As of this posting, we will now be living in our new house for 3 weeks. It has been and still is a task organizing and putting things away, but it is something I/we are glad to do. I had stated previously if you have been reading these articles that I had seen the signs and knew that this would be our house and that I had seen all the signs, 11's, 22's and 4.  We closed on February 1st, of 2024. If you add 2+1+2024, you get an 11. The daughter who lived in the house, her birthday is 11/22. Now you may ask, where does the 4 come in? Well, here is the interesting part and the reason for the topic, when there is darkness, there is also light.  

During the process of finalizing the closing, the neighbor, one of the daughters who lives next door to us now, shares a driveway, that part will be important. She and her lawyer kept coming back at us with sort of demands on what she wanted included. This included the use of our driveway as we share one and her driveway is very steep, where ours, sort of steep, during snow, is the easier to traverse. She wanted use of the driveway, for us to make sure she always had a pathway, that this would basically beas long as the properties are joined and that it was binding not only by us, but any future buyers. We agreed and I will tell you why in a moment, but I know a few of you are saying, why did we do this? Well, it is just a driveway, yes on our property, but it is a driveway and we lived in Maryland sharing a driveway with the neighbor and purchased that house knowing it was. We never had an issue. I knew inside that there are two ways to think about this: Be negative about it or be positive and know everything would work out. 

Two days after we started moving in, the neighbor, the one making the demands came over to introduce herself. I greeted her, not confrontationally but with true feelings of kindness and peace. We spoke for a bit, and she went on to apologize for the terms she had set and that she was worried we would not allow her to do as she asked. I said to her the following: " You know, you didn't have to do all that. I understand that this is a tough time for you. That selling your parent's home and from what we have heard, all the negativity and fighting that has been happening between you and your siblings, you did not have to bring that to people you do not even know. We are good people. We will be the best neighbors you will have and possibly even friends. You could have asked and we would have said sure, but now there is this agreement that devalues both of your properties." She said, "I know, I am just sorry about the whole thing and you are glad to use my water for your pool and if there is anything you need, please ask. I mean it." We then shook hands, and she went back home, and we continued to unpack. When we were at the house the night before we officially stayed and moved in, she came over with a genuinely nice welcome home gift and we talked a bit more and then she left. 

You see, my first reaction to all this was negative, I must admit. I am only human after all and really did not want to be friendly with someone who just brought her family drama to our door. But after thinking about it and listening to my inner self, I knew that I did not want to start a relationship with someone like that, when I, we can be better. All the signs were there and since moving into this area of Hawthorne, NJ, I feel like I truly manifested the place, and that spirit has been really working to get us here. We had the mail carrier, Joe, leave us a note welcoming us to Hawthorne and telling us that sometimes FedEx, UPS and the like may not deliver to us because they are afraid of the driveway and that they may leave our packages at the Post Office. He said he would deliver them or let us know they were there to pick them up, just let him know. He even stopped by when we had the first big snow to check on us and tell us that if we need anything to let him know. With other interactions we have had, it truly feels like we moved to, as I like to call it, Mayberry, from a show called The Andy Griffith Show. People are just nice here. My new Doctor is just the kindest man. The food is good here and truly we have a beautiful area around us. I am truly the happiest I have felt in a long time, even with the bitter events happening around us, I almost feel like we are shielded here from them. 

You see, it really is all in how you see and think about things. Spirituality is about responsibility for yourself and your actions and if you simply follow the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  You receive that very same energy in turn.  I knew for the longest time that Maryland was not going to be our forever home. We raised our son in the DC Metro Area. Shannon and I met there. We lost some good people in our lives there. We laughed there, we cried there, and we watched our neighborhood grow. We lived through some dark times and light times there, but it was not going to be the place we would move into our golden years. We are surrounded by friends, good people, and some yet to meet. We live in a beautiful place after all New Jersey or as some say, "You're from Jersey now!"  is the garden state. I suddenly as I am writing this, hear the words In the Garden. 

I come to the garden alone, 
While the dew is still on the roses; 
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, 
The Son of God discloses. 
 

Refrain: 
And He walks with me, and He talks with me, 
And He tells me I am His own, 
And the joy we share as we tarry there, 
None other has ever known. 
 

2 He speaks, and the sound of His voice 
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing; 
And the melody that He gave to me 
Within my heart is ringing. [Refrain] 
 

3 I'd stay in the garden with Him 
Tho' the night around me be falling; 
But He bids me go; thro' the voice of woe, 
His voice to me is calling. [Refrain] 

We are truly blessed, so in the face of darkness that is happening in the world, look for the light for it is there. Do not embrace the primal fight or flight reaction to things in life, but stand in the light, be the light. If you give with the good that is inside you, it can truly place you in your own little bit of Mayberry. 

Love and Blessings and Thank you for the opportunity to serve, 

Steven