It’s Time To Stop Mediating On Things That Haven’t Even Happened…..Or Are Even Happening

We poison ourselves with these types of thoughts and non-existent scenarios. Our minds have the power to liberate us or to imprison us.

When we begin to ruminate on things that haven’t even happened, we begin to believe that it HAS HAPPENED or will eventually happen. We self sabotage ourselves, our relationships, and end up causing pain that didn’t even need to exist to begin with.

Unfortunately, we allow these types of meditations to thrive, to develop, and they could destruct us and those around us.

When you feel yourself dwelling in events that haven’t even happened, stop and recognize that it’s just a thought. Then, shoo it away.

Controlling your mind/ thoughts doesn’t happen over night, it’s a conscious effort that you have to work towards everyday.

It’s time to develop a shield to protect you from this type of thinking.

Whatever thoughts you may be meditating on, there may be something deeper as to why you’re dwelling on those thoughts.

But in the meantime when you feel those thoughts creeping in, acknowledge them and then just shoo them away like you would a fly.

Stay focused on the present and what’s in front of you right now.

Lots of love.

m.g.

Give Yourself Permission To Be Still

We are busy humans living in a very fast paced world.

There’s always something we have to do, to prepare, to clean, to organize, some event to attend, etc.

I often thing of the song by Alabama,

I’m in a hurry to get things done
I rush and rush until life’s no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die, but
I’m in a hurry and don’t know why

We are so conditioned to be busy that if when we aren’t busy we are uncomfortable. We become bored or even anxious because we are so use to always being occupied with something.

We have to seek something to do to keep us busy and distracted. I believe many of us feel that if we aren’t doing something then we aren’t being productive. Society highly influences this.

The problem with that is if we are constantly go go go guess what happens?

We become burnt out my friends! Agitation becomes our shadow. And that’s not good for anyone who is near us. That’s not the kind of energy that we want causing ripple effects.

This quest to accomplish starts once we are born. It’s not enough to just be. We are already being judged on what we can do and can’t do. There are milestones for every month/year. We’re always being watched and compared. It makes sense why we are so concerned what others think about us.

If certain milestones are not hit, we panic and become overly concerned. I just want to say there’s nothing wrong with being a late bloomer. Plenty of people in history by the way fall under that category and it should encourage you.

As you get older it just constantly feels like one thing after another. You think to yourself, when am I just going to get a break? And the truth I think is….we never really will until we just begin to take breaks. That’s life. That’s just how life is and the sooner you realize that, the better. Don’t forget about yourself.

YOU, have to make time and effort to sit still, to be still. To do nothing once in awhile and just breathe. There’s always going to be something. Some hurdle to overcome. And often times it takes something to make us stop in our tracks and just be still. And it shouldn’t be like that. We should be encouraged to notice the details in the present and not always driven to reach “new levels”.

Maybe you had a surgery, or you’re not feeling good and you’ve been told to have bed rest, maybe you broke your foot, etc…….you don’t need THIS or THESE types of things to happen in order to sit still, to soul search, to read a book, to enjoy the sunset, to try something new for yourself, to RELAX, to surrender. You can give yourself a moment to be still whenever you want. Truly, it’s your choice.

You’re multitasking, giving yourself all these things to do and the only thing you’re doing is stressing yourself out. And something I’ve realized is we are typically making ourselves stressed out for other people! Who really don’t care as much as we believe! Give yourself some grace and others.

Take a moment and be still for yourself. Give yourself permission.

Do it for YOU. Life is quick and feels more quick when you’re always busy. Slow it down and practice just being.

Not every thing needs to be done today, this week, this month. Notice the little details and seek the beauty that can’t be reached when you’re moving quickly.

Walk sometimes instead of always running. Less busy, more stillness and slow pace. When your driving a car you don’t whip the steering wheel to turn right or left. You gently turn the steering wheel with ease to change the direction of your vehicle. It’s okay to move slowly and be still. As long as you keep going.

You’re a miracle all by yourself. Remember that always.

m.g.

Don’t Spend Too Much Time Trying To Understand, It Will Only Rob You Of Your Peace

So many things happen in this given life. Good and bad.

It’s the hard, unimaginable things that really kick you in your stomach leaving you unable to catch your breath.

Difficult situations/incidents happen around you, to people you know, people you don’t know, and maybe to you. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be categorized as unimaginable.

Things happen where we just ask why? Why?! We have difficulty understanding.

But one thing I know for certain is that we are never alone. When life happens to you, it has also happened to someone else. Probably even a close friend of yours.

Things happen all the time, all around the world, that leave us confused, curious, wondering…..but if we spend too much time thinking about those things, dwelling in our thoughts, THEY WILL, they will imprison you and rob you of your peace. And could possibly steer you onto a very difficult path.

I know this to be true. And if you swim out too far, it can become impossible to swim back.

Time spent questioning will steal precious moments from you. It’s very challenging to focus on work, your children, your spouse, a project, etc, when your mind is elsewhere trying to wrap your brain around something that you can’t change and that you will more then likely never fully understand. At least not in this life.

When something leaves you questioning let this be an opportunity to reflect, to recognize what your true priorities are, and to be grateful no matter the circumstances. Light is always present.

Easier said than done, I do know. But we all have to diligently seek and give it time.

And also know, it’s okay to be upset, it’s okay to be angry, it’s okay to feel however you’re feeling……..feel the emotions. Don’t push them away. Moments do need to be taken to acknowledge how you’re feeling and healthy ways to express them.

But then, you have to allow and challenge yourself to move forward in order to gain your peace back. And moving on does not mean forgetting what happen. It’s those hard moments in life that leave the darkest stains on our hearts.

It’s those hard moments in life that also produce the brightest flowers.

Choosing to accept and move forward is to surrender to what has been done and remain steadfast. Humans seek control, and when life reminds us that we have very little control it terrifies us.

Never loose hope. Pray all the time and never loose hope that one day we will receive all the answers that we seek.

When a child is young there is much they do not understand, especially with their parents. But when they are older a light comes on and everything makes sense.

In this life we are those children who don’t understand and I myself do pray that one day all of us will have our answers and peace and be completely reassured this whole time we truly were loved, even through those hard, difficult times.

m.g.

Learn To Be Happy With What You Have

It’s really easy to get stuck in the mentality cycle of “If I have this…..or if I can obtain this….then I know I’ll be happy. I’ll be good. My life will be better.”

This way of thinking is far from the truth. It’s like trying to catch the sunrise with your hands.

Most of us have been here and occasionally do still get lost in this way of thinking. That’s normal. We’re human. It happens. With social media it’s incredibly easy to become a victim of envy.

“If I lose weight then I’ll be more confident, if I have this and that in my home then it will feel more “homey”, if I could get this promotion then I’ll have more money to do things and I’ll be happy, if I had this OR if I DO THIS then…….(fill in the blank) .

Do any of these thoughts sounds familiar?

What I have learned over time is to be happy with what you have and enjoy it. If you look closely and I mean really look at the details of your life you’ll recognize that you may already have what you really do want. You may have what you’ve been asking for.

If you’re always gawking at things you don’t have you’ll end up neglecting what you do have. And by the time you notice, you’ll realize how much time you wasted followed by an immense amount of guilt.

If you continue to seek the next best thing constantly you will always want or feel like you need more to get to that next level of satisfaction. Even when you achieve something that you have wanted you will not feel fulfilled, you’ll begin to search for something else to fill that void.

It’s like when a person is searching everywhere for their reading glasses. They’ve searched their whole house, their car, their neighbors yard, the dog house, and they’ve searched all these areas numerous times. Only to discover their glasses have been on their head this WHOLE time. That’s kinda how happiness and peace is.

When you can become happy with what you have, everything else becomes icing and sprinkles on the cake. Happiness isn’t on the other side of achieving or gaining something, it’s where you are right now. It’s in you my loves.

Enjoy what you have, appreciate where you are, and be happy with what you have been given in this precious, fragile, life.

As your gratitude muscle grows you begin to grow. But like a muscle, you can’t just work on it once and be done. You have to maintain and continue to strengthen otherwise you’re back where you started.

And hey, if you end up back where you started that’s okay too. Just continue and keep going. Discover new methods of appreciation.

You have what you need. Learn to be happy with what you have, because you have so much. You truly, truly, do. Believe it.

YOUR VOICE IS A SUPERPOWER

Many of us are masked and unaware to the powerful force that our words posses when spoken.

It’s one thing to say something in your head where nobody can hear it but yourself and God, it’s another to speak out loud for all to hear who listen.

Once words leave the tongue, they cannot return from where they came. Just as a river cannot decide to switch directions.

Given this awareness can feel a bit unsettling. You, yourself, begin to wonder about the influence of your language and if your very words are leaving positive or negative impressions on the heart and souls of others. You may never fully know.

But think for a moment…

…think of the words that have been spoken to you that you still remember. Words that you may have been carrying for years and still hold in your pocket today. What do you remember, what was said that inspires and encourages you? What was said that still haunts you?

Do you see?

You posses that same thing, that same power. As we all do. The ability to shape a persons life by a sentence. Whether it be good or cursed. We influence every time we speak.

It can be extremely difficult to be mindful when deciding to speak but it is something worth practicing. Who knows where your voice can take you and others. It is a gift each of us has been freely given. And it is to be used wisely otherwise we curse ourselves and others.

Speak with passion, love, and honesty. Swallow the words of hatred and deceit, otherwise beware of their consequences.

Remember that your words are a super power.

– m.g.

Soften The Heart: Devotional #18

“I WILL bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Psalm 34: 1-2

We are surrounded by creation. We marvel at nature and it’s intricate details but sometimes fail to acknowledge the creator of it all.

How we are all so connected and dependent on one another. Creating some type of mysterious puzzle. May our eyes begin to see.

To even be apart of this creation is miraculous. To be conscious of it all is worth praising. We must give gratitude daily. What a gift every moment is.

Acknowledge this plan, pray without ceasing, notice even the smallest of details, and there are many. Hope is alive.

As plants reach and point to the sun, life points to something bigger than ourselves. Thank God for our senses to allow us to fully engulf what God has made for us to enjoy!

Such a power, such a gift, that our God wants to share with us, because He loves us! As a parent loves their child, you are loved very much.

But yet, we forget how amazing the details are. We chase the world. Our attention goes towards greed and power, constantly looking to satisfy what we think we need. We crave control and have a difficult time surrendering to our creator. The flesh is strong, but the spirit is stronger. This I believe. We must never loose sight of the important things in life.

God can be found in all things. But we must eagerly seek. Stay curious like a child.

Thanks to our Lord, who has provided such a path to draw us to our Heavenly Father. Who has given each of us life. We shall praise, and acknowledge daily. Turn from our ways and follow his.

A Weekend In Sedona

We went for a quick little getaway to celebrate a friends birthday and I already want to go back! The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and the energy is undeniable. I could see a mother and daughters trip here maybe one day.

Here’s just a few pictures.

Was looking at shops while waiting for our pizza
Scenery in the neighborhood. We stayed at a beautiful air bnb.
Got my beautiful sterling silver ring here with turquoise in this cute little shop.
Hiking views. We took some pictures in here.
Secret garden vibes.
In the neighborhood.
The vines were unreal.
Therapeutic.
Just looked cute.
Can you believe this is still Arizona?
We did a hike of a total of 3 miles with 4 kids! Go us!
My wild gems.
Our view from the main room in the house
From my Instagram story. Felt cute.

Homemade MILD Red Sauce For Enchiladas, Chilaquiles, Or Pozole

Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce

Note: Use this recipe as a guide as well. Feel free to use different peppers or try different seasonings. This is a mild sauce but it’s delicious! If you want to increase the spice add more of the Chile de arbol peppers.

What You Need:

6 Chili Colorado Entero

4 Chile de arbol

1/4 of a yellow onion

4 garlic cloves peeled

2 teaspoons of chicken seasoning

2 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil

Steps:

1. In a medium pot, add your peppers, onion, and garlic. Cover with water and bring to a low boil. Cover partially with lid and allow to simmer until peppers are completely soft. (About 15 mins)

2. Once veggies are soft, add to a blender with about 1-2 cups of water from which the chiles were boiling.

3. Once completely blended, strain the sauce through a strainer. Discarding the paste.

4. Rinse the pot you used for boiling the peppers and place on stove at a medium low heat. Add the oil, then the sauce, then the seasoning. Allow to simmer for about ten minutes.

That’s it! Seems intimidating, but it’s really not.

Enjoy!

Add more of these for more spice. Be mindful though!
You can boil the garlic with the skin on, just don’t forget to remove it when it’s all down boiling.
Simmering.
A beautiful red. There are other peppers out there though that you can use that will provide a darker red.
Doesn’t have to be a fancy strainer. This is what I used.
Yummy red sauce after simmering on the stove. (The sauce is not done once blended. It needs to be cooked on the stove.)

Avocado Toast With Pan Roasted Grape Tomatoes And A Fried Egg

Servings: 1 piece of toast

What You Need:

A piece of hearty multigrain bread

1 small ripe avocado

A small handful of grape tomatoes cut into halves

Salt, pepper, and rosemary for seasoning

1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 Tablespoon of Olive oil for cooking the tomatoes

Cooking spray for the egg

Steps:

1. Heat up a small skillet on a low medium heat. While that is heating up slice open your avocado and smash it into a bowl seasoning it with salt and pepper.

2. Throw the tomatoes on the skillet in the olive oil and garlic. Sauté until soft. Set aside.

3. Spray the pan with cooking spray leaving behind a little bit of the leftover olive oil and garlic from the tomatoes and begin cooking your egg seasoning it with salt and pepper.

4. Place bread in toaster. (This is where you gotta move fast.)

5. Once the toast pops, smear on your avocado, place the roasted tomatoes right on top, place your fried egg gently on top of the tomatoes, season with some rosemary.

I love a yolky egg.
Ta-da!

It’s so delish!

Lavender Simple Syrup – Mix It In Everything

This lavender syrup is so good. Mix it in your lemonade, your favorite cocktail, a mimosa, raw honey, cream cheese frosting, the possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!

What You Need:

1 1/2 cups of water

3 tablespoons of dried lavender

1 1/2 cups of sugar

Steps:

1. Bring the water and lavender to a boil.

2. Add the sugar and mix until it dissolves completely. Allow to simmer for 15 mins. Boiling lightly.

3. Remove from the heat and let sit for 2 hours. The aroma is so relaxing.

4. Strain the liquid into a mason jar discarding the dried lavender. Store in the fridge for 2 weeks.