Crossroads

“Nearly every day, we are faced with difficulties, some so excruciating that we wonder if we will not only survive such an onslaught, but we wonder if we will recover to the point of thriving, not just living. “   This leads us to a turning point or crossroads.

We may need to recover lost love, money, joy, health, or just a renewed sense of self.  

What happens when a person is at the crossroads of faith and illness?  This question supposes that the individual has a belief system that will either challenge and surmount a serious illness that they face, or that person will feel so defeated and despondent that faith or belief is fleeting at best. 

choices

These situations force us examine our lives closely – the choices we make, the thoughts we think, the feelings we really hold about ourselves; our beliefs.  In this situation that, on the surface, leaves us feeling out of control, as though someone else is at the wheel, it is in fact the most powerful place we could be. 

 

Why? 

 

Because in this place, you have the most profound of gifts – a choice.  You can choose how to feel about your situation, you can choose to have faith, to persist, to find your belief system.  You may not be able to control your health, financial situation or other external forces, but you can choose your state of mind, your thoughts and your feelings on any given subject. 

Empowering yourself to make a choice allows you to change your entire trajectory. You control your state of mind and thus only you decide whether to dance or cry.  You get to choose what action you can take to move forward, past the pain, past the fear, to learn to thrive again. 

You have more control than you realize. The act of changing your thoughts, of taking a single action, of examining your truth, your internal beliefs about yourself and your life, enables you to find your power.

 

What will you do today to reclaim your own power

 

Be well, be blessed

Santa

 

 

RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS
MEMOIR OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

BY SANTA MOLINA-MARSHALL ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 3, 2022

This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022