Why Do Spiritual Teachers Stop Teaching?
by Rev. Sheri, founder of Angel Messenger
For many years now, Angel Messenger has been a source of light to many people. As the creators of this work, my husband and I have spent countless hours tirelessly working to make this site what it is. Even though we cannot even afford health insurance for our family, we manage to pay a small staff for some extra help. Even on the days when I’m in severe pain from my current health issues that no doctor seems to be able to understand, I am working. When my grandfather died in June, and I met my biological father and his family for the first time in my life and began dealing with all the heartbreak that brought with it, I was working. I accepted my pain for what it was and kept shining what little bit of light I had left. When my mother in law died just before the holidays this past year, my husband and I forced ourselves to keep pushing forward on getting the new site together … because the old site was dying. While I sit here in pain at this very moment, I tried to respond to more hate-filled emails from our audience, and all I can think is, “Do you even care?”
I know there are people out there who do care, that have followed us for years and years and know the work we put into this site, and we are all grateful for your support. But, this really has made me think about why spiritual teachers stop teaching,why/how they just get too burnt out to do this work anymore. Why do people treat others so badly? We provide a free service to hundreds of thousands of people every month. We haven’t asked for payment for this service that is quite costly for us to provide. In fact, we work with advertisers so that our free reading services do not cost our visitors a dime.
We launched our new website on Monday, and the negative feedback we have received since then has been unbelievable … not because people have questions or can’t find something the old site had, but because of what they say and how they say it. Many of the emails I simply deleted because they honestly don’t deserve a response, but I have personally responded to several of them myself since my assistant is on vacation this week.
Here’s the most recent email (and this one is mild) …
1 hr ago
Name: (removed for privacy)
E-Mail: (removed for privacy)
Subject: The new site
Message: Hi there, just wanted to let you know that the new site design is not as user friendly as the old site. It does not have a mobile option for use on smart phones and is difficult to navigate. Also some of the text overlaps in the layout when viewed on mobile.
I’ve been coming to this site for a few years and always visit from my smart phone. It was perfect before, everything loaded easily and the descriptions for the Angel cards were available. With the new site I cannot get the extended descriptors for the cards and the navigation is terrible.
Sorry to share this but it is very disappointing. Don’t fix what’s not broken. Hopefully you can get your web designer to address these issues.
Thank you (name removed for privacy)
As I’ve said, this email was mild – actually much nicer than most of them. This individual was not hateful about her comments, though it’s obvious she misunderstands a lot. (I wish to be very clear here that this particular email I’ve shared would be considered constructive criticism compared to most of the emails we’ve received.)
Let me answer this question for mobile users …
We are aware that the mobile version of the site is not the same as the desktop version. Our old site did not have a mobile version and the new site does. Google basically requires now that websites have mobile versions, or they may in fact remove your site being in their search. So, when people search for Angel Messenger on Google, we simply would not be found. We determined that would not be helpful, so we have tried to follow Google’s rules by creating a mobile version of our new site, which is called a responsive design. Most people have seen this design before as it is being used by more and more companies. It responds to the size of your screen and gives a special “mobile version” of the site to mobile users. If some of the writing overlaps on your mobile device when you have it facing upright, try turning it sideways.
As for the extended descriptions, all you need to do is click on the name of the card. This is exactly the same as it was on the old site. The only thing we changed here was to remove the highlighted text under every card name that said, “To see more details and the extended description on any card, click on the name of the card below the picture (not the picture itself).” After 6+ years of having a highlighted reminder under every single card, I thought it didn’t seem necessary to keep it. I thought it would make the page look cleaner and that people should know how to use it by now – especially since I added those exact directions at the top of every reading page just in case new users didn’t know how it worked.
A couple people have commented that there is no navigation on the new mobile site, but it really seems that maybe these people simply do not understand how a mobile site works. Toward the top, in the light blue section with our Angel Messenger name, there is a drop down menu (three little lines) just to the right. Click on that menu and you’ll be able to access all the pages on our website. On the old site, the navigation did not work properly on mobile. You could click on the main button, but the drop down didn’t work. With over 80% of our traffic using mobile/tablet devices, we had no choice but to use a responsive design. This also means we make less money with advertising because the mobile version has very few ads as compared to what it had before.
Don’t fix what’s not broken.
I’m sorry, but how would you know if it was broken or not? In fact, the old site was seriously broken, but that’s not something most of our visitors noticed because we were basically performing routine magical juggling acts to keep that seriously broken and outdated site online. This is way more advanced than most internet users can understand, but there’s a lot that goes into creating and maintaining a website like this. It’s sort of like building a house … once upon a time, the house was a perfect new build. As time goes by, more and more people discover the house and want to visit, so you have to expand the size of the house, add more windows, buy more furniture for people to sit on. Eventually, that house is going to look more like a patchwork jigsaw puzzle than the beautiful home it once was.
To add to this, those extra add-ons are made by different companies which don’t always work well together. For example, the e-card software we were using was not working properly with the most updated version of WordPress, so we were getting errors all the time. And, you can’t just not update WordPress either. Most of the time, a WordPress update has something to do with security, and hosting companies do not appreciate it when their users have websites that are vulnerable to cyber attack.
If you don’t think a site like this gets hackers, think again. People try hacking us every day, which is why we have to pay for added security and firewalls. A website with such high traffic is a hacker’s dream. 🙁
Criticism is one thing, but hate mail is not welcome here
Before anyone gets upset that I’m actually standing up for myself, let me give you a glimpse of what I’m seeing. Constructive criticism is one thing; that can be helpful. However, hate mail is unnecessary, and frankly it doesn’t belong here. If you literally hate our new website, you’re welcome to your opinion just as much as you’re welcome not to use this site. We are not a public owned company. We try to give our visitors a say in what we do because we enjoy collaborating with like-minded people. However, if you can only be mean, we really don’t want your energy here.
Think about what you say before you say it. People may also say the same about what I’ve written here, but I’ve thought about it, and someone needs to stand up against the nasty comments some people feel it is okay to attack other people with. How can you expect spiritual teachers to continue to do what they do and be treated so callously? How can we be a light in the world when “haters” work so hard to extinguish that light? Do people think we don’t have feelings, that we’re not human?
Some in the spiritual community might not be happy I’ve said this; there is a consensus that some like to pretend they aren’t actually human, but that’s always been part of who I am and what I stand for as a spiritual teacher who is also a human being. None of us deserve the kinds of attacks that are forced upon us – especially as we become more and more well-known. I know for a fact that many people in the public eye get attacked in similar fashion. This isn’t my first rodeo; hate mail is nothing new for me, but I’m really disgusted to get it from people who supposedly visit our site daily. If you visit this website daily, and you think it’s okay to treat people with such unkind aggressiveness, then this website isn’t for you. I mean it’s literally not working for you, and you may want to consider seeking help elsewhere.
If you’re unhappy that I’m calling out these people, I’m sorry but I’m not sorry. I may be a light worker, but I’m also a business owner and a Scorpio. Our well meaning efforts to bring light to the world through a free service does not also give people license to be jerks. I’m simply pushing back against their darkness.
The spiritual teacher in me reminds me of what Jesus went through … people throwing stones while this kind soul was dying. Well, I’m not Jesus, and I would think people would be a little better than that kind of behavior by now. Sometimes people ask me why the saints and angels seem to no longer be here, but can you really blame them? This world can be a really harsh place. If our audience is spiritually minded and they act in such a way, what does that really say about the mindset of our world? Are we really so much different now than those who threw stones at Jesus or burned witches in a “purifying fire”?
Yesterday, as we were trying to leave the house, I couldn’t hold back my tears of frustration. I was supposed to be going out to spend time with my family as it is actually spring break, but I was just heartbroken. I tried my best to let it go, let Heaven handle it. I returned to find more awful messages and even more this morning. I know change can take some getting used to. I can’t even tell you how many times one of the software companies I use changed something that really had be thrown for a loop, confused or frustrated. Paypal seems to change their back-end layout every year at least. WordPress is making updates all the time. It can be frustrating, but as a common sense business owner, I understand there must be a reason for the changes. Companies don’t just make changes to make things for difficult for their users. That doesn’t make any sense at all.
A lot of time, research, money and other resources went into the creation of this new website. If you need help finding something or don’t understand something, feel free to contact us. However, my assistant is off this week, and I’m not reading any more emails for the remainder of the week. I need to recharge before I have no light left.
For those out there reading this who feel my pain and have gone or are going through something similar, hang in there. Even though this is not exactly fun for me, I know it has a purpose. I’m being reminded of who I am and what I need to do. If you’re like me, maybe you’ve spent too long letting other people trample all over you. Maybe it’s time to say enough is enough. We can’t please everyone. We’re not meant to please everyone, either.
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”
If you have questions about our new site, some of them have already been in our frequently asked questions answered here.
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Thank you Rev Sheri,
No, I do not want to join in the discussion – but I do want to ‘speak’ to you. Please do not be dis-heartened, what you are doing is from the heart and I am 100% certain that there are many people out there who appreciate everything you do and say. You are ‘spreading’ love out there into the world at large and if there are those who do not appreciate this, that is their problem, not yours. I have lived for more than 73 years, raised a family and now enjoy my getting larger than I ever dreamed, family. Five children, ten grandchildren, and now six great grandchildren not forgetting their spouses and extended family. Yes, there are times when I feel rock bottom because of some imagined forgetfulness but in the back of my mind (and I am sure it is not my imagination) My Mum and her Mum (my beloved Grandma) immediately ‘speak’ to me. They were the wisest of women I have ever known and whenever I need ‘help’, I call on them and the answer immediately comes into my mind. I ‘know’ better than most, the help that is out there – you only have to ask for it and the courage to follow that advice. You see, when I was four years old, I had an accident which ‘took me over’ – I can never explain the overwhelming feeling of love, the sheer bliss I experienced. Being an inquisitive child, I was so excited at being out of my body and watching everything that was going on around me knowing that no-one could see me. My ‘angel’ kept on telling me that I had to go back into my body, but being the self-centred child that I was, I kept on saying ‘No, I want to watch!’ Eventually ‘he’ gathered me up once again and took me off into what most people describe as a tunnel – there I saw many others ‘floating’ along with their angels or guides. I could see the light way off in the distance when suddenly a being appeared in front of us – a ‘being’ that was pure love, it is the only way I can describe this ‘being’. ‘He’ spoke to me (not words that one could literally hear – but only in my head) telling me that I had to go back because if I didn’t – then pointing down this ‘tunnel’ to a very bright light at the far end – he ‘said’, how can these (five other beings all waving to me) come to you as agreed upon. Those five, were my children in this lifetime. Suddenly I was back in the hospital (high up by the ceiling) watching the doctor and nurses working furiously on my small body. I had slipped on a highly polished floor and in so doing did the ‘splits’ shattering my left hip joint and left knee joint and breaking the bone between the two joints so that the bone protruded through the flesh. I still have the scar of that. A student nurse was struggling to get my knickers off but because of the swelling she could not and the Doctor swore at her telling her not to be stupid but to cut them off (more of this further on). My angel still holding onto me kept telling me that I had to get back into my body immediately and being the naughty ‘I know it all’ little girl that I then was, refused. It was all so exciting and interesting. I could see my parents in the corridor outside together with my Dad’s younger brother who had brought us to the hospital (still wearing his bakers ‘whites’). I was later able to describe all this to my parents but they thought it was my fanciful imagination. Until, that is, the Doctor who operated (successfully) on me came into the ward to speak to my parents (the following day this is). When I saw him, I shouted to my Father that this was a ‘bad’ man, which from the expressions on all their faces, I knew I was going to be in trouble. But, I dared to go on. I told my Dad that this man had to be a ‘bad’ man because I had used a very naughty word to the nurse who was trying to get my knickers off. Dad asked what did I mean. So I said that she, the nurse, had been trying to get my knickers off but couldn’t because my leg was very big and that ‘bad’ man had said: “Cut them off you stupid bitch” – and I went on to say to my Dad:- “You always told me that only bad people used bad words!” The Doctor told my Dad that he had indeed said exactly those words – but all the ‘signs’ said that if they didn’t treat my injuries quickly, I could ‘lose’ my leg if not my life due to shock. I was in hospital for almost six months and the memory of that meeting with my angel and ‘the one’ in the tunnel has never left me. My Gran and then later my Mum, always told me that if anyone was ever ‘nasty’ towards me to always ignore it – “Remember, everyone has some ‘good’ inside them, it’s just knowing how to bring that ‘goodness’ out – and the best way is always to treat them as you yourself would want to be treated by others.” I have tried all my life to live by that maxim, not always successfully but it is the ‘trying’ that matters.
You have been hurt beyond belief when all you have tried to do is bring love and light into the lives of others, only to be ‘slated’ for it. Don’t give up, remember for everyone who has said unkind things to you, there are at least a dozen out there who really do appreciate and benefit from the love and kindness you pour into your ‘Angel Messenger’ site. I for one, though I don’t seem to have the time to look into every corner of this site, benefit enormously simply by meditating on things you write – any anger, or sadness that I may be experiencing at that moment, is washed away and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you and send you love and hopefully comfort.
I call on my Gran, my Mum and especially my Angel many times a day and receive the love and help every time – you just have to have faith.
Please keep up the good work if only for those who believe in you and hopefully for the enlightenment of others who as yet to not.
Much love and many blessings to you and yours
Margo’
Thank you, Margo, for sharing both your wisdom and your amazing story. <3 I really needed to read this this morning. Blessings to you. <3
Hi Rev Sheri
This site is new to me but that’s because I have not been here for a while sorting out my own problems. I have not explored all but I did get to see what I wanted. Thank you so much for running this site though from what I read it’s not easy for you to do it but you do it out of the goodness of your heart.
As a light worker, I can only send you healing and pray that you have lesser pain and keep doing the good deed you are doing. May god bless you and keep you in his will always.
With light love and healing
karen
Thank you, Karen. Blessings of love, light and healing to you as well. <3
Dear Rev Sheri,
I’m so sorry that you’ve had to deal with so many negative and angry people. I can’t believe that anyone would send you a hateful e-mail- how ungrateful and unkind- I just don’t get it. Please know that there are many people that love your website and are very thankful for the information you provide! Please keep doing what you are doing- it is very much appreciated!! Sending you positive energy and healing to help- and thank you for all your hard work! 🙂
Thank you, Margo. O:)
Good on you for standing up to this. Being bullied is something I can relate to as well. Your new website looks lovely and fresh, look forward to using it. Sending lots of love and healing to you. Keep it up ????
Thank you, Debbie! 🙂
Anyone can type words in an.empty box. They vent, they post and walk away. They forget about the humanity attached to the box. If they were introduced to you in person they would be so excited…i highly doubt that they would say to your face what they type in an empty box. Constructive criticism is one thing, hateful? Doesn’t belong here-in case they didn’t notice the angels, angel blessings and positivity everywhere… You have helped me and multiple thousands of others. I’m the same Scorpio that tolerates then eventually says “that’s it!” Then be sorry, but not sorry. Yes, we actually say sorry for standing up for ourselves..the not sorry part. Anchor your smiling face to the comment box if that’s even possible. See how many can be rude when they are looking at you looking back at them! It’s all in how you say it. Sorry you work so hard and have to deal with that. Maybe the lesson is for those who are as empty as the box they type in? Thank you for all that you ALL do! Sending you love and light to refill your bucket!
So true, Sandy, on everything you said from what people type into an empty box to the Scorpio who takes it all until enough is enough. 😉 We received a few more not very nice messages over the weekend … makes it really hard to refill a bucket when there’s a hole in it. But, it’s kind comments like this one that help me patch the holes. Thank you. <3
Rev. Sheri, I am so sorry about the negativity you had to face with those emails. Thank you for being honest, because you touched my heart with your words. Last week I went through a similar ordeal having to face underhanded attitudes, cheap criticism and even lies from my boss who wanted to put me down in front of his superiors in order for him to look better. I confronted him fiercely and I don´t regret it. I do not believe in smashing down feelings – as you say, we are humans. If anger were not necessary we would not have it. We just need to know how to handle it. Cruelty is a very different problem, and one that no light worker or decent human being should ever allow.
Some people will leave the site on their own accord, and that´s fine. New people will find this site and will be able to appreciate all the love we know you and your team pour every day into it. Thank you for this, God bless!
Pili, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been through something similar. Not fun. 🙁 Good for you standing up for yourself, though. Exactly, being angry isn’t necessarily a bad thing … it’s message just like so many other things. Confronting the “Why” we are angry can be very telling and extremely healing. God bless you! <3
I found your site after the loss of my mother & best friend 2 years ago. It honestly saved me. THANK YOU so much for your time, your talent, your vision & your gift of this site to all of us who come here for guidance and inspiration. I’m sending you a great big giant hug & so very much love. I pray that you, your husband & your staff are blessed beyond measure.
Thank you, Chele. Blessings to you as well. <3
Hi Rev Sheri,
I just wanted to send you love, light, and understanding in relation to your post. I can feel how disheartening those harsh and negative comments are. Please know that your beautiful site is such a big aid and delight to our path as lightworkers, angel seekers, indigos, etc. Any changes that you make is completely your call, and we have to know within that everything you do will be in the best interest of all involved. For the ones that do not understand change or have to extend negativity, simply hasn’t grown yet. We will continue to pray, love, and spread light to those individuals. I understand that we are human, and sometimes will be affected by what others say, however, we must remember who we are and that we are here to fulfill our purpose. You are doing a wonderful job and have given us the opportunity to embrace in the joy of serving your life mission. Keep up the good work Rev. Sheri! You have touched my life in so many ways through your site…and I’m positive that I’m not the only one.
With Love,
Namaste ~♥
Thank you, Tina. Sending you much love, light and blessings. <3