tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13288443364096831342012-01-31T10:10:13.959-06:00This blog shares the author’s journey from the human and spiritual perspective, offering wisdom and insight to her life challenges, and the process of managing them from a Spiritual Higher Consciousness. Traveling the spiritual journey isn't talking the spiritual talk but walking the spiritual walk. Learn how she stumbles now and again, and from her Higher Self awareness, gets up and continues to move humbly through the human experience from the place of Spiritual Truth.Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.comBlogger671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-10050930488447042232012-01-28T13:53:00.000-06:002012-01-28T13:53:56.705-06:00

A Strong Woman. Many have different ideas or definitions about what a strong woman is in today's world. Strength is defined in many different ways: Muscle. Attitude. Status. Religious. Sense of Self. All elude to strength but offer different examples of how strength is demonstrated. Muscle strength is physical; a man or a woman can feel strong if he or she can physically overpower another,

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-45353375352806610172012-01-13T19:15:00.001-06:002012-01-13T19:43:40.709-06:00

I have had enough of this Tebow business! First, for the record, I am a Denver Bronco fan, I love Colorado which was my home for ten years, and I am THRILLED with Tim Tebow and what he offers to the Bronco franchise. Second, I don't care if Tebow wants to kneel down in prayer, kneel with both knees on the ground and bend all the way over, make the sign of the cross or raise his hands to the

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-84908693106336176072012-01-10T18:59:00.000-06:002012-01-10T18:59:05.237-06:00

I am a huge fan of quotes, as evident by two quote apps on my iPhone and a few quote websites on my Favorites list. I'm especially a fan of quotes designed with intention to inspire, motivate, encourage and support positive and productive action. Some quotes are intended to hint sarcasm, sardonic humor, cynicism, and reflect life's little ironies. I always find people's choices of quotes

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-42068892258696079692012-01-08T12:11:00.001-06:002012-01-08T13:36:27.979-06:00

There comes a time when you have to stand up and shout: This is me damn it! I look the way I look, think the way I think, feel the way I feel, love the way I love. I am a whole complex package. Take me, or leave me. . . .Do not try to make me feel like less of a person, just because I don't fit your idea of who I should be and don't try to change me to fit your mold. ~Stacy Charter The

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-23433523614276809922012-01-02T16:15:00.000-06:002012-01-02T16:15:54.694-06:00

It's a New Year and I sincerely hope you all safely and joyously celebrated! I bless and thank 2011 for all it provided so I may prepare to move forward in excitement and anticipation for 2012. If you read my last post, you know I did some serious “shedding” in 2011. The year facilitated stripping myself of Egoic pride, and surrendering completely to the guidance and flow of God in my life. A

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-659356765914330752011-12-31T08:31:00.000-06:002011-12-31T08:31:04.433-06:00

Study the past if you would divine the future. ~Confucious Each year I take an opportunity to prepare myself for leaving a year behind and starting one anew. Many are ready to get on with it, giving little to no thought to the past year and its good, bad and ugly, while others, like myself, reflect. A year is a mile in the journey of life we travel. Wallowing in one's past with regrets is

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-57307122163742202722011-12-18T17:54:00.000-06:002011-12-18T17:54:25.434-06:00

The madness of Black Friday kicks off our holiday season as shoppers ring in the season with pepper spray and knives, shoves and pushes. Frenzied traffic as holiday shoppers forget their manners and their Christian principles blocking intersections and cutting people off as they scramble to fulfill the societal obligation of Christmas duties. Insane holiday party schedules disconnect us from

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-8391128419203684032011-12-09T21:09:00.000-06:002011-12-09T21:09:34.779-06:00

Remember the see-saw? A child would sit on each end of a “plank” that was centered over a “sawhorse”. We'd take turns going up and down, the goal doing so smoothly, evenly, with balance. Sometimes your see-saw partner would decide to hit the monkey bars and off he or she'd go, leaving the see-saw partner crashing to the ground with a hard thud. That feeling of the bottom dropping out from

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-21565336106722220702011-11-14T22:48:00.001-06:002011-11-15T07:04:28.039-06:00

I'm learning a lot about myself lately, and my heart. For many years I tightly guarded my heart after others disappointed, abandoned and/or simply abused it. Over the last few years, I've found the courage to open my heart again, risking it despite the heartache of the past. In opening my heart, I was able to release heartache, through the process of healing and forgiveness, of both myself

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-47571834584036309532011-10-10T14:48:00.000-05:002011-10-10T14:48:50.635-05:00

Throughout our lives, we meet people who are soul teachers. Other souls traveling in the human experience cross our paths in a variety of ways: directly and indirectly; briefly and longer periods of time; violently and peacefully; eventfully and uneventfully; lovingly and hatefully, etc. Each of these encounters are classrooms in which we consciously learn something about ourselves through

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-4800423077760407302011-10-08T12:25:00.001-05:002011-10-09T18:35:40.279-05:00

Life is filled with ups and downs. I remember when younger, before traveling on this spiritual enlightenment journey, telling people, “Life is full of ups and downs; you can't have the peaks without the valleys.” I would remember this mantra when facing life challenges in my young adult life, but funny I had not thought of it in the last few years. In doing so now, I must chuckle at the fact

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-12901874862966893042011-09-10T18:21:00.000-05:002011-09-10T18:21:37.414-05:00

September 11, 2001. No doubt we each remember where we were that fateful morning when the U.S. was attacked by terrorists. No doubt we each remember the feelings that coursed through us as the morning moved into afternoon, afternoon into evening, evening into night as the realization of what happened began to sink in. The images are etched into our memory. But do we as a country remember the

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-6567695876006220302011-09-03T21:15:00.000-05:002011-09-03T21:15:23.604-05:00

Today, September 3, marks the two-year anniversary of my mother’s transition. Below is the obituary I wrote when we were making final funeral arrangements with her before her cancer worsened. If you read my blogs, you know I openly share my heart. Evidently, expressing my heart in this obituary was a bit overwhelming for my family; so, we ended up going with the traditional run-of-the-mill

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-19063022686001802652011-08-21T16:50:00.001-05:002011-08-21T16:53:36.606-05:00

Animals, insects, reptiles and birds are great teachers for life if we are willing to heed their lessons. Native Americans have long held these creatures with the highest regard as communicators of wisdom. It is believed that when you have an out-of-the-ordinary experience with an animal, it is purposeful to our journey. One may encounter the same animal many times, or once in an unexpected

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-43142010478149986602011-08-13T09:59:00.001-05:002011-08-13T10:00:03.754-05:00

“It saddens me. But I am the one responsible. I am the one that didn’t see things as they were. I was the one that was so desperate for a connection that I lowered my standards to feel less alone. I was the one who didn’t “see” or just out-right ignored the signs when they started showing up. I was the one who tolerated the inadequacies of our relationship and kept silent for too long about

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-19956429139765603752011-07-24T09:00:00.000-05:002011-07-24T09:00:26.973-05:00

Friendships. Many types of friendships are experienced in one’s life. We have acquaintances in which you know someone with whom you’re friendly but you expend no additional time or energy on them except when your paths cross, or one or the other wants something. Then there are the ever-popular virtual friendships of Facebook. “Virtual” is a great word to describe these connections because

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-84875953496189787442011-07-12T12:45:00.006-05:002011-07-12T13:25:43.096-05:00

Over the last month, I’ve contemplated my life and my choices over the last three years, and everything that’s happened. There have been moments where I felt resentment towards Life itself for “pulling the rug out” from under me. Other times I’ve felt that it was everyone else’s fault that things didn’t work out in my life – loss of a parent, my business, a relationship, my financial affairs,

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-23532445489906691102011-05-21T11:42:00.003-05:002011-05-21T11:59:30.886-05:00

Drama. In my work and daily dealings with people, I’m told they don’t like drama; and in the next breath, drama is created through their words and the charged emotional energy of upset, assumption, self-righteousness, self-defense, complaints, whining and anger. Drama is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a composition to tell a story usually involving conflicts and emotions through action and

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-56879342133823216012011-05-19T09:34:00.002-05:002011-05-19T10:17:21.577-05:00

Life can be challenging. Things happen. And sometimes, things happen that trigger our old stuff, such as the upset of a past relationship that didn’t work out, the loss of a loved one, an incident at work, or another dark time in our past. These past experiences surface in invitation for healing. Unfortunately, we’ve learned to stuff those old feelings back down (thus the terminology “old

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-44490485566824413522011-05-07T16:12:00.006-05:002011-05-07T16:50:20.876-05:00

Everywhere mothers’ will be revered and celebrated. This holiday is the second Mother's Day since my mom has been gone, and many of you will be missing your mom as I will be this weekend. I’m sharing this poem, which my dad found in a stack of cards my mom had tucked away, that I wrote for my mom for her last Mother’s Day 2009. If you still have your mother, I encourage you to write your own

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-37131656410982438762011-05-02T11:35:00.010-05:002011-05-02T12:04:58.207-05:00

I struggle with the celebration of Bin Laden's death. I'm GRATEFUL his vindictive and terrorist influence is diminished. It was required for the higher good of humankind.I'm PROUD of our armed forces for accomplishing the task to stand for liberty, justice, and peace on our behalf. We have a right to be proud of these men and women who serve to protect us. But how are we any different than

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-65641092453681278002011-04-30T16:36:00.010-05:002011-04-30T17:10:30.525-05:00

How much can you take of what life gives you? How many blows can you take? Knock downs? Are you willing to get back up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward? Are you able to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and take another step into the winds of change that seem, nay, feel like they are working against you?The Tri-State area has endured of late some seriously stormy weather that has

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-6430501771033738952011-04-19T14:45:00.004-05:002011-04-19T15:07:21.734-05:00

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 20 will mark the 12th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. This date is forever etched into my memory as a young woman arriving fresh from Kentucky into a stunned and grieving community, but not as deeply and painfully burned into memory of those who were in the building that day.On Wednesday, April 20, 1999, I left Kentucky for a new life in Colorado. Earlier in

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-80521059639519481222011-04-04T16:56:00.005-05:002011-04-04T17:36:21.273-05:00

Yesterday during a Sunday visit with my dad, we looked at the things he’d recently sorted of my mom’s stuff. He and I perused all the remaining closets, rooms, cabinets and shelves still left to address when in one closet I found a pillow case stuffed with something. It was my Baby Tender Love doll from my preschool-aged childhood! Her hair was matted, badly suffering cowlicks. She still wore

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-57216449565473131142011-04-02T13:33:00.004-05:002011-04-02T13:53:52.993-05:00

My heart aches. It aches for the loss of three teenagers in Franklin County, Kentucky. It aches for the parents who are intimately experiencing this loss. It aches for friends who have lost loved ones. It aches for the loss of life in Japan, and the familiarity of life for those that survived. It aches for the planet that struggles to manage all the abuse that humanity puts it through. It

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-72875160862292944942011-03-24T11:03:00.006-05:002011-03-24T11:23:35.253-05:00

Most people understand the bond between human and pet, especially that with dogs. They are a part of the family. There is a bond between human and dog that’s very different from one with a cat, guinea pig, bird, hamster, or goldfish, though each bond is unique and special in its own right. My familiarity resonates with dogs, animals that teach us many things – patience, responsibility,

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-6416218803635385222011-03-20T22:10:00.007-05:002011-03-21T21:13:13.285-05:00

In my previous post, I discussed how we are witnessing shifts of energy – in which things are coming to an end so that new beginnings rise out of the ashes. My father currently undergoes his own transition as he begins the process of “wrapping up” life as he’s known it in the home on Marksberry Road that he and my mother built from the ground up. Eighteen months have passed since my mom’s death

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-84066437933831239872011-03-13T19:36:00.005-05:002011-03-13T20:20:05.126-05:00

With the recent tragedy in Japan in which thousands are affected by both earthquakes and Tsunamis, there is a shift happening on this planet. We’ve witnessed the infighting of other countries, as well as within our own country through the political system. Though the approaches are drastically different, there is an obvious unrest in major systems that have upheld our and other countries, never

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-69639808494126834942011-02-02T07:51:00.005-06:002011-02-02T08:53:19.511-06:00

This last weekend in Evansville, Indiana, a witness saw someone throw a dog out of a car window into the street which, upon hitting the pavement, was hit by another car and killed. I don’t even know where to begin with this; my emotions overwhelm as tears well in my eyes over such cold-heartedness. So many questions linger in my head: Why didn’t they leave it on the SIDE of the road? Why out a

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-26454725575338240182011-01-20T20:03:00.004-06:002011-01-20T20:40:10.990-06:00

I’ve been off and on the online dating sites now for just over a decade, joining when Match. Com became all the rage. My experiences with these sites have been less than wonderful as advertised on TV. I have heard of success stories but I’ve also heard some of these weren’t so successful after the marriage was in force.I’ve done Match, Yahoo Personals, EHarmony, and a few others that were “one

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-2258520971631514212010-12-31T17:35:00.007-06:002011-01-01T11:45:46.232-06:00

It’s time to bid farewell to 2010, and annually, I take time to reflect on the year’s highlights and lowlights; 2010 was an eleven-page document! No wonder I feel exhausted at this end of this year!Lowlights included continuing life without my mother who passed in September 2009. While the grief eased considerably with time, it stirred up as the one-year mark of her transition neared. In taking

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-69688752419870408892010-10-06T11:50:00.004-05:002010-10-06T12:04:19.507-05:00

When we hear about those we care about making choices, demonstrating in ways that trouble us, leave us unsettled, we are impacted by this news. Sometimes, our reaction is judgment, puzzlement, and upset. Sometimes, it’s disappointing, sorrowful and helplessness.I have a friend whom I care about deeply, but for reasons I won’t get into here, I had to make a choice to “sunset” this relationship

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-55957815475376661372010-09-26T18:26:00.006-05:002010-09-26T18:43:54.014-05:00

Are you truly open to forgiveness and healing? I have a friend who, after many efforts to mend the fence with another mutual friend, is continually getting rejected for her efforts, and being accused of being hateful. In the same breath of criticism and judgments, our mutual friend professes “love” for my friend who has repeatedly attempted to extend the olive branch. Now, help me out here:

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-35335930142005409682010-09-11T10:02:00.000-05:002010-09-11T10:04:01.787-05:00

The images.  The panicky voices of news commentators.  The shocked and fearful faces of New Yorkers.  The heartache as reality sets in.  The anxious waiting to hear a cousin at the pentagon is ok.  The eerie sounds of military jets flying over at night in protection of our skies, during a no fly restriction. The pall of the next week as Americans moved through the numbing shock.  The sobs of

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-36062381423181380672010-08-29T09:36:00.008-05:002010-08-29T10:02:20.417-05:00

It’s been two months since my last post! Time flies when you’ve been a S.H.I.T. – Spiritual Human in Transition. I learned of this acronym from friends who attended a Coptic ministry conference. I loved it because when we are on the spiritual path, and in energetic shifts of moving from lower vibrational ways of being (angry, upset, drama, etc.) to higher vibrational ways of being (loving,

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-63685945469208059702010-06-27T19:52:00.008-05:002010-06-28T14:31:13.111-05:00

When people we love hurt us, we naturally feel anger, upset and disappointment. Yet we must understand and recognize that despite how they are showing up, they are doing their very best, the best that they can in these moments and circumstances from which they are living in the human experience. It is in this understanding that we are demonstrating unconditional love, for we accept their best

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-59982106733168042552010-06-22T22:19:00.001-05:002010-06-23T05:33:09.444-05:00

In my latest blog post, I wrote: “I’ve lived in homes that have not truly been my own. As this year of upheaval comes full circle, I begin life anew in my own space, with my own belongings, and on my own terms.” I lived in the basement of my parents’ home in Owensboro for several months while my mom went through her dying process. Then I moved to Evansville, into my boyfriend’s place. In my

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-43980606416100124542010-06-15T21:53:00.003-05:002010-06-15T21:59:51.965-05:00

It's been almost two months since my latest post; it's amazing how time flies. One year can pass quickly and yet be filled with so much. It was approximately one year ago that I prepared to return to Kentucky from Colorado to be with my mom and dad, and support mom through her dying process. It was during this year that I lost my job, ultimately a blessing far beyond the family circumstances,

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-47014490164096109372010-04-19T11:48:00.004-05:002010-04-19T12:11:22.504-05:00

I just sent the April Soaring Dove Connection newsletter that discusses the loss of a loved one and how those of us left behind are left wondering if he or she is okay and how to go on without them. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, or if you do not receive it on a regular basis, please click here. I write this blog as a follow up.I recently acquired a wonderful book called What Would

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-85843273282327651652010-04-16T11:37:00.002-05:002010-04-16T11:46:10.832-05:00

Two beautiful doves have set up a nest in an overhang of my back patio. Each morning, Momma Dove is nestled on the nest, while Papa Dove waits patiently on the patio fence or the nearby tree. They call out to each other, in reassurance that one and the other is close and okay. I love listening to them, for their sounds are of peacefulness, calmness, and simple surrender. When my dear friend Barb

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-49919473923457931662010-03-08T12:36:00.006-06:002010-03-08T13:34:44.937-06:00

I admit I am not one to get caught up in blockbuster crazes. Even as a teen when Star Wars hit the theaters and hours were waited in the hopes of getting a ticket, I just wasn’t that into the hoopla; I bided my time until lines shortened before I saw the movie and became impressed. Not much has changed thirty years; I still don’t get caught up in the blockbuster hoopla and in fact, am usually

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-11085603568750324472010-02-22T18:19:00.003-06:002010-02-23T07:20:45.656-06:00

It takes a lot of courage to admit when we’re wrong. Being wrong for the longest time was never my strong suit; in fact, my former Self would fight to the bitter end to be right. Self-righteousness has been one of my most challenging lessons in this lifetime but over the last several years, I’ve learned how to step out of it, and how unproductive it is in my life and relationships.How does

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-15361005660031403412010-02-13T06:24:00.008-06:002010-02-13T07:22:27.392-06:00

Ah, Valentine’s Day, a day for love. Many relish in the romance; others despise it. Personally, I was one who detested it for many years. My ex-husband asked me for a divorce on Valentine’s Day weekend fourteen years ago, thus my feud with February 14th began. I resented my ex and St. Valentine who had nothing to do with it except be guilty by association! I blamed my misery on anything

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-14441692167383936792010-02-11T15:46:00.005-06:002010-02-11T16:32:01.996-06:00

Energies are shifting right now and this is reflected in how we feel. Are you feeling tired and exhausted, more than normal? Having a hard time getting up in the mornings? Are you experiencing a sense of restlessness, or unexplained feelings of anger or irritation?2009 was a major year for shifting, in which many of us experienced endings which lead us to new beginnings. We witnessed this

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-89274715269896695652010-01-26T21:22:00.005-06:002010-01-26T21:36:27.473-06:00

Can we really design our life? I say YES we can!I once believed that I was at the mercy of Life. Some of this came from a Catholic upbringing and hearing that as long as I pleased God, I would be rewarded; of course if I didn’t, I would be punished. Well-meaning as this teaching is, I learned that I didn’t deserve the goodness of God unless I proved my worth, my value. I also lived in a place

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-85269953196972684502010-01-08T15:50:00.005-06:002010-01-08T16:13:33.110-06:00

I’m currently at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky, just outside of Bardstown on a “silent” retreat; I’m unsure if it’s considered truly silent if I am sharing my thoughts through this venue. But in the silence, the opportunity provides one a means in which to get away from the noisy business of everyday life to really listen, to God from Within.Most of the areas at the Abbey are

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-53706599960613796482010-01-01T09:24:00.002-06:002010-01-01T09:25:53.152-06:00

Happy New Year! I’ve not posted in a while as I’ve hunkered down to get through the holidays. I for one am very excited to say farewell to 2009 – all of it. What a ride! And it sucked many times, and yet, if I stop and REALLY look at it, I can find SO much joy in it too. Don’t stay stuck on what wasn’t great about the year, but look between the illusions and see what good stuff showed up.

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-46101566925569255132009-11-25T12:08:00.003-06:002009-11-25T12:48:42.797-06:00

The holidays are a time for family, and this year, my family will be forever altered with the absence of my mom this Thanksgiving holiday. I've missed many Thanksgivings with my family while in Colorado, and today, twinges of regret come up that I didn't make more of them. But then I remember the many wonderful Thanksgivings I've spent with families of close friends, co-workers and even

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-71641977981348367042009-11-09T16:34:00.002-06:002009-11-09T16:38:47.207-06:00

Today would’ve been my mom’s 70th birthday. I knew today may be touch and go for me emotionally. I met my dad and we enjoyed lunch at one of her favorite restaurants, per his suggestion. Then we went to the cemetery to pay our respects, honor her and wish her a happy birthday. And shortly, I will be attending my first grief support meeting; why? In part to know I’m not going crazy when I have

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-2172500306368050032009-10-27T14:19:00.003-05:002009-10-27T14:24:16.044-05:00

The day is gloomy. Silence surrounds me as I watch out my patio door the rain fall from the sky. Water, an element of change, reflects the emotional body. It encourages us to open ourselves to all things, even to things we dislike or that feel bad. Water teaches us to accept all that life brings while simultaneously choosing to act for positive change. Many of us are experiencing transitions,

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-72435914027352947882009-10-26T17:02:00.003-05:002009-10-26T17:16:12.872-05:00

Life is good. It’s not without its challenges, but choosing how to manage those challenges can determine whether we make life even better. Life’s challenges are healthy, though not always enjoyable. I use the word “challenge” as opposed to “problem,” “headache,” or “pain in the ass,” for challenge holds a neutral energy. From a place of neutrality, we can determine through our choices if it

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-80595945647988866142009-10-20T15:31:00.001-05:002009-10-20T15:34:00.945-05:00

We’ve all had times when we are just feeling dumped on by life’s experiences. We even get dumped on by other’s less than productive life experiences, which if we are not careful, can energetically take us down with them in the lower vibration whirlpool.Making a concerted effort to look at what’s right in our life can help us shift up our feelings; finding something for which to be grateful every

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-74619974983599182342009-10-15T20:42:00.002-05:002009-10-15T20:44:28.445-05:00

Many of you who have been following my blog know my mom recently passed from this life on Thursday, September 3rd. A dear friend suddenly lost her dad this week, and I now know, better understand the experience she and her siblings will go through upon losing a parent. Each experience of loss is different for each of us, and depends on the kind of relationship we had with the loved one. And

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-48465921601725707032009-10-13T14:50:00.002-05:002009-10-13T14:58:37.817-05:00

It’s been a while since my last blog; thank you for your patience and understanding over the last month and a half. As most of you know, I’ve been in Kentucky assisting my father with the care of my mother who was diagnosed as terminal in January. My mom passed on September 3rd, and I’ve taken the month of September and October off to see to the business of supporting my father as well as for

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-65014233582896949312009-08-14T15:42:00.003-05:002009-08-14T15:46:13.235-05:00

Life in the Smith household, where my mother lies during her dying process, is ever busy, filled with the comings and goings of Hospice providers, neighbors, friends and neighbors checking on us, the family, and mom, or bringing food and sentiments of caring thoughts and prayers. The support is abundant; overwhelmingly touching in this time of uncertainty and challenge.But within this dynamic

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-14322247245725222852009-08-09T13:08:00.003-05:002009-08-09T13:45:10.296-05:00

There are times in life when everything seems uncertain, and we are, in every way, left in limbo, hanging perilously over a crevice of the unknown. You know this limbo if you have ever lost your job unexpectedly; lost a loved one; pulled up roots and moved to a new town or state; finished an educational chapter in your life(i.e. college, high school) and/or preparing to move into a new career;

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-24320974947318955722009-07-31T11:14:00.002-05:002009-07-31T11:15:52.043-05:00

There is such a flux of emotion moving through me, and I’m unsure how to identify them. They are blended, as threads are in fabric, so tightly that I can not compartmentalize what it is I feel. But as with fabric, I know that in the blend, all that is moving through me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually creates a beautiful product called me. I know that as I move through this

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-55562190527844692862009-07-22T13:36:00.002-05:002009-07-22T18:10:20.285-05:00

Yesterday was a tough day: busy with people coming and going checking on mom and dad, bringing a meal, etc., and the emotional aspects of it all. We don’t have these days often, but when we do, it is tiring and time slips away unnoticed, leaving you off-balance. Schedules do not exist in the human experience of dying; I learned early on that trying to keep a schedule in this situation will tire

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-46627788499393224972009-07-19T11:14:00.003-05:002009-07-19T11:34:32.828-05:00

I'm finding that living in each moment can be a bit unsettling, and yet so freeing, at the same time.For the first time since I've been up this morning, I realize it is 11:15 a.m., the inspiration and time of this writing. It's not that I just lay around doing nothing as the morning continues on; straightening the house, cleaning the kitchen, catching up on some laundry, seeing to the dogs,

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-68338453409502102272009-07-17T20:51:00.002-05:002009-07-17T21:23:24.419-05:00

It's been a while since I posted a note. My apologies but I am on a wild ride in this life. Since my last posting, I lost my job, stored my belongings into a storage unit in Colorado, and have gone home for a while to Kentucky to spend time with my mom who is terminal and nearing her transition, as well as to help my dad with her care at home.Since I arrived little over a week ago Monday, my

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-74904930345264413082009-05-05T22:16:00.003-05:002009-05-05T22:44:33.516-05:00

When we step fully into growth opportunities, the Universe never fails to offer us venues in which to deepen our self awareness, strengthen our spiritual practice and practice the use of our spiritual tools.Surrender has been a big classroom for me of late. It seems that at every turn, I am faced with new opportunities to practice my patience of allowing, surrendering to the process and trusting

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-41709532650913242682009-04-16T16:02:00.004-05:002009-04-16T16:49:16.567-05:00

This week, the Universe presented two amazing opportunities to me that will 1) challenge me to step up in my spiritual service to others and 2) challenge me to step up my own spiritual growth. At their appearance, I was very excited by these opportunities; however, as time moved towards the cross-point of "showing up" within these opportunities, I felt irritable, second-guessed my participation,

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-69276309453627123932009-04-06T21:02:00.002-05:002009-04-06T21:35:40.261-05:00

Iyanla Vanzant wrote "In the Meantime," a great book that I recommend everyone read if they are undergoing drastic changes in their life. The focus is around moving out of a relationship, but the principles she discusses are applicable to any situation in which you had a relationship - job position, friendship, a move to a new city, a health change, etc. She talks about being in this zone

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-14508417719436067052009-03-23T15:04:00.002-05:002009-03-23T15:31:38.154-05:00

Today, I am in Owensboro, Kentucky where my parents live. My mom is terminally ill with renal cancer that has invaded her brain. Since learning of this news in late-January, I've made monthly week-long trips to Kentucky to spend as much time as I can with her. I also have been helping them get affairs in order, and gives my dad a bit of break with the household chores.Mom had another MRI today

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-76084107884053187132009-03-19T21:55:00.002-05:002009-03-19T22:44:57.511-05:00

I host a Spiritual Journey Meetup group that meets monthly. We met earlier this evening - the topic was death and dying. I'm always amazed at how Spirit provides in the way of support for each of these meetings.With my mother's terminal diagnosis, I have been forced to look at my beliefs around death, my fears, to surrender and honor my mother's journey. This experience is what motivated the

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-16082024906654299142009-03-15T16:53:00.002-05:002009-03-15T17:11:01.387-05:00

One thing we know about life is that it is ever-changing. We are in a time of history in which change is upon this great country, and even the world. With a new president who was elected on the premise of change, we anticipate how all this change will look, and impact our lives. The economy, the way the government does business, and even how we carry on the business of our everyday lives in

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328844336409683134.post-43014097698333989762009-03-06T18:37:00.007-06:002009-03-06T19:10:41.904-06:00

Greetings to all. I am stepping into the 21st century and beginning a blog! I didn't even know what a blog was up until last year. But I have been guided by my Master Guide Haithaya to "put myself out there" with my writing, my spiritual journey to share with others. I am no special or different in this human experience from you - we are all spiritual beings having one. I'm simply being called to

Carolyn Smith Ferberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13064367975149667283noreply@blogger.com0