Tag: life

The Belonging We Never Lost

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A download changed everything.

That’s an odd thing for me to write. After working twenty-six years in the software industry, I used to cringe a little when someone spoke about receiving a “download” from spirit. Yet it’s the best word to describe the insight I received.

For much of my earlier life, I never quite felt I belonged. I was quieter and more reflective than most of my family. I was also a sensitive, clumsy, gay boy growing up in a straight world. There were moments of connection, like singing in my college chapel choir, but they were only glimpses of what I longed for.

Years later, I realized my path was leading somewhere different. Leaving the Paulists to pursue a committed relationship was one of the hardest decisions of my life. Although I knew it was the right one, I didn’t recognize until recently that part of me was still trying to hold onto that identity and that family. I continued searching for that same sense of belonging through spiritual workshops and communities, grateful for the friendships I found, yet sensing something was still missing.

Then came the download.

The message was simple: perhaps the belonging I have been searching for is the belonging I experienced before incarnating, when I was part of the great oneness of God and fully connected with all that is. It was an experience without limitations. Human life, by its very nature, has limitations.

What if the longing so many of us carry isn’t because something is wrong with us? What if it is a faint memory of the complete belonging we once knew?

The insight continued. That divine belonging was never lost. It remains part of who I am, and one of my tasks in this life is to remember it and gently remind others. That’s really what Remember Your Divine You has always meant to me.

At the same time, I felt another invitation: appreciate the belonging available here on Earth. Human relationships may never mirror the complete unity of the divine realm, but they offer something equally precious. We not only share the same divine essence, we also share the joys, struggles, disappointments, and blessings of being human.

I’ve begun wondering whether I’ve sometimes held back from fully giving or receiving love because I unconsciously expected human relationships to satisfy a longing they were never meant to fulfill. That’s something I’ll continue reflecting on.

What do you think? Have you ever felt that you didn’t quite fit in? Perhaps the belonging you’ve been searching for isn’t something you need to find. Perhaps it’s something you’ve always carried within you. And then bring that awareness to the relationships you have today.

Full disclosure: I used ChatGPT to edit and condense this blog post. The experiences, insights, and message are my own, but it helped me express them more concisely.

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When the Outcome Isn’t Yours

Joe4 Comments

These days so much is chaotic. We don’t know what will happen next. In such a world, sometimes we hesitate to start something new unless we’re certain of the outcome. Otherwise, we fear we’d be wasting our time and effort. As a former engineer, that kind of thinking is familiar.

Recently, I was reminded of a decision I made that ran counter to that. Years ago, while searching for what being a spirit healer entailed, I enrolled in a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with a personal agreement: if, at any time, this path didn’t feel right, I could stop and not judge myself a failure or the money spent a waste.

Now, after publishing two books in my spirit healer series, working on the third, and contributing to several spiritual books, I’ve come to recognize that part of my calling is to be both a storyteller and story-receiver, creating space for people to see themselves in the story and share their own.

While I treasure these accomplishments, I’ve been disappointed that the books and their messages have reached only a limited number of people.

That disappointment was complicated by something that happened years earlier. Shortly after I began writing book one, my divine advisors warned me about becoming arrogant because of my future success. The message seemed odd given at the time, but I took it seriously and made expressing gratitude a daily practice.

Fast forward a few years, and I found myself wondering if I hadn’t done enough because that success hadn’t arrived.

The message I heard from my advisors the other day was simple: I needed to let go of the outcome, just like I had with my Counseling Psychology degree.

They further encouraged me to continue with my story-receiving effort, as I was truly offering healing in the process. The image of a farmer planting seeds came to mind. Once planted, the farmer must trust Mother Nature to do her part.

That perspective helped me release the belief that my lack of success was not because I hadn’t done enough.

Then, two days ago, on a flight home from vacation, I watched the musical “Merrily We Roll Along.” The next morning, a song from it, “Our Time,” kept playing in my mind. Since my advisors often communicate through music, I paid attention.

Something is stirring,
Shifting ground
It’s just begun.
Edges are blurring
All around,
And yesterday is done.

It’s our time, breathe it in:
Worlds to change and worlds to win…

And you and me,
We’ll be singing it like the birds,
Me with music and you the words,
Tell ’em things they don’t know!

Our turn coming through,
Me and you, man,
Me and you!

To me, it seemed to suggest that the success they had spoken of might be unfolding through our joint effort. Yet the lesson remained unchanged. My focus still had to be on planting the seeds and letting the outcome to emerge as it will.

Where do you stand with your own calling, path, or work? Are you willing to take a risk, do something you’re drawn to, regardless of the outcome, even if it doesn’t make sense at first? Sometimes, we’re invited to proceed anyway and just see how things unfold.

June 11, 2026

I watched another podcast today with Lee Harris. His guides also mentioned releasing a need on specific outcomes. Moments after I finished, I received a message, whether from my own intuition or guides, I don’t know. Here’s the message:

For those who are lightworkers or trying to make life better for all,
it’s so easy to get discouraged when we don’t notice that what we’ve done has an impact or makes a difference. Relying on outcomes only leads to giving up.

Rather, continue praying, envisioning a better world,
and doing what makes sense for you and your path.
Then, let go of the rest.

Trust me; it does make a difference even if you can’t see, feel, or sense it.

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When the Old You Sneaks Back In

Joe2 Comments

Do you ever find yourself reacting in a way that reflects the old you?

You’ve done a lot of work on yourself. Maybe you’ve spent time with a therapist or done deep inner healing, and you’re proud of how far you’ve come. Then something happens, and suddenly you respond in a way that feels like the old, unhealthy version of you.

And you want to scream, Dammit! I thought I healed and released all that nonsense. Why does that sh* still creep up?*

Then another consequence follows close behind: shame. That quiet but painful feeling that something’s wrong with you.

That happened to me recently. My shame felt like an old, smelly, wet blanket thrown over me, weighing me down and casting a dark tinge over life.

When I turned to my divine advisors for guidance, I expected comfort. Instead, they reminded me of something important. A key part of my path is learning to accept myself as I am in this moment. Sometimes I will make mistakes or react in ways I thought I had moved beyond years ago.

That doesn’t mean I stop working on myself. Growth and healing still matter. But it does mean recognizing and loving who I am along the way.

You and I are, after all, sometimes fickle human beings trying to live our best selves, and we won’t succeed every time. And that’s OK. In fact, it’s part of the beauty of being human.

At our core, we are innately good. Yet sometimes we still miss the mark.

So the next time you mess up or don’t act in a way that reflects the best version of you, pause before shame takes hold. Offer yourself the same compassion you would give a dear friend.

Accept yourself. Love yourself.

You’re doing the best you can.

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Unnamed Worries/Hidden Limitations

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Yesterday, a friend and I gave each other spiritual readings. A few things stood out from hers about me, especially the message from my divine advisors and guide that I’d become was caught up in various worries and stresses. When she mentioned that, I was surprised. Was I really worrying?

At first, I couldn’t identify anything big. Then I realized that they weren’t big worries but small. Some of them included not getting the bookmark I was designing to align correctly for my newly released book, Where the Heart Leads: Journeys of a Spirit Healer. Despite repeated adjustments, it wasn’t perfect, and this led to worry and stress. Another was about losing weight prior to a vacation. I’d increased my exercise routine significantly, severely restricted sweets, and reduced portion size. Even with that effort, there were times I gained weight rather than losing it. I also noted other small worries as well.

I’m still surprised by how unconscious I was of them.

This morning, during meditation, as I asked Archangel Michael to help me release those worries. As I did, an image and song popped into my head. The image was a river with rocks scattered throughout which impeded the flow. My worries were the rocks, and I realized they limited the possibilities that might come to me.

The companion song to the image was “Let the River Run” by Carly Simon. Its lyrics have always inspired me. I wrote a homily about it when I was a priest. One line still jumps out: “Let the river run. Let all the dreamers wake the nation.” This conveys power and intention that encourages me to go forward and remove the obstacles to enable dreams to become reality.

May your river flow freely, unblocked by worry, so that you can see your possibilities and manifest your dreams.

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A New Way to Learn That Isn’t Learning

JoeLeave a comment

As I sat down to write this blog, this phrase came to me. But how can that be? Let me back up a bit.

I’m taking a Soul Coaching course with Denise Linn and, in yesterday’s session, she reminded us to pay attention to dreams. Last night, I had a doozy.

I found myself in a school that didn’t use books or classrooms. While the students all had heads and arms, they came in every shape and color. Some had fins; some with rounded bodies ten feet wide; others were quite small. I went up to one teacher and asked:

“How can I learn without books or memorization?”

“You will,” he answered.

“But how can I figure it all out if my mind doesn’t have something to latch on to?”

“Your learning won’t be with your mind.”

When I woke this morning, I wondered if this meant learning through experience. My divine advisors chimed in:

“Not quite.”

“Would I learn via spirit?”

Their puzzling reply: “Yes, and possibly.”

I’ve valued my logical mind for most of my life. Yet I know it has limits, especially when questions arise about how to live out my calling in the world. Sometimes, I need to let understanding come in its own time.

I forgot to mention that when I woke, lyrics from a Patricia Costa song popped into my head: “Sleeper, wake up to new life…” and “come out of the depth of your dreams, [God] is calling you.”

So, the dream was important. To clear my head, I decided to walk through my neighborhood, taking in the beauty of nature. Knowing my mind would still try to figure things out, my advisors sent more messages along the way, using other Patricia Costa songs:

  • “Things we see are not as they appear to be. A door was closed; another opens.” From this, I understood I’d be encountering something different, and encouraged to step through an open door into the unfamiliar.
  • “Beside restful waters, [God] is leading.” As I step through that door, my advisors alerted me that this new learning won’t come through effort or striving.

Once again, I’m being asked to have faith in whatever’s presented to me, trust that my spirit/my soul will recognize it, and not try to figure it out.

Have you ever been in this situation? When intuition tells you something new is about to unfold, and you’re asked to let go of your mind’s need to know or do and just be with it.

I guess we’ll see what comes of that.

Peace to you all. And thanks, Patricia.

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Celebrate Diversity

JoeLeave a comment

June is known as Pride Month—a time to honor and celebrate LGBTQ+ lives. In the years I’ve written this blog, I haven’t directly addressed my community, since my messages have been for everyone. But this month, I want to speak more personally.

LGBTQ+ people have faced discrimination, judgment, and rejection, especially from many religions. It made life difficult. The hardest part isn’t only enduring that, but the process of coming out to yourself and others. Through this, we develop powerful gifts, and that’s this blog’s focus. I also hope this speaks to anyone who’s felt different from the so-called norm.

Feeling different can be gutting, especially when confronted with images that remind us we don’t belong. We’re not enough and not good enough. Some try to fit in by hiding, adopting behaviors and interests far from our true selves. It’s a sad way to live. And even sadder when they convince themselves it’s their true self.

But this journey isn’t only about struggle. In the process, we discover gifts at a depth uncommon to those who haven’t walked our path. Here are a few:

Self-reflection: Our journey requires that we look within, exploring who we are at the core. We search books, attend workshops, and explore spiritualities to help us figure out who we are. We repeatedly ask, Does this resonate? Does it reflect who I am? We yearn to feel seen. Even after we’ve come out, this self-reflection continues, shaping how we live, love, and choose.

Courage: We may not always feel brave, but it’s present in every step. It rings out when we choose to stand tall, even on days we want to hide. No one else has had our individual experience, though we share commonalities with others like us. It takes courage to celebrate what we bring into the world just for being the person we are, our truest and holiest self.

Compassion: Our experiences of anger, fear, and loneliness enable us to recognize the same struggles in others. Because of it, we can offer love and understanding to those beginning the journey, caught in the thick of it, or simply living their truth now.

Self-reflection, courage, and compassion are only three gifts. Others include creativity, flexibility, sensitivity… I’m sure you can name your own.

This month, I encourage you to celebrate your uniqueness. You are a blessed and holy gift this world desperately needs. Amen. And so it is.

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From Imposter to Intuitive

JoeLeave a comment

For spiritual teachers, the imposter syndrome centers on the belief that she or he doesn’t know enough to be a teacher and the fear that someone will find out. I admit that I’ve struggled with that.

For much of my early life, I relied on logic. I believed there were answers for everything, and each question had only one answer. When I went to the seminary and began studying the scriptures, I faced a dilemma. After reading one theologian’s interpretation of a Biblical passage, I concluded he was correct until I read another’s. Who was right? Which one was lying?

Fast-forward 12 years. After leaving the priesthood, I continued my search for the truth about God, myself, and life. Without realizing it, I continued searching for the one spiritual teacher with all the answers. When I found one with whom I resonated, I became excited. Here was someone who had similar experiences. Providentially, that lasted until I heard a teaching that didn’t match my beliefs. I must admit that I felt a little betrayed. That was a good thing. The last thing I needed was to rely on one person.

Years passed, and I continued seeking out teachers, eventually learning that one person doesn’t have all the answers and to rely on what resonated with me. But I was still driven to learn. Last year, I overextended myself, attending so many workshops and seminars that some conflicted. In one of them, a teacher brought up the imposter syndrome. I realized my drive was based on that syndrome and my underlying fear. Furthermore, my divine advisors challenged me to believe in myself.

While I’ll continue to sign up for workshops that interest me, a key resolution this year is to release my lingering fear of not being good enough, trusting that I have something unique to offer. What about you? Have you struggled with the imposter syndrome? Are you signing up for endless workshops, leaving you little free time? Consider reflecting on whether you do so because you don’t believe you know or are good enough. Through our intuition and divine soul, we have access to knowledge and wisdom. It’s up to us to listen and discover a path unique to our experience that serves the highest good.

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To Be Seen and Heard

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How many of you have always felt different from those around you, even from childhood? Perhaps you were a sensitive child or displayed abilities that others didn’t. Maybe you didn’t have many friends and even had an imaginary one? If you were like me, you found solace in another activity, which in my case was books and TV shows. I found companionship through their fictional characters. Looking back, it feels a bit lonely, and I can’t help but feel sadness for my younger self, Joey.

I vividly remember sitting by myself under a tree during grade school recess, asking an invisible being, Why? It wasn’t until college that I realized the being was God.

Looking back, I now recognize what I longed for most: to be seen. I wanted someone to notice that sensitive, awkward, little gay boy and assure him that he was good, lovable, and worthy. What about you? Did you ever yearn for this?

And if that longing wasn’t fulfilled, how did you respond? Did you act out to be noticed? Did you try to be the best little girl or boy in the world? Did you find yourself seeking approval by getting the best grades in school and following the rules? That certainly describes me. Without realizing it, I became a workaholic. When my grades weren’t perfect, it felt like confirmation that I wasn’t good enough, or worthy of attention and love.

Some of you may know that I recently created a public Facebook page called Spirit Healer Journeys. The idea was to have a space where I could share my work as a spirit healer, keep you updated on my spiritual fantasy series, and invite discussions on topics raised in my blog and my book series. However, after a couple of months, I noticed the page was getting flooded with ads, which didn’t feel right for the kind of meaningful conversations I wanted to have.

That’s why I just created a private Facebook group called Journeys to Healing and Your Divine You—a safe, ad-free space (hopefully) for deeper connections. In this group, we can discuss topics like feeling different, accepting your innate goodness, identifying your purpose, and so on. Based on the discussion, I’ll also occasionally pull an angel or oracle card to share their messages with the group.

If you’re interested in joining, my assumption is that you can click the group link, https://www.facebook.com/groups/366024949837869/, and request to join. If that doesn’t work, email me at jmcmonagle@gmail.com with your Facebook name, and I’ll invite you.

Once a few join, I’ll kick off the discussion. I can’t wait to hear your stories.

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Celebrate the woo-woo

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You may have heard the phrase woo-woo. Certain people use it to dismiss or even belittle spiritual practices that don’t reflect traditional beliefs. Others, like spiritual teachers, might use it when presenting aspects of their work that even their students might find unusual, like past life regressions, energy healings, or sensing the spirits of the forests. I propose that woo-woo is simply a way to describe the diverse ways we can connect to the divine and receive guidance, each practice possessing validity and meaning to those who follow it.

Consider some traditional practices. Believers are encouraged to pray for help and support from those in heaven, whether to God, saints, and so on. Beneath that is a desire to feel watched over and seen. Others might meditate, attend religious services, and go on retreats in hopes of hearing words that enable them to understand who they are and how to live amidst life’s challenges. Still, others bless themselves with water to cleanse themselves or anoint their bodies with sacred oils to connect them with the divine. Some people might consider that woo-woo.

That’s all that woo-woo is. Why is it necessary to narrow the ways people experience the divine? Why is it crazy to believe that all that exists, both seen and unseen, are made of the same stuff and, therefore, feel a profound connection to it? But it’s not rational, some might insist. Does everything really have to make complete sense to our minds, though? Is love rational? Is faith rational? I’m not just talking about faith in a divine being but in another person.

I must admit that some of the woo-woo stuff doesn’t resonate with me. For example, I like crystals and have a few. But I’m still unsure that crystals emit specific types of energies that we can then use to help our lives. That’s OK. Every practice or belief doesn’t have to. We each get to decide what makes sense to us and aligns with how we look at “life, the universe, and everything,” to use a phrase from the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Our spiritual journey is ours to shape and define.

So, celebrate the woo-woo.

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