Living On the Edge

My longtime friend and What Shines subscriber Paul White is somewhat clairvoyant and clairsentient. He's written before about extraordinary experiences that dovetailed with my newsletter posts, such as this, on seeing Beyond Visible Light.

The current issue is entitled Edge Dwellers, and deals with what it means to live edgy during these emergent times. Paul sent me this email today:

"This is really incredible. The day before you sent What Shines I had a dream that I enticed someone to come to the edge of a cliff. I then grabbed their arm, pulled, and we both fell off the cliff. I remember the first instance of falling: there was fear; it was a long way to the bottom. But then I really looked at where we were going: there was plenty of time to think. By some miracle or inspiration we started to fly. We flew over a town and started to gain altitude. The last thing in the dream that I remember was going into some clouds and the light.

Pretty cool huh?"

And I concluded the newsletter with this invocation, from Apollinaire:

"Come to the edge,
He said.
They said,
We are afraid.
Come to the edge,
He said.
They came.
He pushed them ... and they flew."

We are all One mind, linked by Spirit! Find your glowing edge, dearhearts, and take flight — because you can.

Pennies From Heaven

The day after my Twitter post about finding a dime and 3 pennies on the sidewalk, Tweetheart and What Shines subscriber Jacqui Hoag sent me this anecdote:

"You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live ... The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely...

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.


Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

'Look at it.' He said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words, 'United States of America'.

'No, not that; read further.'

'One cent?' 'No, keep reading.'

'In God We Trust?' 'Yes!' 'And?'

'And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!'

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient..."

~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If S/he had a wallet, your photo would be in it...

S/he sends you flowers every spring.

S/he sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - S/he is crazy about you!

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,sun without rain, but S/he did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Read this line very slowly and let it sink in ...

"If God brings you to it, S/he will bring you through it."

You will receive a miracle tomorrow.

Don't Quit Before the Miracle

This Prosperity Tip from money coach Joan Sotkin is so powerful I'm reprinting it in its entirety:


Don't Quit Before the Miracle

Last week, I received a desperate email from a Prosperity Tips subscriber who I'll call Sam. At his wit's end, Sam stated, "I am dead emotionally. and physically soon." He went on to say that he had no job and had no way to pay his bills. "Death is best," he said in closing.

I heard Sam's hopeless cries and knew I had to contact him. I googled his name and location, which was the only information I had, and thanks to his LinkedIn profile, discovered where he had last worked. They gave me his phone number and I left a message for Sam to call me.

He did call and we spoke for almost an hour. Sam had been out of work for 18 months, despite sending out dozens of resumes. With no good news, Sam spiraled into depression.

It took a while to help Sam see that he really did have options and opportunities for gratitude, and that what he was learning about himself during this troubled time was important. Finally, he laughed a bit and felt like he could face another day. He promised to call me the next day.

It was two days later when he called. "You won't believe what happened," he said. "I had an urge to send out one more resume and follow up with a phone call. And miracle of miracles I've landed the most perfect job that will start next month. And on top of that, someone else called with work for me in the fall."

Sam was elated. We talked some more and I helped him focus on what he had to do to prepare. Then I said, "I hope you've learned not to quit before the miracle." I heard this phrase when I was active in 12-Step programs and it served me well during times of struggle when it seemed like there was no way out of my difficult situations and ongoing physical challenges.

I believe that our times of struggle are our most precious learning opportunities. Somehow, these tough times force us to reach down inside and find the inner strength and power that allows us to rise above and draw in what we need to continue. Those who are willing to let go and find that strength survive and often prosper.

If you find yourself in a tough situation or seem to be fighting a losing battle against the prevailing forces, stop, breathe, and realize that your miracle could be right around the corner. Often the solution or resolution takes much longer than we think we can bear, and we think about giving up. Don't give up. Don't quit before the miracle!

Copyright © 2009 by Joan Sotkin