Greetings Friends!
As always, I hope this letter finds you happy, healthy, feeling loved, and feeling GRATEFUL.
So this morning, I found myself sitting with Jesus in the dentist's office, talking about gratitude. Sounds like the opening line of a really bad joke, doesn't it? Maybe I should start from the beginning...
For starters, let's just say that I've got a challenging set of choppers. My gifts and blessings in this lifetime are many, but a strong set of shiny, healthy teeth isn't one of them. Brush as I might as a child, every trip to the dentist involved drilling, scraping, extracting...and a whole lot of pain and anxiety. Surely some of you can relate. The shots of novocaine rarely did much more than make my lips and cheeks feel like I was having an allergic reaction to shellfish. Not sure why, but it didn't do much for the pain. I've read that stress chemicals in the body can interfere with the pain medication or some such something or another. But whatever the cause, that stuff doesn't work for me. So naturally, I've spent the better part of my adult life avoiding the torture chamber that is the dentist chair. That is, until I found Dr. Chehade. This beautiful angel of a dentist was sent to me directly from heaven. He is compassionate, kind, highly skilled, ....and he offers sedation dentistry (can you just hear the heavenly trumpets sounding and the angels singing "Hallelujah"?).
This week, I discovered a tooth that was in need of repair and subsequently found myself visiting my favorite dentist at the crack of dawn this morning. Although I wasn't planning for this to be a spiritual experience, it quickly became one as I noticed the new sky/cloud light covers on the ceiling lights. Heavenly. And then the dental assistant asked me what type of music I'd like to listen to. I told her I like all genres pretty much....so she chose gospel. Gospel? Odd choice for the bustling dentist office, but lovely! And then as my nerves began to tighten up like a snare drum, I decided to try and tune in to Spirit. After all, I hadn't said my gratitude prayer yet this morning. So, there I was....listening to gospel music, staring at the 'sky & clouds', and mentally expressing gratitude for all the great things in my life...as well as those things that I am open to receiving down the road. And I immediately became aware of Jesus sitting in the room with me (this is before the sedation). The conversation was short, but meaningful. We talked about the importance of adopting the attitude of gratitude every day...not just around the holidays. And about how much more fulfilling life can be when we are grateful for what we have, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. We also talked about how expressing gratitude for that which we desire is a key component to manifesting the things we would like to have come into our lives. This went on for a minute or so.
And then came the nitrous oxide. And then I found myself thanking Jesus for nitrous oxide. And then I slipped into a very happy place as the drilling commenced.
At some point, I became aware of Jesus again and he simply said, "I am here. You know you never walk alone. And you never suffer alone." And then he showed me how minor this tooth repair was in the grand scheme of things. I know he wasn't calling me a big baby, but...he sure put it all into perspective for me. And then (hand to God), a song came on that I didn't recognize and the chorus was "You never walk alone". Of course it was. Thank you, Jesus.
Now for those of you who do not resonate with Jesus, no worries. You can just think of this as a spirit guide or angel or whatever name works for you. It's simply loving energy that I identify as Jesus. It could as easily have been an angel, a fairy, God, Buddha, life force energy...doesn't really matter. What matters is the message. And the message was about the power of gratitude. The power in feeling gratitude. The power in the expression of gratitude. The power in being grateful for things that you don't have yet, but you desire in your life.
Being thankful and expressing it - by saying it out loud or in your mind or putting it in writing - can actually improve our physical and emotional states of being. Dr. Robert Emmons, the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude and a professor of psychology at the University of California, conducted a study where participants kept a gratitude journal for three weeks and they found that people consistently reported a host of benefits, including:
Physical
• Stronger immune systems
• Less bothered by aches and pains
• Lower blood pressure
• Exercise more and take better care of their health
• Sleep longer and feel more refreshed upon waking
Psychological
• Higher levels of positive emotions
• More alert, alive, and awake
• More joy and pleasure
• More optimism and happiness
Social
• More helpful, generous, and compassionate
• More forgiving
• More outgoing
• Feel less lonely and isolated.
("Why Gratitude is Good", by Robert Emmons; Greater Good science Center UC Berkeley)
Who wouldn't want to experience more joy in their life? Or to feel better physically? And these are just the benefits found in the scientific studies. According to the Law of Attraction, gratitude plays a major role in manifesting your dreams & bringing abundance into your life. Based on this idea, you simply need to be thankful for things that you want as if you already have them. It may seem silly at first, but why not give it a try? In certain aspects of my life, I remember to practice this ("I am grateful for my health", "I am grateful for peace on earth"). But sometimes I forget this tool is available (note to self: "I am grateful for the stunning, healthy teeth that I'll have soon!").
With all of these amazing benefits, it just seems silly not to at least try to incorporate an attitude of gratitude each day! Sure, you can wait until Thanksgiving. But why not look for something to be thankful for every day? If there's one thing that I've learned in this lifetime, it's that no matter how difficult things are, there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for. Sometimes it's that the sun rose another day. And sometimes it's laughing gas.
Sending love out to all those who need/want it and prayers to those who may be hurting today. May you find peace in your heart and a smile on your face no matter what is happening in your world. And if you need a place to go to lift your spirits, I hope you'll stop by sometime :)
Here's what's happening at Light Works this month...
To kick things off, I'll be teaching Meditation with Intention...to Connect with Spirit! on November 9th. Want to learn how to connect with Spirit? In this class, you'll learn my method of connecting with the angels, spirit guides, and loved ones...and, yes, anyone can do it :)
Take your Reiki Level I training to the next level with Usui Ryoho Reiki Level II Certification class on November 19th. Reiki isn't just a healing modality. It's a lifestyle that promotes self awareness...as well as physical, emotional, and Spiritual health. Become certified as a Level II practitioner to help others...and yourself!! Are you a massage therapist looking for a class that offers CE credit hours that you can apply towards your license requirements? Receive 6 CE hours when you take this class!
Need a little assistance getting your gratitude on? On November 20th, join us & the angels for a guided meditation to focus on just that at "Let's Meditate! Guided Meditation Night: Angels of Gratitude". Relax and leave all of your stress behind as tap into the many health benefits of meditation!
On November 21st, we'll be getting together for "Let's Play" - Animal Communication! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to talk to animals? Well, here's your chance to learn how. Our pets are tuning into our energy all the time and would love for us to understand what they have to say. It's easier than you may think!
Next, we'll be getting together on November 29th for Movie Night! to watch...."I AM" . Follow Hollywood film director, Tom Shadyac, as he travels the world seeking answers from some of today's greatest thinkers about what is wrong with our world and what we can do about it. In this inspirational film, he discovers scientific proof that we are all connected...and maybe not so much is wrong with the world after all. Come hang out with me and other like minded folks for a chill night at the movies ...popcorn provided :)
Need a quick message from your angels? Then check out month's special - Mini Angel Card Email Reading for $10! . See below for more info!
And finally, I'll be joining fellow medium, Stacey Nichole, on November 30th for an evening of channeled messages at "Voices of Spirit - Mediumship Gallery featuring Juli & Stacey!". Come out and witness the amazing connections and loving messages from Angels, guides, and loved ones on the other side! Those in the Spirit world are always around and want to help us to heal, to feel loved & supported as we navigate our way through life in the physical world. A mediumship gallery is a wonderful way to experience this beautiful connection...hope you'll join us!
So, these are just a few of the things happening this month at Light Works.
As always, new things are popping up on the Light Works Meetup page . Be sure to join the group to receive announcements. Stay tuned, stay connected, and stay in touch!
Sending lots of healing energy and LOVE to you all...hope to see you soon!
In love & light,
Juli <3
Juli Richardson
Certified Reiki Master Teacher, Psychic Medium, & Animal Communicator
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November 2017 
