Brunch on Leap Day

It's a leap year. Yeah. Whatever that means :-)

So, this morning I did so much running around. Had to run to the store in order to purchase some decent dress/casual pants for my middle son who is going on a Shabbat trip. Then I needed to rush back in order to watch my eldest son play Prometheus in a class skit.

Unbeknown to me the school changed the time of the skit and I missed it. When I arrived to the school and the principal met me he had nothing but praise for my two sons. They are pleasant, caring and well mannered. He took me to the classroom and asked the teacher to allow the students to do an encore presentation.

It was at that moment that I was reminded that all the running around and stressin out for the boys is well worth it as they make me so proud to be their mother.

I then rushed over to the market to purchase some white and yellow sweet yams. I grouped them together with a few okra and some chopped up collard greens and steamed them in my pot.

You see the photo below... that was my morning's brunch I ate around 11am today. I thinly sliced some red onion and draped over the collards with curry/masala spice and drizzled with a touch of XV olive oil. On the yams is a bit of goat feta, cayenne and a pinch of sunflower oil. And over the okra is just a dab of roasted Sesame oil.

All I can say is YUM!! And thank the Most High for such wonderful nourishment.

Steaming sounds blah to you? Try it and then sprinkle your seasoning on top. Remember to only use Celtic Sea salt.

Ministerial, Life Updates

My life has been a journey through valleys, peaks and even plains.

You know, the proud moments and even the not so proud moments but learning
valuable lessons nonetheless...happy ones and heartbreaking ones.

Muddling my way through LIFE with the commitment to learn what I need to learn and to operate with compassion both for myself and for others. As one sagely figure once said, "You who is without sin-cast the first stone".

So most of you know that I received my ministerial ordination after interview, essay and life commitment past and present.

My ordination is in Spiritual Healing and I've done and am constantly in action to build up the foundation and house of my ordination.

I am proud to say that yesterday I completed my training in Hospice care.

This has been a wonderful opportunity and wonderful time of reflection and learning.

My gifts to put into action in the Hospice care will be the training I've had in Reiki, Reflexology & Aromatherapy.

Reiki for me will continue to be a life long work and study in the spiritual energy field. I've completed (?) the initial foundation for Reiki training up till Reiki Master level both distant learning and in-person learning. I decided on this route so that I will have a wide range of people and philosophical/practical thoughts to learn from.

In fact it was the Reiki Master Teacher I prayed to meet that introduced me to the Hospice Care program. It was my prayer/hope to meet a teacher that was committed to giving of herself to help others. And...we found each other.

The power of prayer/hope and intent is very powerful.

I put a question mark next to "completed" in regards to Reiki training as I believe that ones training is never fully complete, it is a daily or life long practice. Of working with spiritual energy that surrounds and flows through us all.

I am also finishing my diploma in Reflexology. This therapy is not regulated in my state however I wanted to make sure I have a full and solid foundation in the art so that I am able to really offer something meaningful to clients.

As part of the program I've been deeply entrenched in Anatomy and Physiology. As a matter of fact I am studying hard for an up coming final.

Physiology is FASCINATING. The human body is this intricate and advanced mechanism. It can only make me saw WOW!

My favorite organ is the liver!!!!

If more of us understood how the body actually works and how delicate it is to maintain homeostasis I believe we would be kinder and more concerned about what we put or don't put into it.

This is just a minute glimpse into the commitment I have made to my spiritual ministerial ordination, self and life.

Patently Amazing

Patently Amazing: Caring Companies Place Private Eco-Technologies in Public Domain

Here’s the kind of corporate largesse the world could use a lot more of: In mid-January, IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes, and Sony banded together to create the Eco-Patent Commons, a public domain depository for previously private patents for new environmentally-friendly technologies. Patents in the Commons can be used by anyone for any purpose and the companies hope that by releasing them for free public use they’ll encourage innovation and a better world.

Read Seventh Generation's The Non-Toxic Times NewsLetter For more Information


***This renews my hope in the goodness of big corporations.****

Hope Springs Eternal

Will post more on THIS hamsa later....................enjoy.....

The Dance of Being~LIFE

One of my Beloved and Beautiful Sisters of Light sent this quote to me....It comes from Kabbalah tradition at the same time it also reminds me of the dance of Lord Shiva.

"Rhythm is the basis of life, not steady forward progress. The forces of creation, destruction, and preservation have a whirling, dynamic interaction."

I dedicate this post to Ms. LaLa

Life is cyclical not linear. How's your circle rolling/flowing...undulating, dilating and spiraling?

image credit http://www.pitt.edu/~asian/week-7/week-7.html

Spiritual Gems

" I am ever present to those who have realized me in every creature. Seeing all life as my manifestation, they are never separated from me. They worship me in the hearts of all, and all their actions proceed from me. Wherever they live, they abide in me"

From THE Bhagavad Gita translation by Eknath Easwaran


Life, as I see it is a journey...a journey through rough and rugged terrain. A place where we come to learn and refine our souls. We have lessons to learn and obstacles to overcome. It has been my constant companion, the desire to grow, learn and become better than I was.

As the late Eknath Easwaran put it, "...to emerge from this life victorious".

What makes us victorious in this life? Well, I will share my opinion--When we remember to be compassionate not only to others but to ourselves. When we remember to love others as ourself and remember to love ourselves. When we seek to learn from every turn, every meeting and every "mistake".

When finally learn to have peace within ourselves knowing that we encounter in our lives nothing which we we can not overcome. When we acknowledge our responsibility for our lives and our choices. And in the end when we truly learn what we are to focus on ... that which is love, compassion, and true peace.

When we have those in the scope of our lives.. those who cross our paths that can not focus on their own growth, their own lessons but choose instead to focus on the splinter in your eye while ignoring the beam in their's. This metaphor I borrow from Jesus of Nazareth--we should look upon them with love, compassion and peace and not judge them.

We realize that they also on a journey but their level of self realization should have no bearing on our own. We pray for them to have greater understanding and growth as we pray for ourselves.

To emerge from this life Victorious....knowing that you are have grown fully into YOU shining forth your own spark of the Divine.

Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita (God's Song) tells Arjuna that there are two paths.

Be fearless and pure; never waver in your determination or your dedication to the spiritual life. Give freely. Be self-controlled, sincere, truthful,loving, and full of the desire to serve. Realize the truth of the scriptures; learn to be detached and to take joy in renunciation.

Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle; show good will to all.

Cultivate vigor, patience, will, purity; avoid malice and pride. Then, Arjuna, you will achieve your divine destiny.

Other qualities, Arjuna, make a person more and more inhuman: hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, cruelty, ignorance

.

It is never too late to choose the right path as long as breath is in you. Choosing the right path is emerging from life victorious.

Choose each day to be victorious in your life.

Above image is from Bhaktivedanta The Bhagavad Gita

Full Moon

Beloved,

We are blessed to see another full Moon. Blessed full moon a reflection of the Sun's glory. Set in the heavens to remind us that even in the darkest of hours we are not alone.


Some believe that the time of the full Moon is one of strength and a fullness of being. Set your goals, set your intentions during the time of the full Moon.

Go out to her tonight and bask in her luminescence. Raise your hands to the heavens and affirm that you are...Affirm that you are blessed...You are blessed with abundance.

Abundance comes in all forms. Abundance of Love. Abundance of light upon your path. Abundance of family and friends. Abundance in any area of your life including finances.

What is it that you feel you need? You lack nothing. You must only trust that it is yours waiting for you to be open to it. Love, kindness, monetary help? Get out your paper and pen and write your check out to yourself during your time of the full Moon.

Write out your desire....payable to you. Trust in your intention to receive blessings from the Source of Life. Trust and do not worry. Continue about your life and seek a way to incorporate that blessing in your life even before you "see" it. Whether it is discipline-- incorporating habits that will open the gates.

Enjoy this beautiful full Moon you see today, at this moment...right now.

image credit: http://www.aiis.com.au/meditations.html

Ancient Nubia

Tribute to Ancient Nubia the forefathers of Ancient Khemet.

Be enlightened and Enjoy.

10 to Avoid

10 Synthetic Cosmetic Ingredients To Avoid

Many of these ingredients are contained in "Natural" personal care products

1. Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea — These are the most commonly used preservatives after the parabens. They are well established as a primary cause of contact dermatitis (American Academy of Dermatology). Two trade names for these chemicals are Germall II and Germall 115. Neither of the Germall chemicals have a good antifungal, and must be combined with other preservatives. Germall 115 releases formaldehyde at just over 10°. These chemicals are toxic.

2. Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl Paraben — Used as inhibitors of microbial growth and to extend shelf life of products. Widely used even though they are known to be toxic. Have caused many allergic reactions and skin rashes. Methyl paraben combines benzoic acid with the methyl group of chemicals. Highly toxic.

3. Petrolatum — Petrolatum is mineral oil jelly, and mineral oil causes a lot of problems when used on the skin—it can produce photosensitivity (i.e., promotes sun damage), and it tends to interfere with the body's own natural moisturizing mechanism, leading to dry skin and chapping. You are being sold a product that creates the very conditions it claims to alleviate. Manufacturers use petrolatum because it is very cheap.

4. Propylene Glycol — Ideally this is a vegetable glycerine mixed with grain alcohol, both of which are natural. Usually it is a synthetic petrochemical mix used as a humectant. Has been known to cause allergic and toxic reactions.

5. PVP/VA Copolymer — A petroleum-derived chemical used in hairsprays, wavesets and other cosmetics. It can be considered toxic, since particles may contribute to foreign bodies in the lungs of sensitive persons.

6. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate — This synthetic substance is used in shampoos for its detergent and foam-building abilities. It causes eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, and allergic reactions. It is frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the parenthetic explanation "comes from coconut".

7. Stearalkonium Chloride — A chemical used in hair conditioners and creams. Causes allergic reactions. Stearalkonium chloride was developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, and is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair conditioning formulas than proteins or herbals, which do help hair health. Toxic.

8. Synthetic Colors — The synthetic colors used to supposedly make a cosmetic "pretty" should be avoided at all costs, along with hair dyes. They will be labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 / D&C Green No. 6. Synthetic colors are believed to be cancer-causing agents. If a cosmetic has them in it, don't use the cosmetic.

9. Synthetic Fragrances — The synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can have as many as 200 ingredients. There is no way to know what the chemicals are, since on the label it will simply say "Fragrance". Some of the problems caused by these chemicals are headaches, dizziness, rash, hyperpigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritation, and the list goes on. Advice: Don't buy a cosmetic that has the word "Fragrance" on the ingredients label.

10. Triethanolamine (TEA) — Often used in cosmetics to adjust the pH, and used with many fatty acids to convert acid to salt (stearate), which then becomes the base for a cleanser. TEA causes allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin, and could be toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time.

Summary

Look for natural ingredients in the products you buy. Do not use cosmetics that are artificially colored. Is the shampoo green or blue? Very likely it contains a coal-tar color. Does the product contain a synthetic fragrance? Don't use it. Are any of the chemicals listed above on the ingredients label? Don't use it. You may find out that some of your allergic problems will suddenly go away when you no longer use cosmetics with synthetics and petrochemicals.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/toxic_cosmetics.cfm

Be Still

What is your intention for today?

Have you taken a moment to be still and to listen to your inner voice?

Have you taken a moment to thank the Source of Life for your blessings?

Do you have blessings to be thankful for?

Do something good for yourself. Take time to be still today and listen to your heart of hearts.

Are you allowing your light to shine?

What is it that you want out of LIFE?

Spiritual Aroma

What essential oil speaks to you, lately.....

For me it has been Lemon.

Lemon has a scent that represents smiles, Sunshine and bright blessings.

I find it very uplifting especially during these winter months

It is good energizing.... I think most all citrus is but lemon is special.


What does Valerie Worwood say about LEMON in Aromatherapy for the Soul aka The Fragrant Heavens?


Lemon is vitalizing and purifying to the mind, body and soul. It allows directness and clarity in prayer. Angels often use this vibration to send feelings of happiness and calmness to us, to remind us to use the fertility and richness of the planet correctly.

Creative Treat

Sharing with you here a slide show by one of my new favorite spiritual artists. Her name is El* Brooks and she lives in South Australia. Aboriginal dreamtime spiritual creations seem to influence her work. Thank you El* for the gift of you, for sharing.

Find more photos like this on Lightworkers Healing Federation

New Moon

We entered the New Moon phase last night. So today is the first full day of our beautiful New Moon.

The celebration of the new moon is a women's holy day in the Hebrew tradition. Rosh Chodesh as it is called. A time to rest, relax and just be. Celebrating the start of a new month.

New moon is also a good time for starting new projects, implement new goals and work towards growth in what ever endeavor you have set forth.

I believe it is very important to take time and acknowledge the cycles of our planets. Those very cycles are very much a part of your life and should be witnessed. The changing of the seasons and even night into day.

When we take time to observe change that is going on around us...the ebb and flow of life's energy it helps us to stay centered and focus on what is within.

Our body is part and parcel of the earth and what ever affects the earth also affects our body, mind and spirit.

I am thankful for the opportunity to see yet another New Moon in my lifetime here on Mother Earth.

Just for Today, I will take time to acknowledge the wonders of the passing of time. And will be that much more conscientious of how I number my days.

Your Mind Is Controlled

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What Dreams Are Made Of

"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream." ~~Lao Tzu

"Nuture your mind with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes." ~~Benjamin Disraeli

"There are times to cultivate and create, when you nurture your world and give birth to new ideas and ventures. There are times of flourishing and abundance, when life feels in full bloom, energized and expanding. And there are times of fruition, when things come to an end. They have reached their climax and must be harvested before they begin to fade. And finally of course, there are times that are cold and cutting and empty, times when the spring of new beginnings seems like a distant drea. Those rhythms in life are natural events. They weave into one another as day follows night, bringing not messages of hope and fear, but messages of how things are." ~~Chogyam Trungpa

image from http://www.easy-dream-interpretation.com/