Category: Stories from the Heart Page 6 of 7

When the Cats Wake Up First

Reading Time: 4 minutes


By Michael Avery

I remember the early morning antics of two, 10-week-old kittens like it was yesterday. They woke me up from a sound sleep, but they were so cute that I couldn’t stay mad at them for long. 

Looking back at the memory, it is apparent that the experience was a “Waking Dream in Retrospect.” In other words, there was a lesson hidden in the chaos that morning, one I was only able to understand in retrospect.

Listening to Our Inner Guidance

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Guest Post by Anna Finch

Did you know there is a powerful tool you can use to help your life run more smoothly? It is listening to your inner guidance. It has taken me many years to trust this inner guidance which comes as an inner voice/knowingness for me. It sometimes gives whacky instructions that I often doubt. “Are you sure?” I question. 

But, by following through on these whacky instructions, I am always amazed at the results; none more so than during the summer of 2020. 

How Divine Intervention Saved My Life

Reading Time: 2 minutes

By Pichaya Avery

“Don’t go to work today,” my Inner Teacher whispered in his gentle voice one morning during contemplation as I sang my love song to God—HU. The date was June 14th, 1995. It could have been my last day on earth if not for divine intervention.

A Message from a Monk

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Guest Post by Nigel Bell

Since I was a teenager, I have always had a special place in my heart for Saint Francis of Assisi. This year I finally managed to make a pilgrimage to his home town of Assisi from Australia. The highlight of my trip was both unplanned and unexpected.

Of Fairy Tales, Award Shows, and Waking Dreams

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Guest Post by Riley Carson

Waking Dreams frequently arise from our immediate surroundings, triggered by unusual events unfolding around us. In these moments, we become aware that these occurrences may hold a message akin to those found in dreams, open to interpretation.

Yet, at times, Waking Dreams intrude directly into our thoughts, seemingly emerging out of thin air, accompanied by a compelling sense that the Universe has just dispatched a message our way. This piece revolves around one such unexpected morning message, delivered in a manner that combines significance with a touch of humor.

God Hears and Answers Our Prayers

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Guest Post by Mary Ann Steinke-Moore

In July 1980 my first baby, Kathy, was five months old, and I hadn’t had a paying job since she was born. And our family needed me to have one. After a job interview at the South Bend library, one of the branch managers, Carol, smiled and said as I was leaving, “We’ll be seeing you again!” But weeks passed with no word from her or anyone else.

Remembering “The Old Road:” A “Waking Dream in Retrospect”

Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Michael Avery

Are the memories we tenderly take out of our treasure box from the past simply remnants of better days, or do they carry messages yet to be delivered? Could they really be “Waking Dreams in Retrospect?”1

As I reminisce about a trip I made many years ago into a remote area of the Bohemia Basin near Cottage Grove, Oregon, it occurs to me now that what I found there was equally as valuable as the parable it inspired.

“Do You Know God?”

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Guest Post by Dennis Ernst

It was noon in Ashland, Oregon, and I had decided to skip lunch and go for a walk. A memorable encounter that autumn day has stayed with me since that time. 

I stopped at a traffic light on the corner of a busy intersection with a few other pedestrians. Glancing across the street, I noticed a local street person waiting to cross in my direction. He was exhibiting serious mental issues—ranting and raging at some unseen person with him.

What Would Love Do?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Pichaya Avery

If you had seven days to live, what would you do? Who would you call? What would you say? How would you spend your time? With whom?” 

After contemplation one morning, I pondered these questions and discussed them with Michael. We affectionately call our early morning sessions where we share insights about life and spirituality, “Conversations with Honey.” Waking dreams and relationships are always our favorite subjects. On this day, however, “Living Life to the Fullest” happened to be our topic of the day. 

An Unlikely Friendship

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Guest Post by Riley Carson

Stories about unlikely friendships in the animal kingdom intrigue us. This  heartwarming story was sent to me by my sister who lives in a rural area in the Northwest. The picture is a digital image I created, not an actual photo.

Page 6 of 7

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén