Divine Wisdom From Michele Livingston

Hi Kelly Ann,

My heart goes out to your grandparents, for there is nothing like the loss of a child. Many times we believe our children will outlive us. I do a lot of work with "Compassionate Friends"—a national support group for parents who have lost children. I am also a Christian by choice, and believe in protective prayers. But everyone has individual needs (whether they are religious or not). My sessions are very healing and can be life changing! Yet, one of the difficulties with the type of work that I do is dealing with people that are not open to communication with the spirit realms (open-minded skeptics are fine, it’s the cynics that make it difficult). Those who have strong religious beliefs or that may have been brainwashed to think this work is not from the good side are also difficult. So, you need to approach your grandparents, perhaps individually, to determine if they are open to the type of work that I do. It’s kind of like the old saying, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force him to drink!" In other words, even though you see the potential benefit of a session with me for your grandparents, if they are not at least open to the possibility of communication with their son from the other side, it may be a waste of your time and my energy.

However, if your grandparents are open and have a desire to seek the truth, to heal and move on, a session with me could be very beneficial for them. So please use your own discretion. People heal in their own way and in their own time. Let them decide what they feel is best for them at this point in their lives.

Dear Shawna,

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, love, celebration and giving. But you’re not the only one who questions their feelings at this time of year. It’s a beautiful time, but some feel compelled to be happy or feel forced to give to others. First, our pets consistently teach us unconditional love—how to give it and how to receive it. Love and hug your pets! If you don’t have any pets, go to a shelter and hold a puppy or kitten. This is a good starting point to enable the feeling of unconditional love. In my readings, many people get more emotional from hearing from their pets than from their relatives!

Next, joy and happiness are synonymous with love. And yes, many residing on the earth plane have not felt unconditional love, and are therefore totally unaware that it even exists. Human souls progress closer to it with each good intention that stems from their heart. But you should also remember to bring back unconditional love, full circle to yourself! Each human soul is innately good and even when people stray and commit heinous acts, the Creator still loves those souls.

If your child does something seriously wrong, you should still love your child unconditionally. Yet the word "unconditional" has been overused time and again in the human condition. To love "regardless of" what happens requires conscious effort, and forgiveness can be difficult. But, you cannot love unconditionally without forgiving.

It is easy to cherish those closest to you, regardless of how they look, feel or act. But to love those who abuse you, insult you or devise plans for attacks against you—for you to genuinely love them unconditionally—you first need to forgive and release them.

The inherent universal truth that lies within each soul is love. In spite of this, there is crime, suffering and abuse in the world. But this is because the earth plane is a training ground to enable humans in physical form to learn soul lessons, to choose what direction to go and to experience the joy and tragedies of life. This world at times can be a cruel place due to its trials and tribulations, and yet it is a beautiful place because compassion through love is born here.

Also, be mindful that there is a distinct difference between selfishness and being kind and gentle with yourself. There is nothing wrong with giving to others, but you must also remember to give love back to yourself. Loving yourself heals all wounds and creates miracles. Loving yourself is an act of conscious understanding through your thoughts and deeds. Loving yourself will help you to progress closer toward the goodness and purity of the Maker. Relaxation, prayer and meditation are very important tools for learning self love.

Anything that is done through compassion for others, or manifests as gentleness for self, is love. Acknowledge simplicity and give joyfully as a child. Be among the world, but not of its fear-based ways. In acknowledging love, one recognizes fear. Love and fear both are needed on the earth plane for balance, for again the earth plane is a training ground for experience. The two polarities must exist so that human beings can express free choice.

It seems the race for infinite peace is not about knowledge or wisdom, nor is it about the strong or the wealthy. The true race for grace is simply through the heart of love. It is love that conquers all, transcends all and leads souls to their ultimate goal of becoming unified with one another.

So "awareness" is the key to understanding unconditional love. Be aware of others’ needs and feelings, and try to love yourself—for we are all one in the big scheme of things. Try to spread some joy this holiday season and throughout the year. That in turn will give you peace and happiness.

Happy holidays and blessings,

Michele