Anahiem, Ca. seminar, anyone going?

[ginasue39]

Hi. I am new to this board, and new to John Edward. I am thinking of going to his seminar in Anahiem California on Oct.27th. I was wonderng if anyone else is going from this board?
I have always been taught that anyone asking for or recieving informanton from a medium is a sin against God and that the bible says not to have contact with mediums. I have become facinated with John Edward in the past few months watching his show. I am still somewaht affraid of attending the seminar, but tomorrow I think I will purchass the tickets. I went to do it today but the first section was sold out. I was hoping to get a close view, but there are still tickes for the second section so I may still buy them. I am sure I will be posting more as questions arise. Thank you, Jeanna

[jkalexander]

I too was new to John, started watching him religiously in May/June. I just read his autobiography, One Last Time and I highly recommend it. John is a devout Catholic and reading this will put to rest your ideas of this whole thing being a "sin." HE is a truly gifted man delivering wonderful messages...and sometimes not so wonderful messages. He is simply amazing. I'm going to see him in Wichita, I cannot wait, will be the experience of a lifetime. Julie

[Pam]

Hi Jeanna, welcome to our board. You're among Friends here, and you will find that many of us are faithful Christians.

You might want to browse our
Spiritual, Religious, Scriptural (http://www.johnedwardtalk.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=15) folder for some New Testament bible verses in support of the kind of work that John does. I think there's a huge difference between the type of "mediums" the bible talks about, and what John does.

Enjoy our board, we're glad you're here :)

[Linder]

I will be attending the seminar in Aneheim and I'm looking forward to it. I hope you decide to go. I believe there is a reason for everything and you were probably introduced to John and his work for a reason. Once you see and hear John, you will leave with even greater faith than you had before. God bless.

[Susan013068]

My husband & I will be going to the Anaheim seminar, too! I can't wait!

As for the religious aspect--if anything, JE has helped to INCREASE my religious beliefs more than ever before. That can't be a bad thing now, can it? ;-)

Susan

[LAN Man]

My wife and I will be going. Both of us have shared a long time interest in things beyond the norm. Most of our experience has been with friends who can see or sense more than most of us, yet I have always been very skeptical of those who are well known and profess those abilities.

John Edward is the first person who I do not personally know whose abilities and motives I believe in totally.

Whether or not we get read is unimportant to me. Just to see in person the work he does, his caring and sharing, will be enough. I can't wait.

[LollitaStar]

Hi, there. I'm new to this forum, too. I bought three tickets for Anaheim. My sister and her friend are going with me. She works in Irvine, but I'm traveling from Texas. This is the third JE seminar for me. I went to one in Houston and one in Austin. It really doesn't matter where you sit. I have had seats way in the front, and JE reads all over the place, in fact, quite a bit way in the back. It all depends on our loved ones on the other side and who comes through. I have the same conflicts you do about mediums and readings and such. I am Catholic and have always thought these things were wrong, too. But, last year my only daughter passed away, and ever since then I have been wanting to KNOW that she is all right and happy. I have read everything I can on the subject (including all of JE's books). I plan on getting his audio tapes, too, soon. I also have tickets for JE's seminar on September 15th in San Antonio.

Bye!
:)

[Steffane]

I am going to the Anaheim seminar. My mom and I love him and I called her up and said hey mom wanna go to California. lol. Ofcouse she said no way. I explained that he is haveing a seminar and Sylvia Browne is going to be there too. So she said see what airplane tickets would be. ( from Iowa) and they were reasonable and so we are off and my hubby gets to watch our lovely daughter for 5 days. lol. Now he can see what real work is. I am excited and cant wait. Also I think it was meant for us to go. Hope loved ones come through!

[DayDreamer2]

The most amazing thing about all of this is how it redefines your faith. I personally have always had faith in God, but I just never seemed to take the time to read the bible... I actually started seeing how it changed their lives, it changed me and now I really see things differently.

I just wish I could go, but sadly I don't have the price of a ticket, duh!

[JBannister]

Lucky people,
To all of you lucky people who are going so soon to see JE im
Anahiem, I just CAN'T WAIT for you to report back to us how it
was, whether you receive a reading or not. Remembor what
John says about leaving your expectations behind. Right. I know,
easier said the done.
Have a wonderful, uplifting, safe time, and we'll look forward to
hearing back from you.
Julie

[LollitaStar]

Just found out that I will be unable to attend the Journey of the Soul seminar in Anaheim, California on October 27, 2001. I am so disappointed!!!! I live in Texas and was going over there because my sister works in Irvine. We were going to the seminar together. But, due to some family problems, we can't go. I have three general seating tickets ($55) each. I would like to sell them for what I paid for them, if anyone is interested. Please post a reply and we can try to arrange for overnight mailing. The seminar is from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and there are four speakers: John Edward, Sylvia Browne, Debbie Ford, Dr. Charles Richards.

I had tickets to the San Antonio seminar which was cancelled due to the horrible events on September 11th. The seminar was supposed to be on September 15th. So, this is my second disappointment. But, I'll keep hoping to go to of John Edward's seminars soon.

[ldynred999]

:jumper:

i have been looking for tickets to the seminar in anheim. if anyone out there has some extra tickets could you please contact me. thank you so much

[bobcat12]

:cat:
Well I debated <too long!> over buying tickets for Anaheim...they were available for over a week!
But I couldn't decide: should I spring for the MOST expensive? LEAST expensive? Myself only...or should I take my SO with me?? Decisions, decisions. When I finally made up my mind, you guessed it - SOLD OUT!
Not to be thwarted so easily, I hit the ebay tickets site and managed to successfully bid on a PAIR of tickets (one decision made - take the SO!) in the MAIN (second or middle) section. I ended up paying about $30 more than I would have had I bought them from the seminar site. Oh well, I AM going next Sat. but am ashamed to say I probably won't hang around all day for the other speakers...my SO isn't too enthusiastic about the other ones and so we'll go to John's part (it's first anyhow) and then SPLIT. I wouldn't mind seeing Sylvia Browne but she is the last speaker so don't want to wait around all day for her.
I am truly hoping for a reading, as all are, I am sure. But I am heartened by the good experiences of others who haven't been read. I'm going to think POSTIVE though. In the last 6 years I have lost my entire family; parents, only sibling, and grandparents. One death was a horrible car accident and one was a shocking massive coronary that took my brother at age 47. (He wasn't 'at risk' either!) I am the only one left, along with my 21 year old daughter who can't be here for the seminar.
I hope everyone going will post afterwards and we can all share our experiences.
Peace & Light -

[birny]

I will be attending the seminar this weekend in Anaheim, it will be my first time to a show like this. I am very anxious about going, I have a lot of deceased relatives... I purchased my tickets months ago, for the least expensive section.

I have been watching the show almost every day.

I feel sometimes that the messages and questions that I have asked, have at times been answered by the other side, but much of my own reservations have led me to think I'm wishfully getting these answers out of thin air, but last week, I asked for the last name of a woman my mother knew, and instantly a last name was in my head, loud and clear, and when I went searching the geneaology sites, found many women with the same name, not a real common one, made me feel good, but puzzled even more at where do I start to verify this info.

[Theresa444]

:wave:
It was an honor to attend last year's Journey of the Soul in New York City. I took my entire family. Although we did not get read, (there were over 5,000 people in attendance), it was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. My family and I still talk about it!!!! Certain members of my family made some life-changing decisions that day!!!

Before the day began and during the intermission, a wonderful composer by the name of Dr. Harold Moses played uplifting spiritual/meditation music. He autographed a few CD's for me after the seminar and I play them often. If he is at Journey of the Soul in Anaheim, you are surely in for a treat!!! My sister kept on saying, "there's something in the music", that easily brings on prayer and meditation. We cried a lot that day, individually and as a family. It really brought us together.

Please report back!!! I am so interested to hear how this year's seminar went!!! Have a wonderful time. I'll be thinking of you all.
:thumbsup:
Theresa

[bobcat12]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by birny

<I feel sometimes that the messages and questions that I have asked, have at times been answered by the other side, but much of my own reservations have led me to think I'm wishfully getting these answers out of thin air>

Hi Birny -

You sound a lot like me from the above excerpt. Were you at Anaheim this Sat? I went. I loved seeing John but had taken my SO with me since I had 2 tickets; so we didn't stay for the rest of the speakers. (he wasn't too keen on it and frankly the only one I really cared about seeing was John).

I am a little bit ashamed to admit this, but I felt a very big letdown when the session ended and I didn't get read. I posted before about my entire nuclear family having crossed over within the past six years. The last 2 yrs. since my mother (best friend too) died have been a nightmare with me going through a foreclosure, bankruptcy, misc. health problems including clinical depression, job 'reassignment',then the unexpected death of my brother and only sibling this year. I guess I was too 'sure' that my family would come through for me. I really was walking on air since I got the tickets, not that I was really SURE but I honestly felt they knew how very much I NEEDED some validation from them that they are all OK and together. Most of all I think I wanted to KNOW for sure that THEY know what I have been going through and the extreme guilt I feel about losing the house (among other things). You see I have felt my mother with me every day since the day she died (killed by a drunk driver)...while I wished and wondered why she has never come to me in a dream, there have been other small 'signs' like you mentioned, that may have been from her.
WE (she and I, my dad and brother too) all had come to the same set of beliefs over our lives, not from coercion but from reading Cayce, and others like John. So we are all on the same page that way. But, like you mentioned, when a sign or a 'feeling' comes over me and I feel strongly that she's nearby, I tend sometimes to discount it since it could very well be 'wishful thinking'.

I guess that's what I was counting on John to do for me, to validate my own convictions that she and all my family members are still able to see me and care about what happens to me. ALSO how very much I miss them and think about them.

So when I didn't get the reading that I felt almost certainly would come, I felt some very 'bad' emotions: like betrayal, anger, sadness, loneliness, and even some momentary doubts about whether we survive death or not! This is a cornerstone of my personal spiritual beliefs; so I pretty much rejected that and just 'went' with the first ideas: My family either doesn't know that my life pretty much crashed down around my ears, which makes me question my direction & purpose; OR they don't care enough to offer me validation of their own survival; acknowledge my loneliness for them and their love for me. I know, I know! Talk about childish. I am not proud of my feelings, but I do admit to having them.

I know that I was guilty of having expectations in attending the seminar. We all know the odds are very much against any individual getting a reading...I 'said' all those things before I went and tried to minimize my hopes. But come on! Don't we ALL go there hoping? Can't we ALL point to other reading(s) that seem WAY LESS IMPORTANT than the one WE need?? <LOL> I am smiling here, folks, and please don't attack me or reprimand me for my hopes. I KNOW. I just wanted to post here so I could be honest about my feelings and experience at the seminar. I feel even worse that the rest of the folks who attend seminars and don't get readings are all:

A) fine with it;
B) have their faith in God strengthened ANYWAY;

C) find their personal fulfillment in seeing others get readings;
D) Never waver from the conviction that those who DID get readings were more deserving than they.

YES - I am hereby appointed the offical poster child for John's admonition <NOT> to bring any expectations with you.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the part of the seminar I was present for. I was one of the first who jumped up for the standing ovation - it was heartfelt and spontaneous. He was gracious, funny, self-deprecating and prompt. One thing no one else has mentioned is that he decided to devote the whole time he was scheduled to speak for (only a measly hour and a half!!)to giving READINGS - hooray, everyone responded. Also I can agree that he was "all over" the floor with his readings, I truly don't think it would matter at all what seats you buy,as far as your chances of being read; now if you want to SEE the little cutie up close, that'a another story!
I truly feel that John is a very special and spiritual person and I don't like hearing people trash him or call him a 'fake'. I don't worship him or anything! HECK no, he's a human down here with us, feet on terra firma, etc. But it's important work and I know it would hurt me a lot to have my personal integrity constantly attacked - mostly by those who choose to stay ignorant. So I admire his strength also in putting his work out there for the public to see.

Thanks for listening - so sorry for the length! Have any insights/ words of wisdom/ etc. to share? (uh,...except PLEASE don't say "others' need was greater than yours!"...I'm already familiar with that one!
Doesn't anyone else here admit to ever feeling disappointed?? How 'bout a validation, here!
Thanks, I'm feeling much better already.
Cathy in So CA

[LAN Man]

Cathy, my heart went out to you as I read your post.

I wish you could have stayed for the rest of the seminar. Though it may not have lessened your disappointment, it may have helped you to at least laugh through it.

Dr. Richards started his portion off by referring to the ones that came through for their friends and relatives with John. He wondered aloud what it was like for our loved ones on the other side during an event like that, if they had to buy tickets, if they had to take a number. I can’t help but feel that your loved ones would have wanted to have come through, but because of the overwhelming number of people in attendance just could not do so. But I think you can be sure that they know of your pain in not hearing from them, they know of your troubles, and they are with you.

The last speaker, Sylvia, also did readings for a large number of people. And believe me when I say that some of those folks were also suffering a tremendous amount of pain. Then there were people whose pain and need were not as great as yours who got a reading. So I don’t believe that it’s a matter of need that dictates who comes through and who doesn’t. Sometimes it’s just a matter of physical impossibility.

I heard something about faith from a friend of mine who is also following a spiritual path. It’s a Buddhist saying, it made a lot of sense to me, and I wish to pass it along. It says that until you believe you will not see. What I take from that is that you must trust yourself, you must trust the signs you see, you must trust that when you feel a calmness and the presence of a loved one who has departed that they are indeed with you.

You obviously do believe that what John does is real, otherwise you would not be so hurt that he was unable to get to you. What you need to do is to believe in yourself, that your prayers are heard by your mother and your brother, that when you think they may be with you you’re not fooling yourself. Just as you believe the fortunate ones at the seminar heard from their loved ones, I believe that yours are with you now.

If all else fails, think of this…John is a medium. He is also a warm, kind person who you know through his shows and his writings. You trust him and in his abilities. Unfortunately it is very difficult or expensive to get a personal reading from him, as much as he and us may wish it to be otherwise. But he is not the only one who does what he does. There are a number of truly capable and passionate mediums out there. John himself endorses Suzane Northrop who is conducting a retreat with Dr. Richards the first part of next month. While it may be difficult to arrange to attend at this short notice, opportunities like that are all around.

In the meantime, don’t beat yourself up for your feelings. They are natural, they are human. Focus on the love that is causing the disappointment, and thank those that gave it to you.

Don’t give up, either on receiving a validation or on yourself. That is the last thing your loved ones would wish for you. Or us.

[amcpherson]

Oh, Cathy, please don't be so hard on yourself.

I have never been to one of the seminars, but I just KNOW that when I finally do, and probably won't get a reading, I'll feel just like you did! This despite the fact that I have not lost anyone close to me except grandparents several years ago, and the fact that I show some mediumistic abilities myself. I would still LOVE to have a reading!

When John was on our local radio station recently, I tried to call in, but couldn't get through. He did really short readings with only two people, and I know I would have felt unsatisfied with something so short, but I felt disappointed anyway.

I don't think you can say this person or that person "deserves" a reading more or less. Nobody's grief is more important than yours. Even John doesn't know why one energy will come through and another won't. It's one of those things about the Other Side that I think we won't know until we get there.

I am certain your relatives DO see what you are going through and are sending their support through the signs you are seeing. Trust those signs! Remember, we all have expectations, no matter how hard we try not to. Even John. Have you read his books? He insisted on certain validations from his mother through other mediums, and refused to validate what he himself received from her. If so gifted a psychic medium as John is admits he too has trouble with expectations, don't beat yourself up over having them! We're all just human!

Hugs to you!!

Ann

[kimk]

Hi Cathy,
I wanted to add a little bit of perspective to this....you see, I am one of those people who seems like she didn't need the reading as bad as someone else, and got one. I saw John last May in San Francisco and in a seminar of about 1500 people, I was the second reading of the night. Part of the reason I bought my ticket was becasue I had recently discovered John on CO and was a little bit skeptical that he was real. I wanted to see him with my own eyes before I made up my mind.

I have not lost as many family members as you have and in fact, the part of my family that came through was not a side that I was that close to, nor knew very well. But what the other audience members didn't know was that my grandma had a radical mastectomy the day before the seminar and it was her entire family that came through. It is my belief that they came through so that I would give the message to her that they were there. She was in a very bad way physically and emotionally and the reading helped her to know that her family was with her during a very difficult time.

So you see, though you are very sad and disappointed, and understandably so, please try not to quantify the needs of others. In other words, I don't believe it has anything to do with one person's grief being more worthy or important, just that there is a randomness to what's happening. Sometimes the logistics of that many people and John being only one person means that not all spirits get through in such a short time period. Your family may have tried very hard and just couldn't do it. Keep talking to them and looking for your own validations and as you are open to the process, it really happens.
Take care,

kim:daisy:

[birny]

Cathy, and others, yes it was a painful event to not get read. I stayed through the whole event, and in the end, during Sylvia's trance state she led us through, I felt and asked for peace and healing, knowing that I was not going to be one of the lucky ones. My trance state had me crying from the moment I arrived at the gazebo, and was met by a spirit. I stayed there for almost a minute after she returned the room to the present.
I received no words of comfort, wisdom or anything, I simply felt all my grief continue in that trance. I had takend pictures and personal items with me, and kept them close if not in my hand at all times.

The factor that John many times reminds us of, is that others we bring with us to the event, are likely to benefit, and that was the case. I had brought my seester, (not biological or marriage related, just a close friend that is the sister I never had) She works with a woman, who is a close friend of one of the people who came through, he was on one of the flights that had crashed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the woman who got the messages was the one standing on the east end, next to the ceiling support pole. My friend recognized that the person being described was her coworker's same person. She had come with me, quite sceptical of the John Edward thing, and was blown away the moment she realized she knew who was coming through. I have given my selfish feelings over to resignation that I was the carrier for her to get the messages through to her friend back at work. Maybe because I am fortunate to be in closer contact thatn I think with the other side, is why I was among 7,400 and some people who came, saw and received no reading. The moment I saw soooo many people I felt I had a rats ass chance to get a message. My family, was never much at communication and that hasn't changed it seems.

My mother died when I was 11 weeks old, my father when I was 12 and my grandmother who raised me, was hospitalized when I was 13, I was very anxious to hear from any of them. My dilemma, and I so hoped to at least win the oppotunity to ask Sylvia a question, is that my husband was born 3 weeks after my mother died. I was not going to ask if my mother was around me, I was going to ask if my husband was my mother reincarnated. When we listened to Dr. Richards, I was comforted by the story of a grandmother had come right back as her own grandchild, this grandchild had issues with the grandfather, that a reading had answered the issues, he had abused the wife, resulting in her death.
I cried Sat night while going to sleep, waking same feelings that Cathy wrote about too, selfish, abandoned, neglected that I did not receive a message, but I still knew, that there were tooo many people there to expect otherwise.
Sylvia was a hoot, she was very straightforward in her assessments of people and their questions, thought I was not assured when she mentioned that some leave coins, water running and lighths that come on... that didn't impress me one bit... BUT her trance state that she took us through, was more powerful than Debbie Ford or Charles Richard's guided imagery trances.

Enough for now, peace and healing to all who attended, it was worth going even if no readings were for you. Having someone else make you leave early was a shame.

[Susan013068]

OH, Cathy, I can so relate! I was there, too--had driven 3.5 hours at 5:00 a.m. (had been up since 2:30 a.m.--couldn't sleep from the excitement!), and we left as soon as he was done. Mostly out of disappointment.

I, too, have endured many losses; I'm 33 and have lost my mom, dad, sister and 8 other close family members in the last 10 years--plus I have a brother who is severely disabled from a brain injury (accident 5 years ago), so I would've loved to have told him that our family "came through."

I literally *begged* my family to come through. In fact, I swear one reading was meant for me. Remember that woman who kept referring to the "P" nickname (Pussycat) and swearing that was for her? I was sitting just one row up and a few seats over, and I SWEAR that was my aunt, mom & sister coming through.... but I didn't want to be a "relative stealer."

Anyway, I feel your disappointment. I really do. Just offering my (((HUGS))) to you.

[bobcat12]

I apologize for taking several days to reply...I didn't want to leave out anyone who was kind enough to give me encouragement and comfort after my 'disappointed' post on the Anaheim seminar.

.Susan, birny: thank you so much for your understanding and kind words that helped me realize there were many, many others who shared my 'disappointment'. KimK, reading your experience humbled me. Thank you especially for saying that no one's loss is more important; that logistics make it difficult for all who may desire to come through. I will keep looking for my own validations. Ann (amcpherson): Yes I have read John's books and I even own the two I liked best (OLT & CO)- I think I should go back and re-read some parts of both. And what you said about 'being dissatisfied had you gotten an abbreviated or inaccurate reading' - I can so identify with that. I think that would have been a lot worse than not getting any reading.
Now, LANMAN: I have to tell you that reading your compassionate and wise post brought tears to my eyes (and not of self-pity, either!) What you wrote really helped. The buddhist saying that you offered expresses what I already believe! I have never doubted my family's survival of death, and to have pinned the truth of all my convictions on one external event for validation was pretty dumb. You told me, 'trust the signs, trust the feelings and embrace the truth' that they are still with me. Of course, I did and DO and I needed to be reminded of that. Also I did eventually arrive at the same idea about trying another medium sometime...but meanwhile I will work on trusting my own validations. You said "focus on the love that is causing the hurt". What else is there to say? What a concise and insightful message that is. You obviously do understand how I feel and you have somehow made it possible for me to put it in perspective.

Thank you so much, kind people and please know that the words each of you wrote helped me immeasurably. I also stumbled across a message on this same subject, different thread, and I am going to write that person to tell her how much I could identify with her post. If you are so inclined, read the post by 'mtdewhead64' under the thread, "My Need was Fulfilled". It was from a few months ago, I believe.

Walk with light, everyone....(my favorite profundity; and gleaned from a flashing red traffic signal!!)