His birth is one of the miracles of 2015, and he’s teaching me faith and courage and perseverance.
His Mom, Letitia, says “nothing is too hard or impossible to achieve when you’re walking in your destiny. When you follow the voice of God and guidance from the ancestors, everything that is meant for you will come to you at the right time.”
Letitia is a friend as well as client. I first met Letitia and her husband, Derek, back in January when I traveled to their home in Baltimore to perform a spiritual ceremony that helps one connect with the orisa of wisdom, Ifa. She received her “Hand of Ifa.”
Sacred Ifa Kernels
The birth of Myles is miraculous for many reasons: 1. Letitia had been unable to conceive for 13 years. 2. She became pregnant the weekend of the ceremony. 3. Because of her age, 41, she was a high risk for miscarriage and other complications.
The statistics were daunting: the fertility rate at age 40 is 5%. Chances of having a baby with genetic or chromosome abnormality like Down Syndrome, 1 in 38. Chance of miscarriage, 33%.
Going through with the pregnancy was also difficult for another reason: Letitia had lost a baby girl before and the memory of her death haunted her during the pregnancy with Myles. “I had periods of doubt and fear of losing him,” she says. “The odds were never in our favor and I would question the strength of my faith. There were times when I felt foolish or naive to have faith and ignore all logic. I was in a battle with myself.”
Both Letitia and I believe the pregnancy was a gift from the ancestors; we’re convinced that there’s a link between the ceremony and her conception. During a reading she had two years ago, the Ifa oracle spoke of a child waiting to be born.
“I didn’t believe it at the time,” she recalls. “There were some things I had to do to receive my blessings, including picking a spiritual path. The ceremony put me on track with my destiny.”
Because of the high risk, my elders in Nigeria got involved and provided crucial ritual and spiritual support during key phases of the pregnancy. Letitia and I communicated almost every day during the nine month period.
There were many scares: like the time Letitia started bleeding heavily at the eight- week mark. Then, in the fourth month, doctors performed a procedure to stitch her cervix because she was in danger of losing the pregnancy.
For me, the biggest scare came a few days after his birth when I got a call from Letitia early one morning. “I’m scared,” she confessed. Myles had an abnormal heart rhythm. His heart was beating too fast, and he had to be rushed to a more advanced intensive care unit.
After that call, I got on the phone with my elders and they began working with the orisas and a team of senior priests around the clock to save his life. Meanwhile, at the NICU unit of the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a team of doctors worked to stabilize Myles.
That was three months ago…
I have good news to report. Letitia says Myles weighs a chunky 12 lbs right now. Developmentally, doctors say Myles is right were he’s supposed to be. Perhaps even a bit advanced. Letitia says he rolled over by himself the other day.
“I’m so in love with him,” she says. “I have a greater appreciation for life and the delicate process of creation. It’s something we can’t take for granted.”
I agree with Letitia…
We can’t take life for granted. One of my elders who led the ritual work on Myles recently passed. One soul arrives, another soul returns to the ancestors. We thank Baba for his love and expertise in helping bring Myles safely to us.
Aseda, one of the late Ifa priests of Nigeria
I share the story to bring you inspiration. The human spirit always needs one more compelling reason to believe again and to love again. One more reason might be all YOU need to turn your life around for once and for all.
No one can claim miracles don’t happen. They happen all the time. Remember this truth in your moment of darkness, when it feels that the forces of life have risen up against you.
A miracle could be right around the corner. Your miracle! But you might never discover it if you give up too soon, or if you allow fear, laziness or the clouds of negativity to block your dreams (and your blessings).
This is no time to quit. This is no time for excuses. It’s time for faith and it’s time to get back in the fight.
Myles is a fighter!
May we all learn something from him…
Letitia wrote me on FB the other day. “Myles just looked up at me in the middle of nursing and gave me the biggest, most sincere smile ever. And my heart just melted.”
Letitia and Myles
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
P.S. If you enjoyed this article, sign up for my monthly inspirational newsletter below.
If there’s no peace in within, you’ll drift off course…
And you might end up pursuing the wrong things, or the wrong people, or the wrong dreams!
So important to get back on course! So important to find that center of peace within. So important to understand that there’s no need for outside validation.
I’ve been thinking about inner peace a lot lately…
And that’s because I decided to step away from folks who are not healthy for me.
It wasn’t an overnight decision, and I can’t say it was an easy decision.
But it was the right decision, and I’m happy.
As you examine your life and those in your circle, ask yourself.
1. Do you feel energized after interacting with them?
2. Do you feel empowered after interacting with them?
3. Do you feel inspired after interacting with them?
4. Do you feel respected while interacting with them?
If the answers to most of these questions are NO, or if you notice a pattern of feelilng drained or depressed after interacting with certain people, it might be time to step away.
Your Spirit will thank you for it! You’ll be happy for it!
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
www.acrossthekingsriver.com
“We all know when we are not following our calling,” says the late Zulu healer P.H. Mntshali.
P.H. Mtshali
“We are unhappy,” he says. “It’s as simple as that. We are restless. We do not like the people we work with. We do not like our work.”
“We must move on. This work, these people. It is not their fault. We are in the wrong place. It’s so important to take responsibility for our own healing.”
I love P.H. Mntshali; he was an amazing man!
Mntshali was one of several African healers featured in the book, “Called to Heal: African Shamanic Healers.”
Great book! Love it!
But back to what Mntshali is saying.
Are you in the wrong place? If so, what are you going to do about it?
If you’re in the wrong place I totally get it. I was in the wrong place at my last job in Corporate America.
I ended up leaving that job to work on my calling as a filmmaker and spiritual counselor.
Though my path is not easy, I’ve learned that things have a way of working out for you once you listen to your heart and the guidance from your ancestors.
Sure, it’s tough sometimes, but somehow, my ancestors provide for me month after month; I am here to tell you that your ancestors can provide for you too.
But you’ve got to develop the courage to step out on faith…
And you must have patience and discipline and a strong work ethic.
The support from the unseen world can be amazing at times!
Here’s how Mntshali describes the magic…
“As for financial security, it all depends on how you obey orders. If you obey exactly as the ancestors direct, your practice, your life, will not fail,” he says.
“The ancestors will provide. At first you may worry. How will you pay your bills? The children’s school fees? Then you become so caught up in your calling, your true work, your love for it grows.”
“Soon you are only serving and not worrying so much about the bills. When you need it most, money or goods arrive. Your calling is God’s work. God does not call us then leave us to drown in hardship,” says Mntshali.
The day you stop doubting the guidance of your ancestors is the day your life will start to improve dramatically.
I’ve got to run, but I would love to hear what you think, so feel free to leave a comment.
Also, if you’ve enjoyed reading this article, then sign up for my inspirational newsletters at the link below.
My little brother wants me to show you this picture.
Gene talks to me from the Spirit world. He also inspires me from the Spirit world. He was a musician; I think of him as I practice my guitar each night.
He listens! He wants me to write songs; work on my vocals.
Gene was one year younger than me! He was also taller than me. I’m 6′ 3″ and he was 6’6″. I’m quiet but baby brother is even more reserved.
He passed over in 1998 after a long battle with lupus. He died on stage doing what he loved – playing music with his reggae band. He was 37 years-old.
In this photo that he asked me to share, I’m standing on the left, Gene is on the right. My older sisters are fraternal twins but some folks thought Gene and I were the twins in the family because we were the same height at one point and looked more alike than my sisters did.
As I write to you, his spirit has drawn closer to me. We are writing to you together. He is laughing!
The ancestors do more than guide us. They challenge us to think and to stretch. To expand the way we see ourselves. And to stop putting ourselves down by thinking in a box.
In my case, I didn’t always think of myself as a musician. But I do now. I haven’t written a single song yet, but I will.
Gene was alive when I bought my first guitar back on St. Croix. He taught me how to play “Revolution” by Bob Marley. I still remember it.
“Never make a politician grant you a favor. They will always want to control you forever. I don’t want to live in the park. Can’t trust no shadows in the park. So my friend I hope that you can see. Like the birds in the tree, the prisoners need to be free. Yeah.”
– Bob Marley, Revolution
That song, Revolution, will be with me forever. So will baby brother.
Once, when I had a reading with a talented medium, Gene said he still loves to swim. Yes. He goes swimming in the spirit world.
Hearing baby brother say that blew me away. Got me thinking. What does the beach look like in the spirit world? I wonder. What color is the water?
And how does the water feel against your skin in the spirit world?
My experiences with my ancestors has taught me this important truth.Your loved ones in Spirit want you to expand the way you think of them.
Listen! The ancestors are not sitting over there doing nothing. They are as alive as you and me and they’re still learning and growing and loving. Newsflash! You should be too!
– James Weeks
Your ancestors also want you to expand the way you see yourself and your future. Stop putting yourself down. Don’t limit yourself by putting yourself in a box and for God’s sake don’t put yourself in anyone else’s box.
If you feel stuck in life, you should know that you can break free. You owe it to yourself. You deserve better. You know it. You can do so much more. You know that too. So why aren’t you doing it?
Who knows what your ancestors are inspiring you to do? Surely you can find out. Spiritual guidance is available 24/7 for those that are truly seeking.
The guidance will come in one form or another…
“There’s a Natural Mystic blowing through the air! If you listen carefully now you will hear.”
– Bob Marley, “Natural Mystic”
– James Weeks/Across The King’s River
P.S. If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, sign up for my weekly inspirational newsletter at the link below.
My body is in Cuba, but my soul is in Africa. It is the African soul that nurtures my body here in Cuba. Our people who were taken away have found their home again.”
– They Are We, a documentary film by Emma Christopher
I first learned about the film They Are We during a recent trip home to St. Croix, Virgin Islands.
They Are We resonates with me for several reasons and each one leads me back to my ancestors. The quest to learn more about them and myself while embracing the notion and/or the reality that the ancient ones still live through me.
My body is in Oakland, C.A, yet my soul also dwells in the Caribbean and in West Africa.
Where does your soul dwell? Why?
Despite centuries of oppression and cultural devastation, They Are We is a compelling reminder that profound connections can still be made to the Motherland in our times.
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River.
P.S. If you’ve enjoyed this blog post, sign up for my inspirational newsletter below.
Myles is here…
If there’s no peace in within, you’ll drift off course…
My little brother wants me to show you this picture. 
