Friday, January 11, 2013

Book Spotlight: Impossible Compassion



      



Impossible Compassion
by Edward Mannix

Genre: Self-Help
  • Print Length: 194 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1480188743
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  • Synopsis:
  •     How do we end suffering in our own life and on the planet? How do we bring about seemingly impossible outcomes such as miraculously healing our self from a fatal disease, saving the environment or ending violence and war?

        In his second book, Edward Mannix takes on our assumptions about what is possible and impossible for us as individuals and as a species, and he provides us with a new paradigm and new tools that enable us to achieve that which was previously unachievable.

        The new paradigm he presents includes two key concepts the author calls metaphysical causation and interlocking karma. 

        Metaphysical causation at first sounds a lot like the Law of Attraction but ends up being quite a bit different. According to the author it is not our thoughts that create our reality, but rather it is our karma or karmic imprints that are projected onto the movie screen of our life by the powerful projector of our soul. By moving the discussion away from the potency of our thoughts to something more difficult to observe - our karmic imprints - the book reveals to us important hidden aspects of the creative mechanism of life, and offers us the opportunity to intervene in this causal process in a new and powerful way. For those readers who have tried the Law of Attraction and found it sometimes effective and other times ineffective, it is likely that the information presented in this text will illuminate why those techniques often fall down. 

        Impossible Compassion provides a missing link of sorts, helping us identify and change our karmic imprints through the use of simple tools and processes that fall under the heading of what the author calls directed compassion. By utilizing our own compassion to alter the karmic imprints on the film of our soul - which the book teaches us how to do in specific detail - we can literally re-write the script of our life, leading to rapid and potentially miraculous changes in our external world.

        And, while according to metaphysical causation we each sit at the center of and in some way create our own universe, we are also all connected to one another and part of each others' created universes. In his discussion of what he calls interlocking karma, the author illuminates this critical paradox that is so often misunderstood or entirely missed by students and teachers of modern spirituality. In so doing, he gives us further insight into the process of reality unfolding, and it is with an understanding of interlocking karma that we can see how giving our self compassion can influence the physical health of a loved one or help bring about major changes in our collective reality, e.g., ending violence and war. 
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    About the Author



Edward Mannix has been on a conscious path of personal and spiritual development for over twenty years. He has practiced Vipassana meditation in a monastery in Burma, travelled to Nepal to receive teachings and empowerments from Tibetan Rinpoches, and worked with hidden masters from a number of traditions and geographies, spanning Asia, Europe and the United States. Throughout his journey, Edward has consistently focused on a form of practical spirituality – integrating his spiritual pursuits into ordinary life, not leaving worldly endeavors behind, but instead using them as a vehicle to go deeper into awakening. While on his conscious path and prior to becoming an author, he worked in the private sector as a management consultant and social entrepreneur. He holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University where he studied Sustainability and Social Enterprise, an M.A. from The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in Psychology and Economics from Indiana University. Drawing upon unique insight and an unusually diverse set of life experiences, Edward brings fresh perspective to ancient wisdom, and is emerging as an important new voice in the arenas of philosophy, spiritual development and personal transformation. 

  You can visit Edward Mannix’s website or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.




Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Wordless Wednesday


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Tasty Tuesday

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I share a recipe now and then. I’m always looking for new recipes for my family. So now I’m starting a new feature called Tasty Tuesday. I’m going to try to feature a new recipe each week from a friend, a family member, or YOU! I love to hear from my readers, so I’m asking that if you have any favorite recipes, share them! They can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, or dessert! Just click on the ‘Contact Me’ tab above to send me a quick email letting me know you’d like to contribute. I’ll email you with details on how to be featured on Tasty Tuesday!

I’m going to start off the very first Tasty Tuesday with a huge favorite in our house: 





Ingredients:

3 1/2 lbs of potatoes, cut into small cubes.

1 1/2 tsp of garlic

  1/2 tsp of pepper

4 1/2 cups of chicken broth

   1/2 cup of whipping cream or half & half

1   cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of crumbled bacon  (I buy a pkg of real bacon bits)

Directions:

-Combine potatoes, garlic, and pepper in your crock pot. Pour broth all over mixture. 

-Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours.

-Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in whipping cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon. 
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Everyone in our house LOVES this recipe. The kids have seconds and thirds, even Little A! 
I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine! 

Don’t forget to contact me if you would like to submit a recipe to be featured on Tasty Tuesday! 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Wanted: Sleep.

The baby of our family, Little A, is now over a year old. No, I didn’t post about her birthday. I apologize. There will be a cute birthday post soon. For now, there are more pressing matters. My one year-old has an addiction.

To my boobs.

No, I’m kidding. She isn’t addicted. I know some of you pro-breastfeeding mamas out there are freaking out because it’s the best nourishment for Little A and I’m making a joke of it. I’m just ready to wean her from nursing, but she just wont give it up!

Now, before anyone freaks out and starts yelling at your computer screen about her not being ready, or I shouldn’t be selfish and make her stop, shut up and listen. Or read, rather.

I am extremely proud of us for making it past the one year mark with breastfeeding. I didn’t make it two months with Middle A. Looking back, I’m sure I gave up too easily. I wish I had fought harder, but I was an exhausted first-time mom. Had I known the amazing bond it creates between mother and baby, I would have fought harder for it. That being said, I do not want to breastfeed my kids forever. I don’t even want to breastfeed them for two years. One year is plenty for me. And since I’m the decision maker for my children, one year is plenty for Little A as well.

Little A eats all of her meals with the family. She also drinks very well from sippy cups and straws. The kid devours a grilled cheese sandwich faster than her sisters. We have no problems getting her to eat. The only time she doesn’t eat well is if there’s a lot of commotion distracting her.

She’s a comfort nurser. She likes to nurse before naptime, bedtime, and still wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse. The last is the point that kills me. The child wants to nurse all.night.long! My back hurts and I’m tired. That turns me into one cranky and short-tempered mama. I don’t think I’ve slept more than 2 nights all the way through since Little A was born.

I want to reclaim my bed.

I want to actually sleep next to my husband instead of a child.

And I want my boobs back!
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What’s your best advice about weaning a baby from the breast, or even bottles at bedtime?

Share your child’s bedtime routine with us!


Monday, December 31, 2012

Toddlers and the Concept of Time

     Last night, while riding in the car on the way home from Grammy & Papa’s house, Middle A asked us if Christmas was tomorrow. Would Santa be coming to our house? D and I explained to her that the Christmas holiday is over for now, but we’ll do it again next year.  Middle A is almost 3. The girl has no concept of time. She uses the words yesterday, last week, tomorrow, and next week interchangeably. She was confused, but at least understood that Christmas wasn’t happening again for a while.
     She was upset by this news, so I tried to put a fun twist on it. I told her we still had lots of birthdays and Valentine’s Day, and Easter, and summertime....at which point she interrupted with a one-word question: “Summertime?”
     Of course, I explained to her that that’s when it’s hot outside and we get to do fun things like going to the lake, and to the beach, and the water park. Then she got excited. I was under the impression that she was satisfied with this explanation, but I was wrong. She had discovered something new to look forward to.....the beach.
     Fast-forward to today. Middle A has asked me no less than 372 times when we’re going to the beach. I explained to her that we had to wait until it’s hot outside. Her reply? “Mommy, the sun is shining!” So I told her we had to wait until there are lots of green leaves on the trees. Her reply? (While looking at the pine trees outside the window), “There are lots of green leaves over there!”  I tried to tell her how cold she would be outside in her swimsuit. She told me she could wear a coat. The problem is, she isn’t 100% wrong about any of these, but we simply cannot go to the beach in January.
     She’s walking around the house dressed like this:

Yes, that is a swimsuit. Yes, it is cold here. 
She doesn’t seem to mind. 

     She is still asking me when we get to go to the beach. I keep telling her we can go in the summer when it’s hot. She just isn’t getting it. I decided as a consolation I would at least give the poor girl a pedicure since she’s walking around the house in flip flops. 


At least her toes are cute. Right? 

So parents, how did you get your 2 & 3 year-olds to understand the concept of time? Do you do fun time-telling activities? Do you have posters or charts to teach them days/months/seasons, etc..? I taught 2 year-olds in daycare before I became a mom, so I always did a circle-time to teach these things to my class. Is it ridiculous to do that at home, too? What do you think?

P.S. Now Middle A wants to go to the park. It’s a step closer to home, and a drier one at that....but NO THANKS! 


Monday, December 24, 2012

Book Review: The Lonely Christmas Tree

       

The Lonely Christmas Tree
by Brent A. Marthaller
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Publisher: Tate Publishing
Page Count: 24 Pages
Genre: Children's, Inspirational, Motivational, Spiritual
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Book Synopsis
The Lonely Christmas Tree is born with a purpose to be cherished by someone at Christmas. When the tree is the last one remaining in the lot, the tree starts to believe that all hope is lost.  A bright light comes along restoring faith in dreams and encourages the spirit to persevere. The tree is small and limp but has the spirit to find love and acceptance. This story demonstrates that all of us have that spark within us to find what we long for. Persistence and fortitude can lead us out of despair to the light that shines for all of us. 
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My Review
The Lonely Christmas Tree is an adorable story about a tree that wants so badly to become a family’s Christmas tree. The poor little tree doesn’t realize that he’s not quite what the ‘ideal’ Christmas tree looks like. He watches all the other trees get chosen and taken to homes for the special holiday until he’s the only one left. 

I read this story to Middle A, who is 2 years old. She loved it so much we had to read it again immediately. It’s such a wonderful and touching story to share with your children. There are quite a few lessons that can be learned from this little tree. This will definitely be one to read every year at Christmas time! 
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Author Bio
Brent Marthaller lives in West Fargo, ND, and has written music and lyrics since 1978. During the 1980’s and 1990’s he was a member of several bands which performed throughout the area and at local venues. While those days of performing are in the past, he continues to write whenever he can. He also enjoys introducing his grandchildren to all varieties of music.

Purchase Links:

Tate Publishing:


Amazon


Barnes & Noble


Author’s Website - www.thelonelychristmastree.com

Exclusive Hardcover versions may be purchased for $11.99 directly from the author website!






Wednesday, December 12, 2012

DIY Headband Holder

You know that song “Little Girls” that Miss Hannigan sings in the musical ‘Annie’? Sometimes I find myself humming that song. Having 3 girls, our house is covered in little girl things. I step on a hair clippy at least 10 times a week. Moms of boys think Legos hurt?! I stepped on my share of legos when I was younger. Legos got nothin’ on those little claw-shaped hair clips. OUCH! Along with those hair clips, we have about 10 bajillion hair bows and headbands. The tiny drawer in the bathroom can’t hold them all. Headbands were breaking and bows were getting smashed. I know a hair bow board will solve the smashed hair bow problem. I’m going to take care of that soon. I needed to figure out how to get all those headbands in one place.

This is the answer:


An oatmeal canister is the perfect size to put headbands around!

I trimmed two pieces of scrapbook paper to fit around the can and hot glued them.

Then, I hot glued a ribbon down each side where the paper overlapped so no edges were showing.

Last, I glued a cardboard circle that is about an inch wider than the base of the canister to the bottom.



Middle A insists on wearing a headband every single day, so it’s great having them all right there where she can choose which one she wants. It’s also handy for teaching her to put them where they belong. She is doing a great job keeping up with her headbands since they’re all displayed on her dresser now. 

Here are Middle A’s headbands on her headband holder:




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