Chapter One DIVINE INTUITION: DIRECTIONS FROM GOD? You've picked up this book for any number of reasons. Someone told you they liked it. You may have heard me on the radio or on television. Perhaps you feel lost and need some direction and this book says it can help you "Create a Life You Love." If you are one of the 95% of people who believe in God, you may be suspicious of what "Divine Intuition" means, or what that has to do with God. But who or what is God? What does He, She, or It have to do with intuition and bettering your life? Asking these questions is a great place to start. Everyone has a belief about God, even if one is a devout atheist who believes God doesn't exist. What's your vision of God? Is it an old man in a white robe sitting on a throne in some vast unseen place in the universe? Do you believe that life is an accident and you just happen to be here by chance and then you die? Maybe you believe there is a purpose in your being here and you haven't been able to figure it out. Perhaps you wish desperately that life came with a set of rules. So how do you know God exists? You may have read many books on the subject of God and religion. You may have read none at all. The understanding I have of Divine Intuition might help you find some answers. I am not a biblical scholar or a religion expert. I come from a Christian family that viewed church and Sunday school as something you did on religious holidays, which is to say that I didn't grow up in a deeply religious or spiritual home. I've come to my understanding of God through almost twenty years' experience as an intuitive counselor. I've spoken to thousands of individual clients and students about the meaning of their lives and life in general. I've seen people struggle with concerns of being punished by an unforgiving and vindictive God. I've seen others embrace God as a loving, positive source of comfort and guidance. Still others have no belief in God and yet experience difficulty with the idea of finding purpose and meaning. My intention in writing this book is not to add yet another volume to the many books out there that proclaim, "I have the answer." My purpose is to assist you in finding your own answer. I believe the key to your destiny resides in your heart and soul. The power I call "God" placed it there and you can access it through your intuition or inner guidance. I believe that God and God's wisdom is hard-wired into our genes and our reason for being. From time immemorial we have in some way, shape, or form worshipped a higher power. For as long as people have been on this planet, they have left traces of some greater energy, deity, God, or force. God as a Positive Force I believe that God exists as a positive force in all of our lives. I believe that it doesn't matter how you view God -- as Goddess, Source of Life, Love, Divine Energy, Spirit, Life Potential, Universal Intelligence, or as a wise old man sitting on clouds surrounded by angels. We often personify what we can't see or understand. So for the purpose of this book, however, you view or experience "God" is fine. You may find value here even if you're a total non-believer. Marianne Williamson writes of God as "the pure and all-powerful love that rules the universe and lies within us all." There is no one truth or right way to view God. Many will dispute that fact and claim to have "The Answer." Wars too numerous to count have been waged over who has the right belief about God. You will find your truth within. That's where God placed it. An All Pervading Energy My hope is that in these pages you find some comfort and direction. Whatever your belief is about the source, you have access to a deep inner wisdom that resides in your soul. Your intuition can summon the answers from this Divine Wisdom and help you live your life fully with your heart open and your arms flung wide. The commonality I have found in the world religions is that we are counseled to love others, forgive, be of service, and to act with humility and compassion. People have experienced God in the wind, in a church or temple, in the trenches of a war, on the street, in a baby's eyes, in the last breath of a loved one, in their cars, offices, and even in a bar. God is an energy, an all-pervading spirit. He is truly everywhere -- in our waking, in our sleeping, and in our dying. Many of the more logical among you will point to the fact that I can't prove that God exists. It's true that I can't point to God's presence and say, "There He is. Right there!" However, I see signs of God everywhere. Universal Wisdom resides in the daffodil that knows to blossom in the spring when the earth is warming. God's love is in my neighbor's heart when she brings over dinner when I return from a long trip. I feel the presence of Spirit when I hear the children laughing as they ride their bikes outside my house. I witness the protection of the Goddess when my friend gives birth to her son. Most importantly, through your intuition you gain enlightenment and direction from All-That-Is, which is what I call God. That wisdom is part of you and though you can't touch it or see it, you can experience it. It's there and it's real. My hope is that through this book it will become alive for you and you may use it to create a life you love. WHAT IS GOD? Here are ten questions to ponder as you begin the book. Some of the answers may be clear to you now and some may become clearer as you read further. * * * 1) Have you ever experienced God's presence? If so, describe the experience. * * * 2) What were you taught about God as a child? Are your beliefs the same now? If not, how do they differ? * * * 3) What practices (such as praying, meditating or going to religious services) bring you closer to God? * * * 4) How do you envision God? * * * 5) What is the purpose of life? * * * 6) What takes you away from God? * * * 7) Do you pray or ask for guidance in some other way? * * * 8) If yes, how do you receive the answer? * * * 9) What do you think God wants you to learn in this life, if anything? * * * 10) What name do you give God? Copyright © 2001 Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc.. All rights reserved.
