god, you rock!

Today, I finally managed to make it to a crystal shop that I'd been wanting to check out for quite a while. I was supposed to have met up with Mike, a friend of a friend who ran another store at the same shopping centre, who would then introduce me to the crystal shop owners so that they would, hopefully, give me a better price for the pieces I would buy.

But of course nothing worked out as planned.

Mike's shop wasn't yet open when I got there at 11.40am, although I'd been told that it would be open at 11. I tried calling Mike on his cellphone, but there was no response. So I decided to take a chance and wander around the mall, which I hadn't been to before, and look for the crystal shop myself.

I'd been told by those who have been to it that the owners tend to be erratic with their operating hours, so I braced myself in case it was closed too.

It was open.

I wandered in with the idea of checking out the clear quartz crystal spheres that the shop carried, although I wasn't really looking to buy anything in particular.

Of course I ended up picking up a few things. And I got to meet Henry, a nice young man who helped out at the shop on a voluntary basis. We were chatting about crystals when a shelf full of large, free-form carnelians caught my eye.

I walked to the shelf and picked up a piece that had attracted my attention, still talking to Henry. Then he suddenly excused himself and left me alone to browse while he went to assist the owners in another part of the shop.

I was admiring the piece of carnelian that I'd picked up when I saw another, much larger and unusual-shaped piece. I carefully replaced the first piece and picked up the second. Before I could examine it properly, a third piece of carnelian on that shelf, which I hadn't noticed before, began to rock from side to side.

Startled, I thought that I must have accidentally brushed it with my hand while picking up the large piece, although I could have sworn that I hadn't touched anything other than the pieces that I had picked up, as I had been very careful.

Without thinking, I said aloud: "Why are you rocking when I didn't touch you?"

It stopped, and I picked it up to look at it. It was quite lovely, although its quiet beauty had to be noticed to be appreciated.

Somehow, I again got distracted by the first two pieces that I had seen earlier. So I very carefully returned that third piece to its place on the shelf and picked up the other two again.

Guess what. That third piece rocked again.

At that point, I decided that if it wanted to come home with me, who was I to argue?

So I mentally said goodbye to those other two pieces and returned them to the shelf. Then I picked up Rock Star and brought it to the cashier together with the
other crystals I had selected and paid for them.

When I got home, I put Rock Star on my dining table and gently pushed it to see if it would rock. It rocked slightly, perhaps three or four times, before steadying and stopping. I tried it again; a little harder this time. And again it rocked ... four, five times.

At the shop, it had rocked gently like a rocking chair.

I read up on carnelians, and discovered that one of the stone's spiritual properties is that it assists in taking action to manifest one's highest goals and dreams. Especially for people like me, who lean in the direction of spirituality and do their inner work from the heart chakra up, the carnelian aids in awakening the vital energies of the three lower chakras, increasing zest for living and the willingness to take the risks inherent in strong actions.

In other words, Rock Star has come into my life to rock my world, so that I can achieve my soul's desire and truly walk my life path.

What can I say? God, You rock!




Rock Star's front




Rock Star's back ... do you see what I see?

a special 2012 meditation on sentosa

The last time I went to Sentosa was sometime in September, when I and five others accompanied my spiritual mentor Elisabeth Jensen to help the island to "breathe". It was an amazing experience for me personally (see Our Very Own Magical Island posted on Oct 7 this year).

But it also turned out to be a lesson in commitment for me.

Elisabeth had mentioned, after that session, that it would be good if we could hold another meditation on the island on Dec 20. For the date 2012 -- because of its connection with the Mayan calendar's prediction of the year 2012 -- would be a powerful day spiritually, as many believe that energy portals will open up on that day to help raise the vibration of the planet as a whole.

At the time, I told myself that I would attend the meditation if one of the others in the group -- all powerful healers and teachers in their own right -- were to organise it. But in the end, it was I who was led to do it.

Somehow, the urge to return to the island and hold a meditation was so strong that it propelled me to create an event in my Facebook group, Angels And Light, and invite anyone who would be interested to attend the meditation. And somehow, as I was writing out the event description, I felt the need to include another meditation for the fairies on the island.

The response wasn't encouraging at first, but it slowly picked up. In the end, seven people confirmed their attendance, with a few more giving "maybe" replies. But I've learned from experience not to rely on "confirmed" attendances when it comes to spiritual matters.

So I just told myself to wait and see. I had no set idea as to how to conduct the meditations and what to say during them, but I trusted that God and the angels would lead and assist me when the time came. What was more difficult, for me, was prepping myself to stick to the plan and go on with the meditation even if no one turned up and it rained.

All I knew was that I had to conduct three meditations -- one to help those who came to connect with the universe and their higher selves; another to further open up the energy vortex there so that the healing energy from the Lemurian crystal underneath can channel more powerfully through and around the island and beyond; and a third to connect with the fairies and help them by rebalancing the energy on the island.

So yesterday, when I woke up, I prayed once more for lovely weather. I asked for a cool, breezy day and no rain. And I got it.

In fact, I got more than I'd bargained for.

Nine people turned up -- more than I had hoped. And when it was time to lead the first two meditations, the words simply came. And the meditations were powerful. One in the group felt the crystals he was holding vibrate, others felt a tingling in their hands or body. Some felt the energy from beneath build up and swirl around them before spreading to the island and beyond. One person saw bright golden light; another felt the energy and vibration of a higher being's presence.

And Isis was there. I was a little surprised at first, but I quickly realised that it wasn't surprising at all, as it was this beautiful, loving Egyptian goddess who had guided Elisabeth to help with the island's healing in the first place. She graciously channeled a message of thanks to all who had turned up for the meditations and blessed them.

Then we walked on to the next spot, for the meditation with the fairies. As I led the meditation, I thought I heard singing and music, but I gave it little thought as I concentrated on the words and images that were flooding my mind as I spoke.

It was only after it was over and the others shared that they had heard humming, singing and even the sound of ringing bells, that we realised the fairies had given us a lovely gift in return for sending them love, light and healing. Not only had they sent us love, light and healing in return, but they had also let us hear them.

Not everyone in the group had all or the same experiences, of course. Some hadn't heard the singing, but had felt their auras being cleansed and cleared both during and after the meditation. Others saw bright, twinkling sparks of fairy light. Yet others who hadn't seen or heard anything came away with a sense of love and peace which they hadn't had before.

And through it all, the Olympus camera that I'd brought along that afternoon alternated between taking crystal-clear pictures and startling ones that captured the energies that had been invisible to our naked eye but which had obviously been present.

So to all who joined me at Sentosa yesterday with the pure intention of connecting with God and your higher selves, and to help both the island and the fairies by sending them light, love and healing from your hearts, I humbly add my thanks to Isis' and the fairies'.

I'd also like to add that I believe that everyone of you -- like me -- got more than you bargained for. Because all that love, light and healing that you sent out came back to you a hundredfold.



After the first two meditations at The Heart Of The Forest on the Dragon Trail, I took a picture of the backs of the group as they headed down the trail to the next location for the meditation with the fairies. All I could see was showers of energy and light.




It couldn't possibly have been a camera malfunction, as this picture was taken after that, when we got to the site for our third meditation.



After the fairies meditation, it went all fuzzy again.



Heading out of the trail. The meditations were done, but the energies definitely weren't.



Final group shot before we parted company. Note how the dragon's head is clear but there's still fuzz around the group -- a combination of our auras and lots of energies and light.

gentleman rex

When I left for work this morning, I kissed my beloved cat Rex goodbye, knowing it would be the last time.

Rex had been ailing for about three months. The vet discovered that he was jaundiced, which meant that his liver and kidneys were in trouble. When he continued to lose weight despite medication, he was hospitalised for over a week.

Being kept on a drip with round-the-clock medical care for eight days didn't improve anything. Instead, his jaundice got worse and he refused to eat. Despite our visiting him twice a day, every day, he just got sadder and sadder.

So we tried leaving him at the vet's for the day and taking him home with us in the evenings. He liked that a lot better but he caught on really quickly. After the second morning of being carted to the vet's on our way to the office, he hid under the bed on the third morning when he saw us getting ready for work.

Worse, his condition did not improve.

In the end, after speaking to the vet, who assured us that Rex was not in pain, we agreed that we would all be much happier if we just took him home. So on the night of Nov 13, we picked him up from the vet's after work.

No medication was given for him. We all knew that he was coming home to spend his last days.

What we all did not expect was that he would live for a whole month more.

But Rex has always been the epitome of grace and love. He was a gentle soul, peace-loving and patient with everyone. He could always be counted on to accept a new arrival in the house, and even when the younger cats were extra naughty or annoying, he seldom lost his temper.

In all his 14 years, the times when he actually lost his cool and smacked one of the other cats never failed to surprise us -- proof of how few and far between such instances were.

I called him Gentleman Rex because he always did the right thing and had such a charming, courtly way about him.

And oh, how he loved us. I didn't realise how much until now.

Because he was no longer eating, the vet had advised us to simply syringe small amounts of chicken soup, water, an isotonic drink, and even a solution of glucose and water into his mouth at regular intervals throughout the day.

So we would make different Chinese-style soups for him every day -- chicken one day, pork ribs the next, fish the day after. We wanted him to get whatever nutrients he could take in. He didn't like it, but Rex, ever the gentleman, patiently accepted our awkward, amateurish attempts at syringeing liquids into his mouth.

We spent as much time as we could with him before and after work, and we brought him up on our bed to sleep with us at nights. Sometimes we'd put him on the bed first and potter around a little more before coming to bed, and he would sit up alertly, watching and waiting for us to join him. Then he would walk on unsteady legs to lie between our pillows.

Every morning, he would wake up just after 6 because breakfast for the other cats is about 6.30, and he knew that once everyone had had their breakfast, it would be his turn for some soup. And then I would carry him out into the garden for some fresh air, where he could watch the others play.

I would sit outside with him every morning, until he decided he'd had enough and turn towards home. Then I'd bring him in, towel-dry the dew from the grass off him, and settle him down on a fresh towel under the bed, where he liked to be the rest of the day.

Last Friday morning, after being home for three weeks, he rose from where he'd been sitting on the grass for several minutes and walked away from the house.

"Don't go too far, Rex," I said to him. "Mummy'll come get you soon."

He turned back to look at me and then carried on walking.

I'll join him soon, I said to myself. He's too weak to go too far, anyway.

And then i got distracted by something.

Minutes later, I walked in the direction Rex had gone and realised he was nowhere in sight. I panicked. I couldn't believe he could have moved so quickly and so far in his condition.

The thought that he had gone into hiding in order to die, as animals do, crossed my mind but I pushed it away because I could not accept that I had lost him.

But I had.

I can't remember how many times I combed the grounds of the condominium estate, stooping low to sweep aside leaves and underbrush, looking into drains and calling his name. I couldn't stop weeping because I blamed myself for allowing him to disappear.

People who saw me that day must have thought I was mad. Because for eight hours, at regular 15-to-20 minute intervals, this red-eyed, dishevelled woman would comb the grounds, calling for Rex and invoking the angels for help.

I ventured further afield to search the nearby canal, which is connected to the drains in and around my estate. I walked along the roads surrounding my estate, looking into drains and calling his name. My worst fear was that he had gotten lost in the network of drains and would be swept out to sea when it rained.

And the sky threatened to open up that day. I prayed to God for help: Please don't let it rain.

I begged Archangel Michael to protect and find him.

I pleaded with Archangel Raphael to continue nursing him, making sure he was not in any pain or suffering.

And I called for both Rex's and my guardian angels to bring him back to me.

I prayed for a miracle and I got it.

Eight hours later, I went on yet another round of the estate, still pleading with the archangels and angels as I scoured for Rex. And I saw him.

Almost obscured behind some tall grass, he was tentatively peering around him. My heart stopped. I couldn't be sure it was him as I was still fairly far away, but I wasn't taking any chances. I ran as fast as I could and jumped down a high ledge, hurting my wrist in the process, to get to him before he disappeared again.

It was him. He didn't realise it was me at first and tried to run when he saw me coming towards him. But I managed to catch him and lift his frail, slight body into my arms. The moment he realised it was me, he purred.

I walked home with him held tightly in my arms, thanking God, the archangels, Rex's guardian angel, my guardian angel and all the angels who had been with the both of us all this time. All I can say is, I understand what the Bible means when it talks about how the angels in heaven rejoice when the shepherd finds his lost sheep.

The thanksgiving that filled my heart overflowed. I could feel the angels and archangels sharing my joy, just as Brian (who had been struggling to work despite his fear and worry) and Jordan (who'd had to go to school that day) did when I told them I'd found Rex.

And through it all, not a drop of rain fell around my estate, although I heard later that there had been heavy rain in many parts of the island that day.

Rex stayed with us for another week before finally going home, into the light, at 11.58am today. Sadly, Brian and I had to leave him in the loving care of our maid Rowena earlier on because we had to go to work.

How I wanted to call in sick, but as I had actually been on medical leave just a few days before because of a particularly virulent stomach virus, I couldn't do it with a clear conscience. And Fridays are the heaviest work days for both Brian and me.

And so we stroked, cuddled and kissed him one last time this morning. We thanked him for coming into our lives 14 years ago to gift us with his love. We told him what a difference he had made, what joy he had given us, how much we loved him, how we would always be a family, and that we would be together again.

We told him it would be okay for him to go when it was time, that Archangel Michael had promised he would pick him up in his strong, protective and loving arms and walk with him into the light, that Archangel Raphael had and would continue to take away all pain so that he would remain comfortable, and that his guardian angel would carry on loving and watching over him.

He was too weak to purr, slipping in and out of sleep as we sat with him. Then just before we had to leave, he suddenly stiffened and stretched and called out. Immediately we gathered closer, reaffirming our love and telling him not to be afraid to go into the light if it was time.

We thought it was the end. But then I noticed that he was still breathing, although very shallowly. And he seemed to be sleeping. I actually could feel Michael's presence and I knew it was almost time for Rex to go.

We couldn't do anything more. We had made the necessary arrangements for his burial and we were already late for work.

Reluctantly, our hearts breaking, we left the house. And over an hour later, Rex passed on. He never woke up from his sleep.

Looking back, I believe that Rex probably did go away to die the week before.

But because we were so distraught by his disappearance, and because I prayed so hard for God and the angels to bring him home to us, I believe the archangels and angels had a talk with him, explaining the situation.

I believe that Rex, out of great love for us, chose to come home to save us from heartbreak.

For why else would he, in such sickly and weakened state, have come out of hiding after eight long hours?

And I believe that because he told them he would return to us, the angels helped to orchestrate my finding him -- for I was led to the place where he appeared out of nowhere at just the right time, for me to spot him.

Last but not least, I also believe that the first time he stretched and called out this morning was the actual time for him to go, because I felt Michael's presence so strongly. But Rex chose to stay on for just a while longer, to be sure that Brian and I had really accepted and made peace with his leaving. And God and the angels granted this for all our sakes.

I am both awed and humbled by the power of such love. How blessed we are to be loved so much and so well.

Thank you, my beloved Rex. Till we meet again, my perfect gentleman.



Visiting Rex while he was hospitalised. Both his paws were swollen from the constant intravenous drip that he was on.

getting to know gabriel

The more I work with the angels, the more miracles occur in my life. And I am constantly awed by the way God and His messengers work.

Yesterday was the first time that I conducted a two-hour session called Get To Know Gabriel.

As with the Meet Michael session, I read up and researched on Gabriel and trusted her to guide and help me come up with a guideline for the workshop.

While preparing for Gabriel's session, I was struck by the difference in response this time around.

When I announced my intention to conduct both archangel sessions, I received several emails and phone texts inquiring about the Meet Michael session. Many people expressed their keenness to attend the session, excited about meeting Michael and learning to connect and work with him.

No one wrote or called to ask about Gabriel's workshop.

Right up to yesterday morning, as I meditated and prepared for the afternoon session, I had no idea if anyone would even turn up.

Poor Gabriel, I thought. Everybody knows Michael and wants to connect with him, but no one seems very keen on getting to know and working with you.

About five minutes before 3pm, when the session was supposed to begin, the first person arrived. And then the second person came. In the end, four people turned up -- two more than had turned up for Michael's session.

And the session went wonderfully.

While Michael, whom I am particularly connected to, gave physical proof of his presence by turning over a pendant that had been placed on the altar, Gabriel proved her presence in a different way:

By quietly preparing and working on the hearts and lives of those who eventually turned up for the session well before yesterday, very likely without their even realising it. For after it was over, they privately shared with me that they had all been keen to attend Michael's session but had somehow been unable to make it in the end.

Yet after Gabriel's session, they realised they had probably needed to work with her softer, gentler but no less powerful energy before working with Michael.

And, as usual, I came away with a lesson too: Never underestimate the angels.

I needn't have worried for Gabriel. I'm glad she has a sense of humour and didn't take offence at my little "poor you" spiel.

And oh, have I mentioned how awestruck I am... again?

meeting michael

For the first time yesterday, I conducted a mini workshop called Meet Michael, a two-hour session where I help people forge a closer connection and bond with Archangel Michael.

As the world and humanity as a whole continue to move onto a higher level of consciousness and being, the angels and archangels are working hard to connect with more people so that they can help and work with them.

For a while now, I've been receiving messages to start conducting a series of simple Meet The Archangel sessions. This would help more people to get to know the archangels a little more, and to realise and learn that they can connect with them on a personal level and receive help, guidance and healing from them in their lives.

So several weeks ago, I took the plunge and let the word out that I would be conducting a Meet Michael session, which took place yesterday afternoon; and a Get To Know Gabriel session this coming Saturday.

I didn't have very much to go on as to how to conduct the sessions and what to say or do during them. All I knew was that the archangels wanted very much to reach out to more people so that they could make a difference in their lives.

For the past few weeks, I have been reading up on Archangel Michael and calling on him for help and guidance with coming up with the outline for the session.

As the day of the first session drew near, I could feel Michael's presence growing stronger by the day. Three days before the session, I found myself gravitating towards the colour blue in my wardrobe, and I automatically reached for my angel themed jewellery when I got dressed for work.

Blue and gold are the Archangel Michael's colours. And I realised that my soul was invoking him to come to my aid as I prepared to conduct the workshop on a spiritual as well as mental and emotional level.

Books on the archangels came my way as I began my reading and research work. I took notes of what nuggets of information I could incorporate into the sessions. Then early Friday morning, I sat out in the garden and, in an hour, finished the outline for the session that I would be conducting the following day.

The day arrived, and I wondered who would or would not make it to the workshop. I firmly believe that the angels and divinities lead and guide those who are ready to connect or work with them to the courses, readings or healings that they eventually turn up for. Nothing works by chance or coincidence.

Sometimes, there will be little "tests" -- perhaps a sudden cold or a little crisis at home or at work -- that will crop up unexpectedly just before the session.

I often get people texting me just before the course/reading/healing that they signed up for, to tell me that they suddenly feel under the weather, or that something happened at home, or that they had to work till late the night before and are now too tired to make it. They will either ask me if they should still come anyway, or send their regrets and say they won't be turning up after all.

Despite the disappointment, I've learned to let it go. For it is not for me to judge the whys and the wherefores.

Many times, it is simply a matter of divine timing. Perhaps the person involved wasn't quite ready for a reading or healing or workshop yet, but needed to come to the point where he or she consciously made the decision to attend it. That alone is a powerful healing, and a huge step forward on his or her spiritual path. I also know that the person will eventually turn up for the reading or healing or workshop when the time is right for him or her.

And when someone asks me to make a decision for him or her, or to ask the angels to tell them whether he or she should come anyway, I make it clear that I cannot tell them what to do. For when it comes to choices of the spirit, the decision has to be completely yours. I have no right to persuade or advise you either way. And the angels would already have given you clear signs. All you have to do is follow your heart.

So it was that only two of the four people who had confirmed their attendance made it to yesterday's session. A fifth person unexpectedly turned up just before we were about to begin. She ended up deciding not to attend the session but left her crystal on the altar to be cleansed, cleared and blessed by Michael anyway.

It was awkward, but I accepted it as something that was meant to be, and I knew that there probably was a lesson here for me.

The session went well, as I knew it would. From the moment I called his name and invited him to come into the room and clear the space, Michael made his presence known -- the fiery warmth of his energy made us all perspire despite having both the air-conditioning and fan on.

But the best part came at the end, when I asked the attendees to collect the crystals and crystal jewellery that they had placed on the altar for Michael to cleanse, clear and bless.

We noticed that one pendant -- the one belonging to the woman who had decided against attending -- had turned turtle. We had watched it being placed carefully on the altar, and no one had touched anything during the session.

Obviously, Michael wanted to give us some proof of his presence.

More importantly, I believe he left a personal message for me: That God and the angels can turn seemingly negative situations into miracles.

guinness my darling

We lost our beloved Guinness this afternoon. She was 13.

For the past couple of months, she had been having occasional bouts of a hacking cough. Visits to the vet didn't help, as the doctor couldn't detect anything wrong with her.

No matter how badly she coughed at home, when we brought her to see the vet, all coughing stopped and she always seemed fine.

One morning about a month ago, we found her upstairs gasping for breath. We rushed her to the vet's and again, the doctor on duty could not find anything wrong. She prescribed some antibiotics and some pills that would open her air passage to help her breathe.

Guinness was fine until over a week ago. Jordan came home from school and found her gasping for breath in the balcony. We rushed her to the vet and, yet again, came home with just more pills to help her breathe.

Basically, the other vet on duty that day said that given her age, nothing much could be done for her as she seemed generally okay except for the wheezing. It was probably her lungs, he said -- she's like an old person struggling to breathe.

So we spent this past week watching her carefully. It didn't help that Rex, who is 14, caught a cold over two weeks ago and got steadily worse. When we brought him to the vet's, he had to stay overnight for some tests and the vet discovered that he was very jaundiced -- meaning his kidney and liver were in trouble.

He ended up being hospitalised for eight days.

We went twice a day every day to visit him, but no matter what they tried at the clinic, blood tests showed that Rex's jaundice was getting worse. At his age, the vet did not think a biopsy would be a good idea, for even if he recovered from the surgery, there was no guarantee that he would recover from whatever it was that was causing the jaundice.

After eight days of hospitalisation, where he grew more depressed, the vet said we could bring him home. But because he still wasn't eating, we agreed to bring him into the clinic every morning, where they could give him medication and nutrients intravenously during the day, and we'd take him home in the evenings.

We did this for four days, but yet another blood test showed that it wasn't helping. In the end, we decided to bring him home last Thursday night, and take care of him as best as we can. The vet agreed that he would be happier.

Unfortunately, during this period, Guinness got worse.

She lost her appetite and the asthma-like attacks became more frequent. All we could do was watch her closely, give her the breathing pills and feed her water and food through a syringe.

For the past five nights, I have been sleeping on the floor, between Guinness and Rex, to talk to them, to let them know how much they are loved, and to make sure that I am on hand to render help and medication immediately should they get in distress.

Rex has been relatively steady since he came home, but Guinness steadily worsened.

On her worst day last week, we had to pop those breathing pills into her once every four hours (the vet had recommended giving it to her three times a day and reducing it to once a day when she got better). I honestly thought it was touch-and-go that day.

But somehow she made it through the day and night, and stabilised by late morning the next day.

I think she chose to stay on a little longer so she could let us know how much she loved us.

Despite struggling for breath, she made the effort to make eye contact and purr whenever we "talked". She hated having to take the pill, which sometimes distressed her so much that it would make her hyperventilate. But she always forgave us, and showed she understood by purring when she could breathe again.

She wasn't fond of being fed water and diluted food through a syringe, but she accepted it, and we were grateful for that.

Every morning, after giving them breakfast, we let the cats out to play in the garden, so they can get a couple of hours to exercise or nap in the sun and fresh air. Both Rex and Guinness have continued to go outdoors with the rest of the cats. They don't romp like the younger ones do, but they enjoy watching them or just dozing in the sun.

Usually when it rains, they all choose to stay in where it's warm and dry.

It rained just half an hour after they went out this morning. Both Guinness and Rex came in from the wet like the others. Yet Guinness asked to go out again when the rain stopped. Perhaps she knew that it would be her last time.

I let her out again and she was content to sit just outside the house. So I left her there and went to shower and get ready for work. When I was dressed, we went out to bring her in again, and we found her struggling for breath near the poolside.

We brought her home and gave her a pill. Even as she heaved, she looked at me and purred. When the pill began to work and her breathing steadied, I stroked her and told her we loved her. I explained that Brian would be home early this afternoon, and that I'd see her when I got home from work tonight. She just looked at me and purred.

She passed away at 3.02 this afternoon, after waiting patiently for Brian to come home. He said she was fine when he checked on her when he got in. But just a few minutes later, she made a sound and when he checked again, she was breathing very heavily.

She went quickly and peacefully, he said. Her heaving eased and she was gone within minutes, with Brian by her side, stroking her and telling her he loved her.

We are grateful for that. And we give special thanks to her guardian angel as well as to archangels Raphael and Michael.

Her guardian angel, for the constant love, care and protection unconditionally given.

Raphael, for being with her 24/7 since I asked him for help. He healed Guinness by removing much of her pain and discomfort so that she could continue to lead as normal and mobile a life as possible right to the end. He also granted my request to ensure that, when it was time for her to go home, she would go easily and painlessly, without suffering and fear.

Michael, for keeping his promise to come for her when it was time, and for taking her into his loving arms and carrying her into the light with him, so that she wouldn't be afraid, but would go in love and light and joy.

I may not have been with Guinness when she went, but I know it happened just the way I described. Because the angels have never let me down.

Tonight, and for as long as it takes, I will continue to sleep on the floor with Rex. For he too, is getting weaker by the day.

I have asked for the miracle of a turnaround for him, yet I have also asked for the same miraculous privileges for him -- as I had for Guinness -- if a turnaround isn't meant to be, and it is his time to go home.

For me, it is miracle enough to know that God's love is so great that the angels and archangels will love and come to the aid of our beloved pets when we ask. And to know that when it is time for Brian, Jordan or me to go, we will be going home to a house in heaven that will be filled with all our beloved pets who have gone before.

Oh, what a homecoming that will be.

change is in the air

Never have I seen so many Singaporeans so passionate about an election.

For a nation that rarely loses its cool during its own government elections, the recent American polls had so many Singaporeans avidly following its electoral campaign that I'm sure they would have voted too, if they had been able to.

And for someone who is usually pretty neutral about the American government, I found myself, for the first time, actually hoping that one particular person would win.

Like millions of others, I cast my lot, metaphorically speaking, with Barack Obama. And when he won, I too -- like so many Singaporeans and others around the world -- celebrated along with the American people who had voted him into power.

I have utmost respect for Hillary Clinton, and I know she would have done a lot of good as President of the United States. But she is of the Old Guard of politics and government.

Some political experts have sniffed at Mr Obama's lack of experience, but the world is ready for change. What Mr Obama lacks in experience, he makes up for in integrity, vision and a willingness to work towards peace.

I like the fact that he sees things differently. I love that he is no warmonger.

Those proud proclamations of not being afraid to "make history", and the refusal to back down from "wars almost won" no longer strike a chord with most people.

Mr Obama has changed the history of the world by being the first African-American president. He has brought pride and hope to the African-American community.

But more importantly, he represents hope for the rest of the world.

For the vibration of the world as a whole is being raised, and we are already moving up to a higher level of consciousness.

Our spirits yearn for peace, love and unity in the world. For we are all one. We share the same planet. It is our home. And who wants fighting at home?

There is also no such thing as a war "almost won". There are no winners in war.

So on Mr Obama's shoulders is the weight of the world's dreams and hope for change, for peace. That is a heavy load for one man to carry. More so when the economic situation that he has inherited ensures that the going will be uphill.

We can help by not being quick to judge or criticise, by sending him love and light, and trusting that God and the angels will help do the rest.

our very own magical island

Like most Singaporeans, I've been to Sentosa island many, many times over the years.

Besides the usual outings and weekend chalet stays with friends and family, Brian and I used to take our son there quite often when he was little.

As a boy, Jordan used to love walking down the Dragon Trail together with his Daddy, because that particular walk sparked his imagination with its giant skulls, fossils and even a water-spouting dragon made of stone.


As Jordan grew older, he lost his fascination for the Dragon Trail and we haven't been to the island on a family outing for quite a while.

But last month, I went there together with five others who were on a "spiritual mission" to help Sentosa "breathe".

Elisabeth, a very powerful clairvoyant and healer whom I consider to be my spiritual mentor, had received a message that said that the current construction of the upcoming casino on Sentosa had buried the powerful, ancient crystal that is on the island.

Very few people are aware of this crystal. I only learnt about it a few years ago myself when Elisabeth was first told of its existence and guided to reactivate it through prayer and meditation.

I never joined them, but for the last few years, Elisabeth and a group of like-minded people have regularly gone to Sentosa once or twice a year to pray and meditate at the site of this crystal. It can't be seen because it is buried far beneath the island, but it is there -- those who are sensitive have experienced its energy.

I was amazed when I first learnt of its existence. I'd heard of "high energy" places that are all over the world -- Sedona in Arizona; Uluru in Australia; Stonehenge and Glastonbury in England; and the pyramids in Egypt -- but Sentosa, Singapore?

I decided to go along when Elisabeth said she needed to get to the island to find a way to create some outlet for the crystal's energy to come through, and to allow its healing energy to flow under and around the island and the region again.

I wasn't sure what to expect. But we found ourselves at the Dragon Trail, where the heart of the forest was. We stopped there to pray and meditate, and I instinctively took off my sandals so that I could connect more firmly with the ground as I closed my eyes.

Immediately, without any warning, I felt such sorrow that my tears flowed.

I couldn't explain it. All I knew was that I was somehow sharing the island's emotions, and it was grieving. Very, very deeply.

"The island is choking and the angels weep" was the message that Elisabeth had received regarding the crystal's "burial".

For the first time, my belief that the planet we live in is a living, breathing entity to be respected and loved became real to me.

This spot turned out to be one of the vortices where the crystal's energy could be released. Immediately after we did that, there was a sudden increase in the number of visitors to that particular part of the Dragon Trail, and I realised that people were unconsciously drawn to the healing energy (or dragon energy, as Elisabeth called it) that had begun to circulate again.

From there, we were guided to another vortex which I believe is meant to be kept secret, and a third spot where we were asked to pray and help fix an energy unbalance.

At the last stop, I kept seeing movement in the trees out of the corner of my eye, and I had a strong sense that we were being watched by the fairy folk. When we were done, I felt a strong rush of gratitude coming my way, and I knew it was them saying thanks for helping to fix the unbalance.

I know there'll be a lot of hooting out there when word of this spreads.

But it doesn't matter. What matters is that we managed to do what we set out to do that day, despite not having any idea where to go and how to do it when we started out.

And again, it taught me that when you open your heart and mind to miracles, they do happen... all the time.

And that's magic.

the beast in you

Today is World Animal Day.

Unfortunately, it doesn't mean a thing to lot of people. Only animal lovers will understand the need for a day to acknowledge and remember the animals who share this planet with us.

Of course it's great to honour our pets for the joy and unconditional love that they bring into our lives. And it's wonderful to remember the plight of abandoned pets and strays who deserve better.

But today is also about honouring all the creatures of Earth, for they have just as much right as humans do to living lives of love, dignity, joy and good health.

A couple of days ago, I was working on the weekend listings for the newspaper. I put a small picture of a young husky next to an item describing what the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was doing this weekend in honour of World Animal Day. The picture was taken from the SPCA's calendar for next year, which would be sold at the event to help raise funds for the non-government-supported shelter.

And the editor wanted the picture of the dog taken out.

"There are so many things happening this week -- why can't we use a picture of people instead?"

But it's World Animal Day this weekend, and there are a couple of events that are being held in its honour, some of my animal-loving colleagues and I said in defence. Anyway, there are already several pictures of people in the listings pages.

"No, no no. I want a picture of a person. This dog isn't even a famous dog. Animals are nobodies!"

Of course the dog had to be taken out in the end. And a picture of some visiting French singer with a niche following was used instead.

I was so hurt and angry, I cried.

Looking back, I'm not sure whom I hurt for most. The animals, of course, because they so often have to live with such disdain and disrespect.

But I think I also cried for the editor. Because to me, that remark spoke volumes about the spirit of someone with so little regard for another life that just happens to be non-human.

our miracle cat

One year ago today, one of my beloved cats Shelley passed on. She was 14+.

My husband Brian and I called her our brave Miracle Cat.

Before we could move into our present home in February 1994, we'd had to live in a rented house nearby for a few months. At the time, our son Jordan was about six months old, and Shelley was just under a year old.

On the day that we moved into the rented house, we took extra pains to make sure that the cats came in last, after the furniture was in, so that there would be things they were familiar with in a strange house.

We also made sure that the doors and windows were closed before opening up the cat carriers. Then when the cats were let out, they could have some time to explore the house and get used to it before we opened the windows.

Unfortunately, there was one window that had not been closed properly, and when the cat carriers were opened, Shelley, who had been particularly traumatised by the long drive and all the activity, bolted.

Like an arrow, she shot from the hallway and unerringly found her way out that one open window at the back of the house. And just like that, she was gone.

Knowing that she was lost in unfamiliar surroundings which she hadn't had the chance to explore, let alone get used to, made us more desperate to find her. We walked around the whole neighbourhood looking for her several times a day, every day, for weeks.

When we took the dogs for their walks, we searched and called for her. Brian spent hours trekking through the undeveloped land near the back of the house looking for her.

We drove back to our previous home to see if she had, by chance, found her way back there, then finally we went to the SPCA to see if she had been found by a good samaritan and brought to the pound. No luck.

The people at SPCA told us that usually, if a pet cat isn't found after two weeks, it's highly unlikely that it will ever come home.

We were heartbroken. Shelley had been gone for a month, and we couldn't help blaming ourselves for her loss. We prayed for her safety and her return. We couldn't give up hoping for a miracle.

Then early in the morning on New Year's Day 1995, we got our miracle. We were sleeping in our bedroom on the second floor and I was awakened by loud meowing. And then a thin, furry bundle of love hopped onto our bed.

It was Shelley.

She was skinny, dirty and hungry. But she was home! I can't describe the rejoicing that went on in our house that day.

Our spaniel Church, whom Shelley adored, was ecstatic. My husband and I were speechless.

How this young cat, who had been born in our previous home and had never had to fend for herself since birth, survive for a whole month in totally strange surroundings and find her way back to us -- not only locating a house that she had been in for not more than a few seconds, but climbing up the stairs and homing into our bedroom and our bed -- could only be a miracle.

Of course I believe that our guardian angels -- Shelley's and ours -- had a hand in it too, and I am eternally grateful for that and all the many other things they have done for us (in our home, the angels are always busy!).

But that was when I also realised how brave, how single-minded, how powerful we can all be when love motivates us.

About a month after that, we moved yet again -- to our present home, and we had no problems at all this time.

But for the rest of her life, Shelley was living proof of the power of love. She will always be our Miracle Cat.

We miss you, darling. But we know you are always with us.

transformation blues

For all who are feeling overwhelmed or confused by the state of turmoil or ennui that their lives seem to be in, I would like to share this message from Archangel Gabriel which was channeled through me recently.

I still pass my days feeling off-kilter and even woozy, but I know it's just a side-effect of the energy and vibrational changes that are simultaneously occurring in everyone (including me) and the planet -- whether or not you are conscious of it.

I hope the following message, which appears in the metaphysical ezine Cosmic Lighthouse's September issue, will give you the same comfort and strength that it has given me.


ARCHANGEL GABRIEL ON TRANSFORMATION

Dear ones,

So much has already been said about the ongoing energy changes and transformations that are taking place as Earth moves into the next dimension.

But what it seems to mean for so many of you right now is that you are simply caught up in a whirlwind where nothing is within your control. Your best laid plans do not work out, and sickness and financial problems are common for many.

Your emotions, too, are out of control. They swing from one extreme to another in a matter of seconds. Anger surges quickly to the surface, and unforgiveness lingers in your hearts.

Even those who are on their spiritual path are beset with these problems in one form or other. In truth, it is when you are on the path of light that you become more aware of the challenges that come your way.

So why is this happening, you ask.

Why must there be so much pain, sorrow and difficulty when this planet and all who are in it are supposed to be raising their vibration and moving into another dimension? Are we not moving towards a better world, one of light and joy and peace?

Indeed, you are, dear ones. But you must bear in mind that all that is happening to you and the world is part of the process of transformation.

So many think that transformation occurs in the blink of an eye.

But in reality, when transformation truly takes place, every aspect of you is involved – the physical, the mental, the emotional as well as the spiritual. And so it can get a little complicated and take time to fully occur.

What would be the point of transformation if it occurred instantly and so painlessly that you do not even realise it has occurred?

For your soul to advance and grow, it needs to be conscious of the lessons it learns, the unnecessary baggage it releases, and the choices it makes.

For you are all students of Earth, here on this planet to learn the lessons your souls came specifically to learn. And like students anywhere, you would not know how much you have learned or how well you have done unless you are tested.

But pass the test, you will.

The angels, archangels, ascended masters, divinities and other advanced light beings from other dimensions are here to make sure of that.

For do we all not come from God – the source of all creation, light and being?

So do not despair and allow your pain, your fear or your sense of lack to overcome you.

For all this will pass.

And all is as it should be. Look beyond the chaos and know that all that is happening is according to divine plan and timing.

You are not alone. You have never been alone.

We are with you always, and help is but a call away. You only have to ask, and help will be given -- even if you are not sure whom you are asking or what it is you are asking for.

In fact, help came some time ago, and is still being rendered to you. So many light beings and angels are already in the world, doing whatever they can to assist you in this time.

Release all fear. Do not hold on to despair or anger. Let go of the slights you feel you have received. Instead, unclench your fists and allow God and His helpers to pour the blessings that you deserve into your hands.

At the same time, beware those who come in the name of love and light but focus, instead, on making money from you by playing on your fears and lack of knowledge. Sadly, there are many of those today.

Yet there are also many genuine lightworkers, diligently working with the angels and light beings in helping to pull themselves and others out of the darkness and into the light.

Trust what your heart tells you, not what your head says. For divine guidance comes from the heart. We will help you to recognise the true lightworkers.

They are teachers and healers who speak with truth and wisdom. They act out of love and compassion. They, too, struggle with their own human tests yet steadfastly seek the highest good for their fellowmen.

They may rely on donations or charge a fee for their services. But that is as it should be, for they too need to put food on their table. The difference is they do not take advantage of others. For they trust in God’s provision and the premise that they are co-creators with God, able to reap the rewards that they richly deserve.

Keep to the path, dear ones. Do not give up. For we are here to light your way, to give you strength and love.

Always.

(message received on Aug 15, 2008)

changing phases

I've been so out of sorts lately.

For the past month, I've been feeling as if I were looking out at the world from within a bubble that's afloat in a sea of detachment.

Nothing seems able to touch me too deeply on an emotional level -- not the daily frustrations at work, not the occasional flaps at home, not even what's happening on a national or global scale.

It's not that I don't care. I do.

On an energy level, I can feel the change that's occurring even as I write this. Everyone and everything in the world is affected to some degree.

From the earthquakes and hurricanes the planet is experiencing to the increasing environmental and health issues that we're facing today.

Suddenly, every third person I know seems either to be stricken with, or knows someone who is stricken with, cancer. Others are struggling financially or undergoing career crises.

I've lost count of the number of times that I've been asked what's happening.

All I can say is, it's all part of the transformation that the world and its inhabitants are going through.

Some days, I'm so sensitive to the energy change that it hurts just to brush my hair.

Recently, for no reason that I could see, I was asked to move from one desk to another in the office. I was perplexed and quite a bit cheesed off by the whole exercise.

I went home and did a mini angel card reading for myself to find out why this was happening. And the answer, simply, was that it was time to move. Time to clear my space so that new, positive energy could come in.

So here I am. Writing this from my new desk location.

Who knows what new changes this move will bring?

I can only trust and wait.

my angel healing circle

I held my usual Wednesday fortnightly Angel Healing Circle last night. I just realised this morning that it's been five months since I first began to do this on March 19 this year.

It may not seem like much to most people, but oh what big steps I've taken on my own spiritual path, and how much I've learned and benefited from the experience.

I remember how the angels gently but firmly lodged the idea of conducting the circle soon after I returned from an intense and comprehensive Angel Miracles course with Elisabeth Jensen in Adelaide.

Not having attended an angel healing circle myself, I was doubtful about conducting one.

What was I supposed to do? Would anyone come to the circle? Could I even do it?

I resisted for a while but the angels were so insistent that, in the end, I simply took a deep breath, asked for faith and courage, and plunged in.

Before I could change my mind, I sent a mass email out to all the people who come to me for angel card readings and healings, to tell them that I would be conducting an angel healing circle from home.

Then I asked for divine guidance and help in preparing some guidelines on the structure of the exercise, and on what meditations and visualizations to do.

And the information came. Using a combination of what I'd read and learned from books, CDs, and the spiritual courses I'd been to, I came up with a set of rough guidelines for myself. The rest, I left to the angels on the night itself.

Three people turned up for my first circle. It was three more than I had expected.

Sure, I fumbled a little. I forgot to turn on the meditation music, and I struggled a little at the beginning trying to remember what came next.

But the angels were present. And so were the three archangels who had said they would work with me at my healing circle: Hamied, Michael and Raphael. Throughout the exercise, I allowed myself to be led, and simply did whatever I was guided to do.

Interestingly, no one seemed to notice my initial fumbling. Instead, all who turned up had their own personal experience and healing with the angels that night.

It was an uplifting experience for everyone, especially me. And I learned another important lesson: When you willingly act on divine guidance, there is no lack of aid and support.

The angels and archangels were there in force that first night, as they have been in every healing circle that I've conducted since.

So far, the biggest turnout that I've had for this circle is five. But there have also been a couple of times when no one turned up.

But all this is part of my learning curve as a lightworker.

Ego has no place in lighwork.

Every time I allowed myself to get stressed preparing for the circle -- either because I thought it was taking too much out of me and I wasn't sure I could go on, or when I allowed myself to think hey, I'm pretty good -- the angels firmly made sure that I'd have some quiet time to refocus, re-centre and realign with my higher self and calling again.

I've learned not to base my success as a lightworker on the number of people who turn up for my healing circles or workshops.

I base it, instead, on the joy that fills me when those who take the time and make the effort to come -- be there three, five, or just one person -- voluntarily share their own spiritual experiences, lessons and growth with everyone present, getting to know and encouraging one another as they open their hearts and their lives to more love and light.

I love the fact that the angels honour our fortnightly dates and show up without fail -- regardless of how many people turn up.

And on those occasions when no one did, they still surrounded me with love and light, healing me both physically and on a deep, soul level as I sat and meditated within the circle they formed around me.

For me, that confirmation of love beats having a huge turnout any day.

rip-roaring stupidity

A girlfriend of mine has been having sleepless nights this past week because she is desperately trying to find homes for the stray cats who live in her condominium estate. It seems that the condo's management committee has unanimously voted to cull the stray cats within the estate because they've been "scratching our cars".

Most of these stray cats have already been neutered, and are regularly fed by animal-loving volunteers who spend their own time and money feeding and taking them to the vet for sterilization when they are old enough. So they are actually tame cats without a proper home to call their own.

I wish I could take them all in, but I already have a full house.

But that's the trouble, it seems. People are either animal lovers or animal haters.

Those of us who love them find it hard to stop once we start taking in stray, abandoned or abused animals. It's hard to stop because there are just so many of them and not enough of us.

The sad truth is, we simply can't save them all although we do our best.

But sadder still is the fact that there are educated people who love their material possessions so much that they think nothing of taking another life just because they feel their possessions are at risk.

Listening to them complain, you'd think it was some big wild cat, like a tiger or a lion, that was coming up to their sturdy, heavy metal vehicles and leaving huge scratches on them, instead of a cat who probably scratches at a heavy duty tyre now and then.

Hello?

What will it take to make people learn to respect and value life more than they do inanimate objects?

I wish I knew.

All I can say is, they deserve the rat and roach problems that they're likely to get once there are no more cats around to keep them at bay.

how do i love thee? let me show the ways

Meet Sunny and Rex.



We found Sunny (left), who is now about 11, when she was just an itsy-bitsy kitten playing at a bus-stop near our home late one Sunday morning. She was so little and trusting, and we were terrified that she'd hop off the kerb and right into the path of on oncoming bus without realising the danger.

We hung around the bus-stop, anxiously watching out for her and keeping our eyes peeled for her mummy to come and take her to a safer place.

But about an hour later, with no mummy cat in sight and too many close shaves for comfort, we went home to get our cat basket and brought her home with us.

She's our precious Sunday find; hence the name Sunny.

When she came home with us, she headed straight for Hepburn, our oldest cat, who sweetly took her under her wing and played surrogate mum.

Wherever Hep was, Sunny wouldn't be far away. For Sunny is a cat who isn't shy about showing the world that she loves you. Her nickname is Sunny Hunny, cos she'll just stick to you if she loves you.

She seldom takes no for an answer, and she can't understand why people who love each other should ever be shy about showing it.

We could all learn something from her.

When Hep passed on, she was lonely for a while. And then she found comfort in Rex, the perfect gentleman.

And Rex, who is 14, has found romance in his autumn years.







I love happy endings.

Don't you?

happy birthday, singapore!

Today, Singapore celebrates its 43rd year as an independent nation.

Our country may still be a child compared to other, much older countries in the world, but I learned today that Singaporeans share a surprisingly strong sense of nationality.

As our National Day falls on a Saturday this year, it's a long weekend for most people. But working for the papers as I do, I happened to be rostered for Saturday duty, so I had to go to work.

I took care not to wear red, as red and white are the national colours, and I didn't want to look like some uncool patriotic fashion idiot.

But on my way home on the bus later that afternoon, I was surprised to see the number of people proudly wearing those very colours. There were families with young children, middle-aged aunties and couples, and even grandparents who were either wearing a red top or a complete ensemble in red and white.

It was eye opening.

For the first time, I realised how strongly Singaporeans actually feel for their country.

These ordinary folk in red and white weren't on their way to attend the National Day parade. They were simply enjoying their day and doing what they usually do as families, as couples, and as individuals on a public holiday.

Today, however, they saluted the significance of the date by wearing colours that reflected their pride in their nation.

And that is a good thing.

So what if the fashionistas laugh? Maybe I'll wear my red sleep tee tonight.

But I can't help also thinking:

On one special day of the year each year, one nation in the world celebrates its own independence day. Tens of thousands of dollars are spent to produce and orchestrate parades, shows of military might, aerial displays and spectacular fireworks, and its citizens are united in their sense of pride in being a part of it all.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could, in the same spirit, open our hearts and minds to the bigger picture?

To be united in a global pride of being citizens of the world, and celebrate the beauty and bounty of the Earth in which we live. For there's nothing else like it -- not in this solar system, anyway.

And if each person and every government in the world felt only half the pride and ownership in our planet as they do in their own country, and spent but a fraction on protecting our environment as they do on nation building, then there would be a greater chance of mankind coming together as one in loving, respecting and saving our only home and all its inhabitants.

light a candle

Tonight, at 9pm, millions of people around the world will unite in lighting a candle for Tibet from wherever they are.

Like many others, I feel for the people of Tibet -- just as I feel for all people who are repressed or persecuted for their beliefs and their way of life.

I hope this worldwide movement isn't going to become just another political rally; a means by which some will take to promote and propel their own selfish causes.

I will be lighting a candle tonight. But I will be lighting it prayerfully, with love and hope in my heart.

The candle that I light tonight will represent, for me, the hope for peace in the world.

It will be my prayer to God and the universe that people will learn and realise that we really are all the same despite our language, colour and religious beliefs.

The light that I start in my home tonight will represent, to me, the light of God, which is freely given to one and all.

May my single candlelight join other like-minded people's tonight in spreading God's light of love, peace and truth to the world.

appraisal time

It's that time of the year again, when words like "appraisal", "banding", "promotion" and "salary increment" are on the minds and lips of everyone at the office.

For the past week, my colleagues and I have been stressing ourselves putting together a file of our best work and filling out self-appraisal forms before handing them all over to our supervisors... and worrying about how they will judge our performance this past year.

I know it's important to be recognised at work. After all, we spend about half the day, five times a week, in the office doing what we do.

But today, when I realised how much energy I was giving to worry, I decided that I no longer wanted to give it a hold over me.

I stopped looking for more samples of good work to add to my file, and simply handed in whatever I had already prepared and filled out.

Then emotionally and mentally, I dusted my hands. The sense of relief was immediate.

The truth is, the supervisors very probably already have their own preconceived ideas of me and my work. Whatever I hand in to them or say in my self-appraisal isn't likely to change their minds. At least, not much.

But for me, the most important appraisal will come when my soul returns to God.

When I look back on my life and can say, with truth and joy, that I managed to fulfil what my soul set out to achieve in this lifetime. That's when I'll know I passed with flying colours.

the month of hungry ghosts

Yesterday was the start of the Hungry Ghosts Festival. For a whole month, the gates of Hell will be open, and the spirits of the dead come out for their annual vacation. That's what the Chinese believe.

I used to dread the festival as a result of a few incidents that happened after we moved into our home 14 years ago (but that's another story). So every year on the day before the start of Ghost Month, I'd sprinkle holy water all over the house and outside it.

I'd do it while it was still light, and pray for protection for all who lived in the house and entered it. I'd also sprinkle holy water over everybody in the house, including the pets.

I don't do that now.

Three years ago, I learned that I had 24/7 protection at my disposal.

I simply asked God to station an angel at each corner outside my house, to watch over and protect everyone who lived in it, so that no negative energy or spirit will be allowed to enter.

I then visualised a bubble of bright white light -- God's light -- surrounding the house at all times. And this serves as a holy, indestructible force field.

It worked, and it hasn't stopped since.

Once you realise how well loved and protected you are by God and the angels, the peace of mind you get is truly beyond understanding.

ohm me ohm my

It's amazing how much you can learn from your pets.




I saw Nala, who is 14, doing this one day. In the midst of the constant noise and activity at home, she simply shut out the world and enjoyed some nice, quiet "me" time.

That's what we all need to do. Shut out the world and focus within.

It's not as easy as it looks, for it's often easier to allow ourselves to get caught up in the whirlwind of everyday life so that we have an excuse for not staying connected with our higher selves, God and the universe.

But first, we need to love ourselves enough. It's pretty hard for most of us to justify putting our own needs before others.

But to borrow a well known advertising catchphrase, We're Worth It.

For it's only through quiet contemplation and meditation that we can refocus and centre ourselves.

And when we're connected with our spirit, we can face the world with calmness and compassion.



See?

Ohm my.

the best things in life are free

Today, I received an email from someone who wanted to know what I thought of an email that she'd recently received.

It was from a psychic who promised this woman that she could have all the money, love and gambling luck in the world because she was, apparently, a "supra-celestial being", different from everyone else.

Despite the many assurances peppered throughout that the message had only been sent to her because she was so unique, it was obviously a form letter, albeit an extremely long one.

As expected, right at the end, there was an invitation to grant the psychic permission to perform some occult ritual that would ensure that this woman would get the money, love and luck that she so deserved as a supra-celestial being -- for a fee.

She could even buy the psychic's protection, if she so chose.

I simply told the person to follow her gut feel, and do what she felt was right.

Personally, I believe that we are all created by God. We are all made in His image and, therefore, we are all special. No one is better or more special than another.

For our souls -- that divine spark that God put into us all -- makes us all the same.

I don't believe I deserve more money, love and gambling luck than the next person.

But I do believe that we all deserve the best, and we can have the best if we would only allow ourselves to think and live positively.

For the best things in life are free.

churchill's visit

Our dog Churchill visited tonight.

Church passed away on the night of July 22 two years ago, at age 14.

Last night, about five minutes after I'd gone upstairs to have a shower, my husband went upstairs too. And as he climbed the stairs, he was assailed by a strong doggie smell that was distinctively Church's.

It went off after a few minutes, but we are both sure it was Church, just saying hi and letting us know he still likes to hang out with us.

My husband and I are both animal lovers, and we've loved and lost several pets in the 19 years that we've been married. But we do believe that our pets have souls, and that they, too, go home to heaven when it is time for them to.

Our four oldest pets -- two dogs and two cats -- all died within two years of one another.


A little under a year after Church passed on, our other dog Cindy, who was Church's beloved friend, followed. She was 16.

A few days after her passing, I was picking up my handbag and getting ready to leave for work when I saw both Cindy and Church stretched out in the family room. They both looked as they did in their prime, and they were both grinning broadly at me.

They looked so well and happy that I couldn't help smiling too. And I thanked them for showing me that they were both fine and happy to be together again.

Several months later, our oldest cat Hepburn joined them at age 17, and then Shelley, who was 14+ and best friends with Church, followed.

At each passing, I both sensed and saw the angels coming to take each beloved pet home.

And the knowledge that their souls are important enough to merit the angels coming to comfort and guide them into the light, when it is their time to go, lessened the sorrow of losing them.

The truth is, we haven't lost them at all -- at least, not in spirit.

I was sitting and watching TV once, and suddenly I felt and sensed Shelley sitting on my lap and purring.

Another time, I woke up in the middle of the night and felt Hep sleeping with me.

None of the incidents were scary. Instead, they were all loving and joyous experiences. For they simply confirm what I now know: One day, we will all be together as a family again.

In the meantime, I'm just happy with their visits.

my knights in shining armour!

For someone who grew up in tropical Singapore, you'd think I'd be used to our quick-change weather by now.

When I got on the bus to get to work this morning, it promised to be another hot and humid day. But the No.13 that I boarded was new, and I had my book with me, so I settled in for a comfortable hour-long journey.

Five minutes before reaching my destination, the rain came. And it wasn't a light drizzle.

With no brolly and a 30m walk from the bus-stop to the office, I knew I'd be drenched by the time I reached the lobby. So I prayed for a miracle.

God, please make the rain stop. Or at least make it lighten up so I can reach the office without getting too wet.

The rain became a downpour just as I stepped off the bus.

Okay, so it wasn't stopping yet. But it would, I told myself. I'd asked for a miracle and I knew I'd get it. Even if it didn't look like it was about to dry up anytime soon.

I continued to walk away from the bus-stop until the overhead shelter ran out and I couldn't take another step without getting wet.

Just as I stopped walking, a taxi came out of nowhere and drew up right next to me to let a young man get out. The passenger smiled at me as he alighted and left the door open for me.

I thanked him and waved to the driver, who nodded and indicated that I should get in. As I quickly got in, I apologised.

"I'm so sorry, but I only need you to drive a very short distance. My office is just 30m ahead, but I would really appreciate it if you could drive me up to the lobby."

Half expecting a scolding or at least a glare for inconveniencing him in the pouring rain, the driver simply smiled and said, "That's all right. I know the building."

We were there in two minutes. The meter didn't even get the chance to tick long enough for the flag-down fare to increase.

I tipped the driver, of course, and thanked him before adding: "You were the answer to my prayers."

He simply laughed and wished me a good day.

I got to the office with no more than a few drops of rain on my shoulders.

Know what? I wouldn't be surprised if that driver and his passenger were both angels who came to my rescue when I asked for help.

I thank them both, and I thank God for starting my work week with a miracle.