An Artist's Mission of Love

“As an artist you need inspiration. I draw all of my work from the inspiration that I receive. Where does the inspiration come from? It can come from a relationship where you loved someone, or it can come from someone who's passed away, it can come from a traumatic experience one had in life, or just the actual beauty of life.”
~Liam Herbert, Sculptor

Sedona, Arizona Sculptor Liam Herbert's slender, angular wood carvings and limited edition bronze sculptures flow with inspiration, diversity, and beautiful expressions of love. His art explores the human conditions, such as fear, anger, grief, hope, faith, and love. Liam's hands are led by his heart and soul, and he believes his mission as an artist is to share the insight and inspiration he receives, so others may grasp a greater meaning to their own purpose in life.

Liam has been sculpting for fifty years and his art includes bronze, wood, and mixed media sculptures, and his latest, a jewelry collection. He has put together a series of twenty short videos of his sculpting processes.

In 1995 we commissioned Liam to do an angel for our yard. Here are photos of “Soaring Angel.”

Here are his short videos. There are three you may want to watch, one on Inspiration, one on Wood Sculpture Process, and one on Sculpting With Clay, but you may love to watch all of them. I enjoyed them all.



View his gallery of sculptures.

~Linda

Fear and Courage and Love

Photograph by Eric Stephens

This book was suggested to me by my psychologist in understanding my own courage. When faced with a serious medical situation, I had fear, fear of the unknown, but somehow I quickly moved beyond those fears. I was optimistic...and I was continually hearing from nearly everyone around me how courageous I was. I didn’t know how else to do it. It seemed natural to acknowledge fear and let it go, but I was told not everyone reacts to a life changing event and challenges in the way I did. I do see that now.

This might not have been a book I would have picked up on my own, but I am finding it rather interesting. One of my late friends admired this man’s work and while living in Sedona I knew a couple of others who had studied his spiritual philosophy. The book is “Courage, The Joy of Living Dangerously,” by Osho, an Indian mystic and spiritual teacher, also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during the 1970s and 1980s, He had taught Philosophy at a University for a number of years at one time. He took the name of Osho in 1989. I do recall when he was deported from his place in Oregon and sent back to India in about 1987, and there was a lot of rumor and controversy about his “group.” He died in 1990. There is an Osho Foundation in Sedona, Arizona.

This is an excerpt from the opening chapter, What is Courage?:

“Courage means going into the unknown in spite of all the fears. Courage does not mean fearlessness. Fearlessness happens if you go on being courageous and more courageous. That is the ultimate experience of courage—fearlessness. That is the fragrance when the courage has become absolute. But in the beginning there is not much difference between the coward and the courageous person. The only difference is that the coward listens to his fears and follows them, and the courageous person puts them aside and goes ahead. The courageous person goes into the unknown in spite of all the fears. He knows the fears, the fears are there.

“When you go into the uncharted sea, like Columbus did, there is fear, immense fear, because one never knows what is going to happen. You are leaving the shore of safety. You were perfectly okay, in a way; only one thing is missing—adventure. Going into the unknown gives you a thrill. The heart starts pulsating again; again you are alive, fully alive. Every fiber of your being is alive because you have accepted the challenge of the unknown.

“To accept the challenge of the unknown, in spite of all fears, is courage. The fears are there, but if you go on accepting the challenge again and again, slowly, slowly those fears disappear. The experience of the joy that the unknown brings, the great ecstasy that starts happening with the unknown, makes you strong enough, gives you a certain integrity, makes your intelligence sharp. For the first time you start feeling that life is not just a boredom but an adventure. Then slowly, slowly fears disappear; then you are always seeking and searching for some adventure.

“But basically courage is risking the known for the unknown, the familiar for the unfamiliar, the comfortable for the uncomfortable, arduous pilgrimage to some unknown destination. One never knows whether one will be able to make it or not. It is gambling, but only the gamblers know what life is.” ~Osho

It takes a lot of energy to be caught up in fear, in negativity, in a depressed state. I am always reminded of the words of the late Psychiatrist, Author and Radio and Television personality, David Viscott, M.D., "If we each used our feelings as a guide to reach the path for becoming our highest selves, we would at least be on the way to finding fulfillment in our own life, and the greater world would begin to make sense." That is from Viscott's excellent book, The Language of Feelings. He also wrote:

"The light you are seeking is inside. The light is life, is love, is you. Find it, nurture it, share it. To seek it is to take part in the infinite." ~David Viscott, M.D.

~Linda

Is It Meant to Be? Intuition vs. Will

“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” ~Jonas Salk (1914-1995)

Is it meant to be? Is it not meant to be? Is the time right? Is it destiny?

Disappointments are part of life. What are the emotional lessons, and how can we transcend negativity, and transform emotionally negative emotions into something better? How can we use our innate intuition to guide us on our path?

Psychiatrist and Intuitive Judith Orloff, M.D. gives an interesting prospective into empowering ourselves.

~Linda

Never Too Late for Education, 92 Year-old Graduate

“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies,
can continue growing as long as we live.”
Mortimer Adler , American Philosopher, Educator (1902-2001)

This past week I heard about a 92-year-old woman who received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from California State University at Sacramento. According to school officials she may be the oldest graduate in the school’s history.

Weekly, for the last two years, Estelle Rees Arroyo would drive the 120 mile round trip from her home in Grass Valley to a Sacramento motel where she would stay will attending classes.

When asked why she had decided to attend college Estelle said, “I was watching too much TV. I decided if I kept it up my mind was going to go to mush.”

Her age often served as an advantage, according to Estelle, and earned her politeness from other students who thought she was an instructor, but she suspects her professors weren’t always thrilled to have her in their class. She said, “I think I spoke up too much in class because the teacher would get on something I had lived through.”

As Estelle reminds us, “It is never too late.”

She’s delightful. See a video interview of her here.

~Linda

Expanded Spiritual Awareness

Walt Whitman, among the greatest poets of our times, obviously was highly sensitive to inspiration from the spiritual realm. His epic work, Leaves of Grass, serves as the title piece of an extraordinary collection of his inspired works which emerge, finally as a self-portrait of the poet and his universal images of reality. The work presents numerous references to the immortality of the soul and, in particular, to reincarnationist thought.

In Song of Myself, written in 1855, Whitman begins the opening verse with this striking understanding:

"I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you."

* * * * *

Below is an Excerpt from my book, Whispers From the Soul: The Divine Dance of Consciousness by Don and Linda Pendleton.


ENGINES OF AWARENESS

Until modern science captured the human imagination on this planet, the engine of understanding was fueled by poets and philosophers, musicians and magicians, and other forces which unbridled human creativity. From the earliest recorded histories of mankind, the finer essences of human growth have been set free by the common assumption that our world is the abode of powerful spiritual forces with which we become intimate and join with them in the divine dance.

However, since every force within the natural world also seems bent into a common need for survival, the greatest fear of all is that death lurks behind every bush, and pain behind every joy. Since also it seems that the instinctive drive for procreation places us in an ever widening pool of activities which relate us all to one another inseparably, the common dilemma for every form of animate life is that every contact with every other life is undertaken at great risk. If love is woven into the very fabric of human consciousness, then the entire life experience continually intermingles us all into common bonds of joy and peril. It is that dance which has created and sustains the human experience on Planet Earth. Perhaps this is why there is no joy without some sorrow, no exaltation without some frustration, no growth without some pain.

It is clearly remarkable, then, that the human family has made such incredible strides forward instead of being engulfed by fears and competitions. If it is true that this universe was created some twenty billion years ago, as recognized by earth time, then the human presence on Planet Earth has been brief, indeed, and our species mere babes of the universe. The wonder is not, as some have said, that we have not blown our planet asunder by now but that we have developed the ability to do so and the wisdom, so far, not to. Obviously something more important than mere survival and more enthralling than mere power is moving the creative imaginations of humanity. Could it be true, then, that love is the magical ingredient? If not for love, then why do we put up with any of it and continue to believe that something more important than our own selfish needs and desires is at the root of this constant striving?

For all of us it seems that the need to understand and the willingness to seek our own destinies are the most powerful and moving forces behind existence itself. That drive did not begin in this century or any other but is that which drives the universe and empowers all sentient life. There were shamans and priests long before scientists, seers and soothsayers eons before physicians, oracles before preachers. All of the ancients spoke of a knowledge and wisdom beyond time and gifts beyond anything a materialistic awareness may envisage.

Our Twentieth Century equivalent of an expanded awareness will be found among the psychics, healers, mediums, astrologers, psychometrics and various others who tap into the spiritual dimensions of consciousness. But these special gifts of spiritual awareness need not be theirs alone. It may be possible for each of us, in our own way, to benefit from and enjoy the divine threads of the spiritual connection that links us all, through this dimension or another. Perhaps we need only to reach for and accept what has been ours from the beginning.

© Copyright 2003, 2009 by Linda Pendleton. All Rights Reserved.

* * * * *

~Linda

Soul Lessons

"The whole of life, from the moment you are born
to the moment you die, is a process of learning."
–Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895–1986)

As we age, most of us can look back at our lives and recall the emotional reaction we may have had to an event and now realize that our reaction may seem to have been inappropriate. Was it inappropriate, or, for instance, were we then looking at our world through the eyes of a young child? Why would we expect the reaction of a child to have been any different than it was? We cannot now judge the reaction of that child we once were with our adult eyes. But how often do we do that to ourselves? Isn’t more logical to believe that in the past we were doing the best we could under the given circumstances, even with our immaturity, lack of world experience, irrational thinking, or even as the victim of abuse, real or imagined? The important thing to understand is that the past cannot be changed and when we hold onto it, it pulls us down and does not allow us the freedom to move forward with joy and passion.

Have we come into life to experience certain lessons and to grow from these? Are some of these lessons predestined, chosen by ourselves at some soul-level, to be experienced in this lifetime? Are these lessons part of our soul-growth?

~Linda

Life Lessons

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself
and now that everything in life has a purpose.”
~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926–2004)

Have you ever wondered if life here on earth is an opportunity for lessons to be learned? In other words, is earth simply a school for learning? Are we here to have many, many experiences that allow us new spiritual understandings as we journey through life?

Surely, there is no denying that life gives us many challenges, many surprises, and lots of opportunity to learn from our misconceptions, our mistakes, or from our emotional reactions to events. It seems that spiritual and mental growth is the main objective of life. Of course, we may not always accept an experience or event as necessary to our growth. But the result, most often, is that we do learn more about ourselves after such life experiences.

We also learn from others as we observe how they move through events in their lives. Even with the most traumatic of occurrences, some are able to move quickly through the trauma and go on.
How do people achieve that? I believe it comes from an inner-strength that we all have. Often we are not aware that we do possess that kind of strength within us and we may not even discover it until we are put to the challenge of having to deal with some kind of devastating event. It is at those times that we must believe in ourselves and trust that we can indeed do what we need to do.

“Sit in reverie and watch the changing colors of the waves
that break upon the idle seashore of the mind.”
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)

~Linda

Power of Communication and Sharing

"If something comes to life in others because of you,
then you have made an approach to immortality."
~Norman Cousins (1912-1990)

We never know when something you say to another may be life changing words or may give a person a new perspective, even after 50 years. And when that happens, it makes the heart feel warm and joyous.

I know.

~Linda

Resistance Creates Stress

"Change is not stressful. Resistance to change creates stress." ~Gary Zukav, Author

My granddaughter working out when she was young. 

Friday morning I was at my physical therapy gym for my normal workout. I try to go three times a week for at least an hour or two. My more than fourteen months of three-hour sessions twice a week of physical therapy and gait training ended in February, and now I am on my own with an overview from my excellent therapist, John.

One of the other physical therapist was instructing her female patient of thirty years of age or less. I believe the woman was there for a shoulder problem from what I could tell. I could also tell from the energy this patient was putting out that she was not a very enthusiastic patient, nor a woman with a very optimistic view of life. In fact, I was on the mat table, and I was not too pleased when she sat down not far from my legs as I could feel her negativity. I have to laugh at that comment “my legs” as I am a below the knee amputee of my left leg, and wear a prosthetic, the reason for fourteen months of great physical therapy.

Anyway, the physical therapist was trying to cheer her patient by telling her about The Secret and the Law of Attraction. She told her it is not good to use the word can’t, or other negative terms of defeat. She told her it’s like driving down the street thinking every signal light will be red, and sure enough the universe hears that, and you will be stopping at all the lights along the way. She also told her if you decide your husband will be laid off from his job without any factual knowledge that it might occur, that again sets up a negative thought sent out to the universe.

I’m not sure the therapist’s message sunk in with this patient, but the therapist said to me, “Isn’t that right, Linda.” I said “Yes, it sure is. You have to be optimistic.” The woman looked over her shoulder at me, and I just smiled. She was still frowning.

Some get it, some don’t. 



“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” ~Mildred Lisette Norman, The Peace Pilgrim, Peace Activist, 1892-1971






~Linda

Gardens of Love

"Enflower the pathway of humanity with the beautiful in life;

plant gardens of love in unhappy bosoms."~Dr. James Martin Peebles, 1869

~Linda

My First Blog Award

I received my first Blog award: One Lovely Blog Award. It was presented to me by California Girl at Woman of a Certain Age Blog. A Blog I very much enjoy and I’m sure you will, too. She received her award from Listen To Auntie.

I will be passing the award on to a few Blogs from my Favorite List. So please give them a visit and I’m sure you will enjoy their Blogs, also.

A Tidings of Magpies

One Soul’s Journey

Psychic Connections

Robert Frost’s Banjo

Adventures in Nature

There are no rules with acceptance of this award, expect to share with others.

Thanks, California Girl....

~Linda

"Different Drummers For Different Folks."

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ~Confucius (c.551-479 B.C.)

I read some comments today about the use of the phrase “It is what it is.” Not all commenting saw the meaning of the phrase in a positive light. Some referred to it as being lazy, or depressing, and I suppose some took it to mean surrendering and giving up.

I don’t see it like that. When I use it, I’m using it as a positive statement. But then again, I often see everything in a positive and optimistic way. I really don’t know how to do it much differently. It’s the way I am. As I have read Adam Lambert of American Idol fame, say, "I am who I am." I like that. It’s nice Adam has figured that out at such a young age. I believe I spent a number of years of my life being more of who others thought I should be. And I refuse to do that anymore. Not everyone in my life may like it. But I do, and that is where it counts.

“You cannot please everybody, but to those souls who cross your path, give kindness and love.” ~Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952)

I have used the phrase “It is what it is,” of late, but in my use I am acknowledging and understanding that some things we cannot change, but we can only change our perception and reaction. And also some things just don’t matter and are not worth wasting energy on, worry, anxiety. And that can be a challenge. So for me personally, there is nothing at all negatively intended by using that phrase, It is what it is. I can’t help but think of the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
~Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” ~Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993)

I’m also reminded of the phrase, “rollin’ with the flow.” Not the flow of a follower of public opinion or whatever, but the follower of the flow of life, moving forward and not stuck, and doing it in a special and unique way.

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.” ~Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

I know I’ve often heard a different drum beat. What about you?

Charlie Rich singing Rollin’ With the Flow

~Linda

Tinker Bell, the Flying Dog and Lorrie, the Pet Psychic

Photo of Tinker Bell by Mark Hicks, Detriot News

Tinker Bell, a six pound Chihuahua, came up missing from a Waterford Township, Michigan Flea Market and it wasn’t the fleas who took Tinker Bell away, but a 70 mile an hour wind picked her up.

Her owners, 72 year old Lavern and Dorothy Utley were devastated after the dog’s disappearance on Saturday and the search by volunteers combing the area were unable to find her.

But a third generation psychic/medium came to the rescue with the help of a Michigan radio station. On Monday, Detroit-area radio station WKQI (95.5-FM) became involved in the search and contacted pet psychic Lorrie, who had helped the station in the past. Lorrie was sure Tinker Bell was alive and well and wandering on higher ground in the woods. She told the Utleys to return to a wooded area nearly a mile away from the flea market and "look up."

Lavern said volunteers had previously searched a low-lying swamp at that location, but not the wooded hilly area behind it. As he was climbing those hills calling his dog, Tinker Bell came running.

"She went nuts trying to jump into my arms," Lavern said. "She was all muddy and dirty. She was worn out but she wasn't hurt."

Flint Journal newspaper article, Tuesday April 28, 2009 by Jill Blondin, and posted on Lorrie’s website:

Lorrie, a third-generation psychic who says she can communicate with animals and makes her living as a pet psychic, said it's hard to explain how she does her job. "Every case is different," she said. "I can hear, see, taste or feel things ... however the reading is going to come through. This one was visual. I hesitated to say this, because I didn't know what it meant. But I told them to keep looking up."

Lavern said they tried to give Lorrie a reward, but she asked that it be donated instead to an animal shelter. Lorrie said she has pets and understands they are members of the family.

Lorrie said she also has an ability to communicate with animals that have died. "I contact deceased animals to give people closure," she said. "Pets greet us when it's our turn. They're up there waiting."

Oprah caught wind of the “flying dog” and did an interview on her show this week. In that interview Lorrie admitted she does people, too.







~Linda

It's In Our DNA, Sleepy Time

It’s in my DNA.

I have always been a night owl, and I dislike getting out of bed before 9:00 or 10:00 am, and some people have a problem with that and think it strange. I’ve always said it is just the way I am. I like to be up late, I feel creative at night, and don’t care to go to sleep early. But I do want my eight hours, or close to it.

Studies have shown that we have a series of genes which determine whether we are night owls or what some call early birds, those who rise early.

I’m pleased about the new sleep study recently done by researchers at Belgium University de Liege. Coauthor of the study, Phillipe Peigneux and colleagues used functional magnetic resonance imaging to monitor the brains of individuals, half who were considered night owls and the other half, early birds.

It has always been said that the early bird gets the worm, but this study may show otherwise. It appears the early to bed, early to rise people run out of steam sooner than those who stay up to the wee hours and sleep in mornings.

The researchers discovered no difference in the attention levels of the two groups at one and a half hours after waking, but at ten and a half hours of being awake the night owls were more focused , more alert, and quicker than the early birds.

The fMRI showed increased activity in two parts of the brain of the night owls at that ten and a half hour period, while performing a task that required sustained attention.

The differences showed up in the inner actions of two regions of the brain, including the area that is home to the master circadian clock, the 24 hour cycle or rhythm of the body, the suprachiasmatic nucleus area and locus coeruleus—which regulate the circadian signal. And in the night owls, the circadian signal was winning out over the pressure to sleep.

Then in the early birds, the sleep pressure prevents the expression of the circadian signal, according to researcher Peigneux, and those people were less able to keep attention focused.

The study shows that night owls have been shown to be more cleaver, have better memories and quicker minds, an even make more money.

Now the drawback to being a night owl is having to get up very early and cut into sleep time. There will be times that sleep has to be made up. But for those of us who have the opportunity to stay in bed and sleep in the mornings and who have learned to ignore the comments of laziness thrown upon us by some, it is great to allow our inner clock to tick at our own pace and not have an alarm sounding in our ear and jolting us out of peaceful sleep. I’ve never thought it was good to be awakened in that manner.

I’m glad my DNA allows me to enjoy the late nights and the sounds of crickets, train whistles, owls, and the quiet. I agree with what the study has shown in regards to myself. I can’t imagine going to bed at 7:00 or 8:00 pm when the night is just beginning. Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Isn’t it interesting what our DNA does for us? Life is magical.

~Linda

The UFO Phenomena and Coverup

Former Senator Barry Goldwater,
Dedication of Sedona Library, October 1, 1994,
Sedona Arizona, Photo by Linda Pendleton

“It is true that I was denied access to a facility at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, because I never got in. I can’t tell you what was inside. We both know about the rumors (concerning a captured UFO and crew members). I have never seen what I would call a UFO, but I have intelligent friends who have.”
~Senator Barry Goldwater, 1979

Excerpt from my e-book, The UFO Phenomena: The Cosmic SOS

“A 2002 Roper Poll indicated that three-quarters of the public claim that they are somewhat prepared for the discovery of extraterrestrial life and nearly half are very prepared. The poll also indicated that should the government make an announcement of the discovery of extraterrestrial life, only a small portion expect it to change their religious beliefs.

“So with statistics like that, why does our government continue this game of denial? So with statistics like that, why does our government continue this game of denial? Do they continue to fear what the 1960 Brookings Report concluded that people, especially the fundamentalist religionist, would panic and the world would be in chaos? It seems to me that the public is a little more realistic and accepting in this current age than we are being given credit for. Or does our government have other motives for keeping all this under wraps? Might it be that they don‘t want the citizens to know that they have no control, and there might be others out there with much more wisdom and advanced technology and have the well being of our planet and the cosmos as their first priority? Or does it come down to the usual―power and greed—and the need for superiority in our world? I‘ve got news for our government, the world is in chaos, and an acknowledgment that we are not alone in the universe may do a lot to give us hope that things might change for the betterment of all, not only American citizens but citizens of our world, and our space brothers.”

John Podesta, President Clinton's Chief of Staff from 1998 to 2001, is an advocate for government openness. At a national press club conference in 2002 he said the government should "open the books" on its UFO investigations. Podesta was co-chairman of the Obama-Biden Transition Project, and is currently President of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C.

“I think it’s time to open the books on questions that have remained in the dark; on the question of government investigations of UFOs. It’s time to find out what the truth really is that’s out there. We ought to do it because it’s right; we ought to do it because the American people quite frankly can handle the truth; and we ought to do it because it’s the law.” ~John Podesta

"I know other astronauts share my feelings…. And we know the government is sitting on hard evidence of UFOs." ~Col. Gordon Cooper, Mercury, Gemini Astronaut

‘I have taken special interest in these accounts [of UFOs].. I think there may be substance to some of these reports… I think we owe it to the people to establish credibility regarding UFOs and to produce the greatest possible enlightenment on this subject.”
~President Gerald Ford

"I can assure you the flying saucers, given that they exist, are not constructed by any power on earth." ~Harry S. Truman, Washington DC, April 4, 1950.

"I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real." ~Dr. Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 Astronaut

I can’t help but wonder if President Obama will have his hands tied, as it seems other Presidents have, or will he be able to give us some facts about the off-earth visitors?

~Linda

Our Earth and the Environment

"This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth.
All things are connected like the blood that unites us all.
Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."
–Chief Seattle (1786–1866)

"It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment." ~Ansel Adams

"There is hope if people will begin to awaken that spiritual part of themselves, that heartfelt knowledge that we are caretakers of this planet." ~Brooke Medicine Eagle

"I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?" ~Robert Redford, Yosemite National Park Dedication, 1985

"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death." ~Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962

"Nature is an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if only we will tune in." ~George Washington Carver (1864–1943)

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." ~Shakespeare

Photos by Linda

The Eyes and Souls of Critters; Animal Intuition

Is your pet smarter than you?
You may answer the question, “Of course not.” Well, how about giving a little more thought to the question?

Does your behavior change shortly before an earthquake or a tsunami? Studies have shown that often the behavior of animals change—they become agitated, for instance, hours or minutes before an earthquake. Remember the stories of the animals, especially the elephants, who moved quickly to high ground shortly before the horrendous Asian tsunami hit, and some even called out a warning?

Have you known and given a warning when someone close to you is about to have an epileptic seizure?
Have you recognized by scent a cancerous tumor on someone?
Have you ever protected and saved someone in the ocean from a shark attack?
Have you ever saved a life by hitting someone in the chest and knocking them down and jumping on their chest as they were choking on a piece of apple?
Have you ever found yourself in unknown territory a thousand miles from your home and set out to walk your way home, and succeeded?
Have you sat at your front door in anticipation of the arrival in 10 to 30 minutes of a family member, although there was no reason to expect the arrival?

You may not have had these experiences but many animals have. We could call these types of events “animal smarts,” but the more appropriate term would be innate intuition. Intuition is natural, not supernatural; is normal, not paranormal; and is an emotional connection or even a close bond to nature, to animals, and to humans.

Scientific Animal Research

British biologist and author, Rupert Sheldrake has done scientific animal studies and has concluded there seemingly is an emotional bond and connection between pet owners and their pets. The highlight of his study is the anticipatory behavior that indicates dogs know when their owners are about to return home, often by 10 to 30 minutes. This telepathy occurs because of the close bond, an emotional connection, even an emotional need, that binds the sender and receiver. And I would conclude that the role of sender or receiver fluctuates back and forth between owner and animal: a telepathic receiver one time, a telepathic sender the next.


As reported in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research (July 1998), a telephone survey of 200 households in Northern California conducted by Sheldrake found 132 of the households surveyed had pets. 45% of dog owners claimed their animal knew in advance when a member of the household was on the way home, compared with 37% of cat owners, and around 20% of these pets were said to react more than 10 minutes in advance. The survey indicated 46% of dog owners and 41% of cat owners stated their pets respond to their thoughts or silent commands. Also interesting were findings that more pet owners claimed to have had psychic experiences themselves than non-pet owners. A significantly higher proportion of the psychic pet owners claimed their pets exhibited psychic powers than the non-psychic owners did. The California findings were in close agreement with a previous survey done by Sheldrake in England. Sheldrake writes about his pet studies in his book, Dogs That Know When Their Owners are Coming Home, And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals.

The Gift of Intuition

Our own innate intuition is a valuable asset and can be a guiding force in our daily lives. By enhancing our intuition it appears it may enhance the emotional connection and deep bond we have with our pets. Enhanced intuition increases our ability for telepathic communication. It is a meeting of the minds—a sharing of wisdom—and often by being tuned into your pet, not only will you emotionally feel the unconditional love your pet has for you but you will be more tuned into his needs and desires. It is even possible a telepathic message from your pet could keep you safe from danger.

The Eyes and Souls of Critters

When I was young my family had a cocker spaniel, Paisano. Every week day, a few minutes before my return from school, he would go to the chain link gate and sit patiently awaiting my return. Have you had a pet who did the same?

My cat, Snickers is psychic and I am often amazed by his behavior. Nearly always, his actions tell me that someone may be knocking at my door in the next few minutes. His warning is usually about 15 to 20 minutes ahead of time. At times Snickers positions himself in anticipation a little further away from the front door, nearer my bedroom doorway, with an unrelenting stare at the front door. He apparently feels safer with more distance between him and the front door, in case he finds it necessary to run under my bed and hide until he is comfortable with the person who has arrived at our home. His bond, intuition, and telepathy with me comes out in other ways, also. I'm sure if you have closely observed your pet's actions you have similar stories to tell.

Dogs, cats, rabbits, and even dolphins, are often used for healing, such as in grief therapy, with ill or handicapped children, with those depressed, and for loving companionship, and it is often obvious the animal understands the person's situation and needs.

© Copyright 2007, 2009 by Linda Pendleton

What Angels Do.

“An angel of God will never give you a message of fear. It’s often one of liberation, escape, fulfillment, action instructions, or just plain joy!”
Kryon, Book Ten, by Lee Carroll

~Linda

Angels Are With Us.

"Listen for the flutter of an angel's wing

as it softly touches you with love.

Embrace it and join in the dance."

~Linda Pendleton

Each of us is a miracle. You are the greatest miracle ever produced by this universe. You are. You exist. And you know that you exist. That is the greatest miracle of all.

More and more people everywhere are searching for a richer understanding of themselves and their world. Many are turning from organized religion and finding satisfaction in a broader spiritual understanding.

One of the most troubling fears of every day is that we are alone and sometimes even isolated within ourselves. It can help to have a sense of spiritual connection within the self when these troubling thoughts surface and disturb us.

The awareness of an overshadowing presence which accompanies our every movement through life can profoundly influence our perceptions of who we are, where we are, and what we are. The entire universe is whispering into our souls and inviting an echo which confirms that the message has been received, understood and acknowledged. The entire whispering universe is at our beck and call. Respond to it, interact with it, and you shall never, ever feel alone again.

~Linda

Puppy Dogs and Angels

“Your tears show that you care, under any circumstance, and to hold back your tears is to hold back your love from life.”
~ Spirit Guide Dr. Peebles, channeled by Summer Bacon, 2009

A few years ago not long after my husband Don Pendleton had passed away, I decided I needed to have a dog. I took a couple of trips to the Sedona Humane Society but did not find a dog I wanted to take home. Then I saw an ad for Australian Shepard puppies.

You know how are puppies are. You fall in love with them even if it might not be an ideal breed. But I fell for her and she was eight weeks old when I brought her home. I named her Misty, bought toys for her, and a good sized carrier for nighttime or when I had to leave the house.

I soon found a trainer--actually three trainers all together. The first one, who primarily dealt with training German Shepards, I did not care for her roughness and attitude. Then the second trainer dealt in “touch training” (sounded more New Age LOL ) and she gave up working with Misty after only about three lessons. So the third trainer was excellent and she had worked with animals and birds at San Diego Animal Park. She and Misty got along just great. But give me the leash and it was a different matter. Misty was very smart and would have made an excellent obedience show dog, but not with me. She wanted to herd, constantly, and it was usually me she herded, nipping at my legs and feet every move I made. So in a few short months, I had to find her a new home. She found a happy home on a cattle ranch in Tucson and last I heard she was thrilled to be able to herd cattle all day long.

When I decided I had to give her up, I cried, and it stirred my grief issues, which were still raw and painful at times. One evening just before I gave her away, I was out in the backyard with her. We had a rock area and I was standing near it looking at the rocks on the ground.

Then I heard these words, “you need to paint angels on the rocks.” I was reminded of the pet rock craze in the 1960s when you’d see the funny faces or bugs, etc, on small rocks. So I found the best rocks I could, cleaned them up, and after saying goodbye to Misty the next day, I got out my oil paints and began painting angels. Not long after I sold a few at one of our local art shows.

The angels were exactly what I need to heal the sadness I was feeling, not only about Misty, but about Don. And in a small way, I found joy and a sense of purpose.

I always love dancing with the angels.

~Linda

Music for Change and Peace

“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.” ~ Plato ( 428 BC-348 BC)

From "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", incredible renditions of the legendary Bob Marley song "One Love" with Keb' Mo' and Manu Chao. This is the third video from the documentary and a follow up to the classic "Stand By Me" and the uplifting "Don't Worry."

Thanks, John-Michael for reminding me....

~ Linda

ONE LOVE SONG AROUND L.A.





ONE LOVE SONG INTERNATIONALLY

The Beauty of Art

Yesterday’s post on Creativity and Potential moved me to do more on the subject. Sydney asked in her comment on my post if there was any chance of a photo of my sculpture. So here she is in the “alive” (and modest) clay form when I had been working on her a few years ago. I titled her “The Surrender.” Other than an eagle I formed in clay, this was my first bronze sculpture and I have never taken any art lessons other than oil painting, but I was determined to give sculpting a try. It’s like that quote from yesterday: tell me I can’t and just watch me.

I was living in Sedona Arizona at the time, surrounding by excellent artists and galleries, so that helped to give me inspiration, although just being in Sedona and the beautiful red rocks gives a lot of inspiration. It’s a special place.

I’ve included a few photos of the works of two of my talented friends who are sculptors, Liam Herbert, who we met in Sedona and who is still in Sedona, and Chester Comstock who was in Sedona but is now in Colorado. I have also various quotes on art and artists.

“Imagination is the eye of the soul.” ~Joseph Joubert, French moralist, essayist (1754-1824)

"Aligning Thyself" © Copyright by Liam Herbert

Wood, Mixed Medium



“Good art is nothing but a replica of the perfection of God and a reflection of His art.” ~Michelangelo, painter, sculptor (1475-1564)

"When Love Strikes" © Copyright 2009 by Liam Herbert

12" x 5.5" bronze sculpture Limited edition/50

“Unleash your creative power. Let it flow in all its beauty.”

~Don Pendleton, author (1927-1995)

"Heart and Soul" © Copyright by Liam Herbert

Bronze Sculpture

“The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.” Gilbert K. Chesterton, English author, journalist, (1874-1936)

"Rising Joy "
2" x 1.5" Sterling silver pendant © Copyright 2009 Liam Herbert.

I love my pendant! Very unique and classy.

"Soaring Angel" by Liam Herbert

Wood, Mixed Media

Commissioned by Don and Linda Pendleton

“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.”

Ansel Adams, Photographer, (1902-1984)

Nuptial Finerey © Copyright by Chester Comstock

25" high x 18" wide x 18" deep Bronze. "The Poetry of Nature gives inspiration to this graceful image of the egret preparing for mating."

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ~Edgar Deges, French painter, sculptor, (1834-1917)

"Between a Rock and a Hard Place" © Copyright by Chester Comstock
26” High x 24” Wide x 24” Deep

“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. Give your dreams all you’ve got and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.” ~William James, psychologist, philosopher (1842-1910)

~Linda

Creativity and Achieving Potential

"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

~Walter Bagehot (1826-1877)

As a writer and an artist, I have often wondered from where some of my ideas originate. I do know at times they come from beyond me. A few years ago I sculpted from clay, for the first time, a figure of a nude woman. I loved working with clay. I found as I built up and formed the clay it was almost as if the figure itself took on a life of her own and was guiding me. I would watch her and see an aura, an energy, and it was fun to watch. Later when I had her cast in bronze something was lost of the energy that had been present in the clay…. The clay that was formed by my hands but guided from beyond me….

Too often we may think of creativity being a trait shared only by successful painters, musicians, writers, and other artistic people who are able to produce artistic works. But within each of us are powers of imagination and creativity waiting to be discovered, unleashed, and shared. It seems we think too often of creativity having to be some great masterpiece but creativity encompasses many things. It can as simple as making a beautiful flower arrangement, cooking a gourmet meal served with elegance, crocheting a pair of baby slippers, decorating a room in your home, landscaping a yard or planting a garden, making a child’s toy from wood.

Our simple accomplishments can bring a sense of pride and satisfaction. And that satisfaction may not be any less than the satisfaction felt by a great master artist of the past. If we believe we can create a world of possibility, a world of abundance, a world of vision, then it can happen. It’s our choice, it’s about attitude.

A Blogger friend and fellow amputee, Michael had this inspirational video today on his Blog and I wanted to share it, also. It is a little long, but humorous and well worth watching as Boston Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor Benjamin Zander shows what a world of possibility is.

Benjamin Zander – From Pop!Tech 2008
The only conductor to ever lead the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Zander is a prophet of human potential and an unrivaled champion of joie de vivre. Watch as he helps unlock the boundless potential of a 15 year old cellist and teaches the entire Pop!Tech audience what it means to live in a world of possibility.





How is your world of possibility?

"Music is well said to be the speech of angels." ~Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

~Linda

Motherly Love Expressed

“The soul is not where it lives but where it loves.” ~Thomas Fuller (1608-1661)

One of the most powerful words in our language is the word LOVE.

Love comes wrapped in many packages of different sizes, shapes, forms, intensities, conditions, and degrees of commitment. There is love between parent and child, love between mates, love of family, love of friends, and love encompassing the whole of mankind. And of course, there is our love of animals, our pets, which can be a very strong love bond.

And there is also love that crosses all boundaries and finds its expression in the divine dance of life.

“Love, I say, is the energy of life.” ~Robert Browning (1812-1889)

And love in Burlington, Iowa:






~Linda

Spirit Communication, Past Lives

In 1860, Dr. James Martin Peebles (1822-1922) wrote, “Invocations to spirits, angels, God, when bubbling up spontaneously from the inner depths, are vitalizing and strengthening to the divine forces of the soul.”

James Martin Peebles, about 45 years of age.

I believe my recent Poll results are rather interesting, and about what I thought they would be.
84 % believe in Past Lives. 9% believed it to be unlikely.
27% have seen a UFO, while 17% believe they may have, but 55% have not.
65% believe there is a UFO government cover-up and only 10% said no.

And these answers to this question really brought a smile to me. Have you ever had a message from:
An Angel? 50%
A Deceased Loved One? 64%
A Spirit Guide? 50%
An Extraterrestrial? 7%

Now I suppose many who visit my Blog do so because they have an interest in spirituality and spiritual ideas, but I am happy to see that people are listening to the whispers of love coming from their angels, guides, and maybe most importantly for healing of grief, from a loved one.

Those messages from loved ones may bring a lot of comfort, even years after a loss. I always feel it gives validation to the fact that consciousness lives on after the shedding of the physical body. And also is a reminder that love does not die but lives on.

For those of us who do believe in past lives, we probably realize that we may have been of the opposite sex in another life time, even time and again. That idea often makes me think about those who are homophobic or so against the opposite sex in some way. Is it about fear? Maybe memories that are in the recesses of their mind that might bring forward fear of a past life situation, or fear that they may be of that sexual persuasion again.

Today, Dr. Peebles is a spirit guide to many. Almost twenty years ago, he had spoken to us during a channeling about the coming increase in contact with the spirit world. He said more and more people would be having experiences which would validate the existence of spirit. He said that communication with the Other Side would become a normal, acceptable way of every day life and that what he refers to as the “illusion of separation” would become thinner—in other words, the veil between worlds would become more transparent. And in that transparency one would recognize his or her connection not only to God or the Source, but to each other as spiritual beings.

I believe that is happening. I have spoken with many people who have had mystical experiences. One cannot help but notice the upsurge in the hunger for spiritual connection and even spiritual material. And that is often being filled by the publication of many successful books, movies, and television shows on spiritual subjects, everything from angels, miracles, near-death experiences, mediumship and the body/mind/soul connection.

Dr. James Martin Peebles, in his terrestrial life, was a clergyman, doctor, author, and a leading Spiritualist who traveled all around the United States and the world on lecture tours, and was himself a medium. He was surrounded all of his life by what he referred to as his “band of angels,” a group of spirit entities on the Other Side that he was often in communication with.

As I wrote in my book, Three Principles of Angelic Wisdom, “The mighty hand of James Martin Peebles penned his fast-held beliefs and his indignation with the idea that spirit communication should cease because some church mind said it should be so. He wrote, "Spiritual beings are daily and nightly descending to communicate with, and minister to, their mortal brothers," an axiom he still holds [today as a spirit guide].

“He also had insight into the ever-present search for spiritual understanding when he wrote, ‘Humanity is pleading, yearning for knowledge. Inquirers are still asking, 'If a man dies shall he live again? And if he live why may we not know it?' And the search for knowledge goes on.”

And in my own search, last night I attended a healing/prayer circle at a nearby Spiritualist Church. The medium who was leading the small circle connected with my Dad. I knew almost as soon as she began giving his physical description it was Daddy. Two things she said about him, actually three, told me for sure it was him. I wasn’t really expecting him but then again I should have known he would be there as I had called on him and my late husband, Don three weeks ago when my mother was in the hospital with a mild heart attack. My sister told me she was in extreme pain and the morphine was not touching it after four hours or more, and her breathing had become very labored. I asked Daddy and Don to go to her and help her with her pain. Forty-five minutes later I received a call from my sister, who was with her, and she told me Mama was resting comfortably and peacefully.

Daddy’s been gone thirty years. My mother is 90 years old. I told Mama today about Daddy’s visit, and also told her about her night at the hospital, and she had no memory of being in that much pain, and she was happy to know Daddy was around. I was happy, too, but not surprised. He’s always been close by. And so is Don.

What the heck, we are all spirits, if we only remember that! Here or there on the Other Side, it matters not.

“The greatest illusion is that you are alone; never are you alone.” ~The Spirit, Dr. Peebles.