SAM AND THE EMPTY CHAIR - Or Was It, In Fact, Occupied?

 SAM AND THE SEEMINGLY EMPTY CHAIR

Sam, aged one, had already made many friends, both canine and human, but one that especially lingers in my memory is a friend he made on the moors between our Welsh home and the sea. 

 

We were walking there when he suddenly ran off toward a woman I’d never seen before and planted a large paw possessively on one of her feet.

 

His paw remained steadfastly in place as I rushed up with an apology. "Oh, please don't apologise!" Sam's new friend said to me, seemingly happy to have his paw still on her foot. "It makes me feel special that he's singled me out for attention."

 

Well, one thing led to another, resulting in an invitation a few days later to Barbara's for tea.

 

We were barely over her threshold before a black cat shot past Sam. Glad he still had his lead on, I was astonished when he took no notice of the cat. Was it possible he hadn't seen it? To my mind such a thing was quite impossible!

 

As Barbara bustled through to her kitchen, before emerging with tea and cake on a tray, I started praying.

 

Was that because I'm overtly religious? No, it was because Sam was behaving very strangely.

 

There was a large leather chair to the left of the fireplace, where a log fire burned in the grate, and Sam was looking up at it as if at an occupant. Or, heaven forbid, did he plan to occupy it himself? 

 

This was my worry as Barbara started pouring tea. I just hoped he'd remember the 'house rules' I'd tried to instill in him - one of which was not to jump on chairs that weren't his. 

 

Then the cat came back - and lingered defiantly near Sam, who for the moment ignored it ...

 

With cups of tea on a little table between Barbara and me, I could easily foresee all kinds of calamities, but my hostess in a calm voice said: "Don't worry! Let's just watch what he does next."

 

She was looking at Sam, who was staring at the unoccupied chair as if mesmerized by it.

"What can you see?" Barbara asked him softly. "Or should I be asking you 'who'?"

 

As if in answer, Sam gave a little bark before lifting a paw and placing it on the seat.

 

There it stayed as I bemusedly asked Barbara: "Whose chair is it?"

 

"My dear husband's," she answered, with tears dampening her cheeks, "who died very recently. "Sam can see him, can't he? Oh, I can't begin to tell you what a comfort this is to me!"

IS THERE LIFE AFTER LIFE?

DOES LIFE END WITH DEATH - OR BEGIN AGAIN?

Do you believe that life ends with death? Or maybe you subscribe to the belief that a forever kind of love transcends even death and can begin again in a different skin. Whatever your beliefs, you might well find that watching this inspirational video about a love without end and then reading THE PORTRAIT will give you food for thought at the very least!

https://www.amazon.com/The-Portrait-ebook/dp/B006WBJ2SW

WHO ARE YOU?

Who Are You - Do You Know Who You Are? 

This might seem like a strange title - and maybe it is, but it possibly seems less strange when I tell you that the answer, for me, came in a brilliant book I'm reading currently (for the umpteenth time!)

The book - ASK AND IT IS GIVEN - by Esther and Jerry Hicks, based on the teachings of Abraham in the spirit world, tells us:

'Another important premise that is valuable to remember is that you are a physical extension of Source Energy, and that an eternal Stream of Source Energy flows to you and through you - and that it is you. This Stream flowed before the physical Being that you know as you was born, and it will continue to flow once the physical Being that you know as you experiences what you call "death."

Every living thing, animal, human, or plant, experiences that which is called death, with no exception. Spirit, which is who we really are, is eternal. So what death must be is but a changing of the perspective of that eternal Spirit. If you are standing in your physical body and consciously connected to that Spirit, then you are eternal in nature and you need never fear any "endedness", because, from that perspective, there is none. (You will never cease to be, for you are eternal Consciousness.)'

So, who are you? I'd love to hear your view on who think you are - and whether or not the above extract represents something close to your 'truth'.

A DEATH PREDICTION FROM SPIRIT

I just read an interesting story of a death prediction from spirit that I’d like to share with you. Written by Ruby FitzGerald, it appeared in a national newspaper this week in a series triggered by the book mentioned in my last post.

Ruby tells how, when she was twenty, living at home with her Mum, Elizabeth, she had a very profound dream concerning her grandmother, who had recently moved to a care home. In Ruby’s dream, she was standing on a Worthing beach when her grandfather (who had died 7 years previously) appeared. Then she turned and saw that her grandmother was there too.

Her grandfather told her that in the morning she must tell her mother that Grandma was going to die very soon and that she must prepare herself for it. Subsequently, her grandparents both turned away, arm-in-arm, and walked along the pebble beach together.

Ruby tried to follow them in order to talk to her grandfather, but he turned round and told her to go back and give her mother his message. When she woke up, she told her Mum as gently as possible what Grandpa had said. Thinking it was just a dream, Elizabeth didn’t make much of it, but because of the profundity of her experience Ruby knew differently.

Three weeks later the call came saying her Grandma had passed away from unforeseen complications. Ruby was upset, naturally, but she was also comforted by her conviction that her Grandpa had warned her. Now she doesn’t question that when she dies it won’t be the end of her journey.

EXTRAORDINARY NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE

Here’s an extraordinary account of a near-death experience that I felt compelled to share with you. It’s taken from The Map Of Heaven – Neurosurgeon Dr Eben Alexander’s brilliant book exploring the mysteries of the afterlife.

He tells of John, a war veteran’s son who believes he went with his father on the first leg of his journey into heaven.  His dad, an ex-prisoner of war, was fighting for life in his hospice bed after suffering a massive pulmonary embolism.

John was kneeling at the bedside, holding his father’s hand, when he was suddenly thrown into another – very vivid - dimension.  He was airborne, looking down at a rapid stream that flowed over rocks. His dad was in the water, clinging to a rock in a struggle to survive, when a golden glow like a celestial spotlight began spreading across the surface. Within the light, a white canoe with a red paddle appeared, floating on the rushing water.

Shouting excitedly, his father began swimming strongly for the canoe. No longer a sick old man, suddenly he was a youthful athlete. As he leapt into the canoe, John felt himself race down to ride behind his dad’s shoulder.

Then his father turned, giving him a look of love and joy such as he had never seen on his face before. Without warning, John was high in the sky again, watching the white canoe race towards a jetty where dozens of people were waiting and cheering.

He recognised them all – family, friends and war buddies of his dad’s. As the canoe docked, he saw his father stand up, raising the paddle in a salute, smiling and almost beside himself with delight. Then he leapt ashore and was caught up in a huddle of embraces and hugs.

Simultaneously, John found that he was back at the bedside and that his father’s heart had stopped.

John wrote to Dr Alexander saying: “This experience was transformative – a gift from my dad I could not repay. I can actually feel myself glowing when I tell this story!” 

How about you? Have you an extraordinary near-death experience you'd like to share with us all? If so, I'd love to hear from you!

ANGEL MESSAGES FOR (AND FROM) A DOG

Have you ever received angel messages from a dog? A beautiful story from a lady in Ramsgate, Kent, was reported in my newspaper the other day.

Marian told how, some years ago, after her invalid mother came to live with her, Diamond – Marian’s Samoyed dog – and the elderly lady became devoted to each other. Then, in 2007, Diamond (most unusually) started refusing to go for walks. She just went into the garden and returned to lie near Marian’s Mum all day.

Several weeks later ‘Mum’ took a turn for the worse, dying that July. The morning after her death, Diamond was at the door expressing her readiness (for the first time in months) to go for a walk. When Marian opened the door, she saw a white feather on the step.

Then, at the garden gate, a glorious red butterfly landed on Diamond’s head – between her ears – and stayed there for the whole hour-long walk, only flying away when they reached the gate again.

This spring a white feather appeared on the pavement every time Marian took Diamond for a walk – and a few weeks later the dog fell ill with a liver problem. As her health worsened further white feathers appeared, often landing on Diamond during walks. Marian knew her Mum was sending her a sign that Diamond wasn’t long for this world. She drew comfort from her mother’s nearness.

As Diamond died, at home, another white feather arrived, landing beside her. The next day was the seventh anniversary of the old lady’s death.

The following morning, when Marian went into the garden, she saw a white feather in the very spot where Diamond liked to lie. As she stood crying, a butterfly landed on her arm, staying for 15 minutes. It was comforting to think that her Mum and Diamond, now together again, were watching over her.

Marian now has a Samoyed puppy, Crystal – born four hours after Diamond died. On the morning she went to collect her – yes, there was a feather on her doorstep!

I'D PICK MORE DAISIES

Here's a rather special poem - I'd Pick More Daisies - I'd like to share with you. It was written by Nadine Stair, aged 87, shortly before she died:

If I had my life to live over, I'd try to make more mistakes next time.

I would relax. I would limber up.

I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I would be crazier. I would be less hygienic.

I would take more chances.

I would take more trips.

I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets ...

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I am one of those people who lives sanely and sensibly

hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I have had my moments and if I had to do it all over again,

I'd have more of them.

In fact I'd try to have nothing else.

Just moments, one after another,

instead of living so many years ahead each day.

I have been one of those people who never goes anywhere

without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat and a parachute.

If I had to do over again, I would go places and do things 

and travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over

I would start bare-footed earlier in the spring

and stay that way later in the autumn.

I would play hooky more.

I wouldn't make such good grades except by accident.

I would ride on more merry-go-rounds.

I'd pick more daisies.