Tag: battle

Excerpt #9 – Volcanoes, Butterflies & Jesus – Shelley Zwingli

(Continued from Excerpt #8)

I reach under my pillow and find my rosary once more. I start to pray it again in silence. I know Trent needs some sleep, his work day is fast approaching and I have kept him awake for most of the night. I can’t tell him everything that’s happening to me. It’s not fair for me to expect him to understand it all. I don’t understand it. I don’t want to overwhelm him, even though I’m sure I already have. I lay here wondering if I’m going crazy, and just as quickly as that thought enters my mind the angels start to sing again. I now know that I’m not going crazy, this is all so beautiful and holy. I know it comes from our loving God. I’m just struggling with how is it’s possible for me to be in this physical world and also be experiencing the spiritual realm, all at the same time.

Continue reading

Excerpt Post #4 – Volcanoes, Butterflies & Jesus – Shelley Zwingli

Excerpt Post #4 – Volcanoes, Butterflies and Jesus – Shelley Zwingli

(Continued from Excerpt Post #3)

I enter our bedroom quietly, trying not to wake Trent. I slowly slip under the covers and try to get comfortable.  As I settle into our bed I keep thinking that maybe I should have stayed in ICU for a few more days. Then again I think, they wouldn’t have discharged me if my vitals weren’t in the normal range. The second the thought normal range comes into my head, I start to panic. It was only five days before that all my tests showed me in the “normal range” with exception of the CT scan, and then I was almost dead. What if that’s the case now? What if the tests done today were also far from accurate?

Blog - Rosary Photo All I can do right now is try to fall asleep. My body is screaming for rest. One of the best ways for me to relax and calm down in the past has been to meditate and pray.  I slide my hand under my pillow to find my rosary. I have slept with a rosary under my pillow for many years now. I feel very safe and protected when it’s near. Praying the rosary is like putting the calm in my storm. Nothing else can ease a stress-filled day like the prayer of the rosary.

I’m lying on my back, still very agitated. The room seems darker than it’s ever been. I’m trying to lay still; I don’t want to disturb Trent. I lay here for about five minutes and I’m finding it difficult to close my eyes. I don’t like how dark the night is right now. I’m also noticing that my heightened state of awareness is preventing me from relaxing. I feel that Trent and I are not alone. There’s an unknown spiritual force in the room. I feel like there’s a battle going on inside me. I have never encountered this type of nervousness before.

I gently touch Trent’s shoulder to get his attention. I tell him that I’m having problems getting to sleep. I ask if it’s okay for me to turn on the bedside lamp for a while. He doesn’t mind at all. I’m hoping that the light in the room will help me relax and send away any negative energy that might be here.   I explain to Trent that I’m very scared that I still might be dying. I also tell him that my body is feeling very different since my NDE. I can’t seem to shut off my thoughts. I feel very wound up. I’m almost certain I won’t make it through the night. Death seems to be the answer to my dilemma.

Trent snuggles up to my body and once again I try to fall asleep. Within seconds of me relaxing and closing my eyes I start to hear singing. This singing is unlike anything I have ever heard here on Earth. It is the heavenly choir and they’re performing a heavenly chant beyond our human perfection. The music sounds like something written in a previous century. It reminds me of something Beethoven, Bach or Chopin might have written. It’s extremely classical but not snobbish, very welcoming and loving in nature. Both of our children have taken years of piano and theory exams. This music reminds me of something they might have played while growing up. However, this music has instruments in its orchestra that we don’t have here on earth. They are singing a very calming piece. This melody is perfectly timed and tuned; there is no room for improvement. The composer of this piece has every aspect of music mastered. It is overwhelmingly refined and fascinating to listen to. I know that this music is being performed by the heavenly choir.

I sit up quickly in hopes of stopping the music; I fear that my soul might be slipping away from Earth again. I ask Trent if he’s just heard the angels singing and he says he hasn’t. I start to cry. I’m so afraid to leave my family behind. I’m not worried about where my soul will end up because I now know that heaven does exist and it’s waiting for me.  I just never dreamt that heaven and earth were so close together, and that I could experience both of them at the same time.

(To be continued – Excerpt Post #5)

Ask, Listen and be Watchful

Shelley Transparent Signature

 

 

 

Messages from Beyond – A Beautiful Confirmation – Part I

(Part I)

January 13, 2016

Today we send our love and birthday wishes to you Lori.

Thank-you for this spiritual connection.

Lori Nuttall Funerl Card - b

Lori Jean McArthur January 13, 1963 – April 28, 2009

There are certain people that come and go from our lives. With these connections we evolve as humans and spiritual beings.  Some people enter our lives for a short period and others stay a while longer. Every connection we make is needed to help teach and complete a lesson we need to learn. Our soul is always in the classroom of life. Some of the lessons we learn from the people we encounter are taught while they’re alive and other lessons are taught after they have passed into the spirit world.

This blog post is of the latter. The experience I will share with you today has surpassed anything I could have ever hoped for or imagined. My human nature still struggles with the closeness of the spirit world and how willing they are to confirm that their existence is within our grasp. While my human nature questions, my soul knows better. It embraces and trusts the loving power that makes this connection divine.

I asked for, and received, the permission and collaboration of my friend Tracy (Nuttall) Towers to present this remarkable story to you.

An unexpected call

My cell phone rings and I glance down at the number. Oh for flip sake, I think, another telemarketer. I answer my phone with a somewhat rough, gruff Hello. On the other end is a soft-spoken voice. I’m pretty sure I recognize this person. Hey Shell, is that you?  It’s my friend Tracy that I had hung out with in high school. I apologize for answering so abruptly.  She is calling from an unlisted number that I hadn’t recognized. Tracy (Nuttall) Towers had just received my email in regards to the start up of my blog site and she sounded very excited for me. We chatted for a bit about my book project and the blog and then she asked me if I had a few extra minutes to talk. She had something serious to share with me. Tracy had regretted not calling me sooner. I told her I had all the time in the world to listen.

Blog - Lori Nuttall - 8

Author – Unknown

Tracy and I have a connection that is so beautifully simple. We can pick up exactly where we left off. Whether it is three months or four years down the road. Our friendship has no expectations. We both know that time will not change our connection with each other. It’s a relationship based on love alone…no strings attached.

The last time I had spoken with Tracy was the previous summer. She had been in Melfort visiting family. I’m so thankful she had taken the time to visit me. We had talked about her older sister Lori and Lori’s battle with cancer. Ever since Lori passed their family has been heartbroken. We cried a lot that day but we both knew that the visit was also healing. We talked about my NDE and how it has changed my life and the life of my family. I also shared with her the miracle that just keeps on happening; since my father’s passing he’s lightened our heavy hearts by leaving us a trail of dimes. Sharing the dime connection with Tracy helped to lighten the mood and we did have a few good laughs that day too.  I really wanted to give her hope in an afterworld.  I know Tracy is a believer, but I also know there are times in our lives when everything seems to be falling apart and we question the existence of a loving Maker.

Tracy’s Story

Tracy lost her dear sister Lori to cancer in 2009. Lori was the eldest of three beautifulLori Nuttall School Pic daughters that Rod and Carol Nuttall raised. The Nuttall family had lived in Melfort, Saskatchewan for three years from 1977-1980. While living in Melfort, I had the privilege of calling the two older sisters (Lori and Tracy) my friends. The third daughter was Heather; she was a few years younger than us. Lori was full of life and always a pleasure to be around. She was stunningly beautiful to look at but that’s not where the beauty stopped; she truly had a heart of gold. She would do anything to help family or a friend in a time of need. Her smile and carefree giggle could light up any room. Back in my teenage years I truly wanted to be more like Lori.

After high school Lori married Greg McArthur. Through this union the couple had two sons, John and Todd. They had also moved out to British Columbia to be closer to family members.  Lori was a Certified General Accountant in Penticton, BC up until she took ill.   Sad news was given to Lori on her 45th birthday. She was diagnosed with Stage Four colon cancer.

In Part II next week, read about Lori’s final battle, and her sister Tracy’s search.

Ask, Listen and be Watchful

Shelley Transparent Signature

Like a Thief in the Night – Marv Crosses Over

It’s only been a few months since we received the news of our friend Marv’s passing. Death does come like a thief in the night; we all think that we will have more time to say what needs to be said. How untrue!

Trent and I had planned on visiting Marv the weekend that followed his untimely passing, and now there isn’t another chance to show him how much we truly did care. Everyone has regrets and generally we are given another chance to right these missed opportunities in our lives. Unfortunately in this case there is no righting our missed visit. Marv passed away on May 28, 2015, after a battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

Marv & Pat Klenk and Family

Marv & Pat Klenk
and Family

Marv was a top notch husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, son and friend. He lived his life to the fullest right up to the end. Marv had a work ethic unlike anyone I’ve known. If there was a job to do, you could always count on Marv to get it done. Marv also played as hard as he worked; he loved a good time with family and friends, and if he was in your company, you could rest assured that you’d be making memories that would have you laughing for years to come. Marv was an outdoor enthusiast through every Canadian season, as well. His love of big game hunting, along with fishing both in summer and winter, had him always searching for the record breaker.

Marv was a dear friend to both my husband Trent and I. Our friendship with Marv and his wife, Pat, has lasted a little over 27 years. I first met the couple shortly after our daughter, Branelle, was born. They owned and operated the Shell Bulk Fuel depot in Melfort. I was hired as a bookkeeper and over the course of 10 years I worked alongside both of them, as well as with Marv’s brother, Dave. These three individuals taught me numerous aspects of business management and accounting, which in turn helped me keep our farms accounting books in order. I owe them many thanks for the knowledge I gained while working for them.

The Zwingli Harvest Crew September 14, 2012

The Zwingli Harvest Crew
September 14, 2012

A few years into our relationship with the Klenks, Trent and I realized that Marv had a true love for farming. I had also been told that you can’t mix work relationships and friendships. Well, the four of us proved that theory wrong. I worked for them and Marv helped my husband farm. We both had the help we needed and when we weren’t working you probably would have found us socializing together.

Over the past 10 years we haven’t been in Marv and Pat’s company as often. Our lives have taken us in different directions because of the age of our children. They have many beautiful grandchildren that get their full attention, and that’s the way it should be. We haven’t started the grandparent stage of our lives yet, so we tend to run with a different crowd.

We received the news of Marv’s passing on Thursday morning at about 8:30 a.m. The sudden reality sent Trent and I into shock and a deep sadness. Marv battled this disease for about four years, with his unfailing wife by his side. We all wondered how his previously happy, healthy life could change so quickly. We’ve all had time to prepare for Marv’s passing but for some crazy reason we figured we’d get to see him again…we thought we would have time for another visit.

After hearing the sad news I figured I’d better let our children know. They had spent many hours in the Klenk house and I know that they will be feeling our pain. I texted Brennon and Branelle the details and the strangest thing happened. During my conversation with Brennon, we had decided to send the family a dish garden instead of flowers. I love these gardens because they last a lot longer than flowers…you have a living bouquet. Man Hunting ElkI went to suggest the arrangement and glanced down on my iPhone screen to proofread what I had typed before I hit send and instead of typing dish garden it corrected it to fish garden. I glanced down on my phone and realized that the d and f are side by side so that must have been a finger slip-up. Brennon and I both decided that our whole family would go in on the dish garden for their family. I was just ready to send Brennon another text when I stopped myself once more. I had typed our daughter’s name Branelle in the text message and to my amazement me and elks  was in her name’s place. Okay, this is definitely not a typo, I thought, this is a divine connection. Marv was a fisherman and a hunter. He was getting his message through to me loud and clear. He was very much okay in this new heavenly realm and he was grateful—for him, heaven is truly an outdoor enthusiast’s dream.

Later in the day Trent and I headed into town to visit the family. I shared this texting incident with them; we all had a good laugh at how Marv had made his spirit known. I also know within the next weeks, months and years Marv will continue to connect with the people he has loved during his life here on earth. To those who loved him: He is only a whisper away, talk to him often.

I’m sure there are people that will read this and think it’s all just a coincidence, but I know better. My NDE two years ago taught me to think with my soul, not with what mankind might call common sense or logic. Nothing is common or logical in the afterlife and everything or anything is possible. When our souls have moved into the heavenly realm there are no boundaries. Love will keep us united for an eternity. We just have to open up our earthly minds and allow the souls that have departed stop by and visit.

Ask, listen and be watchful

Shelley Transparent Signature