A Mother’s Day Miracle

Michael was a bright, four-year old boy who loved to sing. He had grown up as an only child, but his wish was to have a baby brother or sister. Needless to say he was overjoyed when Kevin and Karen, Michael’s parents, told him he was going to be a big brother. Every night, he would sing his favorite preschool song straight into his mommy’s tummy, “You Are My Sunshine”, and his mommy assured him that even though his baby sister was tiny, she could still hear his voice.

The first of May was slowly approaching, and Karen experienced some complications due to injuries received in a terrible car accident earlier in the year. The severe migraine headaches and related problems caused the doctors to schedule a C-Section delivery on Thursday, May 7, 1992. Much thought went into the next few weeks as Kevin and Karen prepared Michael for the arrival of his baby sister, Marlee.

As the delivery team wheeled Karen to the delivery room, Kevin stopped at the waiting room and said to Michael “we will back with your baby sister in about thirty minutes”. No one could have prepared for what happened next.

As soon as Marlee was delivered, Karen heard Marlee making little hiccup sounds and whether do to the anesethia or the excitement, she laughed about her little girl having the hiccups. The nurse looked at Kevin and Karen with a worried expression and immediately took Marlee away from the delivery room, and the staff alerted the NICU that a emergency baby was on the way. Moments later, Kevin followed out of the room to get more information. As Karen lay on the operating table, she was unable to move because of the epidural and the fear.

A few minutes later, Kevin returned and a doctor followed to explain Marlee’s condition. She was suffering surfactant, a condition of the lungs where the chemical needed for flexibility hadn’t developed. When she began to breathe oxygen, her lungs hardened like paper bags. As she exhaled, the lungs collapsed together and holes were torn in the lining. Air was escaping from Marlee’s lungs into her chest and her condition became critical.

Many prayer chains from several churches were called to pray for a miracle. Michael was devastated because he couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t let him see his baby sister. He told his mother, “Mom, I know Marlee would feel better if I could sing my song to her!”

Two days had passed without any improvement, and no setbacks. Kevin went home to shower and gather some personal belongings. While Karen waited in the room, a hurried knock came on the hospital room door, and the doctor rushed into the room with a worried look on his face. He said “Mrs. Simmons, there has been a serious complication in Marlee’s condition. One of her lungs has a large hole in it and the air is escaping into her chest much too fast. Her belly has swollen due to the air and it could be fatal if it continues to fill her abdomen. We must have your permission to proceed with the emergency surgery.”

A tube was placed between Marlee’s ribs that allowed the air to be drained out of her abdomen, but her condition did not improve. The doctor explained that the damage was too great to Marlee’s lungs, and if she did survive, she would most likely remain on the ventilator.

Michael desperately wanted to see his sister so he could sing to her like he had during the pregnancy. But the hospital policy wouldn’t allow children under the age of fourteen into the NICU. The next day was Mother’s Day, and Marlee’s condition was worsening. Michael asked his dad, “Can I go see Marlee now? I want to sing my song to her.” In spite of the hospital rules, Kevin took Michael to the door of the NICU, scrubbed him with the disinfectant sponge and draped him in an adult gown and proceeded to carry him across the room to stand beside his sister’s bed. A nurse stepped in front of Kevin and said, “You can’t bring that boy in here. The doctor and hospital rules won’t allow it.”

Kevin was determined that no one was going to stop Michael from seeing his sister. He looked straight in her eyes and said, “My baby girl is on the verge of death. Michael will see his sister!” The nurse backed away, then the doctor started walking toward Kevin to stop him. Kevin was visibly angry, and the doctor quickly turned around and walked out of the room.

As the staff looked on with disbelief, Kevin held Michael up to Marlee’s bed as he sang, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine You make me happy, when the skies are gray You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

When Michael finished his song, there wasn’t a dry eye in ICU. The nurses were crying and wiping tears from their eyes. The rules that were so important just a few minutes earlier didn’t seem to matter anymore. Immediately Marlee, lifted her and turned toward to sound of her brother’s voice. That simple song, sung to her while in the womb, created a spark of life in here. Michael’s childlike faith, expressed through his singing, breathed life into his little sister.

By early evening, the doctor came bursting through the door of Karen’s room saying, “This is the most incredible thing I have ever seen” There is no physical reason why, but Marlee has improved two hundred percent within the last hour. For the first time, all of her gas levels are normal”. He was ecstatic as he continued telling more of Marlee’s miraculous recovery. “Never in all the years of working with neonatal situations, have I seen a child with such an injury improve in such a short time. This boy of your must have been the key.”

The doctor went over to Michael, knelt down and said “Young man, you really made a difference today. I think your sister liked your song.” He ruffled Michael’s hair as he stood up. “Kevin and Karen, tomorrow morning, the regular neonatal doctor will in and he can look at these results. But as for now, I have ordered that Marlee be taken off of the ventilator.”

The next morning, Marlee had completely recovered. The doctor’s only comment was, “There was something bigger than all of us involved in this one!” Today, Marlee is a healthy and very active young lady with no residual effects from her lung problem at birth except one tiny scar on her chest.

Her brother had a song from his heart that allowed God’s great healing work to enter that room that day. Some call it “A Brother’s Song”. Others refer to it as “A Mother’s Day Gift”. But for all those involved, they know that a true miracle happened that wonderful Mother’s Day, 1992.

This story has allowed the kids and I to witness on many occasions. There have been many versions of their story spread across the Internet and through email chains around the world. Still many people don’t believe that it is true. But there is a fact that has remained constant throughout all the tales…GOD STILL PERFORMS MIRACLES TODAY. Our earnest prayers, and the heart-felt prayers of our families, our friends and many strangers led to that one moment when God used a little boy to shed God’s “Sunshine” on Marlee so that one person might believe.



Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

A FATHER'S PROMISE The Universal Father is GOD

In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened Armenia, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes.

In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife securely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.

After the traumatic initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of debris that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son.

He began to concentrate on where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son's classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging through the rubble.

As he was digging, other forlorn parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son!" "My daughter!" Other well meaning parents tried to pull him off of what was left of the school saying:

"It's too late!"
"They're dead!"
"You can't help!"
"Go home!"
"Come on, face reality, there's nothing you can do!"
"You're just going to make things worse!"

To each parent he responded with one line: "Are you going to help me now?" And then he proceeded to dig for his son, stone by stone.

The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off of the school's debris, saying, "Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You're in danger. We'll take care of it. Go home." To which this loving, caring Armenian father asked, "Are you going to help me now?"

The police came and said, "You're angry, distraught and it's over. You're endangering others. Go home. We'll handle it!" To which he replied, "Are you going to help me now?" No one helped.

Courageously he proceeded alone because he needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?"

He dug for eight hours . . . 12 hours . . . 24 hours ... 36 hours . . . then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" He heard back, "Dad!?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told 'em that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, 'No matter what, I'll always be there for you!' You did it, Dad! . . . "

"What's going on in there? How is it?" the father asked.

There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We're scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When the building collapsed, it made a wedge, like a triangle, and it saved us."

"Come on out, boy!"

"No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, 'cause I know you'll get me! No matter what, I know you'll be there for me!"

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Knowledge,Power,Wealth

Taking undue pride in knowledge could be disastrous.We begin to think we know all and that we are doer and creator;we also tend to cause hurt to others.We think were always right and expect everyone else to think so too.
Most times,arguments in homes and offices are based on pride of knowledge.Just think of the huge amount of time we waste in arguments life going down the drain,as it were.
Pride of knowledge also keeps us from realising God.We are born into a faith.We could have just as easily been born into another religion,isnt it Then why become so dogmatic There is one God.Few people take the time and effort to make a comparative study of religions.If they did,they would find that there are certain truths common to all religions.But instead,each believes his religion is the only way.
In every age,enlightened souls come to show humanity that there is one God,and that we are all His children.They point out that each religion is basically the same and that each shows the same path to God.
When we are overcome with pride in our knowledge,we are not prepared to listen to anyone.We forget the true purpose of faith and pay more attention to rites and rituals.
Even when we go to an enlightened person who can show us the way to find God,pride of knowledge may stand in the way of our progression.Often times,our pride prevents us from following instructions accurately.We judge everything by the touchstone of our intellect.We alter everything according to what we like and dislike.We take only the portion that fits our preconceived ideas.We may practise teachings only partially and so get only partial results.
Pride of power,too,deters us from our inner journey.Pride of power means we try to control others.We want to determine lives and fates of those around us.At home,we try to run the lives of our family members.At work its the same story.We try to force our views and ideas on others.Many a dictator has cruelly and ruthlessly persecuted thousands of people only because he had the power to do so.We may think we are all-powerful,but we must remember it is God who is really all-powerful.If we wish to receive His compassion and mercy,we must be compassionate and merciful to others.Finally,we have pride of wealth.We never think of wealth as a gift from God.When we lose it we blame God,but when we gain it do we ever thank God And when we have it do we ever think of sharing it with those less fortunate than us We should be grateful for money and its comforts but should not forget the needy.We need to treat everyone equally,whether or not they have riches.
Baba Sawan Singh said that when we meditate,if we block the door by standing in it,God cannot enter.But if we step aside and wait,He will come.He will fill us with his love,light and music.The more we empty ourselves of our ego,the more Gods grace can enter us.This is the secret of humility.


Excerpt from Inner and Outer Peace through Meditation.


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Deal With Stress

Stress is the physical or mental demand upon a person that exceeds the capacity of the body. It means stress the pressure on the person that makes the person loose his balance.

During stress - heart beat increases, palpitations increase, the person starts breathing heavily, or one can have butterflies in his or her stomach, the person starts blushing, sometimes, the person also stammers while speaking.

Stress is the part of life. Basically, it is of two kinds:- Eustress and Distress.

Eustress is the stress or tension which comes into the events or incidents of happiness like marriage, birth of a child, getting a new job etc.

Distress is the stress or tension which comes due to the effect of unpleasant events like loosing a job, or death in a family or getting divorced etc.

• 1.The first thing is to realize that you are under distress. You should be able to catch the symptoms like having excessive fatigue, increased palpitations, facing sleep problems, inability to relax and so on.
• 2.The next thing is to find out the sources how to relieve it. Find out somebody with whom you can talk out your stress. Talk out with the significant others and have their support. This is the kind of social support you are gaining and thereby reducing your stress. Also, you can take their suggestions or physical help if you require it.
• 3.The next thing is to do some physical exercises, like going to gym, run or exercise or practice swimming, jogging etc.
• 4.Sit and relax. Listen to your favorite music, , take out time for yourself and most importantly listen to your body.
• 5.Indulge in pleasurable activities, which you enjoy to do e.g.: go for riding, go for outings, go for movies.
• 6.Spend time with your family. That is another way of reducing stress.
• 7.Do not carry the burden of your work to home. Do not convert your home into office.
• 8.Be calm and maintain your cool. If your heart has started beating faster, take your time and relax. Practice any of the techniques of relaxation twice daily.
• 9.Give yourself positive self statements e.g.: “I will be able to make it, I can do this"
• 10.Have proper sleep and practice methods of sleep hygiene.
• 11.Finally, a little stress is a booster but excessive stress is unhygienic so recognize that unhealthy part and remove it from your life. Crack jokes, spend some time leisurely and enjoy your life as much as possible.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

The night of death and new life

Maha Shivratri is perceived by most as an all-night celebration that is ritualistic. To the evolved, it is a night of death - quiet and peaceful.

Shiva as destroyer symbolises death. The darkness of amavasya that follows the big night creates an ambience that prompts the seeker to look for illumination. As the Adi Guru, Shiva inspires us to be awake ^ that is, aware. Hence the practice prevails of staying awake all night on this special day. Another aspect of darkness is anonymity. Mystical happenings, the occult, too are associated with darkness. So in one special night you have elements of isolation, awakening and the occult.

Maha Shivratri calls for unusual demands on the fragile body and rigid mind. Scriptures say that the body is only a mud house and the Atma is a passing tenant. Many mystical questions arise: how does the tenant select the house, how does it maintain and use the house?

Shiva is the final frontier for fulfilling all desires. You are limited only by your knowledge. The world is full of events which do not appear in your known consciousness, but then even your body is full of events which do not appear in your known consciousness, but that still does not prevent you from claiming your body as your own. You know this world exactly as you know your own body through your limited senses. It's your mind that separates the outside world from your inside world, creating fear and mistrust. Hence, offering only water to Shiva is symbolic of simplicity and spiritual grace. Flow is the message here.

Maha Shivratri is neither a night of pleasure nor of pain. The understanding is simple: you have been given a beautiful stone at the age of 21 and you're told that it is a priceless diamond. You safeguard it all through your life till you're told - at the age of say, 50 - that it's just a piece of glass. Suddenly you feel cheated; the pleasure you experienced in possessing the stone suddenly vanishes and what remains is pain. Shiva cracks the whip and wakes you up from a nightmare.

The end of pain does not lie in pleasure but in freedom from both pain and pleasure.

The search for Shiva ends in the space within. So the ritual of Maha Shivratri is asking the devotee to be a witness. Witnessing is a normal natural process. The problem is excessive interest leading to a sense of self-importance that destroys the joy of living.

The night of waking up from this dream is crucial. It can be painful if you desire to hold on to it.

Stop imagining that your dream is your own. The night of Maha Shivratri is better spent in solitude; you definitely don't want to be woken up in somebody's bed you never intended to spend the night with!

There is nothing wrong in having desires. The point is: what kind of desires do you have? Are they petty, are they narrow and selfish? If so, it's time to expand the scope of your desires so that all the energy that goes into making up your various desires gets transformed into love. Ultimately, what do you really desire? You wish all longing for love and happiness to be fulfilled, isn't it? Simply lead a life full of love and everything else will follow. After all you are not in the body. The body is in you, and you are the one who has the power to steer life the way you wish.


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Happiness is the beginning, the middle and the end of your origin.

How is Happiness Your True Nature?

Happiness is your True Nature, for it is the substratum of your existence.


Happiness is the beginning, the middle and the end of your origin.

It is your essential being. This is not a cold, self serving happiness. A happiness that does not include others. It is who you really are.

You are like the sun. This is your Divine Origin. Pure joy. The sun actually pales in comparison. The clouds come in front of the sun. This is the material world experience. You look at the clouds and you say, “There is no sun.” Then you identify with the clouds. You begin to believe that all there is, is clouds. Sometimes a little sun peeks through. And this is your ‘reality'. You have forgotten to look beyond, to the sun behind it that never goes away. The clouds will come and go, but the sun remains. In this light, God is the sun. God is within you. The spiritual practices are the practices of removing the clouds and understanding that the sun is the Omnicient Reality. The clouds are an illusion. They are temporal. The sun is eternal. Unalloyed Happiness. To this you return.



This does not mean that everything in the material world will always go your way. This depends on your past actions. On the measure to which love is your motivation. This will change your experience in the material world. While you are in the material world, every thought, action, and word will have a repercussion. And when this returns to you, you will call it the clouds. The clouds of your life. For you see, the sun is Love. Pure Love. Omnicient, all-pervading love. And it is your obligation to become a manifestation of this love. That is the quickest path out of this illusion.

Anything that you do out of unconditional love for someone else, will awaken your True Nature. As a result of this, your life will begin to see the clouds disperse. The sun will become more apparent, because you have made the effort to negate the little, human self, the ego. And you and live according to a higher vision. You will cease creating negative repercussions to your actions, for you will begin to live in unconditional love. You will live in the light of the eternal sun.

This is why I say that while you are unfolding, spread sunshine to all you meet. This is a manifestation of your True Nature. Everything else will pass away. But love is eternal. You can practice the most austere of disciplines, see a multitude of teachers, and be able to debate the scriptures until the cows come home. But if you are not a loving person, if you have not got the human ego in check and are living correctly, you will not reap the rewards of your efforts. You are fooling yourself. So many people think that they can do spiritual formalities, paths, say they are ‘enlightened', and continue to hurt other people. This will not work.

For happiness is your True Nature. There is nothing else. But understand what happiness is. Happiness is pure, unadulterated joy, compassion, selflessness. Yes. Selflessness. Some people do not like that part. That is why the simple person who leads a good life of self sacrifice and good deeds will progress more quickly than the spiritual aspirant who thinks only of himself. Me. Me. Me. When will I be illuminated? When will I be happy? Happiness happens. It just happens. When you are living correctly the illusion fades away, and there is a joy. There appears a sense of brotherhood with others. But you must do the work. You must allow your True Nature to surface. You must make an effort. Allow the clouds to disperse. Do not identify with them.

How do you do this? There is a world out there. There is apparent suffering. This does not mean that you block this all out and ignore the suffering of others. This will only intensify your own suffering. It is a gentle process. You will not progress by coldly alienating yourself from love. Instead, you observe the inclinations, the habits, the motivations that are not originating from your True Nature, from love, and your do not act on them. You do not pay them one iota of attention. Let them go by. Some of these habits you observe may seem deeply ingrained, They may be from childhood, or even before. But this makes no difference. As long as you do not act on them, they have absolutely no hold over you. Do you see? This is beautiful.



Soon, they will cease to appear. They only have the power you give them. When you are no longer engaging in any actions that do not arise out of love, you are no longer creating clouds that block your experience of your True Nature of unalloyed Happiness.

And you naturally want everyone to experience this.

Then something funny happens. You find happiness in alleviating the suffering of others. I am not talking about puffing yourself up as a teacher or some search for recognition. I am talking about a gentle path. Of helping others. Without seeking reward. This is the happiness of the saints and sages.



Once you experience this you can never go back again. Everything else seems insignificant. And you realize that your True Nature is the same as everyone else's. An ever present, non- changing, all pervading Happiness. And this happiness never goes away. For this is how you were meant to live. Right here. Right now. Not in the future. Not on a mountaintop. But today. Until then, until you can honestly experience this, not as a show or in words, but in experience, consciously become as loving as you can. This is the first step. And it is the only step. For none of the others can exist without it.

And as the clouds that are obscuring your true life begin to disperse. You see that temporal events can become vehicles for your True Nature to emerge. If you handle them correctly. With love.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Gateway to Spiritual Consciousness

Love is the saving grace of all of humanity. We contact this primal energy in our finest moments. From the moment a baby is born, it is enshrouded in the unselfish love of its mother. From the moment a person springs into action to save others from peril, their own thoughts of survival are ‘overlighted’ by the love and caring that shines from their heart.

When a person dies and reviews their life, they see that one thing that mattered the most: Love. Pure, unadulterated, unconditional love. It is the source of compassion. It is the energy of caring for others. It is the binding force which holds together the entire universe, and it flows through you whenever you simply allow it.

Love is the gateway to spiritual consciousness. It is through activation of the spiritual heart that we pass into a whole new world of expansion and joy. In the realms of spiritual consciousness, we find peace, bliss, and continual inspiration. In the realms of spiritual consciousness, we expand our view of life to see the issues that are important to the soul. We can then see how love can heal and how we can and should spend the time to spread a little more love in the world every day, even if it is simply done in silent prayer for the well-being of others.

Let your heart open to love each and every day. Start the day in meditation and prayer for the healing and well-being of others and you will invoke a beautiful flow of natural energy through yourself. It truly is a great way to start each day because it sets the tone and the energy flow for the day.

When you are attuned to the natural flow of love throughout the universe, you then feel the natural flow of energy within your own universe. Your senses of insight and timing develop to help you achieve more and to succeed easily at the tasks that are important to you.

The flow of love is critical to life. Without the love of the Divine Mother which fills the universe, nothing would exist. For centuries, humankind has been playing a game where love and inner inspiration have been blocked off and ignored. Today, the tide is turning and people are opening up to this wonderful flow of natural energy.

Remember the love within, especially when outer circumstances seem dark. Remember that love is the gateway to the higher realms of consciousness where answers can be found to meet every challenge that life presents.

Tune into love. It will never let you down. Instead, it will set your spirit free to explore the realms of consciousness which offer greater vistas of awareness, greater peace of mind, and the sense of ever-present joy.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You