Be Real: The Humbleness of Hay

"Do not forget your place, Roberta."  I've heard this over and over for the past two weeks.  "Do not start to think too much of yourself."  The grandness, the importance that comes with ego vanity.  If someone had told me these statements a year ago, even 6 months ago I would have dismissed them with a self-esteem issue. That may have been true once, but now these words have importance as they have kept me in balance, in alignment with Source.

These words have helped me stay focused on what it is I actually can do and what I must walk away from.  These words have given me power on which to stand because they remind me of my role in God's grander plan.  They have given me confidence to be who I am and not pretend to be any more or any less.  This is humility.  Humbleness.  My husband so eloquently reminded me that this is a blessing, a gift God gives us. At the moment of my earlier lessons, it felt more like failure or embarrassment, yet, it was and is a gift.  Helping me to see my own truth.

Humility can be defined as:
1. The opposite of entitlement
2. True self-knowledge of the good with the bad.

"It is being able to be comfortable with who you actually are and not trying to pretend to be what you are not. It gives you pride when you have earned it by your talents and accomplishments and shame when you fall short. It accepts that you are far from perfect and keeps striving. It is honest." (link to this quote found here.)

I've been humbled for the past few months, shown my place, seen who I actually am and shown others who I am and who I am not. My kids keep me humble. Anytime I take myself too seriously, start to feel too important - they do something so utterly ridiculous, that I have to notch it down. Am I asking for it? Maybe, on some level I'm testing my boundaries, seeing how far I can reach right now. It's karma in action, saying "Hey... don't loose yourself here" or "This may not be the right fit right now." What has been illustrated to me is where I belong or, where I want to be, in relation to how comfortable I am with myself at the present moment. That's not a bad thing. If you have to fit yourself too rigidly into the rules someone else has created, it can actually hurt. Yes, it's humbling, but it's also enlightening.

If you are humbled, humiliated, or embarrassed - instead of beating yourself up or getting defensive, ask yourself, am I honestly being myself in this moment? Was this the experience I was looking for? Are you trying to be someone you are not? Are you being your truth or pretending to be something else?

Humility keeps us from hiding behind a mask. It keeps us true to who we are and where we are in life. You can change the mask, but if the inside does not match the outside, there will be disharmony and that disharmony can be communicated as humility. It's God reminding you that you don't have to be anyone other than who you are right now. You are perfect right now, in this place, as you are. This doesn't mean you stop reaching beyond yourself, it means you reach truthfully to yourself. Being truthful as to what feels right and what doesn't.

There was a woman many years ago who gave birth to a King.  Did she rant and rave about her pregnancy?  Did she demand satin sheets at the finest hotel?  No. She gave birth in a shed on the hay with a bunch of farm animals present.  This is how the King came into this world.  Our first present - His first human lesson was humility.  To be fully human, fully present, fully love, in whatever conditions are present.

Humility is truth. Humbleness is peace.  I wish you peace. Merry Christmas!

Be Real: Get in Your Own Way

You might think you are getting in your own way.  But what if God is really the one getting in the way because He is keeping you on path?  You are not your body.  You are not your thoughts.  You are not your experience.  You are the witness to the experience of God in what is called your body, in what is called your thoughts, in what is called your life's experience. 

So often we may think that 'we are getting in our own way' in regards to success in business, relationships, in life.  We are not getting in the way. We are the way.  We are the carriers of love, of God.  What will be, will be regardless of what we do, think, or say.  Our perceptions of the experience change based on our interpretations. Have you ever thought, "If I could only get 2hrs to myself, I could get "X" done."  Whatever "X" is.  "I know I could make a million dollars tomorrow if I just applied myself."  Or, how about this one -  "If they would only listen to me or do what I say, it would be done already!"

Here's a thought, maybe you're just fine where you are and you have been fine all along.  Maybe you don't need to fix or control anything.  Maybe you don't need to respond to the emails from the PTO.  Maybe all you have to do is watch them be who they are and figure out how to love them in spite of who you are and who they are - and keep on loving yourself in the process.  Lord, just give me the words and tell me when to speak!

All of life shares inherently the same genetic structure.  In essence, we are no different than the tree, the bird, or the flower. There are two differences between them and us - we have conscious awareness of our existence and the gift of free will.  The tree does not think how to grow, it just grows.  The bee does not think which flower to go to, it just goes.  The tree does not choose to be cut down, it accepts it fate.  The flower does not choose where it grows.  We choose to cut the tree and we choose to plant the seed.  God has made this incredible creature, called (wo)man with the ability to create in life as He creates.

There are two theories I've been meditating on - 1. We are co-creators of our existence and 2. We are Divine Instruments of God.  I've been asked to marry the two, to find the correlations and interconnectedness between them, to understand it and convey it to others.

As of today, this is what has become clear  - we are both, but not in the way one might think.  We are Divine Instruments, just as the tree and the flower. And, we co-create by surrendering ourselves to God's Perfect Plan for us.  In old vernacular, this is called God's Will.  There is no right way to do this and no wrong way.  Because of free will, we can choose a way that feels good or a way that feels bad. Are we looking for approval?  Are we taking things personally?   Do we feel guilt?  All of these indicate the rise of the ego or the mind directing the experience rather than the heart.  If we live this way, we live from the heart.

All we have to do is think the thought of an experience we'd like to have or a goal we'd like to achieve and take a first step towards realizing the outcome.  The trying or the work that really takes place is learning how to surrender to God's Perfect Plan for you.  In essence, His Perfect Plan for you is the Perfect Plan for everyone.

Let God get in the way.

Be Real: Everything I Ever Wanted

My son came out of the cub scout meeting and said to my husband, "Dad, look what I won! It's exactly what I wanted!" Dad replied, "What is it?" The kid said, "I don't know. Isn't it great!?"

The logical explanation is this - He won a prize for selling cub scout popcorn. It was a total surprise to him. The bucket had legos, bionicles and other goodies.

The magical explanation is this - God gave him exactly what he wanted in an unexpected way. He didn't ask, "What is it?" Even though 'it' was wrapped in a plastic cleaning bucket. He just said, "Thank you." (I hope.)

How often do we ask or are presented with opportunities, and because the present doesn't fit our expectations we say no thanks? How often do we miss the blessings right in front of us because they are wrapped in a cleaning bucket? Yet, when uncovered or reflected upon deeper, it turns out to be exactly what we wanted? Discernment is a valuable tool. One that develops over a lifetime and constantly changes. We have free will because there is SO much to choose from. God knows our limits here and gives us the ability to choose - to select, accept or reject. All we have to do is follow the feeling our soul gives us. Does it feel good? Does it feel heavy?

My kid chose to accept that day. In his pureness, he knew it was perfect, whatever it was... In essence, everything is perfect just as it is. Every moment is a Divine moment. God doesn't make mistakes.

Be Real: Chopped Wood

I was possessed today. The urge to buy wood and make a fire in the fireplace overcame me. I went out in terrible weather to buy half a stack of wood and have been burning it all day.. It was no surprise that the jacket I wore was my dad's. It was no surprise that as soon as I pulled up to the farmers' market, the man moved his cart so I could immediately back up and pick up the wood. It all happened quickly and easily. And it was oak.

My childhood was filled with weekends of chopping and cording wood. As a lumberjack, my father kept the trees he cut and then chopped them down into firewood for sale. I remember piles as high as the back porch in our backyard. After a while, he made a deal with a junk yard down the road and kept the wood there. The piles were even higher there! If my brother is reading this, he'll remember our days in that junkyard. It is by the Grace of God, that we are here! My brother and I would have to cord the wood (stack it up) in the back of his truck as he split it and threw it up there. One time, we were not going fast enough and he started aiming the split wood at us! Ahhh, the good ol' days!

It's been 6 years that he's transitioned, but each November fills me with the same feeling. It's a memory that's been burned into my cells for a lifetime. Just like chopped wood. Part of me wonders if I'll ever get over it. Part of me wants to keep it. Like remembering the days my own kids were born. It's just as important to feel the memory of the day my dad died. It's not living in the past, it's a reminder of an experience of God's Love. On the birthdays of my children, I get a little sentimental when remembering the miracle of their birth. The same happens when remembering the miracle of my father's death.

I am the oldest daughter and first born. They tell me that when I came home from the hospital, my dad left mom in the old truck to get out by herself and he brought me straight into the house. He immediately stripped me down to my diaper, put me on the floor and looked at me. My mother always says how she had stitches and had to come into the house on her own. Boy was she upset with him!

My sister was born second, but only lived a minute or two. My father, a tough Canadian lumberjack was brought to his knees. For all the drinking and smoking he did - it all changed in that moment. When he made arrangements to bury his second child, he also made arrangements with God. He stopped drinking and smoking that day for the rest of his life.

My brother was born third. I don't know much about what was going on in my father's heart at that time, but it had to do with staying on the straight and narrow with God. Of course, my mother was a nervous wreck wanting to make sure all would be well this time around. I have a feeling this is when he decided to live his life to get into Heaven.

We always joked that everything he did was to get into Heaven. We always joked he would die on the job and it would be quick. Turns out, it was. We always knew he loved us more than his own life. We know he is always with us.

I've heard that your relationship with God is based on your relationship with your father. That's an interesting psychoanalysis you could get lost in for a while... But, if I'm going to keep it simple, this is what my father means to me. He always takea care of us and providea for all wants and needs. He loves us more than his own life. He does and knows what he wants, when he wants without fear of anyone or anything. He is compassionate, kind and generous. He can be stubborn, or strong willed might be a better word.  He iss humble and proud. .He knows how to speak graciously in the face of insanity. He also knows how to craft curse words like poetry.  He is patient. He trusted the experience of his life here. He trusts himself. He trusts God.    

Sometimes my words are gracious and sometimes not. Compassion and tough love, patience and impatience are just a few of the dualities that live within me. When I don't know what to do I think of him and what he would do. In essence, I think of what God would do.

I have an overwhelming urge to install a wood stove into our fireplace and told dad I know it's him. It would be wonderful, wouldn't it?

Be Real: A Road Map

The flower doesn't ask how to bloom, it just blooms. The tree doesn't analyze how to grow, it just grows. The flower and the tree just are.  The road map of their life is embedded in them.  They don't have to think about it. 

Believe it or not, the same is true for us. We don't have to ask, it's already answered. There are many laws in the Universe. We live our lives by them naturally. Occasionally, we can get stuck in analyzing them. It's come to me that one of the many reasons Jesus is a miracle is because He came to give us one law that would allow us the freedom to just bloom and grow without having to worry about the rest.

This law: Love one another as I have loved you.  Surrender completely to God's Perfect Plan for you.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

You can say it a few different ways, but it means the same thing:
1. I surrender to Your Perfect Plan for me.
2. I am in Joyful Alignment with You
3. I trust in you Lord.

Jesus showed us that if we give ourselves completely and yes, this means completely to God, we don't have to worry about anything. That's incredible! When we surrender to God's perfect plan for us, that means we move through our day unencumbered by the woes of the world. We trust that every moment is perfect. We trust that each encounter is Divine. We trust that someone knows what is best for us regardless of what we think.

Ahh, there's the crux. Regardless of what we think. Yet, we are to think. We are to use our Free Will. However, we can dialogue with God. When at a crossroads, we can ask Him if something is beneficial for us or not.  We can scream, "Help me!"

So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him.

I used to think that God meant the same thing as the Universe. It does not. God made the Universe. In fact, science has shown us that there is more than one Universe. Does this mean there is more than one God. Nope, there is still only one God who made the Universes. The Universe we live in is a sentient being, a complex mirage of cellular structure and flow of energy - as is our planet, as is our world, as is our body.  

As it was in the beginning, is now and every shall be forever and ever.

When we trust God, we trust that God is a Being so magnificent, so grand, so loving and kind that no one could possibly want more or better for us than this Being. This is God. Now, here comes the cool part. God made us and saw that we had forgotten our connection to Him so he sent Jesus. God fit His grandness into the man Jesus and delivered the radical message of love through Him. Ever try fitting into your skinny jeans? Imagine fitting all of God into this man. This human. Jesus unlocked the door for us to have communion with God, with Love, with the Truth of our existence. Jesus taught us the laws and that they were much easier than we all thought. And the easiest one is to accept the Lord our God and surrender our entire being to Him. To trust completely.

When we trust that completely, we trust that the Universe God designed works in perfect harmony for our benefit all the time. Why? Because, God wants the best for us.

I've heard many of you ask, "What's my purpose? It would be easier to trust in God's plan for me if I knew what it was." Got news for you - our purpose is all the same. To love one another as God has loved you. Do you need a fancy title? A career path? The choices are endless. What you do to sustain a living may or may not be related to loving others and that's OK. Maybe you make cupcakes, but are on call for a friend in need with cancer. Do you need a title to go with it? Do you really need more purpose than to hold that friend's hand as she moves ever closer to the light?

Pick a direction in which to steer your ship and move towards it. God will fill in the blanks. When you trust in God and that there is a perfect plan for you, trust that the right opportunity will be presented to you at the right time. Trust yourself. Trust your feelings and ask for direction towards a more meaningful life, career, relationship. Trust that you are guided as you ask. You might doubt, you might be afraid, you might even beat yourself up a bit. The fact of the matter is that you trusted enough to take the first step.

Here are some signs to look for:
1. It feels good now and later.
2. It feels so scary it excites you a little.
3. You have no idea why you are doing this thing, but know in your gut it's what you need to do.
4. Events progress easily. People, things, circumstances just unfold. Coincidence is God working.
5. You're pissed off and had enough. Enough to take productive positive forward motion. Or maybe even say, "Enough is enough!" Frustration and anger can be beneficial.
6. It feels good. In your gut, in your heart, in your being, it just feels good!

Let all that you do be done in love.

Eat Real: Get to the Root of the Matter

Beets are plentiful right now as are many of the root vegetables.  It seemed appropriate to discuss the healing benefits of these grounding foods along with the the universal aspects of the seasons.  Yes, here in the Western Hemisphere, it is Fall.  The change of seasons on the East Coast is often heralded with the change of colors and temperatures!  As a designer, I've come to appreciate the intricate beauty of God's perfect design in all things, particularly our bodies and their relation to Nature.  Did you notice the color of the leaves and how they correlate to the colors of the vegetables - red, orange, yellow?  How about the fact that it's time to pick these vegetables when the leaves hit the ground - looks like a sign to me...  Hmmm, coincidence?  I think not.

Beets have been traditionally known in Russia to promote health and longevity. They are a natural source of phytochemicals and minerals that help boost immunity. They fight infection, are blood purifiers and liver cleansers. They also increase the cellular intake of oxygen and stabilize the acid-alkaline balance of the blood. This vegetable is a rich source of choline, which helps lessen chronic inflammation in the body. How does this help you? Chronic inflammation has been linked to a wide range of conditions including heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and Alzheimer's, and type-2 diabetes.  You'll find this to be true of most of the vegetable family.  More vegetables, means less decay and oxidation in the body.

Vegetables, in general, provide a rich source of vitamins and minerals.  What I find fascinating about root vegetables is their high mineral content.  (Yes, I do find this fascinating - don't laugh too hard!) The plant spends the summer and fall growing and absorbing all the nutrients from the soil.  That is how the fruit of the plant, the tuberous part, becomes full of minerals.  If the soil is depleted of minerals, so too is the vegetable.  All the more reason to keep our soil as clean and healthy as possible.  As an aside, if you are planning a garden, get some sea water or 'green sand' fertilizer to repopulate the soil with minerals.

From a lifestyle perspective, the foods provided at this time of year require cooking. That means SLOW DOWN!  Ever try to eat a raw sweet potato or beet?  Not the easiest thing in the world.  Although, I am a huge proponent of eating raw, I am also a huge proponent of listening to your body.  Actually, many foods need to be cooked in order to release the nutrients within and for us to absorb them. 

Baked Beet Recipe

Use this recipe for individual root vegetables, or create different combinations..  Experiment and have fun!

Ingredients:
5 small beets
3 large carrots
2 parsnips
1 fennel bulb
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425, scrub and chop vegetables.  Be sure to finely dice the fennel bulb.  Coat all vegetables in olive oil and salt. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15 minutes.

We are intricately interwoven into the Universe.  We are part of the Earth, part of Nature.  Just slow down, look outside and take your cues from your body and what you observe out the window.    Allow your mind to be the servant to your body.  Once we learn how to truly listen to what our bodies are telling us, we can draw conclusions and correlations for ourselves.  Each discovery is unique to the person.  Thank you for allowing me to share with you today.  Blessings for a peaceful week!

Eat Real: Paper Bag Popcorn

The kids and I have always loved popcorn. It wasn't until they asked our babysitter to make it, that I totally forgot most of the world microwaves their popcorn. The kids showed her the pot, the oil and the bag of popcorn. She said they had better wait until their parents get home.

Until you teach someone to cook, you don't always realize what a huge step it is for them to make anything that doesn't come in a microwavable package. Cooking doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. It's really quite easy and quick. In fact, I prefer to teach easy and quick. If it has too many ingredients, chances are I won't make it and neither will you. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I like to do it up and get all fancy with food. I save those occasions for the occasional Sunday or the holidays. Most of the time, it's a cast iron pan, a stoneware casserole dish or crock pot that gets the job done. You can thank my mother for that. She was and continues to be the queen of one pot meals.

But I digress, we're talking about popcorn here. As a kid, making and eating popcorn is one of my favorite memories. I remember my mother forgetting the lid on the pot and popcorn popping all over the kitchen. Then there was my neighbor who would only eat it with a spoon in a bowl. And, of course, my dad - who, always appreciated being served the first bowl on the back porch on his rocking chair. I remember him shirtless in the summer and the stray popcorn getting caught in his chest hair. He'd say, "Saving it for later."

This recipe is fun, easy and inexpensive. The best part is you can experiment with it. You can add melted butter, sugar or honey to the mix and come up with your own concoction. We like salt and grated Romano cheese. For us, this recipe is about the experience of making the popcorn as much as the eating of it. It's an event. Something the kids look forward to. It draws us closer together as we share in the experience of making it and creating a ritual around it.

Paper Bag Popcorn:
1 grocery store paper bag
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 pot with a lid

Pour oil in the pot and add butter. Turn heat to high, put the kernels in and cover with lid. Give it a few minutes and you'll hear them start to pop. There is no science here, but when you hear them really popping is when you have to turn the heat to medium. Another minute and turn the heat off. Just let it finish popping. Pour popcorn in the bag with salt and anything else. Close the bag by folding it over and shake like crazy. You can eat it out of the bag or put it in a bowl.

The directions are something you will have to 'feel around' with. As each stove, pot and patience is different. FYI - burning a pot or two is part of the process.

Be Real: Gratitude Initiative

My four year old made a foot stamped turkey at school. He glued feathers around the stamp of his foot, put some googly eyes on and made himself a turkey. Not bad! The teachers write what the child tells them they are thankful for around the turkey. He is thankful for cookies, sausage and hot dogs. Boy, did that make me laugh! I half expected Scooby-Doo to be up there also!

I love this month because it causes people to pause and look at their lives from a place of abundance, rather than lack. Look at what you do have, bless it, thank God for it. For the one who has much, more will be given. Here's a quote from the book, Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World, "The secret to happiness lies not in getting what you want, but in wanting what you have. Without gratefulness, we are prone to hardness of heart and dark mind." By recognizing the gift of God's Grace in our lives, it is impossible to take it for granted. We recognize it by saying thank you, by being grateful. Otherwise, we begin to take God's Grace for granted, abusing it and allowing our hearts to become dark.

By thanking God, thanking each other and counting our blessings, we experience God. We experience the Grace of God, His Divine Mercy.

From a scientific perspective, gratitude can change brain chemistry. Studies have actually shown how the brain's activity changes when a person begins saying thank you. Psychologically, one's perspective can't help but shift to a more positive framework.

There is a post from a friend on facebook who has just completed chemo and radiation. She decided to start the month by writing one thing she is grateful for everyday. What a great exercise for us all!

So this month, the term the Angels have given me is "The Gratitude Initiative". Everyday this month, say out loud what you are thankful for. Write down one thing. Tell your friends and family. Pass it on. Share it. Let's see how many people are ready and willing to acknowledge the Grace of God in their lives.

Count your blessings. Through Gratitude, we experience Grace, we Grow in Love and give Glory to God. Stamp your foot for God (and glue some feathers and googly eyes on it!)

Eat Real: What is a diet?

Any diet is a spiritual journey. Any attempt at self-improvement is a desire to communicate more fully with Source. The soul communicates a desire for this communion with Source through the body. Going on a diet is our response to that communication. The missing component to conventional marketed diets is this - God.

That is the key component to anything! Why do you want to diet? To lose weight? Is your cholesterol high? Pre-diabetic? Basically, to feel and look better. Why feel and look better, why bother? To receive compliments? Attention? Approval from others? To fit into a size 6? To be healthy? These reasons alone may get you motivated, but continued focus on them will keep you trapped and slingshot you back to where you started.

When you start considering your body as a Holy Vessel and seeing the Divine in all of Creation - including you, then you've found the magic ingredient to lasting health, weight loss and feeling good. The key for all of us is to recognize that we are Creation. We are Divine.

Religion and diet are both frameworks to finding your connection to God. And each are as individual as the person. There is no right or wrong way. There is only 'the way'. The Way we all share. The framework gets us started, but eventually we have to improvise, finding what works for us to keep moving forward. Sometimes the distraction of 'following the rules' gets in the way and we can loose our original intention. Imposing my beliefs (limits I accept in my experience) on your beliefs creates a disharmonious vibration - it does not feel good to you or to me. But, accepting that you are on your path and me on mine and that they are parallel or may converge occasionally - well, that feels much better, doesn't it? Ultimately, you decide what you allow into your reality.

When it comes down to it, if someone wags a finger in your face and tells you "NO, do this and do it my way" - if you're like me, you may push back just because you can. Deprivation sets up an ugly roller coaster of self-inflicted pain. But, if someone presents you with information and gently says, "Consider this". My bet is you'll listen. Same with a diet, except it may be your own finger you're wagging in your face.

Balance is key. Moderation in all things brings enlightenment. I read this morning, that God is in all things, whether you perceive it to be good or bad. The perception of separation from Source is only an illusion.

Be Real: Surrender

Today I prayed. This is the dialog.

me: God, help me be who you want me to be and do what you want me to do.
Him: That is surrender my dear.

me: Really, that is what I prayed all those many months ago that started this journey.
Him: I know.

The conversation quieted for a bit until we were in the car running errands. And then Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel came on the radio.

Him: "Son," he said "Grab your things, I've come to take you home."
Him: "Hey" he said "Grab your things I've come to take you home."
me: "Hey" I said "You can keep my things, they've come to take me home."

That's surrender. He calls, all the time. He calls to surrender everything, all of me, all of you, to Him.

me: Pretty scary.
Him: I know. But trust me, it's better this way. I have so much for you if you would let go.
Just surrender to my plan for you.
me: What is it?

Silence.

intellect: Follow the good feeling and you'll know.
Him: Release yourself to me.

intellect: Aren't I to be clear and focused in order to create or achieve a goal? How else will I be successful.
Him: Be clear in your surrender and all goals are achieved before you know it. Your desires are answered before they are asked. We've been through this before, do we really have to do it again?

Thy Will be done. We pray this constantly, and I understand now what it means. It means I give my all to Him. I surrender to His Will. I trust it is the best choice forever. This is what sacred means. This is consecration. To surrender completely to the Will of God means to be consecrated and made sacred.

me: That's for nuns and priests. I'm a mother and wife. How do I do this? It seems too difficult. I'm afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of letting others down, afraid of the unknown...
Him: That's part of the challenge this time around. More distractions, more responsibility, more joy and experience. Can you surrender to Me although you are not in a convent praying in silence? Can you surrender to me amidst the noise and chaos? I am there in the silence and the chaos.

me: I want to. Please help me. Correct my thinking. Lead and guide me. Show me the way.
Him: Come to me child, come to me.

me: I'm not content. There are things I want to do. What about good sense?
Him: I am good sense. Do not be content. Always question. Use the brain I gave you. Use the intellect I gave you. You are here for the joy. Put yourself in me. I want you.

me: Can I do this? Can I handle all that you send me?
Him: You now know what is yours and what is someone else's. You know what I ask of you. Do only what I ask. Surrender to me and no one else.
intellect: That feeling inside tells you if you are coping out or if it God. Be aware of that feeling. Do not ask others, ask yourself. Ask God. As Mary did - ponder these things in your heart.

The dialog continues.

Peace.

Eat Real: Slow Down with Soup

According to Macrobiotic living, miso soup is a powerful healing remedy, that is when it's made with Nature's ingredients. Its stock is made from kombu seaweed. You can read more about seaweed in one of my summer posts: Ocean Vegetables. Actually, when you look at the historic nature of most cultures, you will find soup to be at the center of many of the medicinal treatments. Chicken soup, matzo ball soup, minestrone soup. Traditionally, we made soup to heal our ailments. That is before pills came into the picture.

Macrobiotics is more than a diet, it's a lifestyle. One of the reasons soup is so healing is because you have to stop everything you are doing and cook. Then you have to sit down, wait for it to cool and then eat it slowly. Think about it. Everything about soup forces you to S L O W D O W N. And, usually, when we are sick, that is exactly what our bodies need!

Fast food, email, texting, etc... everything that is marketed in our culture is about going faster, getting it done quicker and more efficiently. And what is it that is getting done faster and more efficiently? Everything - eating, sleeping, sex, work, meditation - you name it, there's a way to do it faster and more efficiently. Life is a long time. Pace yourself. What is the rush, really? Can't we find time to sit down and have a meal together? Can't we find time to make a meal together?

Listen, if anyone has fallen prey to the fast, efficient model, it's me. In fact, the Creator knows how much I appreciate efficiency that when I ask for a blessing or a download, it literally comes down through tubing in my body like plumbing in a house. No blocks, one way in and one way out. Keep it simple right? Well, what if we could keep it simple and be efficient and take time to enjoy life. It is possible and I'm experiencing it right now. More is more. More to juggle, more to fit in, more to get done. What I find though is that when I slow down and stop thinking or doing more, then I actually let joy in my life. The joy is from doing less stuff and enjoying more slow. More laughs, more peace, more sleep, more sex, more money, more health, more fun. That's when I know I'm in the flow. His Grace is for us all the time.

And it all starts with soup.

Miso Soup Recipe:
2 tbsp. miso
1 onion
1 carrot
1 turnip
1 leak
3 pints of water
2 kombu seaweed
1 pinch dried wakame seaweed
salt
sesame oil

Make kombu stock by boiling water and simmering with kombu for 1 hour. Wash and dice vegetables. Saute the onion in the oil, then add salt, carrot, turnip and leeks. Remove kombu from water. It is now considered stock. Add the vegetables and wakame and simmer. Just as you are ready to serve, add the miso with a little stock and pour in the soup. You can garnish with leek stock.

Wishing you more of what you want more of...

Eat Real: Listen to the Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away... Bet you've heard that your whole life! It's true. The apple is full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Not only that, but they are in season right now. If you have become accustomed to listening to the cues in Nature, you might be eating quite a few of them right now. I know we are!

We went apple picking a week ago and have been eating them ever since. There are plenty of places in North Carolina. Here's a favorite farm: www.steppapples.com. The kids are all apple-d out! Turns out, this is the perfect fruit to be eating right now as we transition into the colder weather. According to Aurveydic principles, eating apples draws the heat of summer out of your cells and boosts immunity for the coming winter. Depending on your constitution, eating them raw or cooked may benefit you in different ways. If you are drier, more constipated, than cooking them will be of benefit to your body right now, yet if you have a strong appetite, raw is best.

By learning the language of Nature and listening to what your body is telling you, you can determine what works best for you. Just like snowflakes, each of us is completely unique. Perfection is not the goal, practice is. Keep listening, learning and developing awareness of yourself and what occurs in nature. Here's a favorite recipe great warm or cold!

Easy Baked Apples:
5 cups peeled and sliced apples
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix all together, cover and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Garnish top with oatmeal and more nuts.

Be Real: 4 Addictions

Addiction is defined as, "being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming." When you hear the word addiction you may think - drugs, sex, alcohol, or gambling. What if the addiction is more benign? Perhaps it's that morning latte, or the gossip magazine. Don't forget the favorite TV show, your face book account, or texting. All seemingly harmless, right? Addicts lose themselves in their addiction. Some even lose themselves in food.

After reading the post: The Four Addictions That Destroy Your Dreams, I've come to see addiction in a new light. External sources or things can become addictions because they feed a need deep inside - a need for love. But now we are asked to look inside and how the relationships in our lives feed us. Where are we feeding the need beyond material items?

Depending on your conditioning, any one of these 4 may be a source of addiction for you:
1. Opinions of Others
2. Drama
3. Past
4. Worry

Opinions of Others:
Are you a good girl or boy? Do you worry that you might hurt someones feelings just being you or speaking your truth? Do you look to authority figures for approval? Our society has an incessant marketing push to get the newest, latest and greatest item. Along with this culture comes the idea of being judged. No one wants to be judged. We are taught to follow the rules. Here's a freeing thought - "There's nothing you can say or think about me that I haven't already thought of myself." So, if I (or you) are already all those terrible things, and we both know it, what's there to worry about? For all those awful things you or I may be, we are also all those wonderful things as well.

Drama:
I grew up with a lot of family around and plenty of opportunity to stick your nose in other people's business. Just stirring the pot, so to speak. Do you over react or always seem to be the one in the crisis holding everyone together? Do you get tired of it? Then there is the chronic complainer. She has the answers to solving the world's problems. The only problems is, the world isn't asking her. How about the Uncle who goes to every wake or funeral? What about the friend who always has a problem. Do you seem to be the one who is always fixing or solving it for her?

Past:
My dad was very sentimental. Always remembering when... sometimes I can get that way too. This addiction is taken to the extreme when you can't seem to move past the past. Maybe change is way to scary or you just can't imagine anything being better than how it used to be. Are you open to new ideas or open thinking? Buddha said, "Change is." Life is change. Evolution happens. Go with it.

Worry:
I've come to understand worry as a lack of trust in God. A lack of trust that all is and will be taken care of in Divine Order. There is a meticulous, intricate dance to all of life. Your small part in it is suppose to happen exactly as it does. There is no should or shouldn't have. There is only 'what is'. You can't block God. He told me so. This is God we are talking about - anything and everything happens according to HIS PLAN. The ultimate designer and coordinator has everything under control. Just show up and enjoy the ride. Great things happen IN SPITE of bad attitudes. Wonderful opportunities show up when the time is right. You don't have to try and force anything. Fruit that is ripe, falls from the tree. This is true for everything...

Just because you may indulge in any one of these areas does not mean you are necessarily addicted. I encourage you to look at your life and any blocks or resistance you may notice and ask yourself if the root cause is one of these addictions. Do you see a repeating pattern of behavior?

Can you start taking back some of your power and trying to break out of any habits that really get in your way? What if you tried something new?

Eat Real: You are What You Eat -part 2

Ultimately you know what to do to feel better. Eat fruits, whole grains, vegetables and a little meat (if needed). Get plenty of rest, exercise and reduce stress. This video prompts the question - Does it make any sense that the food provided by nature (by God) would be substandard to what the food industry makes?

Your body is a miraculous organisim. The heart never skips a beat, the lungs always draw in O2 and expel CO2. Science is spectacular in that it continues to prove our bodies don't end. Our body is as infinite as the Universe itself. There is always more to discover, more to see, more to understand. And, when you can get yourself past the 'more' concept, you will see that you already know exactly everything you need to know. It's just a matter of listening to the voice inside. The voice of your Soul.

We are what we eat. Listen to world renowned experts about the current state of the food industry and where we fall in the middle of all the marketing hype. Be informed, be empowered, be the change and change happens.

Be Real: Dream for Me Mommy...

My boys still like me to lay down with them at night. I get to climb two bunk beds and twist and contort myself into strange positions in order to fit in their comfy little nests. I usually start top down. That means big kids first, little one last. He has the most comfortable bed. After the big ones tell the stories from the day and I answer their questions and hear about their Christmas list, I lay down with the little one. (I know it's September, but my kids like to plan ahead. Wonder where they got that from? ;)

So, here I am snuggled up to a warm little body and you know what he said? "Mommy, dream for me." The request is usually "Tell me a story about me and tractors, me and trains, me and bulldozers". But that night, it was bigger - dream for me...

I caught my breath. Isn't that what we all want? Don't we want to live the dream? To hear all the best and wonderful things God has to bless us with and to experience them? This little person understood all of this at such a pure level. He is just open to the blessings God has in store for him and wants to hear them and live them. He trusted me enough to dream for him. To imagine his blessings and put them in words.

I can't remember exactly what I said, but it was along these lines... "To always be happy, healthy, safe. To have a great life doing great things. To know we love you, God loves you, Jesus loves you. May you walk in a circle of love and light all the days of your life. Oh yes, and may you have the best John Deere tractor or tractors money can buy."

We live the dream traveling from blessing to blessing.

Eat Real: Canola Oil

Canola Oil is not all it's said to be. Currently, it is marketed as a heart healthy oil because it falls into the category of a polyunsaturated fat.

Canola Oil is made from rapeseed oil. The name comes from 'Canada' and 'oil'. According to AgriAlternatives, a magazine for farmers, "By nature, these rapeseed oils, have long been used to produce oils for industrial purposes, are toxic to humans and other animals." It's used in insect repellent and synthetic rubber. And if you see the word Canola Seeds - this is just marketing. It's just a name change from rapeseed. It's the same seed.

Because it is a highly refined, processed food product, the body cannot break it down and use it for nutritional fuel in the body. Sure, it has a high heat tolerance, but so does the oil in your car.... It may be heart healthy and polyunsaturated, but anytime the body ingests a fragmented food product, it is missing nutrition - that simple.

Some clinical studies are showing permanent scarring of the kidneys, heart, adrenals and thyroids in animals when given canola oil. More clinical trials have been done showing a relation to growth retardation, deficient blood platelet, high blood pressure, stroke and allergies.
Although the oil may be toxic, I would not blame these conditions solely on this one product. Look at the whole enchilada - most processed, refined foods use canola oil in their manufacturing processes because of cost, shelf life and marketing. It's a lifestyle contributing to disease. A lifestyle that encourages stress, a fast pace, eating on the run and not listening to the body.

So, what can you do instead? Use extra virgin olive oil, unrefined sesame oil, red palm oil, coconut oil and plain old butter. Use fat/oils the way God created them. When the whole of the nutrient is present, the body knows what to do with it. When you eat a fragmented food, which is usually a processed food, you are missing vital nutritional pieces for the whole of your body.

Whole food = whole body. Do you want to be defined in fragments or as a whole?

Be Real Guest Blogger: Winds of Change

Dear Friends,

My good friend and colleague, Rhonda Simpson has generously agreed to provide an article for this weeks post. We spend our time talking about exactly what she has written about. In fact, we share the experience together, always reaching for the higher thought, action, moment. I am grateful for God bringing her into my life. She is an incredible writer and highly intuitive individual. I hope you enjoy her insights as much as I do! -Roberta

Expect winds of change to be blowing through the windows of your world as this month roles out unprecedented cleansing and preparation for what’s to come. Feeling a little bombarded? With good reason. The energies coming in are intense, to say the least, and the effects of such will string you along from every end of the scale. One moment you may feel invigorated or even a bit like you’re spinning as your system attempts to digest the flow. The next, you may find yourself incredibly low, swimming in age-old stuff that you think couldn’t possibly be yours since it so doesn’t fit with the distance you’ve come and the joy you had touched on just moments ago.

The energy is asking you to transcend what has been and is giving you every opportunity (note the plunging effect at play) to take a good hard look at what you’re still holding onto. As uncomfortable as this is, we’re being presented with an incredible opportunity to mop up all that lower level stuff that is still lurking within. You may feel somewhat estranged from what’s bubbling up as it seems so incongruent with the higher levels you’d only just begun to operate at.. But this time of purging is necessary because we’re only getting ready to go higher. And since you’ve had a good taste of what that’s like, perhaps it will give you impetus to endure this hydro-cleaning of our psyches and hearts and might even provide the impetus to release the grip on what we’re still holding onto after all these years.

It’s shocking, I know, on some level, that we still have those fears and doubts and insecurities. Haven’t we moved beyond that,(many,many times over)? Yes..but. The ‘buts’ won’t get us anywhere but deeper in the trenches and further into confusion. What we need to address needs addressing and there’s no better time than right now to take it head on and cleanse. Out truth wants allegiance. And you are being asked to take another good hard look at the scope of your integrity and measure up to the level you intend to operate on. The old patterns of thought and reaction are dated and it’s time, my friends, to get a new groove. Reprogramming away from old drama is a conscious choice, and at first takes some effort. But you are way beyond simply blowing in the wind. You are anchored, so act new. No need for confusion. It’s a time to trust. Trust in your process. Trust in you. Trust that all will be well, is well, is not the projection of what is being excavated.

Feelings of depression, anxiety, and distress may be at hand, but don’t allow yourself to get lost in a vortex of gloom or despair. Beware, actually, the tendency to fall off track and into a very familiar distraction of victim-hood as your plans may be waning in order for you to do the deed of excavating and recalibrating. Now is the time to enact all of those tools you’ve gathered and put them into place. You’ve become a conscious co-creator. This is not a curve ball, this is the destruction part of the process that is creation. Think life-death-rebirth. This is part of you dying, so that more of you can be born. This is you aligning even more perfectly with your truth and contesting all that you still harbor that’s out of harmony with the You you’ve come to know.

You haven’t fallen out of grace. You’re simply preparing. You know all those dreams- come-true that you’ve been aiming your heart at? Comin’ right at’cha. But, in preparation, you’ve got to step into the You that is ready to receive. So, if things seem to be put on hold, and that’s making you squirmy, get busy releasing. Get on-purpose with the process and give, give, give it all away. This isn’t the time so much for deep introspection or ruminating on what any unwanted thoughts might be bringing to the forefront. But rather, it’s a time for insisting on consciousness and making good ol’ empowered choices. May sound a little out of sink in a time of feeling like you’re sunk, but now’s a better time than any. If you can lift out of what is taking you under and keep your eye on the prize, emitting your Truth, even in the darkness, imagine what you can do when you feel more connected to the light.

You know more than you think. Stay with the knowing and veto the doubts. Be confidant in your decisions, and compassionate in your shift. Loving you through this is the way to move forward in grace. Grace is a powerful ally in this process. Take it by the hand. Let the ancient relics of your deepest fears go, and when you struggle with loosening the grip, love yourself some more for the pain and burden you’ve endured by holding on. The holding on has weathered you more than any of the pain or fears ever could. Be the watcher and observe what’s being presented. Notice your reaction to it. And do it different this time. You’re in charge. Light trumps dark. Free yourself of what’s holding you down and be grateful for this opportunity to know that yes, it’s still in the way, and yes, you really can set it down and choose higher.

It’s only a phase of the moon, a moment in time, a window of opportunity. Decide to master the phase, own the moment and open that window wide.

Bio

Inspirational author, visionary and teacher - Rhonda Simpson. Visit her blog and website, and fill your heart with Love, Light and Faith in your Divine Nature. You will be more connected with the Core of Your Being.

www.awakeningthedivine.net

http://consciouscocreating.blogspot.com/2010/09/surrender-into-being.html

Join Rhonda for the Conscious Cleanse on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145378058837634&ref=mf