Category: 2024

2024 blogs

Living Your Best Self

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Throughout much of my life, I’ve strived to connect with God, angels, and spirit guides in pursuit of living my best self. Sometimes it hasn’t been easy. Perhaps you’ve done the same, seeking their help but heard nothing back and have begun to wonder whether these beings genuinely hear. Or maybe you believe they do, but their guidance is spotty, unclear, or just plain confusing. I certainly have felt that. I can’t count the number of times I’ve called out to them, saying, “If you’re trying to send me a message, you need to send it another way because I’m not getting it.”

Nevertheless, I believe these divine beings are present at every moment and ready to give love, support, and guidance if we ask and listen. Asking is usually easy. Sometimes, it’s the listening that’s difficult. Yet, I don’t believe it’s because we’re not trying. I think it’s simply because we have a lot going on: work, family, household responsibilities, errands to run, and more. All demand our attention throughout the day.

To get around that, I firmly believe such beings employ any means to reach us. Certainly, they try through prayer and meditation, but also everyday things: books, posters, movies, songs, dreams, art, overheard comments or strangers, the sudden appearance of objects, animals, and even social media. If you grew up like me in a particular religious tradition, some may even seem ridiculous, if not sacrilegious. After all, shouldn’t we just rely on holy books, sacred writings, and such? I would challenge any implied belief that revelation only happened in the past.

Regardless of the means, I have felt my divine advisors’ presence, as I call them. Their impact has been most profound, for which I am deeply grateful. Their guidance and support enabled me to tap into my highest self and embrace my calling as a spirit healer.

Three years ago, after traveling along my long and winding path of life–through religious life and priesthood, my years of study in counseling psychology, numerous spiritual workshops and courses, and even 26 years in the computer industry–my divine advisors asked me to give back. I created my website, joemcmonaglehsp.com, and posted monthly blogs about living your highest self. A few weeks ago, however, they prodded me to go further: serve as an additional means through which their messages can be conveyed through what I have termed “life-moment readings.” Go to Life-moment Readings under the Offerings menu to learn more about them.

As you travel your path committed to living your best self, I urge you to open yourself to receiving messages in the most unexpected ways. Believe me, these folks are playful and have a sense of humor. I wrote about that in my Divine Humor blog.

Manifesting – Is it all baloney?

Joe2 Comments

Manifesting. Have you heard this used to describe our ability to create what we desire? Recently, a friend emailed me a link to an article about this. The author seemed to believe that manifesting was essentially b.s., concluding that the concept implies that the successful and wealthy correctly manifest and the poor or struggling do not. While I disagreed with her conclusion, it led me to reflect on it. Ironically and providentially, I’m enrolled in a workshop centered around manifesting abundance in all forms and degrees.

I define manifesting more broadly, not only about what we manifest but also about the blessings we receive from the divine. It’s important that we hold our desire in the context of it being for the highest good, not only for ourselves but for others. For this blog, I’m focusing on our part.

Say you want a new job, more money, or a spouse. That doesn’t happen magically, in the sense that we don’t have to do anything. If you want to win the lottery, you can’t if you don’t play. If you want more money but spend recklessly, you must show more respect for your income. If you wish a spouse but hide in your home, you’ll have problems manifesting. So, you have to take action. Many who teach about manifesting say you’re telling the universe you’re serious.

But what about people who do act but have no results? Perhaps the desire may not be in keeping with your current life path. I’ve been in that no-results place myself. I remember being unhappy in a job and wanting to find a position that placed people above profits. No job manifested despite creating a resume and posting it to job boards among other things. Rather than concluding I was doing it wrong, I concluded there was something else to learn. Indeed, there was, and you can read about it in my chapter in “Awaken Your Magic: Real Life Manifestation Journey.“

So, part of manifesting is your attitude. It’s important to believe the desire is possible but also be open to the desire taking time or a different form from what you imagined. If we narrow our desire to something too specific, it may prevent us from seeing something right in front of us.

Post a comment and tell me what you think. It might result in another blog.

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Give Your Intuition Space

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A few days ago, I attended the last session of a webinar that Denise and Meadow Linn offered. During it, Denise led us in a fire ceremony with the intention of releasing all that was no longer served and inviting in all that did. Rituals and ceremonies have always been important to me, even before I was a priest. While metaphorical, the symbolism embedded in them often had the intended result. In the case of Denise’s ceremony, the result was unexpected, making space for my intuition. Let me explain.

For years, I’ve worked with feelings of not being good enough, fear of taking risks, being visible, and pushing myself to be perfect. Through therapy, workshops, and personal study, I understood where these came from, including their intention, which was to keep me safe. So, they weren’t bad, but they limited me in the present. Through that work, I also let go of and invited transformative healing into those parts so they’d benefit me. For example, the perfectionist became the part committed to doing my best. Still, even with this, I knew that these lingering parts still chattered when I tried something new.

Going through the ceremony, subconsciously, I identified this chatter as clutter. And the clutter got in the way of me hearing my intuition. Now, I believe that my intuition is the voice of my divine or higher self, whose goal is to help me live my best self and purpose. Following the ceremony, I discovered that the releasing experience removed some of the chatter clutter, giving my intuition room to breathe.

Interestingly, with the space, my intuition no longer had to yell to be heard. Instead, it communicated its message in a calm, quiet, and, dare I say, even grounded way.

Since last Thursday, as I go through my day, I check in with myself to determine what I’m drawn to do. I consider my options, like writing books, exercising, or cleaning. Sometimes, my intuition doesn’t respond. I take that to mean that they are equal. When it did weigh in, and I listened, I felt both contentment and joy during and afterward. Writing this blog is one example of that.

Space. That’s all it was. Give my intuition space. Space to be heard without shouting. Do you find your intuition competes with the chatter of parts of you that no longer serve? Like Denise did in the webinar, have your own fire ceremony, perhaps using a candle to keep things safe. Then, imagine those parts that limit you being released and floating away like the wisps of smoke from a burning candle. Then, invite in what does serve, allowing your intuition space to voice the answer.

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Awaken Your Magic: Real Life Manifestation Journeys

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Check out the book Awaken Your Magic: Real Life Manifestation Journeys, for which I’m a contributing author.

It’s an anthology featuring diverse voices sharing their powerful experiences of manifestation.” Its contents are personal stories of spiritual awakenings, miracles, and blessings. In each chapter, the author shares their struggles and the wisdom gained through them. My chapter, “Signposts to Purpose,” describes my search for my calling, its challenges and the divine inspiration that guided my path.

The proceeds for online sales go to a non-profit called StreetLightUSA, which provides help to those exploited or sex trafficked.

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When Opportunities are challenges

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In December, I set an intention for 2024, per a suggestion from one of the webinars I attended. The idea is to use that to guide our attitude and goals for the year. My intention was Opportunities accepted; Miracles manifest. When I chose, my thought was the opportunities would be invitations for me to try something new, recognizing that a few might cause some anxiety. But I didn’t think opportunities might be challenges too. In the last couple of weeks, I was reminded of that reality. Two stand out and both impact my health.

The first occurred while I was driving on a highway with no street lights. My eyes started having problems. Break lights and turn signals from cars in front of me had halos and also resulted in glare. In addition, my depth perception was somewhat compromised. I white-knuckled it the entire drive home. The solution is having cataract surgery, occurring in a few days. Yesterday, I was alerted that post surgery I couldn’t rub my eyes for at least two weeks. It makes sense. But, as someone who has allergy issues, eye rubbing is automatic.

The second was vertigo and not the movie. I’ve had occasional dizziness before. But this time it’s been constant. After doing the exercises that my doctor suggested, the severity has lessened. But it hasn’t abated. So, I’m now doing other exercises suggested by the Physical Therapist to whom I was referred.

Realizing now that opportunities can be challenges, I asked my divine advisors what I was to learn from these opportunities. Two came to mind.

  • Take care of my body. Exercise and eat healthy. I usually do that. However, exercise has to be limited because of the dizziness.
  • Patience. I wouldn’t characterize myself as being impatient. But I know I can learn more.

Somehow, I think there’s something else I’m to learn from these challenges. I hope they come soon.

I wish you all opportunities that are blessings and not challenges. But, if they are challenges, may they resolve quickly.

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