I Remember Now with Pastor Tim Tengblad
Eight years ago at one of our Aurapalooza’s, I was in the kitchen putting out more food for our guests and a very tall, nice looking gentlemen walked towards me with a gentle smile and extended his hand. He introduced himself, Tim Tengblad, a Lutheran Pastor. He said he had read one of my books and wanted to learn more about spirituality so that he could bring it to his congregation. I was speechless for a second while I gathered my wits about me. A Lutheran Pastor? Here at my teaching Center? He wants what? My head was spinning with questions. Is he serious? Is this a joke?
He didn’t look like he was joking. He looked quite authentic. I have no idea what I said back to him, I was so nervous. This was the second time in my life that a Lutheran pastor had approached me about spirituality and that relationship turned out to be wonderful so I told myself to relax. He asked if we could meet for coffee and I said of course, even though the thought of it scared the heck out of me. I walked around in a daze for the rest of the day. I knew something important was happening here and I couldn’t imagine what it could be.
About a week later we had our first coffee date and I was on pins and needles. I was raised to revere the clergy. They were honorable men who were close to God and we need to be respectful of their station in life. In a way, I felt like I was tripping over myself for fear of saying something wrong or being inappropriate in some way. There had to be some old beliefs inside because I’m not usually inappropriate with people. I definitely needed him to take the lead because I didn’t know how to start out the conversation with a Pastor. One by one, all these mis-conceptions were addressed and I started to think of him as a person rather than God’s first Sergeant . A psychic and a pastor having coffee seemed like a very odd twosome to me, but I soon found out it was exactly what both of us needed.
We began meeting every couple of weeks and slowly I brought up different topics. Reincarnation was a big one that Tim was interested in. He was also interested in healing, different levels of our souls and life after death. Before I knew it, we were chatting like two old, very old souls catching up with each other. We jumped from topic to topic, so excited to hear what each other believed. I met his spirit guides and started channeling information to him. We had so much fun sharing our thoughts and beliefs.
I think it was on our third coffee date that Jesus appeared to me and asked if I would give “Paul” a message for him. Turns out, he and Jesus went to school together and were very close friends. Tim’s name in that life was Paul and mine was Ruth. Jesus channeled such a wonderful message to him and it left both of us in awe of what we had learned about ourselves that day.
Tim and I have met several times over the last several years and it’s been incredibly healing and inspiring for both of us. He’s been a great source of information for me regarding Christianity and the Bible and I’ve been a source of information for him about spiritual matters. About two weeks ago in meditation, I heard that it’s time for Pastor Tim, who is now retired, to have a column in my website where he can share his thoughts on spirituality and religion and also answer questions that you have about them. My hope is to bring them live through a podcast someday.
There is a series of books that Tim and I both love written by author Gina Lake. Her books are channelings that she has with Jesus. They really resonate with my soul. We particularly love What Jesus Wants You to Know Today.
I’m going to start it out with the first question I asked him eight years ago. What makes you interested in spirituality coming from a strong religious background?
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you think you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain One of the main things I hear people say about the Bible is this: “The Bible says that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.” I’m hear to tell you the Bible does NOT say that! Can we all just put this one to rest? This statement is not only untrue. It’s not only unhelpful. It is destructive. The statement likely comes from a misuse of a text in I Corinthians 10:13 that says, “…God…
READ MOREIn post 34 I wrote of my meeting a wonderful, elderly man named Peter in a tiny, neighborhood restaurant in East Boston. Perhaps you could read it before you keep reading. It’s OK. I’ll wait………………………………………………………… OK, now that you’re back, I recently returned from another visit to Boston, and met two more times with Peter at our spot, Angela’s restaurant. The first time involved just the two of us. As I was waiting for our time together, I noticed some lovely and remarkable things going on within. I noticed this joy, kindness, and calm welling up within me. It helped…
READ MOREChange is inevitable. Except from a vending machine. Robert Gallagher Life is like underwear. Change is good. A bend in the road is not the end of the road. Unless you fail to make the turn. Helen Keller Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle, and best at the end. Robin Shama Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them. That only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. Lao Tzu Everything that exists is blessed with one universal instinct. The inherent instinct to evolve and change. The instinct to evolve is found…
READ MOREI saw her as she walked toward me when I entered our local Costco to do some shopping. She was leaving the building, but she was also leaving her mark. With me. Her face was deformed, and when I looked at her, her eyes looked down on the floor. Something I was afraid that she had been doing her whole life. She also happened to be black. A black woman with a deformed face. My mind quickly flooded with how my life has progressed and changed. As a child, the kids around me would have made fun of her. And…
READ MORESomething fascinating just happened for me. My wife and I recently had dinner with a dear friend and spiritual sister. At the end of the meal I told her that I was thinking about stopping my writing of this Blog. She looked surprised and asked me, “Why?” I said I just don’t get the impression that it matters. I haven’t heard from anyone for quite some time. In fact I was thinking about posting (maybe as my last post) “Is Anybody Out There?” I told her I just wanted to know if people were reading it, and if it was…
READ MORE“Humility is a slippery slope. If you notice you’re doing a great job of it, there it goes! Crap. I can’t even feel good about it!” Some guy. OK. Me. Or is there a better way? If you’re like me, you were raised to stay away from pride. And the best way was through an unhealthy understanding of humility. Pride was associated with tooting your own horn. Bragging. Being full of yourself. Or thinking you were better than others. You were never to call attention to yourself. Or if someone dared compliment you, you were supposed to say something…
READ MOREI used to believe in reincarnation. But that was long ago, in another life. Dave Schinbeckler I don’t believe in reincarnation, and I didn’t believe in it when I was a hamster. Shane Ritchie Remember all the times you’ve sat in a Christian church pew and heard yet another sermon about reincarnation? It’s easy. Zero! Unless it would be to denounce it. You will never, ever hear anything validating reincarnation in a Church. Why? That’s what this post is about. Is reincarnation in the Bible? In the New Testament there are 3 stories worth mentioning: 1. At the…
READ MOREWhen a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she goes out into the wilderness with a few friends and together they pray and meditate, until they hear the song of the child. They recognize that every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique flavor and purpose. When the women attune to the song, they sing it out loud. Then they return to the tribe and teach it to everyone. When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child’s song. When the child passes through the initiation into adulthood, the people come…
READ MORE“ Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.” Glenn Turner “ I know worrying works, because none of the stuff I worried about ever happened.” Will Rogers “All things work together for good…” Romans 6:8 Worrying is fascinating. If you examine worry at all, one can easily see it accomplishes absolutely nothing. And we know it! At least nothing positive. It only “accomplishes” harm to the mind and body. None of us wants to do it. Yet we all do it. We are fascinating creatures when we’re human, aren’t we?…
READ MOREOur daughter, Sarah Tengblad, wrote the following and has given her permission to share it here. “Within me is an inner cathedral. An enormous, stunning, intricate cathedral. Where wisdom, truth, tranquility, confidence, and spirituality are palpable. A structure built by God and millions of souls. A place that is still unfolding itself to me. A place where I bring my life lessons and questions, and they are nurtured and evolve. A space of infinite resources. I cannot access it all the time, but it is always there. I can access it through stillness, poetry, and music; through connecting with…
READ MORE