Spread Some Happy Today!

You are aligned with God's Perfect Plan for You. It's the navigation system called GPPY.

Follow the Good Feeling - FGF. It may feel unnatural at first, but you'll get used to it.

Trusting God means Trusting Yourself - TGTY.  Believe in yourself.

Feel good. Be happy and if nothing else - SMILE! :)

Know When To Say No

Sounds harsh doesn't it? It comes natural to a two year old and my five year old knows how to spell it. Why do we spend a lifetime trying to ignore it?

It's suppose to sound harsh. Energetically, it draws a hard line with the other party which says, "This is where your request ends with me. Time to look elsewhere." So often we feel No is a rejection and we don't want to hurt the other person's feelings, we want to help, be of service, do God's Will.

You've heard it before- God's Will and trusting God means trusting yourself and how you feel. No ifs, ands or buts about it. If you are not feeling it, don't force it. So often I find myself turning experiences around in my head, trying to see the good in it, second guessing how I feel when really all I have to do is understand it doesn't feel right and find a way to say No. No is the voice of God speaking to me - telling me, "It is not your place. This is not your job."

The trick has been quieting the guilt that goes along with saying No. So often one can feel as if they are the only one who can do the work, organize the group and that they are needed above anyone else. I've got news for you - you are needed and the No you are feeling is God telling you to pay attention to the priorities in your life. The No is saving you from distraction, stress and regret. When you say Yes, but really want to say No, you are taking the space that is meant for someone else to fill. Although you have been asked or invited to participate, you have to discern if it is the right experience for you and the No feeling is saying, quite clearly, "I'm not the person for this job."

How to say No nicely.
1. "I'm over committed and can't give (you, the project) the time it deserves. It's better to let someone else handle it."
2. "Can I get back to you on that?" This one requires a follow up with a clear No.
3. "That is not part of my skill set, you'll be better off with someone else."
4. "No thank you". (with a smile)

What does no feel like?
1. If you are ruminating over and over in your mind about a person, place or situation it may be a signal to get out of it and step back.
2. Are you complaining, feeling victimized or grumpy? These are all ways the body is communicating No to you.
3. Sometimes it's a pit in the stomach feeling.
4. The body can tense up or you can hear the No in your head.
5."I don't know" usually means No. Hey, what if it really is saying, "I don't no."?

What if you've said yes, but really feel like a No? Better to say something sooner rather than later. So many times, we want to help. Don't help! Helping is enabling. Enabling is dis-empowering others. Dis-empowering others keeps them in a role of victimization. When one is in the paradigm of victimization, they are in a vicious downward spiral. This is not a sustainable situation for you or the other party. It's the hand out vs. hand up; giving fish or teaching others to fish approach.

No puts the responsibility right back where it belongs and releases you to allow the abundance of God, the Universe to flow.

Allow Universal Abundance with a simple No.

Secrets Revealed... Building Immunity

We already had our first cold of the school season! Woo hoo!

It went exactly according to plan. You know the plan - the one where you plan not to get sick and publish to the whole world how to stay healthy and then your kid is one of the first to catch a cold plan?

Well, I never said you wouldn't get sick and I didn't expect my kids would never get sick. What I was hoping for, though, was a kid that could shake off any virus pretty easily. And, he did. This is what a strong immune system does. Even if you do get sick, it doesn't shut you down or turn into something worse.

Here are a few more tips and tricks to keep building up your immune system muscle.

Avoid / reduce:
· Dairy products – milk, ice cream, soy, casein, cheese
· White flour products
· White sugar, refined sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, fructose, corn syrup, pasteurized honey
· Alcohol- beer, wine, sweetened fruit juice
· Artificial sweeteners, preservatives, hydrogenated & trans fats
· Anything termed “Enriched” including flours & vitamin drinks
· Avoid or reduce Coffee, sodas, juice boxes, vitamin drinks, etc.

These 'foods', and I use the term lightly, all create an acidic environment within the body. Yeasts, viruses, fungi and bacteria can only live in an acidic environment. When immunity is compromised, the average cold turns into an ear infection, bronchitis or strep. Give yourself and your kids a fighting chance by reducing these items from the daily diet.

It's one small step toward a little more sleep and a lot more peace.

10 Years

You all remember where you were and how you heard the news. The memory of that day will live with us for the rest of our lives. It's part of the collective conscious of this society and although we may not have known even one person related to the events of that day, we knew every soul intimately... every single soul.

We knew the souls in the towers, on the planes, in NY, in PA, and DC. And, believe it or not, we also knew the desperate souls of those who hijacked the planes. In one day, our lives were forever changed.

Hero or victim - which perspective do you see? These souls came into and left the physical form for the benefit of all. The role they played honors us. Everything stopped, but the world kept turning... Babies were born, communities were brought together, families ended feuding, a country was united and a new story came to be.

That day was one lesson in our lifetime. What did you learn? How will you honor your life and the lives of those around you?

Lessons or blessings - they are one in the same. God always delivers blessings...

Secrets to a Healthy Winter

Every Fall, when the kids head back to school, they start taking this invaluable immunity tonic. Last year they had perfect attendance at school. Of course, they did catch a few colds and had one puking virus, but overall they had a great winter! For the first time in their short lives, they had a normal response to these incidences. There were no trips to the ER for IVs nor constant antibiotics and calls to the doctor.

As you look forward to the coming months, one of the best things you can do, is cut back on sugar, preservatives and artificial ingredients. These ingredients create acidity in the body which translates into the perfect environment for dis-ease to thrive. The combination of cutting back on junk and taking the tonic is how we managed last winter. It's our 'secret' family recipe.

Immune Tonic Recipe
4oz. organic grape juice (Lakewood Organic brand)
1 tsp. fish oil (Nordic Naturals or Carlson brands)
1 tsp. elderberry syrup (Sambucol brand)
1 probiotic capsule (Jarrow brand) 

Directions:
Take 5 mornings a week with 2 days off. Cut the quantities in half for kids 4 and under except for the probiotic. Lately, we've added 2 drops of oregeno oil to the mixture.

The better we all feel, the stronger our immunity and the less we even think about dis-ease. Look for more tips and information in the coming weeks! 

Dent Relief

I've had a dent in the back of my car for the past 7 years. Nothing serious. It just defined who I was.

After receiving the news about my father's sudden death at my in-laws house in Ohio, my father-in-law found the first flight back home so I could be with my mom.  My husband, on the other hand, drove from Ohio to Connecticut with two little boys. At the time they were four and two. It took him 2 days and plenty of Heavenly guidance, but he made it. He pulled into the driveway at my mother's house and my mom took the kids into the house immediately. My husband was still sitting in the car. When he finally got out, he just hugged me and cried. Yes, my father had died, but his friend had died as well. A man he looked up to, respected and who understood him even better than his own family did.  He was gone. Or so we thought...

After composing himself, my husband went into the house and I was left to unpack the car. To make it easier, I decided to back it into the driveway and unload into the garage. As I backed up, I hit something. We were all out of our minds as it was and here I was backing into something in the black of the night in the middle of winter.  It was my father's stump grinder. If you don't know by now, he was a lumberjack. All of his equipment was still in the driveway and the garage. Still fresh with hydraulic oil and wood chips. Brand new car, brand new dead dad and brand new dent... life has a way of happening and we get to make sense of it. It can be fantastically ironic sometimes.

That dent was a gift from my father. It was a reminder to me how quickly life can change - How things, people come and go, but feelings last forever. It marked me like a scar after a cut. And, this cut was deep. In good conscious, I could not get it fixed. Sure, I got plenty of quotes and talked about it, but did nothing until now. It was a scar I wore with pride for 7 years. Everyone needed to see it. I needed to see it. It screamed, "This happened in my life and I survived." It said, "This is who I am."

It was time. I don't have any logical reason for why, I just knew it was time to fix it.  I kept looking at the dent and how I defined myself, not wanting to let go of that moment in time. It was as if I had a piece of my Dad with me in that dent. Just like bumper stickers on the back of cars that convey how the driver feels about life, abortion, teams or schools ... I used the dent in the same way. But now, that sticker, that dent is inside me. It is part of my cellular structure. I've meditated upon it for the past 7 years without realizing it. That meditation has become a part of who I am.

How odd it is to define ourselves and unconsciously label or limit who we are. How odd it is to have to keep something like a dent for so long and then one day wake up and it's gone. What dents are you wearing? Is it time to smooth them out? The Buddha teaches that "Nothing ever goes away, until it has taught us what we need to know." The struggle of dark and light, good and bad has disappeared. What is left? Love.

My husband hammered it out this week. It's a smooth back-end again and I feel good about it. To the human eye, the dent is gone. That's OK, because it is forever engraved in my heart.

Power Breakfast: Gluten Free Pancakes

The challenge: Make a great tasting, whole grain, gluten-free pancake.
Why?: Because.

Cornstarch. That's the real reason. It lacks any real nutritional value, is a high glycemic food, has no fiber, no protein, and is highly inflammatory. It is also one of the main ingredients in most gluten-free foods.

Many of you know spelt is my go-to grain for most everything. And, although it is a low-gluten food, it still has gluten. I wanted to make a true, whole grain pancake without gluten, but also without cornstarch - something that had more nutritional value. Thankfully, my kids are pancake connoisseurs and I can experiment with them. Sometimes the feedback is good, sometimes not - but they still eat it.

As is true to form with my shopping habits during the summer, we had run out of our standard spelt flour for the usual pancake breakfast. Keeping up with feeding the kids during the summer months is a challenge in itself.  I swear they make up for the other nine months of the year when they are in school by eating constantly all summer. So, that morning, after surveying the pantry, I found some brown rice flour, corn meal and xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a natural food product that thickens food. It acts like a glue when gluten based flour is not available. It's also used widely in gluten-free foods, but not the main ingredient. Usually 1/2 to 1 tsp. is all that is needed.

School is fast approaching, and you can amp up these pancake to make a complete meal. We added more fiber and protein by using flax seed and raw, organic, vegan brown rice protein powder. You'll also see oatmeal in the recipe below. Oatmeal is gluten free, however, it is not always processed in a facility that uses gluten specific machinery. Therefore, it can be considered a 'contaminated' food. If you have true celiac disease, make sure you purchase oatmeal processed in a gluten free facility.

Now we can have our cake and eat it too - gluten free!

Gluten Free Pantry Pancakes:
1 cup goat milk (can substitute almond or rice milk)
1 cage free egg
1/2 tsp. organic sea salt
1/2 tsp. aluminum free baking soda
1/2 tsp. free-trade vanilla
2 tbsp. whole cane sugar
1 tbsp. cold-processed, unrefined, sesame oil
1 & 1/4 cup organic brown rice flour
1/2 cup organic corn meal
1/2 cup organic oatmeal
1 tsp. xanthan gum
Optional: 2 tbsp flax seed meal and/or 1 scoop of Garden of Life Raw Protein.

Mix ingredients together and spoon onto a hot pan. Add a few chocolate chips or blueberries. Flip over and cook both sides.

To top them off, try Grade B Maple Syrup, almond butter & jelly or raw honey. The door is wide open to try all kinds of whole grain, gluten free flours - coconut, almond, quinoa, and millet.  Why don't you experiment a little? Let me know how your pancakes turn out.

By the way, I have been known to run out of sandwich bread and send pancake or waffle sandwiches to school. Just food for thought as you start planning those school lunches...

Mix it up and have some fun!

Crappy to Happy in 3 Bloody Minutes

We were in a huge funk at the beginning of the week. Whatever you call it, cabin fever, vacation recovery, too much togetherness - it was just ugly. The kids and I were not in harmony. July feels, to me, like the middle of winter. I feel like a hamster stuck in a cage because of the weather restrictions. Man, I just feel restricted!

Then came the bloody nose. Big brother gave little brother too rough a tackle. The third kid really does take a beating.Wake up call! God has a way of getting my attention through blood/injury and money. These get my attention and spark immediate action. Unintentional or not, mommy gets ugly when blood is drawn. It was not a pretty sight. At this point we were all feeling really crappy. So, I asked for help and said, "I am aligned with Source." The crappy feeling continued until something magical happened...

A commitment for Wednesday night canceled. All of a sudden my week was completely free and I felt better. There was literally a shift within my body that could be felt and registered in my brain - things had turned in the right direction. A total transformation within 3 minutes and I was a different person! I had another commitment Monday afternoon and canceled it. A client rescheduled due to vacation. The weight of the world lifted off my shoulders. I canceled a extra checking account the bank had talked me into and a gym membership I haven't used in a year. Wow, this feels great! The laundry is caught up and folded. The school supplies are bought and organized. The school uniforms and shoes are purchased. The kids are getting along and the little one recovered quickly.  So I ask you. . .  How can you open yourself up for transformation?

What can you cancel today that will lift some weight off your shoulders? 
What can you throw out? 
What can you do just for yourself and no one else?

Sometimes what we need is less, not more, to feel better. The Universe has a way of focusing our direction. The signs are obvious. Ease is the path to joy. All we have to do is pay attention and reach for the better feeling. Sometimes blood is involved, but that's just a part of life.

I am...

Ohhhh, we are back from Grandma's house. We need a vacation to recover from the vacation! You've had plenty of time to meditate now on what you like, what you are good at and what you love. These lists are designed to give you a clearer sense of self. To be consciously aware of who you are. Now, on to the Passion Test....

The test begins with another list. Imagine that?! Except this list begins with the statement, "When my life is ideal, I am (experiencing, having, feeling, being, loving....)__________________." Make a list of the top ten (or more) things that would give you a life of joy. You don't have to be experiencing them now, but want to be. The previous exercises I gave you were designed to help you really look at what is happening right now in your life, what you like and what you don't. Now, you have the opportunity to design what you'd like your life to look like. Close your eyes and visualize your life. Where are you? Who's with you? What are you doing? How do you feel? Let yourself loose and write it down!

Once you have your Ideal Life List written, put the list in order of importance. The goal is to get the most important in the top 5 of the list. When I first did this, I couldn't limit myself to the top 5 because I didn't realize my passions can change or that they might be a subsection under a larger heading. For instance, You might say you're life is ideal when you have flexible work hours and you're life is ideal when you are enjoying every minute of the day. Can you see how "Enjoying every minute of the day" could be the passion and "flexible work hours" can fall under it as a condition that facilitates "Enjoying every minute of the day"?  It's this kind of refinement we are asked to do in the book so that we can really look at our desires and allow our lives to sing.

Don't over think things, though. Go with your first instinct in making the list and let it sit for a bit. I know I had to come back to mine. The writers recommend that we take the test at least every 6 months. It's a good way to really refine and become clear about what we truly love.


The clearer you become about what you truly love and desire, the stronger your conscious intention becomes, and this helps the rest of your brain respond in an organized way. The Passion Test. p.34.

Of course, this is just the beginning, but it's where I end for now.  Have a GLORIOUS day!

Task 3 - List of Love

This is the final task for the first lesson. After this step, you're ready for the test...

You've made a list of what you like, what you are good at and now - make a list of what/who you love. This is different from the like scenario. This is the stuff that strikes a deep nerve if things go wrong or makes your heart overflow with gratitude when things go well. For example, I love my husband, I love my kids, I love my dog, my cat, my family, a cushion of cash in the bank... You get the idea. The feeling of love triumphs over the feeling of like. It's the do or die stuff. I like well mannered people, but my world won't turn upside down if a person is rude. If something is off with the family though, that gets my attention. See the difference?

There are two more steps to the assignment today. The second, once you have your love list, put all three lists together and look for overlaps, correlations - anywhere there is a conjunction.

The third step is to prioritize the lists and identify the top 5 on each. 

Meditate on them for a while. Keep the lists handy and read them in the morning and/or at night. Revise them if needed.

I found these steps to be invaluable before taking the test. Why? Well, how can one identify your passions if you don't know who you are? It is critical to have a conscious basic knowledge of what makes you tick. By participating in these exercises, you've developed a starting point to articulating, with clarity, what is important to you.

As an aside, three friends called this week to tell me they feel funky, grumpy, vulnerable or just plain off. This too will pass and is actually quite predictable every July. The seasons seem to be about 2 weeks quicker than last year. There is always a contraction before an expansion. Just take it easy, remember to exercise, eat foods from nature and do what feels good. It sounds like a good time for a vacation. Off to Grandma's house tomorrow!

Task 2 - Making Lists

The Honey-to-Do list has taken on a new meaning!

Yesterday, you made a list of everything you like. Today, make a list of everything you are good at. I'm good at organizing and directing. I'm good at yelling at the kids. I'm good at gardening. I'm good at...

You get the idea.We will get to the actual Test soon enough. These exercises are needed before one actually takes the test. By nature, so many of us are not clear. Most of society is stuck in what they don't like and that can be easier to identify  than what one likes sometimes. If that is where you are, let that be your starting point. If it is easier for you to identify what it is you are bad at, again, let that be where you begin. Make the lists and then turn it around - choose the opposite.For example, I do not like a dirty house but I do like a clean house.

When you are able to identify what you like and what you are good at, you are more than half way to identifying your passions. The things you excel at in life. Your purpose, your desires, the things or circumstances that make your heart sing.

The achievement of anything that you desire must be considered success, whether it is a trophy or money or relationships or things. But if you will let your standard of success be your achievement of joy—everything else will fall easily into place. For in the finding of joy, you are finding vibrational alignment with the resources of the Universe. - Abraham Hicks


Joy is the good feeling. Joy is feeling happy, content, and peaceful. Joy is alignment with God's perfect plan for you. The exercises I've given you are designed to help you feel good before you take the test. They are designed to get you clear on what brings your soul satisfaction. We all have wants and desires, but we need to find the 'happy place or alignment' first.

Make your lists and put them on the fridge, in the car, or on your calendar. Pin them to your shirt if you have to! Look at them often and feel good. You are a child of God and when you feel good, you see yourself the way God sees you - completely unique and wonderful.

The Passion Test - Lesson 1

What's my passion? 
What's my purpose in life? 
What am I here to do? 
Who am I and where do I fit? 

If any of you are like me, you may have hit a wall at some point in life and reached out for more. Not quite knowing where to go and how to get it, but more. More understanding, more peace, more joy.

When I first asked these same questions all those years ago, the Universe delivered a book to me from a prayer partner named Sandra. I didn't know her very well, but she was more than willing to be God's voice and tell me about this book. I started reading it over 2 years ago and I'm reading it again now. I'm inspired to share some of it's insight with you.

It's called The Passion Test. It promises to help you define what your passion is and create the platform from which you move towards it. If you know the law of attraction and read any of Abraham Hicks work, this will make total sense to you. Even if you don't, it's written as a down to earth, common sense approach to always making the higher choice. The premise - any choice  must be in favor of your passions.

One of the best attributes of this book is its simplicity and practical approach. There is nothing to figure out or wrap your head around. What I find most interesting is that I didn't quite get it the first time around and that was over 2 years ago. It was a great starting place then and even better to read now.

The first lesson - "When you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, and only to the extent that you are clear."  (p.24, The Passion Test, Janet & Chris Attwood)

This is so true! But before you start beating yourself for not being clear, let me make an observation. Many of us are NOT clear on what we want. Many of us are aware of what we don't like. This is where you start. Define what you don't like and then choose the opposite. Move in that direction. This experience, called life, is a vehicle for us to experience Joy - the ultimate good feeling there is! What is the easiest way to find your way to what you really want? Always choose in favor of the good feeling. Not the superficial good feeling, but the way down deep in your soul good feeling. The good feeling that helps you sleep at night.

The Universe, God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, Buddha - all of Creation is here to support YOU! Whether you are clear or not, you are supported and loved. We are co-creators with the Ultimate Creator. Our only  job is to choose the good feeling.

So let's start with creating the good feeling. Today's work - Make a list of everything you like and hang it on the fridge. I like the color red, I like when the kids get along, I like getting my toenails painted, I like low gas prices, I like smart people, I like kind people... you get the idea. Just make a list of everything you like. Lesson 2 will bring the next task.  For now, let the list make you feel good!

Kid Insight

Yikes, it's almost the end of the month and I've fallen behind on my posts! Summer is here and the kids are home. My attention has shifted a bit!

These little, tapped in, humans have been saying some really insightful statements as they make observations on their own lives. As a result, I'm sharing some of their simple, but highly effective words...

Do your best and forget the rest.
Sin is not feeling goodness.
If I don't love it, I don't do it.
Some people just don't know any better.
That makes no sense at all.
You don't want any part of that mess, just walk away.

Do any of these apply to your life? 

Thoughts...

Today is going to be a great day. Today IS a GREAT day.
I am safe in the Universe. The Universe loves and supports me.
Thank you for providing, protecting and guiding me.
Thank you for inspiring me to be the best version of myself.

When you can catch your first thoughts in the morning and the last ones before bed, you set yourself up for all good things. By programming the subconscious in a very simple way, you can help all the wonder of the Universe unfold as is promised today.

Peace and joy are just a thought away.
Heaven is my choice for the mind today.

It's that simple. Just choose a thought that feels good.

Grass you can drink

As promised, here is my first installment on the benefits of grass.

Yes, you can drink grass and one of the most powerful, healing and nutritive is wheat grass. Often sold frozen in freshly pressed cubes or powdered, it has been a mainstay in holistic health and natural remedies for years.

It became popular due to Dr. Ann Wigmore, founder and educator of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Boston although it was first discovered in the 1930s by Charles Schnabel. Dr. Wigmore reported that "wheat grass therapy along with a diet rich in "living foods" helped eliminate cancerous growths along with many other disorders. Wheat grass is rich in chlorophyll.  The molecular structure of chlorophyll is similar to hemoglobin which is the oxygen-carrying protein of red blood cells." Because of the similarity, the body easily recognizes and absorbs it readily. The only difference between human hemoglobin and wheat grass juice is that hemoglobin has iron at the middle of its molecule while wheat grass has magnesium. Several small pilot studies have taken place and the efficacy of wheat grass is proving to be worth more research to the clinical community. You can read more about some of this work through the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

I've been drinking 'green water' for years. That's what my four year old calls it and I can tell you first hand, that it improves my mood, my digestion and increases my energy. Chlorophyll, an important component of wheat grass is liquid sunlight and oxygen just waiting to nourish your body.  It is definitely a vibration raising food.

Nature has a cure for most anything an "illusional"  mind can manifest. I say illusional, because it connotes that one has bought into the illusion that this reality is the only truth. Dis-illusion would be separation from the illusion of what many of us call reality. Dis-illusion may just be a glimpse of pure Faith. Trust that all is good and that the answers can be as simple as we choose.

Well, enough contemplation for now. Get some green water, drink it up and feel good!

(PS; I'm reading an awesome book called The Passion Test. I hope to share insight on it soon!)

Resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatgrass; Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Phyllis A Balch

Image courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wheatgrass.jpg#filehistory

Licensed work under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0

Greener Grass

As I mentioned in my newsletter, green is the theme this month. I've been called to explore those laws of the Universe which we've taken for granted. The simple proverbs we heard growing up, "What goes around comes around; What goes up, must come down; The grass is always greener on the other side; The early bird catches the worm." Jesus and Buddha gave us more. One that comes to mind is, "As a man thinks, so he is."  These are simple truths to the guiding laws of the Universe.

The grass is always greener on the other side. The other side of what - a fence, a road? The idea is that we are looking away from ourselves thinking that what we have is substandard to what the other has. Everything we could possibly want is already within our grasp. What if there is no other side? What if the "Grass is always greener" is enough? Meaning it only gets better and better right where you are and the fence or the road is only your limiting belief system in the way of experiencing greater joy in life, right now?!
Something to contemplate.

I'll be writing about cereal grasses next week.  Grass you can actually eat that make life greener right where your standing!

Coffee with Tom

The house is full of relatives! My mother, aunt and cousin. More are on the way for the coming weekend. I've never had so many family in town all at the same time! It's great! They have many things in common, but the most obvious and consistent are coffee and wine. You can be giving birth or dying, running a 5K or sleeping all day, alone or with friends - the time is always right for either of these beverages. At least that's how it is in my family!

Today,  mom sent me out for a coffee. She wants to cut it out of her diet, but the more she pushes, the more the craving pushes back. So, what did I do? I'm a good daughter, I bought her the coffee at the local coffee shop up the street. This crazy thing happened as I walked through the door. I saw a man I thought I knew. I walked right up to him and said, "Tom?" He said, "Hello". It was not the Tom I knew. I apologized profusely, then he said, "My name is Tom. Nice to meet you." Something... someone was at work through me in that five minutes of embarrassment. I bought the coffee for mom, told Tom to have a great day and decided Tom must have needed a Hello that morning. The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways. Even through coffee. It seems obvious now, anytime is the right time for whatever is happening at that exact moment.

Just like life, coffee has it's ups and it's downs. I love the smell, but can't touch the stuff. My brother, a RN, swears by it. Here are a few Pros and Cons to help you decide if it's time to cut back, try it out or banish it all together. By the way, next time you see Tom, say "Hi" for me.

Perks:
1. Alertness: Even in relatively low doses of 100 milligrams (the amount in about 8 ounces of ordinary brewed coffee), caffeine makes people more alert.
2. Mood: At 200 milligrams people report an improved sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability.
3. Concentration: Studies suggest that caffeine can help you perform a variety of cognitive tasks, such as recognizing visual patterns, more quickly.
4. Performance: Research shows if 3-9 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is consumed one hour prior to exercise it increases endurance.
5. Reduce muscle pain: Stanley Segall, Ph.D., has found that caffeine might stimulate the release of B-endorphins and hormones that depress the sensation of pain or discomfort.

Quirks:
1. Cardiovascular Problems: Caffeine increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure and can contribute to the development of heart disease. Drinking both decaf and regular coffee may increase cholesterol and homocysteine, the biochemical that science has linked to increased risk for heart attack. Caffeine is also linked to coronary vasospasms. Coronary vasospasms cause 20% of all fatal heart attacks that kill otherwise perfectly healthy people.
2. Stress: Caffeine stimulates the excretion of stress hormones, which can produce increased levels of anxiety, irritability, muscular tension and pain, indigestion, insomnia and decreased immunity. Increased levels of stress can keep you from making healthy responses to normal daily stress.
3. Emotional Disturbances: Anxiety and irritability are hallmark mood disturbances associated with caffeine consumption, but equally important are depression and attention disorders. Depression may occur as part of the letdown after the stimulant effects of caffeine wear off. It may also appear during the recovery period after quitting caffeine while the brain's chemistry is readjusted. Rather than increasing mental activity, caffeine actually decreases blood flow to the brain by as much as 30% and negatively affects memory and mental performance.
4. Gastrointestinal Problems: Many people experience a burning sensation in their stomach after drinking coffee because coffee increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid, which leads to an increased risk for ulcers. Coffee, including decaf, reduces pressure on the valve between the esophagus and the stomach so that the highly acidic contents of the stomach pass up to the esophagus, which can lead to heartburn and gastro-esophageal reflux disease.
5. Adrenal Exhaustion: Caffeine consumption leads to eventual adrenal exhaustion, which can leave you vulnerable to a variety of health disorders related to inflammation and fatigue.

Resources: 
Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug by Stephen Cherniske.
Integrative Nutrition, 2009

Broken Bone Broth

Most of you know by now I have three boys. They all sleep in the same room. This means, of course, bunk beds. Things have been fine for over a year and when you look at the bunk beds and the guards that surround them, it would seem impossible anyone could fall out while sleeping. Guess again...

My four year old fell out in the middle of the night while sleeping. There is a little entrance over the ladder, about 15" wide and apparently he was able to move down to this opening and fall out in the middle of a sound sleep.What seems impossible actually is possible. I should know that by now.

For the next four days, he was tender with his arm, but could still use his hand. There was no swelling, no complaining and he was bumping it all over the place with no issue. It looked just like a bad sprain. Then comes Tuesday; he knocked it just right and fell apart crying. I called the doctor. Even the doctor, when examining him, didn't think there was a break, but sent him for an x-ray just to be safe. Imagine both of our reactions when we saw both bones in the arm were broken! So now, the four year old has a lime green cast and is more annoyed now than he was when he was walking around without one. This means no mud puddles, limited sand play and difficulty drawing tanks. All these things make life worth living to a four year old boy!

His annoyance has motivated me to assist the speed in the healing process. Prayer, Reiki and of course, nutrition. What food heals bones? Bone soup, of course!  Now, bone soup isn't just for broken bones. Everything about it is nourishing to the body and alkalizing to the blood. The ingredients are high in minerals which build bone and aid in digestion. It is extremely healing to the body in many ways - digestion, skin, illness, bones, colds - you name it.  Everyone can drink this broth and benefit.

This recipe is a compilation of  three recipes. Remember, my goal is to heal it as fast as possible.You can simplify and make just kombu, chicken, beef or fish broth on its own.  In this case, I'm making a power broth with both plant and animal sources of minerals. The concept of" like heals like" is being used through the use of the animal bone. One broken bone heals another. Nature is fascinating, isn't it?

Broken Bone Broth:
6 cups unfiltered water
Animal bones - a chicken carcass or beef bone (optional)
1 (4") square of Kombu seaweed
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 of an onion
3 chopped carrots
2 celery sticks

Directions:
Add all ingredients to water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 4 to 8 hours in crock pot or on the stove. Strain vegetables out to have a clear broth or eat as a soup. The kombu is tough to eat, so just put it aside to dry for use again later.

In the beginning, there were Sprouts...

We've been cleaning the yard for the past month. I swear, raking leaves in the South is what shoveling snow is to the North. I've lived in both places and can attest! Any way, I digress. Part of cleaning the yard includes getting the planting beds ready. This week my 4yr old and I dumped some dirt into the garden beds and what did we find? Sprouts!

There growing amidst the rocks and dirt were some actual plants we did not intentionally plant! We have been throwing our plant based food scraps in it all winter as a way of composting. Something sprouted. It's a little early to tell what it is, exactly, but we are guessing some type of squash or potato.

Sprouts of all varieties contain the building blocks of life in the form of vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and simple sugars. In their early growth state, sprouts are very easy to digest, allowing our bodies to access many wonderful nutrients. Recent research by the American Cancer Society has backed what holistic nutrition has known for years: that sprouts contain anti-cancer properties, high levels of active antioxidants, concentrated amounts of phytochemicals and significant amounts of vitamins A, C and D.

In their raw form, sprouts have a cooling effect on the body, and therefore are best consumed in warm weather or by robust, warm body types. Those who tend to feel cool can try steaming spouts or adding them to warm dishes such as stir-fries and soups, to reduce the cooling effect. There is a wide variety of edible and delicious sprouts, each with a different texture and flavor: alfalfa, mung bean, lentil, radish, clover, sunflower, broccoli, garbanzo and adzuki.

You can serve up sprouts by:
· Adding them to salads.
· Combining with other vegetables in wraps, roll-ups or stir-fries.
· Using as garnish on top of soups, stews, omelets or scrambled eggs.
· Adding them to rice or whole-grain dishes.
· Using in sandwiches instead of lettuce.

I'm reminded of the natural order of life and how what seems inconsequential, really does have a ripple affect. Nature knows what to do with scraps of food thrown in the dirt. God has designed all of this perfectly. It's fascinating to see how we've become a part of the food chain, the natural circle of life - all right here in suburbia!

The End

As I was driving home from a preschool prayer service, it became clear to me.  The priest said you get back 10 times what you give out. So simple. That's the law of attraction.  If it doesn't feel good or gives you anxiety, chances are you don't belong there - aka:" It's not part of your path".  Choose to think about the next logical step that feels good to you and that is your path.

It's time to let go. To hear the voice of God is to hear your own voice.  To honor God is to trust and follow your feelings.

I'm 16 days into His 40 days in the desert and I think my early mid-life crisis has come to an end. I feel myself taking another leap of faith, unsure of where He is leading me, but knowing it is better than I could imagine. I trust that what comes is only good and I'm excited for it!

I know who I am. I am complete.

So are you.