This time of year we hear so much about being thankful. Being grateful for all we have. Fall is harvest time, a chance to bring in the fruits of your labor and have stores for the winter. A while back there was a thing on Facebook for the whole month of November where you would post daily something you were thankful for, many people participated. It is so wonderful to offer gratitude for all that you’ve been given. Not just the produce you grew, but to remember the people that are blessings in your life. To be grateful for all the things you have. To enjoy the sunshine, the breeze, the chirping birds in the trees... It is a good time to be present in every moment and be mindful of how beautiful your life is.   

I have gone on two mission trips to Guatemala with the God’s Child Project. There is nothing that shows you just how luxurious your life is like building a 16 x 16-foot HOUSE for a family of 5. That is the size of most American garden...

You don’t have to be miserable. It is so easy to get sucked into those feelings of despair, hopelessness, darkness, anxiety, and sadness. It is even easier to stay in that place. You know why? Because we often allow the thoughts that we have to keep us there. Because it is so much easier to fall than it is to get back up. Because we stay in the same pattern day in and day out.

Remember when we talked about vibration and how it affects your body? Falling into these patterns of darkness is allowing our bodies to vibrate at such a low, slow speed that we become miserable. Then it becomes a dark and twisty tunnel of negative thoughts, low-frequency foods, dark music, and TV, and before you know you have yourself convinced that your whole life is a wreck. You’re a wreck. You can’t do anything right... blah...blah...blah.

You do not have to live this way.

Again, for you in the back.

YOU. DO. NOT. HAVE. TO. LIVE. THIS. WAY.

You get to decide what thoughts are on...

Have you ever been driving down the road, singing along to the radio, only half aware of what is happening, when all of a sudden a deer steps out onto the highway?! You immediately slam on the brakes, your heart starts racing, and after you know you’re both safe you continue on your way. Except now your heart is pounding and you may be breathing a little hard from that quick burst of excitement. You know the feeling I’m talking about. It is an instant adrenaline rush, stemming from fear.

Now imagine staying in that heart racing state for days on end.

Yikes.

That is exactly what happens to your body when you live in fear. Fear of failure. Fear of disappointment. Fear of judgment. Fearing for your safety. Whether it’s a fear of something physical and tangible, or it’s a fear of an emotion, the way your body reacts is the same. It releases a surge of Cortisol and Adrenaline to keep you alert and able to respond to any life-threatening situation. You know like a...

Have you walked by a pool of stagnant water that stunk? One that had a coat of green on the top? One that you prayed your kids wouldn’t play in because that smell is not going to come out of those clothes? On the same token, have you seen a clear mountain river? One where the water is fresh, crisp, and cool? Where it flows peacefully downstream and becomes a habitat for thriving life of all kinds. Your body’s energy is just like this! When it is stagnant, not flowing, and not moving, it is not appealing. On the other hand, when it does flow, it becomes clear and vibrant. A home for growth and vitality.   

So often we allow ourselves to remain stagnant. Sometimes people will say they’re in a rut. They will say they don’t feel like they know who they are anymore. Or that life is boring, there’s no spark. That they are tired of feeling tired. Same S**t Different Day. Same ol’, same ol’... there’s a million...

There are a million studies out there talking about screen time. How much is too much? When should you turn your devices off? What about that blue light business? Is it different for adults and children? I’m not going to dive into any of that. Instead of hashing out how long, when, where, and who, let’s look into what you view. When I was young, my friends and I had a CD that we called the “Depression CD.” We’d listen to it when we were having an off day, after a break-up, or just whenever we were a little low. It was 13 country songs, from the country era of slow broken-hearted ballads. Nothing upbeat. Nothing empowering. Nothing that would help turn your mood around. Instead, it was about being engulfed by that sadness, by that slow, depressive movement. We used these songs when we were feeling low because they matched our vibration (learn more about your vibration here). The energy was the same. It felt comfortable to listen to because it...