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Angel Animals Book of Inspiration:
Divine Messengers of Wisdom and Compassion

Angel Animals Book of Inspiration: Divine Messengers of Wisdom and Compassion
(New World Library, May 2009)

Published by New World Library, May 2009 (publishers of The Power of Now, A New Earth, Creative Visualization, Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, The Way of the Spiritual Warrior, The Joseph Campbell series of books, Visionary Business, Zen Wrapped in Karma, Dipped in Chocolate, and many other “books that change lives.”)

New World Library is a proud member of the Green Press Initiative. This book is printed on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper.

Some of these extraordinary true stories will make you smile and others will bring tears to you eyes, but each one will open your heart to new revelations of love in its many forms and shapes.

Dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, birds, rabbits, snakes, dolphins, llamas – the animals in this book reveal compassion, teach hope and forgiveness, or serve as a barometer to measure feelings.

After reading just one of these stories, you will observe the animals in your own path with new eyes and find yourself awakening to deeper, and often startling, spiritual insights about animals as mirrors to the soul.

This book is a second edition reissue of God’s Messengers: What Animals Teach Us about the Divine.

Healthand fitness expert Richard Simmons tells the story "Spotted Angels" about the Dalmatians who enriched his mother Shirley's last days.

Aretired teacher remembers the hamster who brought inner city school children on a journey from hate to love.

Amother reveals how a special ferret helped her autistic son become the hero of his Little League baseball team.

Empathiccows in a field surround a grieving woman and shed tears with her.

A man in a coma gets a visit from his best canine friend and the dog’s kisses bring him back to consciousness.

Amoose delivers the message to a minister that animals go to heaven.

Adog’s persistent attendance at church services enlivens an entire congregation.

When a woman succumbs to cancer and her hairstarts falling out, her dear dog Teddy pulled all the fur from his tail in an act of support.

Harold Klemp, spiritual leader of the Eckankar religion, observesthe balances of love and power in his backyard and draws profound conclusions about how spiritual communities are formed.

Allenand Linda Anderson share the story of how a little squirrel, trapped in their house, on a frigid, dark night opened their eyes to the protection and guidance they had been receiving all along.

If you have ever felt alone or abandoned, this book will bring comfort, renewal, and spiritual insights. Sixty-six transformational stories are accompanied by 50 black-and-white photographs of adorable animals in these heartwarming stories.

Amazing but true stories about animals that answer age-old question about the healing power of love, life after death, and how all life is interconnected. Awaken to profound insights. 50 black and white photos. Great gift.

“Allen and Linda have taken the concepts that I share in my books to a whole new level, asking the most profound questions and finding the most wonderful, joyous answers through our animal friends. I am grateful that they have the courage to explore and share the deepest levels of our kindred connections. I love this book. Read it and open your heart, and transform into the loving beings that we all are!”
– Allen M. Shoen, DVM, MS, author of Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live and Love, Miracles, and Animal Healing, www.drschoen.com

“Allen and Linda Anderson gracefully explore how we connect with the soul to the Divine through soulful connection with our animal companions – beings who in this book emerge as messengers of immense beauty, humor, compassion, courage, inspiration, and love. Angel Animals Book of Inspiration reminds us that the keys to the kingdom can be found in our own homes, backyards, and barns.”
– Linda Kohanov, author of The Tao of Equus

“A wonderful collection of stories guaranteed to make you think, make you feel, and make you grateful that God put such a grand world of wonderful companions and teachers here to join us on our Earthly journey. Sometimes God’s handprint is a paw.”
– Susan Chernak McElroy, author of Animals as Teachers and Healers and Why Buffalo Dance

“Angel Animals Book of Inspiration awakens us to the truly divine essence of our animal companions and their remarkable devotion to humanity. This is a book to savor and share!”
– Judith Guggenheim, after-death communication researcher and coauthor of Hello from Heaven!

“Any story in Angel Animals Book of Inspiration will lift your spirits. These truly heartwarming stories prove the power of the unconditional love we receive from our beloved animal friends.” – Tippi Hedren, actress and animal advocate

Endorsements

"As a lifelong animal lover, I am delighted to see them celebrated in such a positive way. You and your pet will enjoy reading this together."
--Betty White, actress and author

“Congratulations on the beautiful success of your new book. Of course, I flipped to Shirley’s story. Yes, of course, I cried. Each night before I go to bed, I read two other stories. I do love your new book.”
– Richard Simmons, internationally recognized health and fitness expert, author, film, and television celebrity

“In this collection of true stories the Andersons show how animals serve as conduits for messages of spiritual love and help in times of despair, loss, and confusion. Meditations following each story guide those in need of some soul work, making the book even better. . .Pick up several copies as gifts for all the animal lovers on your list. Yes, it really is that good!” – Sally Rosenthal, Best Friends magazine

"Animals truly are angels upon the earth, as Allen and Linda Anderson so beautifully remind us in their wonderful book. Their heart-opening stories are inspirational, and remind us to take wonderful care of our animal friends."
--Doreen Virtue, Ph.D., author, Messages from Your Angels and Angel Therapy

"This sensitive book shows what is so obvious, but what so few people see: that animals can be spiritual messengers and comforters and such a grace for us. Thank goodness Allen and Linda Anderson are documenting this beautiful part of life for all to witness."
--Kristin von Kreisler, author of For Bea: The Story of the Dog Who Changed My Life

“All traditional peoples have viewed animals as messenger and mediators of the Divine, which is a lesson we need to relearn. Angel Animals Book of Inspiration is a bold reminder that consciousness takes many forms and is not restricted to humans.”
– Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing Beyond the Body and Healing Word

“Aims straight for the heart. . . The experiences shared in the book offer evidence that animals are much more than mere companions and servants.”
– Today’s Woman

“This well-written book will appeal to anyone who has ever looked into an animal’s eyes and felt as if an angel was looking back.”
– New Age Retailer

“Stories are moving and well told. . . Many of the sketches are tributes to animals – dogs, cats, horses, dolphins, snakes, squirrels, you name it – that rescued or comforted or inspired their humans. . . All the stories are purpose driven, either including a lesson or followed by personal questions for reflection.”
– Publishers Weekly

“Illustrates how traditional cultures have viewed animals as messengers and mediators of the Divine, which is a lesson we need to relearn. The book is a bold reminder that consciousness takes many forms and is not restricted to humans.”
– Long Island Press

“It’s no longer the case that many people dismiss a pet as merely a possession they own. No, a growing number of people understand that their dogs and cats and reptiles and other companions are beings with souls who are in their lives for a reason.”
– The Edge Magazine

"Animal lovers tell stories of rescue. . .[this book] makes you wonder -- who's rescuing whom?"
--Debbie Moose, The News & Observer

"If you never considered animals to be messengers from God, this collection of real stories about how animals connect us with the Divine will have you wondering, if not convince you that God does exist and can be seen through the animals that share our world."
--Kathy DeSantis, Awareness Magazine

“It is no a coincidence that God spelled backwards is dog and that a lifeline is three-quarters feline. Read this wonderful book and learn to live a complete life.”
– Bernie Siegel, MD, author of Love, Medicine & Miracles and 365 Prescriptions for the Soul

“Angel Animals Book of Inspiration opens our eyes to the possibilities available to every one of us at any moment. Allen and Linda Anderson understand the power of our animal connection and that animals give us unconditional love, truth, and spiritual fulfillment. Savor each story, rich in spirit, and learn from our blessed creatures how precious life really is.”
– Jackie Waldman, author of The Courage to Give and Teens with the Courage to Give

“There is goodness in every page, in every word of this incredible book. It clearly and honorably speaks the truth that the animals. Spiritual beings in their own right, offer us the Divine in tangible form. What a gift and invaluable tool Allen and Linda Anderson have given us all.”
– Rita M. Reynolds, author of Blessing the Bridge: What Animals Teach Us about Death, Dying, and Beyond

“Every story in this fabulous book is a jewel that will open your heart to love, healing, and faith in all things good. Our relationship with animals is precious, one of God’s greatest gifts. Linda and Allen Anderson honor this gift in a most beautiful way.”
– Rosemary Ellen Guiley, PhD, author of Breakthrough Intuition: How to Achieve a Life of Abundance by Listening to the Voice Within

“The Andersons celebrate our relationship with animals and explain why we often feel spiritually connected with them. This book is an inspiring compilation of stories, pictures, and anecdotes that warm the heart and feed the soul.”
– Mary Hessler Key, PhD, author of What Animals Teach Us and The Entrepreneurial Cat

"Hi, I am currently reading Angel Animals Book of Inspiration. I love your work and enjoy reading the stories. I have an angel dog who is getting on in years and I am dreading the day that she'll no longer be around. I have a friend who is in the same position; I will give this book to her. Keep up the good work. Your stories are very inspirational and eye opening."
--Dolores Dendy

"I really loved your book about Angel Animals Book of Inspiration and so did my friends! It even helped my mother start reading in English, something she thought she could not do. The stories are told in such a clear way, and she enjoyed them so much that she continued reading. Thank you forsetting up this network and listening to your inner voice!"
--Maria-SylviaLingen, The Netherlands

"My friend gave me Angel Animals Book of Inspiration for a Christmas present, but I had never opened it. My beloved Corgi-mix dog of 11 years died, and I felt I was supposed to start reading it. It is wonderful."
--Bennett E. Hodge, Florida

"I loved your book Angel Animals Book of Inspiration and can't wait to read your other books. I love your website!"
--Roxanne, Washington State

Excerpt from Angel Animals Book of Inspiration by Allen and Linda Anderson.

Ferrets Are Made of God
Rebecca Stout, Chattanooga, Tennessee

My son, Sean, has been diagnosed with the most common form of high-functioning autism. My husband, Scotty, and I never thought we'd see Sean formulate his thoughts and feelings, much less spontaneously communicate them to someone. Yet today I watch Sean soak up things that are normally sensory assaults to a child with autism - all because of a little ferret named Rocky.

When Sean was five years old, he seemed to make a developmental leap. We seized the opportunity to try out animal companionship. Although experts on autism neither recommend nor reject the idea of autistic children having pets, they caution parents to supervise the child's interactions with animals. Autistic children can be physically explosive, whether from joy or anger. We went through a series of pets with varying degrees of success for Sean: beta fish, (those colorful little fish found in pet stores that are kept in small bowls by themselves and are easy to care for), frogs, a snake for his older brother, Chet, and a dog. Sean didn't do well with dogs, and dogs were not fond of him. He seemed to still have an impulsive streak that made up cautious about keeping pets in our home.

Scotty longed to have a ferret, and I'd had ferrets as a child and loved them, so one day I decided to bring home two ferret kits. Although Sean acted disturbed at first, under my watchful eye he began to forge a relationship with these animals. The first time Sean had to be away from the ferrets was a school day. When he came home, he burst through the door, plopped down in front of the cage, and refused to take off his book bag while he stared at the kits for twenty-five minutes, waiting considerately for them to wake up. He was so protective of them in the initial weeks that guests weren't even allowed to look at the ferrets.

Over the months, Sean learned self-control by giving the animals water and food. He mastered the skills of safely holding and playing with them, and he learned not to stick his fingers in their cage. Not a day passed without Sean surprising us with the details he was picking up about how to handle the ferrets.

When the ferrets first arrived, Sean would mimic how Scotty spoke to them and repeat word for word whatever my husband said. But then Sean made an important advance in his development: He began to spontaneously speak to the ferrets with his own words and for his own reasons. After a while, he developed a style of touching and relating to them.

On Valentine's Day, we surprised Sean by taking him to a local ferret shelter. When the woman who ran the place showed us a ferret named Rocky, Sean asked if this ferret was "special." The woman assured him that Rocky had come to the shelter dying, and it was a miracle that he'd lived at all. Rocky had overcome many things and, like my son, was a survivor. We took Rocky home that day.

Soon Sean was brushing Rocky's fur even though he couldn't stand having his own hair brushed. He learned the names of his ferrets' foods. Sean also learned how to wash the cages and trays, change the water bottles, scruff the ferrets (hold them up by the skin and fat on the back of their necks - a safe form of discipline), and take them to the vet.

Rocky moved more slowly than the other ferrets, and he was gentler with Sean, so Sean responded to him well. Before long, Sean and Rocky had become the best of pals. The close bond between them became the bridge Sean needed to achieve a dream.

Sean loved baseball and enjoyed watching his older brother play. He often worked the scoreboard with me as I announced the game. He learned the rules and thrived on them. Eventually he expressed a dream to play baseball himself.

We tried having Sean join a special league, but that didn't work out well for him. He needed the rules to be exact, and this league didn't have rules he could accept. With great reservations, we decided to let him join the regular league. There was no doubt that Sean could play well. But there was great doubt about whether he'd be able to hold up under the social pressures, let alone tolerate all the touching, noise, and sensory assaults involved in playing ball with other children.

When Sean first showed up on the field, he was too scared to go over and talk to the "normal" children. We'd brought Rocky along, and I got the idea to put the ferret in Sean's arms. His face and body instantly relaxed as the ferret's love helped my son become less rigid.

We walked up to the other boys. They greeted Sean with big grins and "wows." Sean didn't say a word. He just shook his head, yes or now, and hugged Rocky tightly.

Pretty soon, Sean was able to sit in the dugout. Before long, he was playing ball with the team. Of course, Rocky was right there in the stands rooting for him.

Fate seemed to decree that having a ferret for a mascot was lucky. Sean's team went all the way in the tournament and won the championship that year. The entire experience was the most positive in Sean's life - and it was all possible because of the love and friendship he found with Rocky.

One day, I listened as Sean held Rocky in his arms, stroking him and talking to him about everything under the sun. Then he asked, "Mommy, what are ferrets made of?" Before I could come up with an answer, Sean thought of his own. "God," he said. "Ferrets are made of God."

And I agreed with him.

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