My dear friends, we love you so very much,

You have a saying on earth that "Patience is a virtue." You understand intuitively that no matter how difficult life might be, you will weather it more easily with a bit of patience, for patience is a willingness to surrender yourself into the moment, to embrace the gifts and opportunities therein, and to find the love right where you are, in the here and now.

We absolutely understand that many of you want much more and much better than the present moment seems to offer, and we are not asking you to stay stuck in it. If you are cold, you want warmth. If you are broke, you want abundance. If you are lonely you want companionship.

It is normal, natural, and the nature of life itself to expand. It is your desire for more that causes that very expansion.

However, herein lies one of the most subtle and yet powerful truths you can embrace as you create more. You've heard it. We've said it, and yet so few manage to fully hardness the power of this truth:

• Your only power for change lies in the present moment.
• Your ability to harness this power begins with your acceptance of the present moment.
• As you stop resisting what "is" in front of you here and now, you open to grace, goodness, and guidance towards the better or more expanded future you desire.

Take a breath. Think of something you do not have now, and yet something you deeply desire. It might be health, a relationship, more money, or any number of things or situations in your life. Just pick one thing for now, although we know you have thousands if not millions of changes great and small that you desire. For now, for the sake of this exercise, pick just one.

At the moment you know you don't have this desire fulfilled. In this moment you are living without it. As you focus on the lack of this desired thing in the present moment, ask yourself, "How do I feel when I focus on the lack?" Do you feel empowered or disempowered? Hopeful, or discouraged? What feelings is your inner "tuner" tuned into? Stop. Breathe. Look around you. Did you even notice your surroundings while doing this part of the exercise?

Now shift your energy. Become present by choosing to look at the things around you. For just a moment, play with us and ask yourself, "What can I appreciate about this moment? What or who can I be thankful for right now?" Focus on the 80% that is good in your life at the moment instead of the 20% that isn't... or the 95%... Challenge yourself to think of any and every good person and good thing about your life right here, right now. Challenge yourself to find the blessings in the present moment. Really take time to focus on and bask in all that is good. Now ask yourself, "How do I feel?" Do I feel empowered or disepmowered? Hopeful or discouraged? What feelings is your inner "tuner" tuned into after this sort of focus?

You are learning that as you tune yourself into the good feelings in the present you elevate your vibration. If we borrowed terms from your wireless technology, as you shift your focus from what you do not have, to focus instead on things to appreciate in the present, you go from "one bar" to "five bars." Your "reception" that enables you to hear your guidance is clearer. You can "download" ideas from the heavens. You can "upload" your requests more easily. Of course these are merely metaphors but they make the point – when you are patient, surrendered, and accept the present moment without resistance, you become receptive to help. You allow in the love that wants to flow into your life into your mind, body, and spirit.

There are people, dear ones, living in the freezing cold with warm hearts, who feel the embrace of spirit encouraging them and guiding them to navigate the hardship in the best way possible. There are people in war-torn countries who have surrendered to the moment, and live it more fully than many living in a stressed-out, so-called peace. A great many of your grocery store, front line, and service workers have largely surrendered to the moment and because they live in this present-based, fearless way, maintain their health as much as if not better than others living in comfort, isolation, and fear.

We would never ask you to stay stuck in a moment you don't enjoy. We simply encourage you to embrace the moment, look for the good within it, and by so doing, open yourself to the love of the heavens that is always waiting to get your attention and guide you to a better, kinder, happier, more expanded future. Now is the time to live, love, and receive. And then... now again!

God Bless You! We love you so very much.
-- The Angels

Hi Everyone,

I read an email today from a musical group (2002) whose music I greatly enjoy. They happen to live in TX. They're going through the freezing, rolling blackouts, but with their usual good attitude, reported that they were focused on preserving their instruments and even sent a photo with "the refugees" as they called their numerous harps and guitars, sitting together in a safe room in the house. The fact that they'd even think to communicate with their fans during such hardship is incredible. All I could think was "What an amazing attitude." It is no wonder they continue to be beloved by their fans.

Embracing the present is powerful for all challenges great and small. My challenges these days are nothing compared to what a lot of you are, and have gone through, but I'll share a few stories anyway to illustrate how being patient in the present works. In my past, the minute I had a challenge, my brain started spinning into overdrive, trying to find solutions. Now I sit, wait, get in the now, raise my vibe, and wait for the solution "to drop in."

I got myself a bit ungrounded earlier in the week. I had been intending very strongly to get a miraculous adjustment of my spine. Ever since an accident in 2004 I've been off and even the best of chiropractors couldn't quite get me back on track. Well, wish fulfilled! I was expanding into the wonderful new energies coming into the planet, totally blissing out and feeling a massive, expansive love, when I lost track of where and when I was, and somehow left body. It was like missing a frame in a movie I was playing in, and all the sudden I regained awareness as I fell to the floor. Splat! Owwwwww. My knee came down hard on the tile and so did my shoulder. Talk about not being present! I laid there in absolute wonder, pondering how on earth that could have happened.

The weirdest and most wonderful thing occurred next. I assessed the situation and got fully, deeply present. "OK! I'm on the floor. Don't exactly know how this happened. Hurts like you know what! I don't think anything is broken. I am who I am. Life is what it is. What next?" Suddenly I felt elated. Crazy happy. While still in a lot of pain. It was surreal. I knew I was getting my adjustment. I knew I would heal. I felt the love of Spirit flooding me. I hoisted up, hobbled to the first aid supplies, put some arnica on what now looked like a grapefruit sized knee, grabbed an ice bag, elevated it on my office wastebasket and called my next client. I was so present with the love in the moment that my last two readings were joyous. I got up and nearly tipped over again from the pain that suddenly reminded me I was injured, but I knew it would be OK.

Later that night I got fully present with the pain. I dove into it with all my awareness. The best I can describe this is that I focused on it so deeply with no judgment at all, that I felt as if I was going into my knee as energy, sitting as light next to the energy of the pain, melting into it, embracing it, merging with it, and bringing into the light. Within minutes everything felt much better. I fell asleep and woke up with an orange instead of a grapefruit-sized knee. I'm still swollen and sore, but I'm happy! After gazing with Braco online I felt even better. Things are all moving towards that wonderful feeling of freedom in the body that I've been imagining and intending.

That would have been victory enough, but it just so happened that I had a delivery of 600 lbs of boards scheduled later in the day with "curbside drop off" – meaning I was responsible for hauling it into the garage. It would not have been a problem to drag boards into the garage one by one had I been able to bend or walk, but in the moment, that was out of the question!

Instead of getting all mental about who to call for help or what to do, I simply got present. "Here I am. Life is what it is. I am who I am. What next?" I appreciated the fact that I was healing. I appreciated the beautiful day. I appreciated my guides. Suddenly a peace came over me. I had the clear thought, "Do nothing. It is handled." So I did nothing. I called no one. The delivery man came, took one look at me and although he technically wasn't supposed to, helped me haul all those boards into the garage. My knee held up and actually felt better after the exercise. I gave him a good tip and we both had a wonderful win-win situation.

I was basking in that bliss of that interchange, when a quote from a handyman came in with a price that nearly caused me to drop to the floor once again! I'm sure it was fair but I had been terribly naive about how much it would cost to saw and attach all those boards into the planter boxes I wanted to build. Now I had a stack of boards and no "plan B."

I got present again. I sat there and appreciated the fact that when I don't know what to do God does. I appreciated the fact that I had help earlier, that my knee was getting better by the minute (that was my inner reality!), that every problem I've ever had before was resolved. In the midst of feeling very grateful for life, a friend's face popped clearly into my mind. I wrote to ask him if he knew someone with the right kind of saw and got a humorous response that he had exactly that and would come help me out for free or whatever I wanted to contribute. We were both happy at the prospect of friendship and a fun project. When its guided, the soltuion is always win-win.

These are very small challenges compared to covid, freezing weather, rolling blackouts, loss of life, and so much more that so many are dealing with. Still, the process for receiving help from the universe is the same, no matter what we're facing. Get present. Accept the here and now as it is. Drop inward and find things to appreciate. Trust and wait for guidance. Be patient, because patience, according to google's dictionary is "the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset." Beyond patience is the willingness to appreciate what we can, and in that higher vibe, guidance always comes.

Here are a few pointers how to cultivate patience in the Present

1. Accept your own feelings and first reaction

When something you don't like happens, you have to be Present with yourself first. "I am who I am," is the name of God in the Old Testament, and the name of the Divine within you in any given moment. "I am who I am... now." I am angry. I am frustrated. I am confused. I am scared. I am hopeful... Accept yourself.

Say,"I am who I am." Give yourself a hug. Tell yourself, "Its going to be OK. God and the angels are with us." It is only the scared child within that is angry, frustrated, confused, fearful, etc. The soul knows there is a solution.

In accepting yourself, as is, in the moment, you are sitting in love and solidarity with those scared, angry, lost parts of self that are asking for love.

2. Accept life as it is in the here and now.

Life is what it is. Something happened. You've acknowledged you don't like it. You can't go back and change the past. It is what it is. This doesn't mean you want to stay stuck. It is just the next step in opening up to help.

Life is what it is. Throwing tantrums, feeling powerless, etc., although a very normal human first reaction, are just way of avoiding dealing with the Present moment. Life is what it is. Stop fighting the fact. We'd waste our energy complaining that the sky is blue. It is what it is. We'd relinquish our power whining about things that have already happened. They are what they are.

Better to focus forward and get out of the mess, than to resistantly thrash around in it.

3. What next?

You've embraced your own feelings. You've embraced what is going on? Now what? What next? You might know the next step. You might not. You can always dive inward and find appreciation for things and people that are working in your life now. It is an interesting thing that a tiny splinter can make us forget all the good-feeling parts of our body, and a problem, no matter how large it seems can overshadow all that is good.

We can retrain ourselves to focus on and appreciate the good, and to put our problems – which can at times seem devastating  – into a bigger perspective. There have been times I've even said, "Well I could die from this condition, but at least I know I'll end up in total bliss in heaven!" That was powerful! I had immediate relief when I came to that state of appreciation once in the past.

In appreciating what we can, we are surrendering to the flow of love that wants to come into us, and assist us and guide us to the best, most loving, win-win solution for our needs.

Last week when I put out the newsletter on challenges being opportunities I suspected I'd be given some opportunities this week! So be it! I'm joyous for the angel-training that always leads to wonderful solutions. We are all loved more than we canpossibly imagine. We all have more help waiting to pour into our lives than any one of us allows in on a regular basis.

So when things aren't as you wish, be patient, surrender, and start to appreciate what you can... then let the magic happen.

Have a blessed week!
With love,
Ann