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Facing Demons

Chapter 4 Meditation

After my experience with the Divine Energy in the orchard I began to look to the future again, but now it was a different and full of light with new awareness and understanding. I told no one about what had happened to me, they would have thought that I’d gone crazy.

I had to put my life back together and worked out a more effective way of coping. The doctor I saw prescribed anti-depressants, but I only used them for a short time. I needed to learn to live again. The big difference being I knew that God was with me and inside me, I was connected to The Source and had guidance. I liken it a little to learning to ride a bicycle. At first you fall off a lot, but gradually it gets easier and easier. I was also aware from that point on I was entirely responsible for everything that happened in my life. Every thought, word and deed. Sometimes when I fell off the bike it hurt and I would lie there for a while before getting back on, gradually staying on for longer and longer periods.

I learnt to fill my head with nice thoughts, hymns and songs and to recognise the good parts of myself. While working in the orchard, songs would just pop into my head. Sometimes these would go around and around like a damaged record before I would realise they contained the answers to my most pressing problems. Having been up so many wrong roads already I wanted to do what was right for me. At one point I tried to tell Harry what had happened, but with no success. He looked at me as if I really had gone nuts and then ignored me completely. That was the last time that I ever mentioned it to anyone for years to come.

I still found it difficult to use the word ‘God’. In another culture it may have been ‘Budda’ because I could not think of that glorious light energy as anything associated with a ‘man’ type figure. All the hypocrisies and injustices I had seen through my upbringing were connected with the church and religion. My new belief I kept hidden deep within myself.

Jane, a friend of mine was attending a spiritual self-development group. When I began to show an interest, she asked me if I would like to go along. It was nice to be with people working towards good and who talked about working in the light. I listened carefully and only accepted what felt right to me, but failed to learn one very important point that later was to nearly cost my son Jim his life.

There were things in my life that I had not yet found the courage to change, even though I knew them to be wrong. Harry and I were still involved in our cosy little foursome. One night while I was out with this man called Jack, I heard a voice telling me that what I was doing was wrong. At the time it seemed to be just a gentle warning. I pushed it aside and continued with the relationship. A couple of weeks later while in the same circumstance a voice came to me as if spoken through a loud haler, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

It said, “Thou shalt not commit adultery. You have a choice to make, either you continue in this fashion or you choose a spiritual path. It is your decision!”
I got such a fright at the possibility of having to live the rest of my life as it had been, that I told Jack there and then that my affair with him was over. To me there was not a choice.

Our domestic and working lives were closely tied in with Jack and his wife Ann. We shared barbecues with them two to three times a week, helping with each other’s orchards and sharing kiwi fruit picking and packing. The picking and packing season was just about to commence. I knew that I would need every ounce of strength that I could muster to get through it. Harry and Ann did not want to end their affair and Jack would not let go. The pressure from the other three to resume the affair was constant and unrelenting. Because of the way our businesses worked together it was important that we were all on good terms with each other. I stayed polite and friendly, but stood firm in my decision. The warning I had been given was very definite and I desperately craved a better way of life.

I had to do something to help myself cope. Meditation and its benefits had been introduced to me through the spiritual group I attended and thought it could help. It is frequently said that meditation is the way to clear your mind, centre yourself and to tune into your own energy or the light within. All that was required was to sit comfortably in a quiet place, ask for guidance and protection from the guiding powers and relax your body and mind. It turned out to be a far more difficult task than I would ever have believed. To start with, five minutes of this would seem like an hour. My mind would not stay quiet or controlled without some thought racing through it. I had never realised I had such little control over my mind.

I experimented with many different ways to Meditate to find the one best suited to me. The following are a few of the methods I tried that might work for you.
 Concentrate on breathing in slowly to the count of six, hold for four, breathe out slowly to the count of six and hold for four, and so on.
 Slow your breathing by counting to four on the inward breath, breathing in relaxation, hold for four and breathing out tension to the count of four.
 As you became aware of thoughts, visualise them one by one entering a big balloon and watch until it carries that thought away thus letting no other thoughts enter your mind until the previous one had disappeared.
 Visualize a flower with many petals and watch the petals unfolding slowly one at a time.
 Visualize a flame in your heart imagining it as a life force connected to The Source and watching it flicker and grow until you become immersed in it.
 Imagine golden white light pouring down through the top of your head filling your body, connecting with your soul essence, and radiating through and out from yourself.
 Sit comfortably, starting at the toes, tensing and relaxing the muscles. Gradually work through your whole body until you are totally relaxed.
 Listen to gentle relaxing music or talk through meditation tapes.

Through practice and perseverance I slowed my thought pattern and began experiencing moments of silence filled with calmness and serenity. Twenty minutes meditation became the norm.

This was a wonderful process of rejuvenation for me and through it I found the strength to support me through many more long difficult times to come. It kept me in touch with the ‘I AM’ inside. The ‘I AM’ being the spark of life or God within each of us, our life force or soul essence. I nurtured this inner strength and began to discover my true self.

I read many books about spiritual growth, healing and self-awareness during this time to help broaden my understanding and knowledge.

 

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By Aurorahouse2024 Author Articles • Authors • • • • 0 Comments

Facing Demons

Facing Demons is a journey of enlightenment and self-discovery. It tells of one woman’s struggle against being controlled, mentally abused, how she dealt with it and how she overcame it. It is also a story of growth and enlightenment.

During her childhood  years, Marion is all but ignored by her father, when all she wants are kind words and hugs. Her school years were traumatic with dyslexia, until it was diagnosed in her teens.

As she grows and matures, she find she has chosen the same type of men to partner her and each relationship ends up the same – controlling and sapping her energy and spirit. Until the last one. Read more

By Aurorahouse2024 Author Articles • Authors • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Interview with Ronelle Smith

ENCOUNTER
by Ronelle Smith
Ronelle Smith Testimonial
Ronelle Smith

Ronelle Smith is author of ENCOUNTER, the first book in a series of five about 13-year-old Jonathon Newman-Smith, who is gifted with unusual talents.

After reading the book, and being totally enthralled by the adventure, I decided to find out more as to what initiated the story.

I will let her tell you, in her own words, why and how she came to write this excellent story. It is aimed at young adults, teenagers who may be ablehttp://auroranaturally.com.au/ to connect with her words and see themselves in Jonathon, although it is compelling reading for any age group and she hopes many people will benefit from the positive messages contained throughout the book.

What drove you to write “Encounter”?

In today’s changing world, society is not as it used to be when family units were strong and family values were held dear. Because of this, many of our youth are floundering in a society of double standards, where two-parent role models are almost a thing of the past and future stability in the home is not guaranteed. The consequent lack of security takes its toll on their self-confidence and often their innate gifts and talents fall victim and fail to develop. In some cases this can lead to a deep sense of loss and even depression. The emerging young adult may feel lonely and isolated with no true understanding of their place in the world or their purpose in life.

From my 40 years of teaching high school students I have come to recognize the causes of self-destructive behaviour as expressed by individual teenagers. In some instances unsettled home situations  frequently trigger anti-social activities and resentment for any form of authority. With an unwillingness to comply with rules and regulations and general lack of cooperation the teenagers find themselves in greater difficulty with an accompanying defeatist attitude. From my interviews with these specific young people I have learnt two things of paramount importance. Firstly, they feel desperately lonely and yearn for support of some kind, and secondly they hunger for help to achieve their goals. Yes! THEY DO HAVE GOALS. In spite of what the media would have us believe about our wayward teens. They have dreams of achievement, some so secret, they have difficulty expressing them to a listening adult.

“Encounter” is written to gently encourage young people to believe in themselves and reach for their goals no matter what their circumstances. Life presents lessons from which we are to learn and grow. How much we learn or, for that matter, completely ignore, is entirely up to the individual choices made along the way.

We are all capable of far more than we ever realise!

How long did it take you to write the book and was much research involved?

Encounter took me about six months to write, with research starting well before I took pen to paper, so to speak. Because of certain aspects of the book, I had to ensure my facts were correct, so many hours were spent on research. Believe it or not, one of the villains in the work is an incredibly small, but potentially dangerous plant. I had to check my facts very carefully regarding this tiny algae. Local geography also had to be well researched as some of the action occurs in our ruggedly beautiful Snowy Mountains. An understanding of the topography of Turkey was also necessary as several characters fulfill their mission in that country.

What is “Encounter” about?

The book reveals the amazing story of 13 year-old Jonathan Newman-Smith, a lonely boy who has spent most of his life in boarding school due to his father’s numerous absences overseas. On his 13th birthday, Jonathon, a typical ‘Tall Poppy’ who is bullied at school, has a paranormal experience which changes his life. He discovers he has been ‘gifted’ with several amazing abilities. His encounter with a collective of spiritual beings known as TRYSTARON leaves him with a choice of pursuing his destiny of becoming a world peace-maker or continuing his life as normal. Choosing the former, he battles to understand this phenomenon and come to terms with his new abilities, sometimes resulting in a humorous scenario. While this is happening, his father and stepmother, both secret service agents from a select division of ASIO, become involved in a terrorist plot that could have a devastating effect on a major Australian city. Jonathon is kidnapped by the perpetrators and threatened with death. He manages to escape and the adventure draws him more deeply into his parents’ world of espionage.

As a world traveller, I chose the settings carefully. For intrigue and suspense, Istanbul in Turkey was perfect with its colourful society and romantic history. This charismatic city adds vigour to the story, while to give “Encounter” the Australian flavour, I chose a small town on the South Coast of New South Wales for Jonathon’s home, with Canberra, the nation’s capital, and Kosciusko National Park for home-grown action.

Encounter creates an atmosphere of possibilities. Incredible scenarios become absolutely believable as the story evolves. It is a fast-paced, exciting novel that will appeal not just to young adults, but also a much wider readership.

What benefit can the reader expect out of the book?

There are several messages hidden within the chapters of the book for those who are ready to discover them. It can help those who need extra support to build, or re-build their confidence. It can develop awareness that ‘Life’ is the teacher presenting challenging lessons from which we gain knowledge, learn and mature. No one escapes these lessons as difficult as they may be. In due course we realize we are never alone and can call for assistance from our spiritual guides whenever we need it.

This book is written with ‘tomorrow’s’ generation in mind, showing clearly that life is an adventure and it can, with a little help, be bountiful, beautiful and full of promise. “Encounter” is a melting pot of action adventure, intrigue, love and mystery. The reader can expect all of this, and more.

Are you planning more books?

Yes. Encounter is the first book in a series of five. Book two is written and ready to be published, which will be happening very soon. Each book is a stage in Jonathon’s life as he grows, matures, and explores his gifts and abilities and learns how best to use them.

Where will you go from here?

At the moment, I am still working on the series but I intend for the books to reach all levels of readership, in schools, bookstores and libraries. In this way, it will help the future generation to know they are not alone, encourage them to become the best they can be and realise that it’s up to each and every one of us to do our part to create a peaceful world.

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We will be hearing more from Ronelle as her books find their way to the people who desire to read them. Encounter is available in printed form and will soon be available as an eBook, extending the range of reach and readership.

Read the first chapter of Ronelle’s book on Aurora House website.  Be curious!