During my 21 day fasting period in January, I was on a restricted and healthy Daniel diet,  with my last week consisting of liquids only. I tried a few hi cardio cycling classes that I am normally used to, but I was so focused on peace and self-reflection, I decided to try Penny’s offer for a FREE yoga class. I have been in yoga periodically, when I feel I need a good stretching and breathing, but this was truly a unique experience.

Penny was awesome. Her class is very much focused on something we all take for granted…breathing. While we were in some great relaxation poses, she pauses to read a few lines of reflective poetry. Several times during the session she came around and applied healing touch to help with a pose or move.

Near the end, we melted our bodies to the floor, and she covered me with thick blankets. Then she got out the lavendar oil and proceeded to give me a shoulder and neck massage, while I still melted even further into the floor. I could have stayed there, at one with their floor, the rest of the morning, but alas,

life calls.

I was feeling really spoiled and asked her if she does this for everyone. She said she takes the time to go around the room and do this for each person.

In some of my wellness classes we discuss the benefits of breathing, relaxation, self-care, and she embodies them all in one class. That is why I am so fortunate that they are allowing me to teach my classes in their facility. It is a great fit.

I highly recommend you call her and schedule a free class.

You will be hooked.

Life’s Journey Yoga and Wellness

634 Kingsley Ave.

Orange park FL 32073

904-276-3116

Changing Habits

Well, the 21 day daniel fasting period is over. The whole experience was wonderful and helped me by-

developing some new eating habits (my food cravings have changed. I no longer desire coffee in the morning, but wonderful chai or green tea)

new spiritual habits (time for God, time for reading which I forgot how much I LOVE, time for rest)

and commitment to taking care of me (had some great yoga classes, and committed to specific fitness goals!) I also discovered that if you are burning 1400 calories in a cycling class during a week of liquids only you had better bring a gallon of water!!

I was also able to gain some awesome clarity on my purpose for 2010 and beyond.

Vision

Over the past 6 years of speaking, teaching, and connecting with others, I have noticed some major issues in other’s lives that are tremendously impacting their physical, emotional and spiritual health all over this country. As much as I love being an artist, it has been on my heart to use my skills and talents to make a difference in these areas.

I have also spoken recently with several different medical doctors who are frustrated. They know that many of the illnesses they are seeing with their patients could be avoided with minor changes in diet and lifestyle habits. They can prescribe these changes, but their patients may not know HOW to implement, or have accountability to be consistent.

 In the next few weeks I will be finalizing my certification as a Wellness Coach. Beginning immediately, I will be offering the following courses to any size groups or gatherings that desire to be more empowered on these issues.

This can be -

office settings

neighbors at home gatherings

church groups 

Most of the classes involve hands-on activities to keep the learning FUN, but I assure you it is powerful information from some of the leading nutritional researchers, naturopaths and clinical studies in the US.

For the next few months these courses will be free. I am excited about establishing more connections and hope to eventually develop one-on-one coaching clients for those that desire the personal accountability.

Course Topics (FREE)

Changing lifestyle habits & What holds us back

Optimum Life 101 (Nutritional Health & Balance workshop)

Optimum Aging 102 (Controlling our aging) What are the 9 leading habits we can learn from centenarian communities?

We all have Stress – but does stress have you? Tips to remaining balanced

Life after Loss – Tips on moving forward

The value of True Connections 

After CWC certification-Corporate packages and HRAs will be available based on business size and needs.

Call (904) 534-8482 or email sophia@dare2shine.com for a free consultation or to schedule an event.

I am excited about this new venture and already have several venues set up for the upcoming weeks! I might even have to put a calendar back on my website soon!! Woohoo!

I am still smack in the middle of the 21 day daniel fast, with one week to go.  I am thinking of going all liquids the last week, but will see how I feel tomorrow and if it is what I truly want to do. I have so much on my plate to do this week and I want the fasting to enable me to think LESS about food. I have found myself taking up too much valuable time contemplating what I will eat and what fits in the diet, etc. Are grains allowed at all? Am I eating too many high-carb veggies like carrots and potatoes? Well, YEH, but I do not want to have to worry about all of that.

Weight management will come on the 30th when I get the new Qore system! woohoo! But for now, I am fasting for more spiritual and emotional purposes. And it is great!

It has been a nice reprieve to be abstaining from social media this month. It has been good to evaluate whether I was involved in twitter and facebook for business/ministry purposes, or for pleasure. or all of the above.  I am reading several books, and listening to my new audio New Testament I got from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I will be writing a review on it soon.

The month has flown by, and I am coming closer to solidifying my new goals and purpose for the new year. I feel refreshed and excited about it all, but still have so much to do to get ready for it. I think I am destined to always have that feeling, like I have too many things and not enough time. It is one of the hassles of being creative and entrepreneurial. My mind is always full of ideas and projects. But it is nice to know they are all neatly bundled into one specific stream of goals and purpose, and not a gazillion tangents like before.

I am growing. I am finding so much joy in the process of learning, reading, connecting, and will be pursuing plans for 2010 Significance meetings. Coming soon-

In the meantime, I don’t want to unveil everything before it’s time. So I am savoring my green shakes, getting back into the routine of gym. (remember anything becomes a habit after 21 days!!) and reading and reading.

Heck, I finally took down my Christmas tree.

and cleaned those dirty spots in the corner of the kitchen floor, under the cabinets that nobody else really sees but me.

and finished my taxes.

I am sure I will get back into social media, come February.

and eat sushi. WITH the shrimp sauce.

But atleast I now have a little more control over my time, schedule and the specific purposes behind everything I do.

and that is totally worth the 21 days.

We had a semi- crisis here on the homefront yesterday and today. Apparently Volcano, the hamster, began to get violent. The pet shop said there is a good chance she is pregnant. She was so mean that Jo was worried for Vortex’s life. So we took her back and traded her in. It is sad, but he still did not know for sure if she was pregnant and nesting or just unexplainably mean. We traded her in for a new one, now called Storm.

Storm is quite squirrel-y and never stopped racing around since we put her in the cage yesterday. This morning Jo was taking her out to get to know her better (when he was suppoesed to be getting ready to head out to school!!), and she got away!! She is loose in my house and we cannot find her.

I finally coaxed him in the car and got him to school, bawling. It seems like such a tragedy and really is to him, in his reality. But it is one of the many experiences in the ups and downs of having pets.

I am still searching and cleaning. Maybe she will show. Maybe not.

In the meantime, I am getting some more emails on the whole Haiti thing, and it really helps put us in a new perspective of how truly blessed we are.  Hamsters are a nice luxury compared to the many children that are now parent-less in the devastation.

I added the banner onto my sidebar.

Hoping a donation or two will make a difference.

Vortex wakes up!

I must admit JoBear’s investment in hamsters, using his Christmas money, was a good choice. We are having so much fun with “the girls” and learning new responsibilities on their care. Recently when we had a freakish cold snap here in Florida, we noticed they were getting white streaks. By the next day they were completely white!

So we got on the internet and explored. We discovered we have, not just hamsters, but “Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamsters“. Apparently they turn white in the winter, supposedly by the shortened days, but I think it was the cold snap that did it. Our house got a bit chillier than it has EVER been.

I am reflecting back on the very specific reason that I moved to Florida, 20 yrs ago, and hoping we FEEL warm sun again in the next week. 

But in the meantime, we will have something new to enjoy! They are named Volcanoe and Vortex, after superheroes. Since Jo loves LEGOS, he built some little houses for them that they love to enter into to start their underground dwellings.

Vortex is the one that has had her ear chewed off. We do not know if that happened unnoticed at the pet store, or if it was done on the way home, but if so, there is a slight chance that volcanoe is a male. For now we are still calling them “the girls”.

Volcanoe and Vortex

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries…
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
(wife of Robert Browning)

This is one of my favorite quotes. I never tire of it, and was reminded of it today as I woke up and realized it is th first day of the 21 day fasting and prayer. Metaphorically speaking, I will be taking of my shoes, barefoot, or just especially honoring God in my everyday life with more fasting, prayer, Bible study and reading of great positive books that uplift me and help me gain focus on where I am headed in 2010.

I was planning that morning latte, and then remembered that I had decided to do the Daniel fast.

Sometimes I may doubt myself and my goals and all that I SHOULD be doing but there were some obvious SIGNS in my life in the past few days that were TOO coincidental, and made it very clear what I was going to do through the end of January. I think God is in the little things, the everyday of our life, and sometimes He can surely make it obvious, what we are to do.

1. I had considered giving up twitter and facebook, but kept wondering if I really HAD to. After all it is such a small fraction of my time to just tweet what I am doin, maybe inspire or encourage another. But then, 2 days ago, part of my keyboard stopped working. Not just any part, but the top row of symbols/numbers. This meant I had no at @ sign to respond to another tweet. I could not even write my own address to sign into facebook. I also was missing my ! which is always necessary to show my excitement and enthusiasm!! or my ( quotes ) to parenthesize the tangents in my head. It was so frustrating! I was having to copy and paste exclamation points from old emails. So I KNEW that social media was goin for the month.

Now that I have solidified the commitment (and announced it), the dang thing is miraculously working again.

2. I went in to make a cup of coffee, and realized there just happened to be enough grounds for ONE MORE CUP. So I graciously prepared the latte machine for my husband and accepted the obvious 2 x 4 across my head.

3. I went to the bookstore with Jacob-13 last night. I really did not want to get out in the cold, but he wanted to go. I had some books I could look up, so we went and I sat for over an hour, reading Jack Canfield’s new book , “The Success Principle”. He started the Chicken Soup for the Souls. It was great, and it got me so excited for the new year and new goals. I had to remind myself that I am holding off on specifics and using this time in January to gain clarity. So I came home even more fired up and anxious for the fasting time to begin.

4. My husband, Wildman, and I had already scheduled time for this morning to get together and discuss new goals. I was able to use some of the new “strategic communication questions” that I learned in Jack’s book, and we had a great talk. We are on the same page, and I am going into this 21 day commitment with much more clarity of purpose.

So no more tweets or facebook for 21 days. No more coffee and all the restrictions of the Daniel diet. But YAY, more reading ,more exercise, more prayer time with God, more praise and worship. I might even blog a little about my experience.

unless my keyboard speaks to me again..:)

The www.Awake21.org fasting is coming up this Sunday. I knew I wanted to participate this year, as I am anxious for the whole experience to help me gain more focus and clarity on my relationship with God and personal calling in life for 2010. The Daniel fast is an incredible diet for all of us to learn and practice, regardless, from a health perspective, so this is all good for mind body and spirit! Here are just a few tips I thought I would share based on my experience with diets and wellness!

Alkalinity

Years ago I was studying up on the alkaline/acid balance of our bodies and found the alkaline diet. Bad cells cannot thrive in an alkaline environment and yet most of our American diet is very acidic. Then I was so floored to realize that an alkaline diet IS the Daniel Diet. Daniel knew EXACTLY what he was doing way back when. Well, more likely that God knew what He was doing, and Daniel was obedient.

So this year I am kicking it up a notch. We already take some incredible supplements and I am anxious to get a handle on my love for great foods and press on with this 21 day, life-changing commitment.

Awake21.org

Awake21 has some good fasting tips and a description of the Daniel. It is basically a vegan type diet, removing animal products, most grains and acidic foods as well as any preservatives. I have read before that there are a few alkaline grains like oatmeal, which I still allow. They also have some great pages to explain more about the why and the how.

Liquids

After the first 7 days, I plan to go to liquids only, including smoothies and vegetable broth. I am excited about getting some great recipes from my friend, Penny, the Wellness coordinator and RAW friend at Life’s Journey Yoga. She may have some raw suggestions to help us have a variety and experiment with new foods in smoothie form. We have been in the habit for years of taking a highly efficacious, live enzyme and chlorophyll GREENS product in our smoothies about once a week, so I know my boys have consumed more antioxidants and plant nutrients than most do in a month. (They will be participating with their own fasting goals, not mine)

Detox

Our family is currently on a Qore system of a time release probiotic and a quarterly detox. The detox is incredible MCP (and Kelp) which has had years of studies with removing heavy metals and detoxing other contaminants. We are on this every quarter so I will not have to take it during the fasting time, but let the water and lemon juice do the job.

Sugar

Needless to say, the Daniel diet restricts sugar. I just wanted to drive this point home. Even if you are not ready for a full-on FAST and are just considering eliminating some sweets-

Sugar mixed with a protein produces a process called Glycation or “browning” that happens to us as we age. Sugar is a biochemical disaster. Our bodies are not equipped for the intake of pure glucose. The average american consumes 24 tsp. of refined sugar per day! So any fasting or life changes we can make to break that habit (or cut it down) will be huge for us in the area of aging and quality of life.

Caffeine

I know I am going to have a challenge with getting off the bean again. I am so addicted to my morning Latte we make with our espresso machine. But I also know how damaging caffeine and diuretics like SODA are to the body-dehydrating the skin, internal organs, connective tissues and brain. I have become so reliant on my morning pick-me-up, even tho I know that is causing the lull I feel in the afternoons. There will be some side effects from quitting, but there are some wonderful herbal infused teas that are helpful and I plan to get back on them. www.teavana.com There’s only one teavana in town and we used to have teavana runs for our whole gang every month! (Ginko biloba is also beneficial for addictions)

Water

Lastly, I just want to stress how great this experience will be to get and remain HYDRATED. After age 40, we are now only 60% water, not the 70% of our youth. Most people actually STAY in a state of dehydration, which is damaging to cell function. I am excited to know that staying hydrated is essential to burning fat as well as elimination and all the other good stuff. So I am drinking UP for the month of January, and hopefully establishing some new habits that will stay.

Typically it is recommended to divide your body weight by 2 = oz per day. But if you exercise, you need an additional 8 oz for every 20 minutes you exercised. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks do not count as water.

If you decide that you are going to undertake something like this in January to start your new year, I would love to hear more about your plans by email or comments!

The Source of all Wildness

Usually you can find me here writing about my wild boys. Their antics usually are consuming most of my waking thoughts. I have shared the reason behind the term “Wild”, stemming from Eldredge’s book “Wild at Heart”, and how I KNOW there is a divine purpose for them being just as they are. They will be creative, independent leaders someday. You can read more about them here to the right-

see, in the sidebar. My book.

But right now at 9 and 13, Wild says it best.

But today I thought I would mention the source of all wildness.

well, in this little family, anyway.

Wildman.

Someday I hope to take the time to write more confessions about our first date, with Phil collins playing in the background, our elopement right before his 7 month Navy cruise, or the way he still cancels out all misgivings when he kisses me with those lips….

umm.

but for now I thought I would just introduce him a little.

WORK, WORK, WORK

We have walked through some stuff – Wildman and I. Through all 21 years of the stuff, he has never ceased to support me and my creative flairs, my gifts, my art, my projects, my ministry, my speaking (well He did encourage me to slow down with that) and my talents. There have been times that he really had a hard time seeing the vision I saw, but if I expressed a desire to press on,  he wanted me to be happy. My art has never been the most lucrative choice (hence the term starving artist), but he wanted my happiness and worked to help me make them happen.

Through our 8 years as special needs parents, he supported us, and continued on through homeschooling and ministry endeavors.

He was there.

working.

He is a great salesman, and after leaving the Navy, jumped right into the workforce and made things happen. He has been one of the top salesman in his company (6 stores) for many years, and was promoted to the role of store manager, AND sales, the same month our oldest son passed away. I really wanted him to step down, but he felt that we needed the income and he stayed and has done a phenomenal job.

This is phenomenal when I think of him, his personal habits, his spontaneous and unpredictable nature. Sometimes we may kid about the adult ADD thing, but man, he is there, consistently, taking care of this family, takin care of business, and I am so proud.

The great thing about sales is that YOU determine your income, your input and your calendar. The challenge right now is that with the economical changes going on, everyone is affected. Sales still provides  some flexibility, but it takes much longer hours, more driving, more calls and more effort to make a percentage of a previous income.

We have nominated Dave Ramsey as Director of Finances for 2010 and are diligently working his plan. So I am thinking of new ventures that I want to pursue, and started really contemplating what Wildman would like to do, if he had the choice to even think about that.

DREAMS

He is very established in the Orange park community and loves his job and plans to stay there, but what does he really LOVE to do with his spare time?

Well, I can rule out becoming a professional football player, since he prefers watching.

And although he has healed from his 2 ruptured discs, we cannot afford for him to go pro in Basketball right now.

But in addition to that- He cooks.

I mean, he reeally cooks.

Having Greek roots, his grandfather came from Asia minor persecution to America for a better life. They all cook. They feast. The Dentistes in North Carolina have always been in restaurants and know how to whip up an awesome feast with their eyes closed, and for absolutely any reason.

Wildman made a very specifically conscious choice years ago to leave the restaurant business and its stressful lifestyle, but I know deep-down he would love to cook. Just for entertaining, not a job.

So as much as I am setting goals this year for me and my talents, I am setting a goal to eventually be able to send him to an exotic European cooking school, maybe a week in Greece or Italy.

Of course, I will need to go with him just for moral support.

And to taste his yummy creations.

yum.

So until the day that I am able to send take him to an exotic cooking school, I will just encourage you to stop by his store.

He is the manager of Carpet N Drapes in Orange Park, FL on Blanding Boulevard.

If you are in the market for flooring, cabinets, window treatments, cement, or other refurbishing, or if you just have floors and want them cleaner, or KNOW someone who has floors-

 he is in that business and will be able to take care of you. or them.

Ask for WILDMAN and you will get a free lithograph print of mine, with the HOPE scripture from Lamentations.

Sometimes he does Customer Appreciation Saturdays, where he COOKS. Right there, in the store. That’s right.

No, they don’t worry about whether someone drops food on the floor.

got a cleaner for that.

I am trying to convince him to start cooking in the store every last Saturday of the month, maybe even a taste of GREEK.

Will let you know if that creative idea takes flight.

Carpet N Drapes

351 Blanding Blvd.

Manager- Robert Dentiste

904-591-5484

www.carepetndrapes.com

Free In Home Estimates

NEW GOALS

I am not sure about my convictions for the year yet, but this I do know -  I am waiting. I am feeling the intense desire and calling to seek God and His heart and purpose for this new Year. I am still reflecting back over the past decade, and all we walked, or really flitted through-

We moved into our new home, had a new baby JoBear, lost my oldest son, Joshua, in 02, and spent the next several years trying to figure out what  was causing Jo’s meltdowns. It really was almost a decade of grief and meltdowns. Through it all God was still there and we have some really blessed moments to remember. All the while having a ministry, speaking at over 200 engagments, building a network, quitting speaking to stay closer to home, starting a wall mural business again, ending a wall mural business after one REALLY good month, and discovering Jo was allergic to gluten, videogames, loud crowds, over sensory environments, and well, “change”.

Knowledge is empowering. He is a big boy now and once again, just as I am feeling like I mastered an era, the family dynamics go and change on me again. But Praise God, it is a good thing.

So before I run off into the new year with my hair on fire, I decided to take january to seek God and His input on the matter. What a novel idea!

I am looking back int othe wake of all the things I masterfully started..not all finished. Being creative (or ADD?) means always having new ideas, new interests, getting a wild flair to paint or design a flyer, start a network of women, build connections, minister, blog- its always something. Its always good and I know God gave me these talents, but so many varying activities cannot always be His purpose. I know I need to simplify and get focused on my priorities to see blessings in specific areas this year.

So before I run off on any tangents, as good as they may be, I am just waiting. This is probably one of the least favorite things I like to do.

CONTROL

I relate it to sitting and waiting for my husband, Wildman, to finish flipping channels and stay on one long enough to evaluate its content, maybe even camp there, and set down the remote. Of course, he will never set down the remote when anyone else is in the room, and I eventually will become so frustrated with the lack of control that I have, and wander off to sort papers, or blog or create something that I know I can DO. I know this is a control-thing.

As has always been my struggle with God. Relinquishing control and waiting on Him to move in my life. I used to have  fabulous message on the very subject of relinquishing control and letting God carry us, through the fires or grief and challenges, but you know, it is a DAILY decision, and so continually living it is still the challenge.

GPS

Or another example, how I feel when I am in the passenger seat and my husband is taking alternate routes, off the beaten path (which he has done now for 21 years) and I am sitting there, knowing we are lost, knowing he will not admit it, knowing, we are not going to ask for directions and will most likely be late for the event, but having to wait until he finds his way back. That is frustrating.

Well fortunately that is a thing of the past now that we have GPS on our phones, and FORTUNATELY, God always knows exactly where He is going. So when I wait on Him, I know I cannot lose, will not get off-course and will not have to ask anyone else for directions. Seeking Him IS the map, the journey, and the destination.

So as much as I am not comfortable “waiting”, I know it is what I should be doing right now. I am “proactively” participating in the www.awake21.org fasting and prayer, that lasts 21 days in the month of January. Here is a great site for fasting options. I love the Daniel fast, as it is so close to the vegan Hallelujah acres fast that we were implementing years ago. My Dad first introduced it to us, being good friends with some of the founders in NC.

While I am in this process, I cannot say whether I will write or not. I am not committing to blogging, (altho I creatively DESIRE to set up topics for each day of the week, get more proficient with my nikon, and and hit the blog running…)

I am not.

I will, however, probably share a bit of what I am walking through, when I can. The official fasting starts next Sunday. I will be in the gym most of the month, in a daily Bible study, and focusing on home. Home will consist of helping our whole family plan appropriate meals according to whatever fasts they each feel called to implement-Helping our whole family keep a focus. Cheerfully being In the present, supporting my guys in wrestling, Basketball, premier travel Basketball, and a new emphasis on reading books consistently, charity and family bible study.

I have faith that I am not giving up my talents, business or ministry or even plans to continue the Significance event we so enjoyed last month, but will be just holding off for a few weeks to gain some CLARITY on where my energies should be.

As Pastor Kerri Weems said, years ago, “Anytime you say YES to something, it is an automatic NO to something else”.

I encourage you to think about that when you commit to your community, friends, church and self.  Yes- even church. What are you saying no to, especially concerning your number one ministry of serving family? I mean, we need to get that one right. If family is not right, all the others dim in comparison.

I hope you will join me in these reflections this month and would love to hear from you in your experiences!