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Psychics promoting ''Find Me'' book
Alison Stanton
Special for The Republic
Jun. 12, 2007 08:19 AM
Two years ago, Sunny Dawn Johnston walked by the television while her husband was watching the news.
Johnston, 36, who has worked as a psychic and spiritual healer for years, said she caught a glimpse of a woman who was being reporting as missing.
"That night, I dreamt about her and what happened to her, and for two weeks this went on," the Glendale resident said. "I would get more information and then the news would catch up with me, and I was obsessed with it because I didn't have an outlet for it."
After several unsuccessful attempts to tell police what she knew, Johnston said, a colleague told her about a group called "Find Me," a not-for-profit organization of about 24 psychics, retired law enforcement personnel and canine search and rescue members who work together to find missing people.
Johnston joined the group just over a year and half ago and since then has worked on about 35 missing-persons cases. So far, she said, the group has solved seven.
Mesa author and group member Dan Baldwin recently wrote a book about the group called FIND ME: How a Unique Group of Psychics, Retired Law Enforcement Officers and Canine Search and Rescue Volunteers From Around the World Have Banded Together to Find Missing People. Johnston contributed to the book, which was published in February.
On Thursday, she and some of the other members of the group will attend a book signing at the Foothills Branch Library in Glendale.
Johnston explained the way the group works.
"A member of law enforcement or a family member contacts Kelly Snyder, the leader of the group who is also a retired member of law enforcement. He gets all of the details and then sends us the person's name, time of birth and date of birth. Sometimes we get a photo, and sometimes not," she said, adding that no one is allowed to look anything up.
"Then we fill out a form, like what a law enforcement officer would follow, and we focus on things like vehicles, suspect information and where the body would be. We don't ever know what anyone else gets. But most of the time, the majority of us get the same basic thing, like 'the person is in water.' "
Baldwin said he wrote the book as a way to encourage others to form similar groups and to show that what they are doing really works.
"Being a member of Find Me has been the most frustrating, heartbreaking and rewarding experience of my life," he said.
Johnston said that it is a relief to have an outlet for the information she often perceives about missing people.
"It is rewarding when you give families closure," she said.
QUESTIONS FOR Q&A "MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR" PROFILE for the Peoria Independent
Name: Sunny Dawn Johnston
Age (optional): 36 next week J
Town/Neighborhood: Sunburst Farms
What I like most about living here: The country in the city… the cows, horses, goats, donkeys, sheep… a reminder to take a minute and be present.. to slow down!
Changes I'd like to see in this area: More get togethers with neighbors… block parties, meet your neighbor night, etc…
What I'm excited about & why: I am excited about the awareness that is taking place in humanity
Favorite community cause & why: I have worked closely with the domestic violence shelter Faith House. I feel a sense of passion to help others that are struggling to break through a cycle… and to find their beautiful spirit once they doJ it is an incredible thing to witness.
When & why I moved here: I moved to Arizona 15 years ago because I needed to get out of my own unhealthy cycle. It was an opportunity for a new start!
Where I lived before & why I left: Lake Elsinore, California between Los Angles and San Diego… I left because my spirit called me to a new start. I had a 1 year old son and was a single mom and my parents lived in Arizona. It was time to ask for… and receive help and support
My family: is hilarious, unconventional and close J I have two Phenomenal sons and an incredible husband.
What I do: I am a Psychic Medium, Spiritual Teacher & Speaker
What I like most about what I do: Serving humanity in whatever way the universe guides me to. I love to witness people learning to love themselves and watching their lives change for the better as they step into their own uniqueness.
Previous occupations & why I left: I have always been self employed. My husband and I own a Contracting Company, Arizona Crew Contractors, Inc…named after our two sons. My Husband now does the office work, I left because I needed to put more time into my own business
If I had picked a different occupation, it might have been: a Hospice Nurse
My interests and hobbies: I love traveling, hanging by the pool, spending down time with family, reading great books, sitting quietly alone, and when I create the time, I love to scrapbook, hike (small hills… ok walk around pretty areasJ) and camp with my family (in a cabin, no tent)
The best and/or worst time in my life: The best time in my life if this moment! There will never be another one just like itJ The worst time was truly an opportunity for me to be clear about what served me in this life, and so I count it as a positive as well.
My best/worst habits: My best habit is I am a multi-tasker. I can do many things t once, and do them all successfully. My worst habit is that I am a multi-tasker and am sometimes not completely present in all of the activities I am doing J
The trait(s) I admire in others: I admire the willingness to see yourself as you truly are, and step into that person so as to discover your true, authentic nature… I also admire humor… it is such an important part of life… sometime, ya just gotta get over yourself and laughJ
People who inspired me (and how): People that step out of the box inspire me… whether that I their own box or society’s box. To have the courage to speak up for something, share a message, and be open hearted as you do it, that is inspiring to me. I am also incredible inspired my Immaculée Ilibigiza a Rwandan genocide survivor. She has incredible story to share of faith and forgiveness. She is truly a blessed saint and way shower walking this earth with a heart of love and compassion.
My guiding philosophy: I heard this once and I felt its truth speak to me. “Live your life in such a way that if anyway said anything negative about you, no one would believe it!” I will also add what goes around comes around… and love yourself unconditionally, you are the only one that can!
My advice to today's youths: Be true to you! Own your power! Let your own light shine. Be the teachers you came to be. The time is now, YOU are here to create incredible changes for Mother Earth & Humanity. You are ready for the challenge! You have been training all of your lives!
A CONVERSATION WITH SUNNY DAWN JOHNSTON
Sunny Dawn Johnston :: Edge Life Expo Guest speaker
by Tim Miejan
from the October 2006 issue
Sunny Dawn Johnston :: Edge Life Expo Guest speaker
"Unleash the Psychic in You: Understanding Your Spiritual Gifts"
Room 101BC | 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 10, 2006
As a spirited teacher and healer, Sunny Dawn Johnston has helped thousands of people from across the country find their inner truth. Sunny was a gifted child and has since devoted her life to the enhancement of her natural gifts and to the application of these skills with humanity. Sunny has become widely known and respected as an Internationally known intuitive, medium and spiritual teacher. Her dynamic methods effectively reach out to help people to help themselves.
She is a regular guest in television, radio and print, and a columnist for an online newspaper (out2news) and an Arizona magazine coming soon (Spanglish Times). Sunny also hosts two of her own internet talk radio shows -- Sunlight at Night on Achieve radio, and Living your Light on Contact talk radio. Sunny also volunteers as a psychic investigator for the international organization FIND ME. In December 2003, Sunny opened a beautiful teaching and healing center in Glendale, Ariz., and Sunlight Alliance was created.
At Edge Life Expo 2006, Sunny will help you to unleash your psychic skills. She will guide you to explore the true power within you and teach you to listen to your angels and guides in each and every moment. You will leave with a better understanding of why you are here and how your psychic gifts can support your dreams. Several free meditation CDs created by Sunny and her angels and guides will be available.
She spoke with Edge Life by phone from her office in Arizona.
Where were you born and where have you lived longest in your life?
Sunny Dawn Johnston: I was born in Cheyenne, Wyo. I was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it's kind of a tie between there and Arizona for where I have lived longest. I lived about the same amount of time in both places.
What are your memories of Utah?
SDJ: I was raised in a metaphysical household in Salt Lake City, so my memories were that it was a great place to grow up in, but I learned a lot about judgment and tolerance.
Did you accept metaphysical ideas of your parents right away as a youngster?
SDJ: My mother and my father both were raised Mormon, coming from Salt Lake City, and they left the church when they were young, before I was born. My mom went through all different types of religions growing up, trying to find what was true for her, and so she never really pushed anything on me. But growing up in that environment, the Mormon religion was very much forced on me from everyone at school.
Spirituality was very much something that was within me. I started seeing spirits around or feeling energies that I wasn't quite sure what they were. I talked to my mom about them, and then she gave me guidance and direction at that point, but she never said, "This is the way you need to look at things." So it was a great environment in that sense, because she supported me along my way.
How did your personal experiences fit in with regard to your peers?
SDJ: They didn't. That's where I learned judgment. I found that as long as I kept it to myself, things were fine, but when I would tell other people, not so good. First of all, they all knew that I didn't go to church in a state where 99 percent of the population was Morman. I didn't fit in in many ways. When I started sharing that we had a ghost in our house and I would talk to it, everyone would just roll their eyes and think I was crazy. So I learned how to keep quiet and I learned how to try to blend in.
Fortunately for me, blending in doesn't work too well, so it really taught me a lot of strength and a lot of courage. I just stepped out of that and just said, "This is who I am and this is the way it is."
Well, at least you didn't try to conform to the majority.
SDJ: You know, I went to church a few times when I was young and I literally would get sick. It just did not feel right to me. All of my family is Mormon everywhere, and they all tried to make me go to church or told me that if I didn't go that bad things would happen. It was a really good lesson for me in knowing what's true for me, even if everyone around me didn't agree.
What is the main idea you'll be stressing during your talk at Edge Life Expo?
SDJ: I'm going to talk about understanding your spiritual gifts and finding the psychic or the intuitive in you. As I was growing up, I knew I had these abilities, but everything on the outside said they weren't real or that they were bad or they were the devil. It's important for me to teach people that everyone has these gifts. People who are very religious and don't even believe in it have intuition. They have a gut feeling. I will teach how to tap into your connection with your angels and your guides and listen to the guidance that's around you always, even though you may have been taught from a young age to not necessarily believe it.
Why should someone take the time out of their busy schedule to come and hear your talk?
SDJ: Because it's going to be so much fun! I like to do hands-on exercises, so first of all it will create an awareness that we are intuitive, and it will empower people and give them the awareness of their gifts and the awareness of how Spirit is working with us every minute of every day. We're told that we have thousands of messages coming to us every day, and most people don't catch many of those. It will be a fun and insightful workshop helping you learn how to discern what your strongest attributes are and how those messages are coming to you so that you can see them more clearly.
If you were coming to hear your own talk, what question would you have for the speaker on this topic?
SDJ: My question would probably be, "How can I create a better relationship withy my angels and guides?"
How would you answer yourself?
SDJ: Meditation is very important -- getting quiet, getting still. People get very intimidated by the word "meditation." They think there's a right or a wrong way to do it. Meditation can be sitting out in nature, just focusing on breath, when you're in a line in the grocery store and you just stand there focusing on love or peace. That really is meditation. When you get the intimidation out of the way of having to do it "right," then you open yourself up to catch those thousands of messages that are coming in. Meditation is the key to making a connection with your angels and guides, and even deceased loved ones, if you're wanting to connect with them.
What is your life purpose?
SDJ: My life purpose is to help guide and support people in finding their truth, the truth that lies within them.
Who was your greatest inspiration to leading you to your purpose?
SDJ: My greatest inspiration is my mother, I think. She has really been my support system and encouraged me to be who I was, even when I didn't fit in. She always gave me that unconditional love of, "Yeah, you look different. Yeah, you think different. And, you know what? That's perfect, it's OK." My mother gave me the tools once I learned that that's what I wanted, and she gave me the understanding that it was OK to be who I was. That was the greatest gift I could have received.
What is the greatest misconception among the general public about psychic ability?
SDJ: The greatest misconception is that people don't believe they have it within themselves. They think it's something that only certain people have or that it's something that is outside of them. Everyone is psychic and everyone can learn how to tune in.
What was the one thing you didn't expect about opening up your own healing center?
SDJ: Spirit just kept telling me, "You need to create a space for this." And I did. We built this healing center and it was like the movie Field of Dreams. I built the space and people just showed up. I had 10 students, and for my grand opening two months later, more than 100 people came. What I didn't expect was how quickly people would find me. I knew that it was the right thing to do it and I knew that the universe would take care of it, but I didn't expect how fast it happened.
What's the most rewarding aspect of what you do?
SDJ: The most rewarding aspect is really seeing people connect and watching people grow within and find that trust within themselves, that self-worth. It's rewarding to help people find the tools that allow them to trust themselves and know that they can find the answers within, because that's where the answers are. When that little light bulb goes on and their life starts to change from that moment on, that is the greatest gift.
What is your favorite word?
SDJ: My favorite word is "create."
Why did you choose to be a part of Edge Life Expo?
SDJ: I've been a part of it for several years and I love the people there. There is an intention and energy of all the people coming together with like minds and like purposes, and I don't feel a sense of competition. I feel a sense of connection and I feel a sense of community. There are not many expos like it that are as well put together and as fulfilling on many different levels. I come back to it every year, because the people are so open and willing to find themselves.
What signs do you see in our world that make you hopeful for our future?
SDJ: The children. The children are growing into their spirits and not following and not conforming and not going with what people have told them to do. They're very spirited.
The other great sign that is a major change since I've been teaching is the number of men who are stepping into their spirituality. In spiritual classes, you used to have one man to 20 women. Now we have at least 25 percent men. And now the men are coming with children. And the children are teaching us. They're so spiritually aware and evolved, and I believe that with the energy that's coming through them, the planet is going to change.
Who do you look up to as someone who is leading humanity in the right direction?
SDJ: One of the people I look up to is Louise Hay. She's been an inspiration since I was very young, because I read her books. She really taught me how to believe in myself and honor myself and love myself. From where she started and now has a huge publishing company, she's a great example of what one person can do.
What is you favorite movie?
SDJ: My favorite movie is Grease.
What is your favorite song, and is it from that movie?
SDJ: My favorite song is the Gayatri Mantra by Deva Premal.
What's the big question that we, as human beings, should be asking ourselves at this time?
SDJ: We should be asking ourselves what we are doing to make a difference.
Describe what you felt when you were in the most memorable place you've ever visited.
SDJ: Koh Larn, Pattaya, Thailand, an island right off of Phuket. We had to take a two-hour boat ride out there. There were like 28 people who lived on the island. You could rent this little room with a very thin mattress on the floor and a fan for $10. My husband and I had taken my 4-month-old baby to the island with a whole bunch of people. In time, everybody left. We just fell so much in love with that place that we wanted to stay overnight. We found out they had a room to rent above the only restaurant on the whole island. We stayed there with a Thai family. We couldn't communicate verbally, but we sat there with them for three hours enjoying each other's company. They had a baby who was a little bit older than my son.
The feeling that I had was how connected we are on a soul level to people with whom we don't even need to speak. I felt like I knew that whole family without any verbal communication at all. It was just heart communication with new friends -- on an island where nobody really had anything, no phones, no televisions. They lived very simply and it was so peaceful. That was a great gift.
For more information on Sunny Dawn Johnston, visit www.sunnydawnjohnston.com or www.sunlightalliance.com.
Tim Miejan is editor of Edge Life: A Holistic Journal. Contact him at (651) 578-8969, toll-free 1 (888) 776-5687 or e-mail editor@edgelife.net
Copyright © 2006 Tim Miejan. All rights reserved.
read more by: Tim Miejan
or get articles from the October 2006 issue
Create a Stress Free Holiday Season… tune into YOUR SPIRIT!!!
Appeared in Four Corners magazine Nov/Dec 2006 issue
The Holidays are coming! Have you noticed? Halloween is right around the corner, and then it hits...The Holiday rush! It seems that every New Year, after all of the decorations are put away and the tree is gone, we settle in to our post-Holiday thoughts! We say things like "Next year, I am going to start shopping sooner", "Next year, I am not going to let myself get stressed out", or my favorite, "I am just going to skip the holidays next year". Unfortunately, we stress ourselves out so much during the last months of the year that we miss the bigger picture…The truth of the Holiday season…LOVE! Have you ever sat around this time of year and thought, "How am I going to get everything that I need to get done in time for the holidays?" All of the parties to attend, gifts to buy, people to visit, plans to make, goodies to bake. If you stay in that place, it can be a pretty anxious and stressful time. It becomes a chore instead of a time of love, laughter, play and spirit. This is not the way we intend the holidays to be.
I love the Holidays. I always have! I love decorating the house (or maybe I would be more clear by saying I love the house decorated), I love spending time with friends and family. I love baking goodies and taking them to people I don't know. I love the kindness of strangers and I especially love the whole spirit that the holidays bring. The connection to others, the helping hands, the volunteering, the great scents, the time spent just enjoying each other, the decorations, the food, the tradition...all of it! I was brought up with many Holiday traditions, as I believe many of us were. As children, we are in the moment. The gifts, parties, food, and family created memories for us. Trying to recreate those memories for our children can at times create more stress and frustration than it does joy and love!
Through the years I found myself feeling resentful, irritated, and even angry at times. I became irritated in line waiting behind 5 other rushed people, I became frustrated in the parking lot trying to find a spot to park and most importantly, I came irritated with my family when they didn't want to help with wrapping the tons of presents, or baking the 30 dozen cookies. This particular year I was feeling really overwhelmed, as I had so many times in the past. I had promised that this year would be different, that I was going to enjoy myself, and not get wrapped up in all the frenzy… I was going to quit "doing" so much this year, and I was just going to "be". What I discovered was that even though I had always loved the Holidays, there are a lot of expectations that I had to meet. I had to buy gifts, donate time, visit all the neighbors, bake cookies & banana bread, make fudge & gingerbread houses, and fit time in for fun and family. As you can see, most of the expectations I had "I" placed on myself.
One morning, I was taking some time out, really trying to focus on what I could do differently. I asked for guidance and direction from my Angels and Guides. I had tried so many different things to be less stressed and more relaxed. I had tried only buying gifts for family, not friends, but that didn't feel right. I had tried drawing names for Christmas gifts and that didn't feel right. I had even tried going away for the whole Holiday season with my family but I missed my friends. Finally, feeling like it really was time to do something different, I sat alone and asked for guidance. I had a conversation with my spirit. It was so refreshing and so very long overdue. My spirit told me that if I didn't like all of the pressure, if I wasn't having fun with all of it, if I was tired of feeling frustrated and stressed out, I could choose a different way. I came to the realization that it was my choice! I was choosing these experiences and I could either continue being frustrated and feeling overwhelmed or I could CHOOSE not to. I had finally found the answer after many years of trying to be everything to everyone. The answer was so simple, yet so difficult. It was time for me to honor me. I didn't know how to do it, but I knew I needed to.
Then my thoughts (ego) started stepping in… Well, I thought to myself, what am I supposed to do, not participate in all of the hoopla, not go to the parties or the neighbors or worse yet, not buy anyone anything? That was my biggest pressure, trying to find the perfect gift for each person on my list. I realized how much pressure that was putting on me and my time. I also realized how much energy was wrapped up in what I felt was wasteful. Sometimes I would just end up giving them something, anything, because I couldn't find the "perfect" thing. I also felt I needed to spend a certain amount of $$ on each person because that was the way I had always done it. Well, this particular year, I chose to listen to my spirit.
In the mail that very same day came a magazine for Heifer International (I love the way spirit works… ask and you shall receive, right?) I had heard the name, but never really knew about the organization. As I flipped through it I got my AHA! Through this organization I could buy the perfect gift for everyone on my list. I could save hours and hours of shopping and wrapping time. And, most importantly I could support humanity by helping the hungry and poverty stricken people of the world by helping them obtain a sustainable source of food and income! I had my answer, and I knew what to do! Thank You Universe!
That year, I bought a sheep, a pig, several chicks and several rabbits, through Heifer International www.heifer.org . I wrote a letter to all of the people in my life sharing with them that I wanted to have a holiday filled with spirit instead of stress and that I wanted to give more to humanity. In that letter I wrote that as human beings the most important thing we can do is to be, and that I had been so wrapped up in all of the doing that I had missed the whole "spirit" of Christmas. I shared that in honor of them, I had purchased these animals and donated them to people that were in dire need, a life or death struggle just to live.. Some of the responses that I got were really positive like "Thanks so much, it was an honor to be able to be a part of giving a gift as well" and "That is a great idea, we have plenty of "stuff", thank you for sharing this experience with us." I also had several friends and family members that chose to do the same thing, and create a new tradition in their own families. Other family members and friends just thought I was being my weird, untraditional self...which was fine too.
I felt so much better about my new tradition. I had made new choices out of love, compassion and joy. I felt like instead of buying a present for so and so that would be thrown away or set aside, or even re-gifted, I was able to help humanity in a much greater way. I had followed my heart, and the answer, when I was ready to listen to it, freed me from the burden (I called tradition) that I had placed there so many years before. Now I buy something when I feel guided to. When something speaks to me, I buy it and it is bought from a place of love and appreciation, not desperation. My children aren't real big on getting a cow or chickens for Christmas, not yet anyway. I wouldn't have been at that age either! This Holiday season, I ask you to honor yourself and your traditions...and if they aren't serving your spirit any longer, create a new tradition!
So, what do you want to create for your Holiday Season and how will you find your own personal meaning? Here are a few of tips:
" You create your reality. What experiences do you wish to create for YOU this season? Write them down so you can see them clearly.
" Decide how you want to express your joy, peace and love. You are in charge of your reality, so visualize the holidays as you dream them to be. Hold your vision and make each choice based on what feels true for you.
" Focus only on that which brings you peace, joy and happiness.
" Honor your Spirit. If you don't feel like participating in a certain function, honor yourself by choosing you! Others may get upset, and that is ok!
" Take time out… Take time to go for a walk, read a book, have a massage or just take a nap… you may need to build this time in to your holiday schedule.
" Set your intentions. Who would you like to spend time with? What activities are important for you? Where do you want to go? Put your energy into consciously creating a great time for yourself and your family!
" Be open and receptive. Look for the signs from your deceased loved ones! They are around, especial during family functions! Keep your spiritual eyes and ears open.
" The universe is generous! Look for little gifts that come your way. A smile, an open door, a parking spot on Christmas Eve, no wait at your favorite restaurant! We have gifts around us, always, if we are just willing to be "present".
Written by Sunny Dawn Johnston
Psychic hosting Angel Day
Alison Stanton
Special for The Republic
Oct. 4, 2006
People from all over the Valley will gather to learn about and celebrate angels on Sunday. The 2006 Phoenix Celebration of World Angel Day is being hosted by Glendale resident Sunny Dawn Johnston. The fifth annual event will take place at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale.
"World Angel Day is a very unique event that originated in London, and then people in London started going with it, and it went from there," said Johnston, adding that about 300 people attended last year's event. "The theme of this year's event is 'Healing Mind, Body and Spirit' so we will be learning how to balance all areas of our life," Johnston said.
For the past seven years, the 35-year-old has worked as a psychic, conducting readings in her Glendale home office and teaching classes and workshops across the country. She also works as a psychic investigator with the international organization Find Me.
Johnston's interest in angels began as a teenager growing up in Utah. Ever since then, she has had an intense interest in angels and helping others. In December 2003, she founded Sunlight Alliance, a spiritual teaching and healing center in Glendale.
Johnston said the workshop will offer something for everyone who is interested in angels and spirits.
"I will be doing a very interactive workshop to give everyone the opportunity to connect with their spirit, and meditations they can do to meet their angel, and exercises on developing their intuition, and energy work," she said. "I'll be giving people tools to help them communicate with angels, spirit guides and deceased loved ones. It's very hands-on."
About two dozen vendors will be on hand, selling a wide variety of angel merchandise, including paintings, stained glass and jewelry. Clothing, CDs, books and essential oils also will be for sale.
Angel readings, which Johnston said help "facilitate communication with your angels," will be available.
Medium to share spirit(s)
Talk to teach how to tune in
Alison Stanton
Special for The Arizona Republic
Aug. 17, 2005
Sunny Dawn Johnston said she had her first experience with the spiritual world as a little girl growing up in Salt Lake City. "When I was younger we had a ghost in my house and I felt comfortable with that," she said. "She was an energy, and this particular one hung out on the stairs."As she grew up, Johnston, now 34, said she continued to sense and see things most others could not-"I saw angels flying through the room." Now a Glendale resident, Johnston works as a certified medium, a certified spiritual counselor, a Reiki master and teacher and an ordained minister.
On Thursday Johnston will present a workshop at the Glendale Public Library, 5959 W Brown St., called "Mediumship . . . Connecting." During the seminar, Johnston said she plans on doing some exercises that teach people to be aware of the energies she said we all have around us.
"The first thing I usually do is talk to them about energy and how energy works. Even when we die our energy lives on and we can communicate with the spirits over there," she said. "I like to get them familiar with energy because we have lots of helpers around us."Johnston added that most people have sensed the presence of a deceased loved one at one time or another, even if they're not fully aware of it at the time."Most have had an example where they've felt or experienced a grandma or a friend or even an angel," she said. "We're all born with spiritual enlightenment or awareness, but we lose it because society tells us it's not real."
Another classic example of this phenomenon, Johnston said, is the "invisible friends" that many of us had as children."People had friends as kids that no one else could see," she said.Another common way that people sense the presence of these energies or spirits, she said, is with their noses."People will smell cologne, or banana bread, or the person's favorite kind of candy-they will let us know they are there," she said. "They definitely care about us and keep tabs."
Johnston said that learning about the energies around us is not only useful for connecting with the spirit world, but also for learning to deal with the negative emotions that we often encounter everyday on the job or at home."It's like when you feel tension, people say, 'You can cut it like a knife'-that's being sensitive to energy," she said adding that 70 to 80 percent of people are very sensitive to these energies but often don't realize it."I will teach people how to protect their energy spaces."
During the workshop, Johnston will also address what it means to be a medium."Psychics and mediums are different. All mediums are psychic, but not all psychics are mediums," she said. "A medium is a person that can communicate with deceased loved ones, but a psychic does not necessarily communicate with deceased loved ones."Johnston also hopes to address some of the more common misconceptions and prejudices she encounters in her profession."People say, 'It's against my religion.' Love isn't against any religion," she said. "Or I hear that it is evil, or it's the devil's work. The only experiences I ever have are only positive and healing. I don't try to prove them wrong-I let people's experiences show them."
Once the audience is feeling comfortable and aware of how to sense the energies around them, Johnston will then offer instruction how to communicate with departed loved ones."I teach people how to do it themselves so they don't have to be dependent on others to do it," she said. "People absolutely can be taught because it is a spiritual gift. They can learn how to tune in."Johnston said this method can also be used to communicate with the spirits of deceased pets, who she said are also around us."Animals are sometimes easier as we are used to communicating with them in a telepathic way. We feel more comfortable with animals and feel closer to animals," she said, adding that it is not uncommon for people to be more eager to hear about their pets than their great-grandmother."They get way more excited about animals-it's really funny," she said, laughing.
Johnston said connecting with the spirit world can be incredibly cathartic and healing for people, and that she truly enjoys helping people feel better about their departed loved ones."It's all about healing to me and helping people through the grieving process."It's always in the place of love. I can release 20, 30 or 40 years of guilt from five minutes of talking to them," she said. "The whole point of being a medium is to help people understand that there is a life after this and that they are okay and not in pain anymore."
April 2004
The Edge Newspaper
Communicating with your Angels!
by Sunny Dawn Johnston
If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be teaching people how to communicate with their angels, I would have thought you were crazy. Although I had always been a spiritual person, and believed in Angels and Spirit Guides, I was not one that would share my beliefs with people.
As a teenager raised in a metaphysical household, in Salt Lake City, Utah, I was taught by society that if I wanted to be accepted by the outside world, I was not to share experiences that others would consider weird, I learned to conform. At that time, in the early '80s, talking to angels, spirits and deceased family members was not only weird, it was unacceptable. Trying to find a place to "fit" is very important for a teenager, but because of my experiences, I never did "fit."
I had a ghost in my house for several years. She would turn the TV on and off, change the radio station to a song I was thinking about, and pop movies out of the VCR. This was "normal" in my house. My mother was a wonderful, clear channel of spirit, and she taught me that this "weird stuff" was real, that I could ask questions, and get answers back. At the time, I never really knew who was answering back. I just always assumed it was me answering, because it sounded like my voice.
I learned that if it was a critical voice, it was my ego. If it was a voice of love, comfort and support, it was my angels or my spirit guides. Unfortunately, I felt that most of my answers were critical, which meant I was too much in my head, coming from my ego, and I needed to learn to get into my heart and invite the angels to work with me. I asked the angels to help me love myself unconditionally, and it was then that I began my journey as a student, which turned into realizing my life's purpose as a teacher, minister, healer and medium.
The first time I saw an angel was when I was 13 years old. I had awoken in the middle of the night, looked up, and saw this being floating over my bed. I wasn't scared at all. I felt very safe and at peace. I acknowledged her, rolled over and went back to sleep. It was as if she had always been there with me -- and she had. She was my guardian angel.
Angels will come to you in the way that you believe them to be. If you believe they are beautiful, winged beings with a human body, that is the way they will appear to you, as mine did to me many years ago. If you believe that they are an energy, which is the way they appear to me now, you will feel or see them as light, color or a vibration.
When my brother was 5 years old, he saw them in the form of shapes. Many people see flashes of light or balls of light around them and wonder if they are angels. Yes! Say hello to them, and invite them in. Ask them what their message is for you today!
Many people have questions about communicating with their angels. In my classes and workshops, the most frequently asked questions are quite possibly some of the questions you have yourself, such as:
´ Why can some people see, hear or feel their angels and others can't? Some people are more aware than others are. Everyone has the ability to see, hear, feel and know, but some people have developed it more than others have.
´ How do you know your angel's name? This is actually so simple that many people don't believe that they can do it. You simply ask!
´ Are there really angels around me, and if so, why can't I see or feel them? Everyone has Angels around them. To see and feel them, you have to develop your awareness. The angels are here to comfort, guide and support you. They are not here to tell you what to do, how to act or who to be. They are not here to judge you. They are here to remind you that you have their unconditional love and support, at all times, no matter what "mistakes" or "problems" you believe you have created for yourselves. They remind you that everything happens for a reason, even if you aren't aware of that reason at the time.
In order for the angels to work with you, you have to ASK for their help. Many times, in the midst of your busy, hectic lives, you forget to ask for help from the spirit world; oftentimes, you forget to ask for help from anyone, period. People don't realize that asking for help from the angels is as easy as thinking the thought or saying the words, "Angels, I need your help!" You can ask for help with anything, from taking a test, finding a parking place, meeting the perfect mate, or even healing cancer or disease.
A Course in Miracles® states, "There is no order of difficulty in miracles. One is not "harder" or "bigger" than another. They are all the same. All expressions of love are maximal." The angels want you to be happy, and they support you in creating that happiness in your lives! Most of the time, the reason you don't ask for help from the spirit world is because you forget that you have this unconditional love and support surrounding you. The angels are always there, waiting and willing to help!
Now that you have asked the angels for help, you need to pay attention to the guidance you receive. Awareness is the key! The spirit world is talking to you all of the time, and it is your job to listen. The angels talk to you through license plates, repeated songs on the radio, "gut" feelings, divine timing situations, and through other people. Some people call it synchronicity or coincidence.
If you truly believe that everything happens for a reason, there can be no coincidence. This is your divine guidance talking to you. When you listen to your messages, your life flows. Things just seem to fall into place. When you aren't listening to your guidance, you often feel like you are hitting your head against a wall, that nothing you do is working right and oftentimes it makes you cry aloud, HELP! Then, you listen! Most of the time!
To connect with your angels and spirit guides, you need to be aware of everything around you. It takes practice to tune in and listen to what is not being said. There are many exercises to help you develop your awareness of spirit in your daily lives. You collect all kinds of tools to help listen to your intuition and to pay attention to your guidance. Some of the tools that I have found very helpful are angel card readings, crystals, automatic writing, Reiki or energy healing, manifestation and intention, meditation and psychometry. Your own body is always talking and it is very important to listen to it. To develop your guidance, I encourage you to find a teacher you connect with and use the tools that feel right to you.
Remember, the angels are talking. Are you listening?
A Personal Story of Alzheimer's
By Sunny Dawn Johnston - Feb 2001
My Grandmother was showing signs of Alzheimer's for about 4 years before she died, but it took over a year for her to get "THE" diagnosis of Alzheimer's, which was given about 2 1/2 years before she died. Getting a diagnosis is a very difficult thing for many people to do. Not only is it a hard disease to diagnose, but it is also a hard disease to live with, and more often than not, family members are in denial because it is very hard to admit that your loved one has the disease. Then you are still left with the daily care for the loved one.
Usually there comes a point in time where you can no longer care for your loved one physically, mentally or emotionally. There comes a time when you have to make a decision about what is best for that person. My Grandmother was a very independent woman and she was not happy having to leave her home to move in with her daughters. It was a difficult thing for her to do. I remember her telling my mother that now that her house was sold, she didn't have a home anymore. My Mom would tell her that now she gets to stay with each of her daughters, and their homes will be her home. She was lucky to have 5 daughters that took turns caring for her in their homes after my Grandfather died. They all took turns for about a year until the disease progressed to the point where it was impossible for them to give her the quality of care she needed. Safety had become an issue, because she was a wanderer. She couldn't be left alone for a minute. The daughters made the decision to place her in an Assisted Living Center where she would get the 24-hour care that she needed. They first chose an Assisted Living Facility with a secure Alzheimer's wing in Tucson, where my mother lived. She did very well in Tucson and my mother would visit her daily. Grandma would come to Phoenix, where I live, with my parents for Birthdays and Holidays! It was Great to get to see her so often because the previous 10 years I had lived out-of-state, so I really felt like we got to spend a lot of good quality time together. I had a baby at the time and my son, my mom, Grandma and I would all sing nursery rhymes and then have an ice cream… it was a very special time together - the times I miss the most! But, spring came and the weather got warmer and the daughters decided that it would be better for her to be in a cooler climate, as the Arizona summers are extremely hot, and as I said my Grandmother was a wanderer. Many Alzheimer's patients are wanderers… they absolutely can't sit still. They just love to walk, walk, walk, everywhere they can. It is almost like they are driven from the inside to walk, constantly.
So, they decided to move her back to Utah, where she was originally from and where 3 of her daughters lived within 2 miles of the Alzheimer's facility (which has since been closed down by The State Board of Health) and another daughter was a 2-hour drive away. This made the most sense, as she would be able to walk all summer and fall there. They chose a new Assisted Living Center with a secure Alzheimer's wing and she moved in April 2000. She lived there 8 months and died there on December 31, 2000.
The day she died was a pretty normal day for me. I had gotten up around 6 AM and made breakfast for my family. Christmas had just passed and it was New Year's Eve. My brother had come down a few days before to stay with my family. We were all in the kitchen just talking about the night's plans to go to a party for "The Real Millennium." It was the first time that I was going to go out for New Years in 7 years. I had been having kind of a nervous feeling, so I told my brother and cousin that I wasn't sure I wanted to go. It was then that the phone rang and our lives changed forever.
My Mother was on the phone, or at least that is what the caller ID said. It didn't sound like her and I couldn't make out any of the words she was saying except that Grandma was dead. I knew that much but didn't understand why she was screaming and crying and hyperventilating. We had talked about her dying several times and knew that once she died she would be free from this terrible disease. So why was my Mother screaming uncontrollably? Well, after several minutes and then several hours I found out why. My Grandmother hadn't died of Alzheimer's disease she had died of hypothermia. How? Why? Those were the questions that I asked but no one knew the answers. We have since found out that she had gotten out of her "secure" Alzheimer's wing, and out of 2 other sets of doors without anyone noticing her. She walked 6/10 of a mile, in the middle of the night, in 0 degree weather with a silk nightgown on and bare feet. Those are the facts! Everything else that happened is a mystery to our family. How did this happen? We may never know. Why did this happen? We may not know that either, but we do know that NO ONE should ever have to die this way. My Grandmother deserved a peaceful death in her bed with her family surrounding her instead of wandering frightened, alone, in the dark, in the frigid night air. No family should have this as their story, but it is ours!
Since that terrible night, many things have changed in all of our lives. We have gone through all of the emotions, including but not limited to - guilt, anger, hopelessness, physical illness, regret, terrible sadness, denial, and clinical depression - just to name a few. Some members of the family have handled this situation much better than others. Some have been able to move on and "get over it" as some people have said. While others continue to have bouts with depression, guilt and anger. I can only speak for myself, and I have become a passionate crusader against this dreaded disease. This disease may be genetic, and I don't ever want to think about my brothers and I having to go through this, or my children having to experience this kind of pain. It must be stopped. We will find a cure. In the meantime, we need to make families aware of the organizations and programs that are out there to help and support them. I am a true believer in the Safe Return program. The safe return program helps protect Memory Impaired people, whether they have Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia. The participant wears a slender identification bracelet that alerts people to the fact that they are memory impaired, and it also lists a toll free number to call if they are found wandering. You call the toll free number and read the ID number on the bracelet and the person's name will be revealed to you as well as how to contact their loved ones. This is a very simple, inexpensive way to save lives! I will never know if this bracelet could have saved my Grandmother's life, because I never knew this program existed. That is why it is vital to create an awareness of this program and others like it. If you would like more information about this or any other program related to this disease please call the National Alzheimer's Association at 888-572-8566.
I promised my Grandmother that I would do everything I can to make it so that this doesn't happen to any other family. I am now a member of the Public Policy Committee with the Alzheimer's Association. I am doing anything I can to create awareness about this disease. If this story has touched your heart in any way, I would appreciate your help, in whatever way you can support people with Alzheimer's. We need national awareness and involvement in support programs to make sure this never happens again.
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