Today is a good day.  

I have soup boiling.  

Both dogs are happy.  

My home is semi-clean.  

     In many ways things are going kind of well..shitty... but for the most part I can see the daily joys and have so much to be grateful for.  I am holding in my heart that all things will be OK and that I am on the right path to bring me to something more.

     I am concentrating on how my life is one of service and how my mission in life is to lift up others from their dark places.  I am doing that in several ways lately.  It is funny though to see how wanting to live a life in service will attract certain unhealthy types of people/situations.  For the most part I see why my life has been drawn several times to working with children.  I see a long line of kids who have benefited from my presence in the way they needed at the time.  I realise now though how my lack of boundaries have prevented me from achieving my best work.  What stands out the most though is how I see my life has not only influenced kids, but families.  I really appreciate taking care of families as a whole and basically just loving people.  Sometimes I do honestly want to get away from people though and all their demands.  Recognising my boundaries now, I am learning to respect these feelings and give myself time to heal and rest from what have been some very hard days.  

     All people come to you perfectly imperfect.  All people come to you as teachers and students.  All people have the opportunity to hurt you or help you.  I wonder about life and if our mission is to be of use to others or to focus on ourselves.  I pondered this with a woman I respect last week.  She added to my life mission the care for my own spirit.  Hmm, that thought gives me the permission to rest and devote some of my time to self care.  That looks different to everyone but overall for me now it means to make and eat health giving foods, invest as much time as possible with my loved ones, to spend parts of my day in prayer and bible study,  mainly to give myself the time to hear answers to my questions.  My most important question is WHAT IS NEXT?  While living in and care-taking this moment, what should I do in the now to give myself the tomorrow that makes the most of my time on earth.

Rom 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Christmas Xmas Winter Solstice Bodhi Day Ramadan Hanukkah Kwanzaa Yule

   

     Nearing Christmas...thinking about things which have lead up to Christmas.  What have I learned in my childhood about this time of year, what has the media taught me, what traditions inspire me, and what do I really believe?  Do I need belief?  Overall, at this time of year I see a lot of people running on their conditioning.  I have come to question it for many reasons, mainly my wonder at what we are really celebrating and why.  I was not raised in a religious home so there was no discussion of Christ in Christmas.  I was raised with Santa, gifts, turkey and The Grinch.  So, Christmas for me was about the dependability of traditions, media versions of holiday perfection and a few gifts to play with over the winter break.

       Living in China presented me with a lot of questions.  Everyone wanted to know about God, Jesus, trees, food, all things foreign and I was the go to for my classes.  After all, I am white and so there for Christian and a leader for the "Father Jesus" class.  (They actually meant Santa Claus! haha)  I researched my habits like never before.  How can I explain to a group of desperate and/or doubting persons my irrational beliefs in trees and mangers.  I presented the tree as a tradition that gives us comfort in a dark time of the year.  That I was not a Pagan but I did it for the tradition which originated in Pagan beliefs.  And therefore presented the real tradition of the Holiday Tree which I will share with you just in case you did not know why we have decorated trees.  

     Dating back centuries before Christ (notice the irony of calling this a "Christ"mas tree) Pagans brought evergreen trees, plants, and leaves into their homes upon the arrival of the winter solstice December 21st and 22nd-ish.  People practised slightly differently according to countries and cultures, however, the symbolism was for the most part the same.  To celebrate the return of life at the beginning of winter's decline.  Seems like a logical thing to do when you are dependant on such things as the seasons, weather, farming, etc for survival.  Plus let's face facts, the practical use is also important.  By that time of year the air in your home would stink something fierce and all those fresh tree scents would be a big improvement on the general funk of B.O. and stored foods.  In addition to the trees, Pagans gave us the charming yule log, mistletoe  wreaths, the colours red, green and white.  Other customs include candles/lights, gift-giving, singing, feasting and making resolutions.  Hmm sound familiar?  Also the rituals for this time are personal renewal, world peace and the honouring of family and friends.  

     How did all this make what we know as Christmas?  When I see things like Keep The Christ In Christmas I get angry at people for not examining a little bit of the truth behind what this holiday is.  These same people put up a manger and tree side by side.  This makes me curious as to how much people know about being a Christian as the The Bible indicates that the Lord gave an order  "Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Although the nations are terrified by them; For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. "They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter."  There are also other passages which make it seem as though celebrating Christmas is idolatry, and inheriting Pagan customs that are against the Christian God.   

      So...where does that leave me?  I set up a tree, had people over, I have received gifts and have given a few,  written cards and wished many people Merry Christmas with a hug.  So I guess you can say I am somewhat undecided.  I like the things that I have been raised with and keeping the traditions gives me comfort.  This year that is enough for me.  Over all though, if you believe in Jesus or not, his messages certainly fit this time of year.

Love your neighbours, help the needy and let your light shine!

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will 

be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will 

not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.

Henry David Thoreau

Examining The Things You Take For Granted

     One very important lesson that I have gained through travel is how you are shaped by your environment.  Our environment includes that which we see others doing, that which we are coached to do and the things that we learned on our own by trial and error.  One aspect of my daily life that I realized I have been brainwashed into is CLEANING!  Western culture is obsessed with CLEAN!  But what is clean?  Do we need it?  Does it really benefit us enough to focus on it as much as we do?  There are necessary times when having a sterile environment is required ( hospitals, surgery, etc) but why are people obsessed with it in their home and on their physical body?  I wonder if there is so much in the world now that frightens people, so many directions pressuring us that to have something controllable which we can work on daily gives us a feeling of autonomy.  Something that gives us a sense of staying on top that which we fear.  However, other than the psychological benefit of control, is it really something that enhances our lives?  Look into who says cleaning is what we think it is, who it really benefits, and if it is in fact good for us.  Having germs in our environment actually makes us stronger.  Having a slightly messy house gives us more time for that which we love, and women (typically) often spend large amounts of time and money on unnecessary things.  Where could we channel this energy to better serve ourself, families and the world.

     I used to coat myself and my surroundings with all kinds of chemicals thinking I was doing what was necessary and right.  That is until I started getting rashes, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, and other symptoms that did not seem to have an answer.  Overtime I began to see that I am more sensitive than others.  I get very sick from chemicals in scents and in the environment   Realizing that I would have to relearn to take care of myself my search began.  My new best friends are vinegar, baking soda, borax, washing soda, salt, water, essential oils, dust collecting cleaning cloths, and VERY sparingly green bleach.  Most cleaners seem to have been introduced in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  This was the time of chemical experimentation in the home and in food.  DDT anyone?

     I will not go into all the details of what cleaning products do but  they are killing everything in their path and within the water system.  They are not just expensive to purchase, but also require the re-cleaning of water to make it "safe" for humans to drink.   It is not just the cleaning of our homes that influences us negatively.  For those of you who do not yet know, using those antibacterial hand soaps and gels, you should be aware that they contain Triclosan.  While we may think that chemical reactions are things like rashes and shortness of breath, there is more than that to chemical response.  

     The following is taken from Dr. Mercola's site drmercola.com
Triclosan is a chemical used to help reduce or prevent bacterial contamination, and it's commonly added to antibacterial soaps and body washes, toothpastes and certain cosmetics, as well as furniture, kitchenware, clothing and toys. If you see triclosan on a product label, I suggest putting that product back on the shelf, as this chemical is linked to a number of concerning side effects to human health and the environment.
Triclosan May Cause Hormone Disruption

• Exposure to triclosan disrupts thyroid hormone-associated gene expression  in frogs, even at low levels (triclosan exposure at 0.15 parts per billion was enough to disrupt a hormone-signaling system in frogs)

You may be aware that many girls are now reaching puberty at younger ages, a trend that has been linked back to chemicals that disrupt the human endocrine system and affect your hormones, which control development and other important functions in your body. One such chemical is triclosan, a chlorinated phenolic compound that has been found to have both estrogenic and androgenic activity and has been linked to hormone disruption in animals.

The Toxicological Sciences  study noted above found that triclosan affected estrogen-mediated responses, and chemicals that imitate estrogen are known to increase breast cancer risk. Triclosan also suppressed thyroid hormone in rats, and this is only one study of many showing this chemical to be a potent endocrine disrupter.

     Commercial cleaning products are expensive, harmful, in some cases deadly, and horrible for the environment.  Why did people start using commercial cleaners?  The miracles of science started us in the direction of clean by showing how many illnesses are caused by unclean surroundings and insects.  Enter HYGIENE!  Both personal hygiene and in the home become a focus for all home-makers.  Women as home-makers were targeted and educated as to the "proper" way to keep your home and family safe.  The problem with this as with most things are the companies selling the products are the ones who are doing the education.  

    There is no official ending to this blog, only that I hope you think about what you put in your home (paint, cleaning products, toxic furniture), on your body (toiletries, laundry products), into your body (toothpaste, mouthwash, medicine), etc.  Submitting to the brainwashing of companies who want to profit from your illness both while it is going into your body and for the treatment later when you will be dependant on the pharmaceutical industry for medication and cancer treatment.  Although this all sounds rather hopeless, we are in control and do not need to be fearful.  We can choose to educate ourselves one topic at a time to make more informed and better choices tomorrow.