Be a warrior of love.

I don't think there can ever be enough love in the world.  That's why there needs to be hippie warriors; those that stand tall, with their head aligned perfectly over their necks, arms held out in a "T" position, ready to hold an arrow that will target those who need love the most.

Many people are standing in line waiting for the arrow to hit them, and they may not even know it.  When it hits, they have two choices.  They can:

1)   allow the energy of the arrow to permeate throughout their bodies, nourishing every cell, which may help them heal physically and emotionally

or...

2)  resist the arrow's energy, only to find that they are depleted in every way, shape or form.

If you have the energy to give, then what's stopping you?  Our job is to share, and we can do so liberally.  It's the other person's problem if they don't accept what we have to offer.  Everyone is on their own journey in life, that's for sure.

So, go be a "hippie warrior of love."  How many arrows will you ignite into the world around you?
Oh, how I hope they are all received by those targeted.  Can you imagine what the world would look like?  I can, because I am a "hopeful optimist"!

When friends need soup

Someone has a baby.   Another person breaks her leg, finding herself confined to her home for months.  The neighbor down the street is on the couch with the flu.  What this means to me is a call to action for "love soup."

What is love soup?

Did anyone ever see the movie "Like Water for Chocolate?" where any creation made turns into a magical feast of yummy?  That's the idea I have in mind each time I make my love soup.

I know that it works, because people ask for the recipe and I'm not sure how to answer, because the ingredients change from time to time.

The only constancy that rings true is the idea that when I think of the person I'm offering the soup to, I stir all of the ingredients, and send love to him/her.  It also might help that I use Maidya Mishra's ayurvedic herbs, such as Moringa Leaf Soup Mix, Soma Salt and SVA Mum's Super Spice.  All of those products are imbedded with herbs that heal the body and soul.  Even my kids "drink" this soup up, and they're not always fond of my "healthy" meals.

What should you do the next time you feel called to make a creation for someone you love?  Take out your crock pot (or go buy one).  Throw in Bob's Red Mill Soup Mix, or dried black, pinto or kidney beans (or all of the above).  Add in butternut squash, garlic, onion, carrots and any other vegetable that you have waiting to be part of this loving creation.  Add in the herbs and wait.

Each time I make the love soup, it turns out differently.  Isn't that what life is about anyway?  We have a plan going in, and sometimes the plan works.  Other times, the plan works better than our wildest dreams could ever imagine.

I hope that the soup will help the new mom find the time to snuggle her little even more.  I hope that my friend with the broken leg gets to relax and find peace instead of worrying what to serve her family for dinner.  I hope my neighbor down the street heals soon enough to join us outside for our sun-filled days.

I hope you'll spread the idea of cooking with love and share it with your world.

Blessings,

Lisa

P.S.  To order the ayurvedic herbs, go to www.chandika.com
++I have no affiliation with this company.

An iPhone Holiday?

Growing up, I remember my father would tell us to stop watching the "boob tube".   Can anyone else relate to this comment?  Television was supposed to be the demise of our society.  On a radio show, someone recently asked what  happened to the "good 'ole days", where families would sit around  watching television together.  What was once the judgement of yesteryear, some are now craving the simplicity of once was.

Will this be the experience of today's generation when it comes to technology use?  Everywhere we turn, there are opportunities to be plugged in, and just when we think we have a handle on what's happening, there's new technology waiting right around the corner.

National Public Radio (NPR) published an Apple generated story about a near 14 year old boy that appears to be disconnected from his family as they are celebrating the Holidays.   I won't spoil the "ending" since the clip is shared at the end of this post.  What I'm sure we all can ascertain is television, iPhones, iPads, personal computers and all other technology yet to be discovered, are here to stay.  This is how the vast majority of today's teens choose to connect (and stay connected) in the world.

When my oldest was a toddler, he loved Superman.  He would dress in a cape laden with red, blue and yellow and run around the house jumping from couch to couch.  Instead of missing out on what consumed most of his day, I bought a large book all about this super hero.  There we were, reading all about him.  Superman swoops down from a building just in time to save the world.  Superman defends himself from numerous rockets.  Superman even flies into the sunrise.  And there I was, watching the engrossed eyes of my son, as he soaked in every word.   By connecting with him without judgement, the love between us flowed even more.

Yes, there can be limits in our homes around technology use.  I've made a conscious decision to refrain from use when our family is all together in the evening.  What's missing is the opportunity to join and learn from the younger generation; how they think and interact with technology may build some forms of intimacy and connection that are not in our scope of practice.   Today I will use the experience of Superman and apply it to my children's thirst for technology.  I promise not to yell, "Get off the boob tube, or iPod!" and first see how I can join them in their world of wonder.

Maybe, if I'm lucky, our family will create our own version of an iPhone Holiday.

Wish me luck.