselves over a lifetime. Devotion and commitment create the
momentum for our readiness to receive Godʼs love and healing in our lives. Every time
we open our heart to someone else, every time we let go of a judgment about ourselves
or another, every time we ask to see things through Godʼs eyes, every time we choose
to join with God, we are building a momentum, we are building our desire, our
commitment, our integrity, so that our whole being comes together with clarity of
purpose and will, and when that happens, we have learned the groundwork and the
foundation to fully receive all the love, peace, and healing that God has to give us. This
can happen in any moment, and yet for most of us, we build this capability within us
over the course of our lives through our devotion and commitment to choosing God in
as many moments as we can. Not only do we reap the benefits right now in this moment
each time we choose to experience God and the Holy Spiritʼs vision, but itʼs like putting
money in the bank that builds and builds until one day we are simply overflowing and
ready for all that God has to give us.
Commentary: Follow Me Home by John Wilcox.

John had been on a spiritual path for over 30 years. He had prayed for decades for a
tangible experience of enlightenment, to experience a connection with God so deep and
so real that he would know only love. On the night of his 60th birthday, while laying in
bed while listening to the clock toll, John experienced a profound cleansing of his heart
and mind that changed his experience of life forever more.
He said, “I had been born to a new world. Even the familiar was new. I was seeing with
new clear eyes that made everything bright and clean. Each brimmed with the most
ridiculous joy, every minute full of love, every instant holy.”
I know what Johnʼs talking about, because Iʼve had many of these moments myself,
each one completely unexpected, wholly out of the blue, and yet the most profound
experiences Iʼve ever had in my life.
From my own experience and from from speaking many people over the years, I believe
that over our entire lifetime we are continually preparing ourselves for deeper and
deeper experiences of our union with God. Our ongoing and daily devotion and
commitment to our spiritual evolution and growth, to our daily spiritual practices, that
create an unseen and oftentimes unknown momentum deep within our soul that is
silently preparing us for the quantum leaps that we sometimes take in our lives in
receiving Godʼs love and healing.
We could go years and years, consciously and diligently working on our relationship
with God, working to heal our hearts and minds, working to deepen our faith, our
commitment, and our surrender, with no apparent success or forward momentum to
speak of.
I know that I have personally gone for years being so diligent, committed, and hard-
working in my prayer and communication with God, in my daily meditations with God,
and the mindfulness that I bring to my life, with no life changing evolutionary leaves in
my awareness. And yet, I too, like John, have had profound experiences when my entire
awareness of life completely changes in a single moment.
Itʼs my belief, that these moments are not random, nor are we unprepared for them. Itʼs
my belief over the past 15 years of experience that it is our silent and daily devotion and
commitment that creates a profound momentum for our readiness to receive these
quantum leaps in our experience of Godʼs love and union.
Every time we open our heart to someone else, every time we let go of a judgment
about ourselves or another, every time we ask to see things through Godʼs eyes, every
time we choose to join with God, Every time we choose to see the world through the
Holy Spirit size, we are building a momentum. We are building our desire, our
commitment, our integrity, so that our whole being comes together with clarity of
purpose and will, and when that moment happens, we have builds the groundwork and
the foundation to fully receive all the love, peace, and healing that God has to give us.
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This profound moment of healing can happen in any moment, usually quite
unexpectedly, and yet for most of us, we are continually and slowly building up to this
capability within us over the course of our lives through our devotion and commitment to
choosing God in as many moments as we can. Not only do we reap the benefits right
now in this moment each time and every time we choose to experience Godʼs vision,
but our moment to moment choice to live with God becomes like putting money in the
bank that builds and builds until one day we are simply overflowing and ready for all that
God has to give us. it seems like these moments happen all at once with no apparent
preparation, but the truth is, we have been building and building up to this magical
moment for quite some time. Weʼre just aware of when the dam breaks and Godʼs love
comes pouring in, but itʼs truly all of our hard work and dedication that has made it
possible for that moment to finally come.
To me, this is what John Wilcoxʼs story represents, the importance of our long-term
commitment to deepening our relationship with God on a daily basis. Itʼs the small daily
commitments that we make to ourselves that create the momentum that changes our
lives forever in a moment we never saw coming. Iʼve seen this over and over again in
my life, and the lives of many people Iʼve met.
So the point is this: continue each and every day with your commitment to experiencing
presence of God in your life, with your commitment to choosing love over fear, peace
over sadness, kindness over apathy. Continue to deepen your commitment to choosing
Godʼs voice throughout your day, and noted every time you do, you are building the
momentum within you that will one day become greater than you could ever imagine,
opening the door to profound miracles in your life.
This day is coming for you. Make each moment count, choose peace and love in its
many moments as you can, I know that each time you do, you are preparing yourself for
a quantum leap in your experience of God that will one day be across profound moment
of your life.
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I Do It For You
Contributor: Yolanda Tims" " Pages: 207-209
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Commentary
Description: In a moment of despair, Yolanda receives confirmation from God that he
truly loves her and all of humanity and that he is here with us and has not abandoned
us.
Inner Struggle: Despair, hopeless
Miracle Mindedness: Asks a question, not knowing, open, sincere
Moment of Hearing: While driving down the road in a car.
Form of Hearing: She felt an inner warmth that was comforting and filled with love and
heard a voice say, “I do it for you.”
Result/Benefit: Blissful ecstasy, wisdom and understanding, experience of oneness.

The knowledge gave her great peace.
Message/Lesson: Whether our needs are monumental or inconsequential, God is

there with his sustaining love every minute.
Healing for a Wounded Heart
Contributor: Sue Gass" " Pages: 209-212
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: Sue follows her inner promptings and has a profound healing moment
connecting with a man whose son had passed away in the war, the same son Sue had
created a quilt for in his memory.
Inner Struggle:
Miracle Mindedness: willingness
Moment of Hearing: Sensation or impulse to notice some balloons and speak to

someone.
Form of Hearing: A sensation that caught her attention.
Result/Benefit: Beautiful healing and joining.
Message/Lesson: Hearing Godʼs voice can be very subtle, just an impulse or

something that catches our eye, but when we donʼt dismiss it and we follow those tiny
promptings, wonderful miracles can happen.
Notes: God has a way of getting our attention when we need it most.
The Auction
Contributor: Jennifer Monahan" " Pages: 212-216
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: Jennifer asked God to join her in purchasing a house at auction, and she
listened to Godʼs whispers and promptings all along the way. The entire experience was
filled with grace and blessings.
Inner Struggle: Nervous, uncertain
Miracle Mindedness: Excited, believing, willing, surrendered, not attached, open, in

partnership, faith
Moment of Hearing: When she was guided to participate in the auction.
Form of Hearing: Quiet voice in her head which sounded like her own thoughts
Result/Benefit: confidence, Grace, inspiration in purchasing a new house.
Message/Lesson: Ask God to be with you in your life. there is no area of your life that
God can to join you in.
Notes: Ask God to be with you in your life. there is no area of your life that God can to
join you in. No questions, problems, challenges, endeavors, dreams, are too big or too
small for God. Bring God to work, into your business meetings, into your planning
sessions, into your discussions. Literally, not just invite God, but allow God to be in your
heart and mind, inspiring your words, your thoughts, your creativity, your actions, and
everything you do at work. When you donʼt feel connected, pause, invite God to be with
you, feel his Presence in your heart and mind, in your cubicle, in your office, in your
meeting, and within you. Surrender to that presence, allow that presents to fill your heart
and mind with loving, peaceful, wise, insightful, and beneficial thoughts and ideas to
help move you forward in your life.
Itʼs not always about what you want in a situation, but what does God want. Can you be
not attached, open, willing, and surrendered not to your small wants and needs, but to
something greater. You canʼt always know what the best solution is or the best outcome.
Your will and Godʼs will is one. Not your will and getting God to help you out.
Finding Peace Amidst Despair
Contributor: Marie Lafterty " " Pages: 216-219
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: In the silence of meditation, Marie experiences the truth of who she is,
which gives her the peace, love, joy, and forgiveness she needs during this unbearable
time of dealing with her daughter's drug addiction.
Inner Struggle: Turmoil, guilt, fear
Miracle Mindedness: Willing, wanting, opening, quieting her mind, surrendering
Moment of Hearing: In the silence of meditation
Form of Hearing: Direct experience of the truth of who she is.
Result/Benefit: peace, love, joy, and forgiveness.
Message/Lesson: We are much more than what we see with our eyes, and hear with
our ears. Our true nature is spiritual. We are spiritual beings, that means that we are
literally spirit. Whatever his temporary is not the truth about us, because what we are,
our essence, our awareness is eternal, cannot be threatened, cannot be taken from us,
and cannot die or perish. who we truly our cannot be threatened, cannot be diminished,
cannot be harmed. The more that we come to experience directly this truth, his true
identity, the more we release ourselves from our limited identity and the pain that goes
with that, death, despair, loss. Throughout life, we are learning to transition our sense of
self from the limited self to our eternal, infinite self that God created, and is eternally
united with him. God is not confused by who we truly are. God sees our infinite self.
Strive for the direct experience of who you truly are, of your true nature, and it will be
giving you. Share a little bit about my experience.
Fall in Love with Yourself
Contributor: Shannon Oakley" " Pages: 219-222
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: After losing everything, Shannon has a small breakdown and while
pouring her heart out to God receives the message to learn to love herself. She soon
begins to practice exactly that and learns to hear Godʼs voice in all of the subtle
nuances of life.
Inner Struggle: Tired, hopeless, fearful, at the bottom
Miracle Mindedness: Gave it all to God, gave up control, surrendered, willing,

unattached
Moment of Hearing: After her dishwasher broke and she vented to God.
Form of Hearing: I suddenly became aware of a faint thought-like voice speaking to me

in my mind. The whispered words were so subtle I could barely make them out, but their
meaning washed over me full force: to change my life, I needed to change the way I
thought and talked about it. When I asked how to do that, I heard very clearly within my
mind, “Fall in love with yourself.”
Result/Benefit: truly felt connected to God, there was an answer for me, and that I was
supported and loved. For the first time since 9/11, I felt hope.
The next day I received a powerful sign. Several e-mails arrived, all announcing
a new book written by Immaculée Ilibagiza, the Rwandan woman who had spent three
months in a tiny bathroom with several other women, surviving the holocaust in her
country.
After reading her story, I couldnʼt feel sorry for myself any longer. I began to
consciously appreciate the abundance in my life, from the grass and trees to the
availability of credit to help me with my bills. I continued my mental dialogue with God,
asking for guidance and expressing gratitude for the love and support I received. Each
day I asked how to move from fear to trust by mentally posing the question to God or by
writing in my journal at night.
The following day I would read or hear words from someone that directly
addressed my question. It was as if a little light would go on. I would experience a
sudden knowing that those words were meant for me, that they had been sent because
I had asked for them. They came in the form of conversations, e-mails, a line in a song
or movie, a bumper sticker, even a stranger in the grocery store. Sometimes when I
wasnʼt sure, Iʼd get the answer in two or three different forms in one day. God gave me
direct signs by introducing me to uplifting stories, wise people, and opportunities daily,
opening me up to a whole new experience of life. Every signal I received strengthened
my faith. Every day, I began to feel a little less scared, a little more hopeful. One day I
realized that by following Godʼs loving guidance, I had, indeed, fallen in love with
myself.
Daily I journal my ongoing letter to God about all Iʼm grateful for in my life. Iʼm constantly
tuned in to the abundance all around me and take every opportunity to appreciate Godʼs
grace. I continue to be guided toward inspired thoughts, words and actions. My recovery
began with surrender. I gave up control and began to listen, to trust, and to deliberately
recreate my life by allowing God to assist me in shifting my energy to a positive place. I
learned to love what is and to trust myself and God. My life will never be the same
again.
Message/Lesson: God is all around us if we choose to recognize Him in our lives. Itʼs
possible to experience Godʼs presence in every nuance of our lives. Signs, magazines,
bumper stickers, e-mails, songs, movies, stranger in a grocery store, newspaper,
uplifting stories, wise people, etc.
315
Third Time's the Charm
Contributor: Patricia Ann Cahill" " Pages: 222-225
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Message/Lesson: ______________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: In the hospital after her third bout with cancer, Patricia awakens to a voice
within her that fills her heart with love, peace, and joy unlike anything she has ever
known.
Inner Struggle: third bout with cancer. Positive attitude.
Miracle Mindedness: Overall faith in God. Unattached. “I believe that my “letting go”
had been the key to this experience, along with the simple faith and trust in God Iʼd
always had.”
Moment of Hearing: After waking up from her third surgery.
Form of Hearing: Inner voice and profound feelings of love and peace.
Result/Benefit: Jealousy, anger, and fear were erased. No regrets from the past.
Bubble over with joy and love.
Message/Lesson: We are all worthy of hearing Godʼs voice and experiencing his
unconditional love regardless of our backgrounds. Godʼs love and peace is unlike
anything the world can offer.
Coins from the Hear
Contributor: Judith McCullough" " Pages: 225-227
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: While meditating in her synagogue one Sunday morning, Judith receives
a message to give out silver dollars on the street. She had only experienced divorce like
this one other time in her life, and that situation turned out good, so she decides to
follow the advice, and doing so changed her life.
Inner Struggle: third bout with cancer. Positive attitude.
Miracle Mindedness: Still mind, open, no expectation, silent
Moment of Hearing: Sitting in the synagogue looking out the window.
Form of Hearing: Inner voice
Result/Benefit: Every time I give someone a coin and speak to that person for a few
moments, my heart opens. And while my sense of the divine is no more certain or clear
than it was before, I do feel a presence in my heart, and I know that I will do this for the
rest of my life.
Message/Lesson: itʼs important to give and extend love not with an expectation for
how the other person will receive it but for our own benefit. By giving, we receive in that
moment. It is the joy and blessings that receive in the moment of extending our love that
is the gift. It is the other personʼs business and Godʼs business if and how the other
person receives the gift. Our gift to God and ourselves is to simply give love without
conditions.
This type of giving mirrors the way that God gives to us, unconditionally and without
expectation or judgment. This is how we learn to love as God loves.
Advice from a Dear Friend
Contributor: Julie E. Bradshaw" " Pages: 228-230
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: While online dating, Julie opens up to hearing God's voice and receives
some startling yet necessary communication on how to better communicate and relate
to the man she was meeting online.
Inner Struggle:
Miracle Mindedness: Just the desire to hear Godʼs voice was enough.
Moment of Hearing: Donʼt know.
Form of Hearing: Audible voice.
Result/Benefit: Understanding, wisdom, healing
Message/Lesson: If we are open to hearing Godʼs voice, all that is necessary is the
desire.
Life Changing Birthday Gift
Contributor: Sandra Bilotto" " Pages: 230-233
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: Sandra spontaneously hears Godʼs voice while blowing out the candles
on her birthday cake. The foreknowledge of the message she received changed her life.
Inner Struggle: Frantic life, survival, hanging in there, busy, little spiritual focus
Miracle Mindedness: New something was wrong, seeking for an answer, open
Moment of Hearing: Blowing out the candles
Form of Hearing: Audible voice.
Result/Benefit: peace in the short term, ongoing relationship with God in the long-term
Message/Lesson: We are spiritual beings and have the capacity to have a deep and
fulfilling relationship with God.
Itʼs never too late, and it doesnʼt matter what youʼre doing in life, if you want to hear
Godʼs voice more deeply in your life, you can. All that is necessary is the desire and
willingness to do so.
He Was There All Along
Contributor: Connie Killgallon" " Pages: 234-235
Description: ___________________________________________________________
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Commentary
Description: Connie discovers that God has been with her all along as she uncovers a
pattern in her years of journaling. Almost all the entries with the greatest pain and
sadness ended with a loving, affirming message, messages worded in ways she would
never have written to herself.
Inner Struggle: Angry, upset, depressed, hopeless
Miracle Mindedness: Allowing herself to feel and embrace all of her experiences
without judgment. Giving her self the opportunity to express Godʼs voice.
Moment of Hearing: At the end of journaling
Form of Hearing: in written form
Result/Benefit: Stillness and peace, gratitude
Message/Lesson: God is always with us, even though we may not always be aware of
it.
Notes: Itʼs important to acknowledge and embrace our painful emotions and
experiences without judgment, but let them live and exist. When we hide them away
within ourselves, out of fear, judgment, or unwillingness to experience them, we end up
creating more pain, because the pain never really goes away, it just impacts us in other
ways. In order to heal it, we need to bring love to it. Love, or a call for love. Emotional
healing. Bringing everything to God. W Theay we relate to our inner experience, the
way we relate to the world.

Study Guide - When God Spoke To Me

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Study Guide for

“When God Spoke to Me”

The Subway Train that Saved My Life 15

The Whisper in My Dreams 21

The Lesson from the Tattooed Angel 27

Goose Bumps from Heaven 40

Lord Stay with Me 46

The Buick That Changed My Life 50

Throw-Up Yellow Just Like Me 57

The Man Who Hears the Voice 63

The Day the Twin Towers Fell 66

The Gift of Grace 77

From Monster to Emissary 90

New Beginning 104

Drive South 116

Through the Mouth of a Stranger 125

Four Glorious Days 131

Three Words 137

Succumbing to an Unlikely Death 140

Now Is the Time, This Is the Place 143

In My Own Backyard 146

The Day I Got a New Name 158

Just in Time 161

Free At Last 167

Finding a Personal God 173

The Simplest Thing 185

Brothers and Sisters 189

Healing with God 195

Mom and the Birdhouse 200

Cutting Through the Fog of Uncertainty 205

Journeying to God's Voice 210

One Breath at a Time 214

Expressing God’s Voice 217

Twist of Faith 230

Falling in Love 236

Love in its Purest Form 241

Don’t Judge A Book by Its Cover 244

God’s Whispers 247

Simple Synchronicity 252

Overcoming My “Autism” 257

Tap, Tap, Tap 262

A Homeless Man 265

Ugly Teddy 274

God Speaks Up 277

Eggs, Farm Smells and Hidden Gifts 282

Alone But Not Alone 287

Becoming the Change 290

Follow Me Home 295

I Do It For You 300

Healing for a Wounded Heart 303

The Auction 306

Finding Peace Amidst Despair 309

Fall in Love with Yourself 312

Third Time's the Charm 316

Advice from a Dear Friend 322

Life Changing Birthday Gift 325

He Was There All Along 328

Below is a brief description of items included on the worksheets.

Message/Lesson: What reminder, lesson, or message do you personally take away

Inner Struggle: ________________________________________________________

Miracle Mindedness: ___________________________________________________

Moment of Hearing: ____________________________________________________

Form of Hearing: _______________________________________________________