The Rhythm of Rest ~ Guest Post at Jenn's

Lately, men and women have both shared with me that they're totally exhausted.

Are you exhausted too? I hear ya.

Come on over with me to Jenn's place if you need to find your Rhythm of Rest. Men, I've written for you too so don't be alarmed at the series title over there. We all really need these life words.

I celebrate you as you take a step toward more rest.


Jenn's series on Women, Their God, and Their Struggles has stories from 3 other women this week. Maybe one of those titles will tug at your heart as well.

How I Upset Our Family Rhythm and Found Gentleness and Grace

It wasn't just about a having one bad day. This was more to do with having too many off days. I was beginning to mistreat the ones closest to me. I didn't like who I was becoming. The day-to-day seemed so insignificant. I lost the motivation to live out my everyday dreams and bigger dreams....

Today I'm guest posting at Sisters In Bloom. I'm so blessed to invite you there to read on about losing my God-rhythm and still somehow finding a path He paved from the upset to gentleness and grace. It's a continuous process for me.

See you all there. You're invited over too guys. God Bless You

In God's Love, Jeri

Photos and a Guest Post

Valentine's Day, my first time babysitting Ezie, and being with people I love. It's been an amazing week. 

Top left: Sneaking one in. Top Right: What a pair. They're amazed by each other.
Bottom left: My Diva's...much love.   Bottom right: Her Valentine's gift for him.

Monday, 2/20/12 ~ 


I'll be guest posting over at Sisters in Bloom. I'll have a lead in post from here. I'm so excited. 


Guys, please don't hesitate to head on over and read in. I fess up on a time I messed up with David. But, ah grace. 


With You in Mind ~ 


Have a blessed weekend and may it be filled with whatever you're needing in rest, fun, adventure, or __________(you fill in that blank). 


As always make time for unwrapping little joys and discovering small wonders He's gifted to us. Then go ahead and linger in them.

The Sustainability of Words -Feature Post at (in)Courage

The wonderful women at (in)Courage online community invited all interested writers for submissions. 

Today, I am blessed and privileged to be featured here. 

(In)Courage is birthed through DaySpring, a Christian subsidiary of Hallmark.

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“That’s my song playing on the radio!” We stop everything we’re doing and hone in on the words. Now we’re dancing up a storm, crying our eyes out, or filled with strength to face the day. Something we’ve read encourages us to live our dreams or make “that” change. Their sheer expression of delight tells us they love the gift we’ve given. The perfect timing of “I Love You and I really appreciate all you do”can’t be compared.






Words can be written, spoken, sung, or even unspoken in body language and gestures. It can lift you up and fill you or break you down and defeat you. It’s amazing how much power a simple word can have when a certain tone or expression accompanies it.


We are surrounded by words in all shapes and forms everyday and all day long. What are we reading, listening to, watching, or saying? Is it replenishing or depleting?





During one of my quiet times I clearly heard God ask me, “Are you living a sustainable life, Jeri?” I knew he wasn’t speaking about the environment. I knew in my spirit he was asking me about my everyday living. Again I heard him, “My words are a gift for you to use. How are you using it?” Wow! It blew me away. My words really aren’t mine. They are His gifts to me. Yet, so many times I don’t even think about it. I just start talking.




My favorite form of words is writing. I love to write cards, tweet, and send emails to encourage people. I especially like to write to authors and speakers and let them know that what they’ve shared has affected me. Just recently, I’ve started to write articles. It’s so amazing how many different ways you can say “one” thing!


So, I’m choosing what I’m talking about, writing about, and listening to. As often as possible, I’m going to practice speaking life – into my husband, adult children, neighbors, friends, and family. I’m inspired to be an encourager even if the person in front of me is going through something that makes me feel uncomfortable.


I’m praying God can use us to speak, write, and sing sustainable words from Him that will carry them and strengthen them when they’re away from us. More importantly, I’m learning and growing in the truth that apart from Him I can do nothing. As long as I’m having daily time with Him, He’ll give me all I need – even the right words!

I’ll leave you with these life words that are filling me right now:

Proverbs 11:25 - A generous man will prosper. He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.


Deuteronomy 30: 19 - This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…

Sustainable words prosper, refresh, and speak life into us and others - forever.

What's your favorite form of speaking life?

Today

My Article on Ruby Roth at Your Daily Vegan & a Little on Writing Our Passions

It's always a privilege when another website or blog features your writing. Lately, it's been so much more for me.

I truly want to write from my heart.  

Whether it's about my relationship with God, a report for my local column, a review, recipe, profile and even our Did Ya Know; it has to be about what matters in my life.


Funny, serious, uplifting, encouraging, or transparency - sharing from our hearts and passions is most excellent and fulfilling.

In sharing where we're featured my hope is you get to visit their entire site and see what they're all about. 

At Your Daily Vegan, KD is passionate about animal rights, pure vegan living and a very sensitive heart. Strong, caring, and unapologetic for her beliefs.

That's Why We Don't Eat Animals is born out of Ruby's passion to answer the genuine questions from children about not wanting to eat animals.

Here's my post on Ruby Roth at Your Daily Vegan (8/9/10)

Finding Peace in Mindfulness - Guest post at Vegan At Heart

Let's continue with our theme on sustainable thoughts with a guest post I was invited to write. I'm so excited to share it with you all!

I recently have had the privilege of corresponding with and getting to know Marisa Miller Wolfson of Kind Green Planet. She has a gift in teaching how to incorporate a vegan lifestyle. She does this through 30 days of missions at Vegan at Heart. To help ensure ongoing support and education, there are also weekly missions that continue on throughout the year. 

Marisa was kind enough to invite me to write a mission. What a humbling privilege indeed.

This weeks mission - Finding Peace in Mindfulness ...Enjoy and do share your comments there as well.

God Bless :D

We Are Back... and A trip op in one week...wow!

We missed u all.  Don't quite have everything organized enough for a blog yet, but did want to at least say Hello :D  The wonderful thing is that we're still moving slow and trying to keep that flow going.  I feel refreshed and awesome!  Let's just say that the whole retreat/staycation did not go as planned in any way, shape, or form and it still worked out great.  Shadow ended up being with us the whole time so plans completely changed.  We'll blog on that later.  We have an opportunity to go on a trip for 2 weeks - amazing!  Not sure yet, but will definitely let you all know.  For now...


While we were gone, my article for Seashine Magazine was published and I really wanted to share it with you all.  Whitney D'Armond did some edits for me and I love it!  God is really allowing me to learn writing through so many different opportunities.  Husband and Wife team, Andrew and Whitney D'Armond, are founders and creators of Seashine Magazine.  It's so awesome that they have this project together and share it with us all.  It is an awesome place covering DIY, adopt a dog, God, get involved and more!  The fact that they are not vegan and allowed me to share my story really touched me.  What awesome, welcoming people.

(Husband and Wife team - Andrew and Whitney D'armond founders/creators of Seashine Magazine)

My biggest writing dream has come true in writing for this specific kind of publication.  My second writing dream is coming true as well and I will share more on that later as well.  Just an FYI as you read it...there are some light hyperlinks to specific words like "stress relief, etc" that are advertisements.  The darker hyperlinks are from us.  When you visit their site, please do leave a comment for them and encourage them as well.


Here you go and as always please do share what you think: Reader, Jeri Taira, Takes on Food Allergies & Wins! HAVE A GREAT 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Vega Community's Member of the Month is ...

*drum roll* ... none other than our very own ... Je... ri... Tai... ra!!!! *big applause*

Our hero, being her normal caring & personable self, discovered a cool community at Vega ... who in turn realized what many of us already knew... our girl is a pretty special person!

And now, Jill at Vega will share with you a little glimpse into the wonderful world of Jeri!

Congratulations to Jeri Taira, who is our second winner of the “Member of the Month” title! Jeri is relatively new to the Vega Community and has been an amazing addition. She is very interactive - and passionate about supporting and sharing within the community.

Meet Jeri:

1. What is biggest way that the Thrive diet has changed your life?
It's helping my digestion to improve and I never thought it would. Now I have the resources toward healing from years of stress. I look forward to waking up every day now.

2. How and when did you find about Vega products? I read The Kind Diet and saw Brendan featured as a Superhero. I was like, "Vegan bars and shakes? For real?! I had to check it out.

3. What is your favorite vegan recipe?
Lightly steamed baby bok choy with a few drops each of ume vinegar and wheat-free tamari. Now I gotta go make some. I've just discovered kelp noodles too. They're so awesome. I love the diversity of the recipes here as well. I've been introduced to foods I never knew before.

4. What is your favorite workout?
Taking our dog for long relaxing walk or hikes. He's so inquisitive that it makes it an adventure. Follow that with a gentle stretch and breathe program and it's all good...aaaah :)

5. What are your current fitness goals?
Simply to keep steady in what I enjoy. If I'm not enjoying it then it's stressful. Brendan talks about this in his first Thrive book. And to keep discovering and trying things out.

6. How has the Vega community impacted your fitness goals/training?
The positive high energy of friends I've made here is unexplainable. I get excited at their accomplishments and it motivates me too. Making connections here has given life to what I've read and learned.

7. What motivates you to pursue a healthy lifestyle?
I totally want to be the grandma that can run and play with the grandkids. YEAH!

What if you found out the current food pyramid was biased - Article for Your Daily Vegan

 I was so mad when I found out about this issue.  Why didn't anyone tell us? Then I realized, "hello...you know now, research and share."  And...I needed to remember that there is always hope.  

I first learned about this through my plant-based nutrition class with T.Colin Campbell.  I'm still finding so many articles regarding this issue. I'll be posting the links here and in comments at YDV article.  

If you haven't visited YDV yet, you are so missing out:

-Your Daily Vegan Spin: covering "expose and in the news" issues, animal rights, environment.
-Vegan Leisure: covers everything from everyday living to PETA. Broad topics by KD and guest writers (next writer could be you!)
-Reviews: Wide array of products for both pets and people.

My Favorite is Commercial Street -Facts and info about meat, dairy, fashion and more.
And there is so much more there. Sign up so you can leave comments and check out the forums. You can submit your blog for listing as well. 

 

My Article: 

Food Politics and Policies was published there on Thursday. My hope is it helps us to know some of what's going on out there and get us proactive about our health and future.

Links:  

Not Milk: The USDA, Monsanto, and the U.S. Dairy Industry- Lip Magazine by Che Green

 White Lies - bnet

 God Bless Everyone :D 

 

Jeri's First Published Article - Your Daily Vegan Spin

One of my dreams is to write articles about issues or subjects I'm passionate about. Through my e-Cornell course that came alive again. They encourage us to be proactive as part of our assignments and to submit our letters and articles.  God's is opening doors for us all. Such a privilege to learn and share it.  


I had to share KD's with you.  I was jumping up and down.  She sounds like such an exciting person. I'm keeping in touch with her.  I can't believe the article is the first guest post in the spin!  aaaaaaah! I know you're celebrating with me and thanks for that.

"Hi Jeri!

Heck yeah!  Thank you for your submission.  Here's what's next.  I've gone ahead and read your post and approved it.  That means that I found it awesome, of course, and that we're going to get it posted for you.  That will happen tomorrow, Wednesday 5/5/10, and will be posted in The Daily Vegan Spin.  Incidentally, it's the first time we've posted a guest post in the Spin- I'm extremely excited to do so.  It's refreshing to see that other people "get it" :) from:  KD Traegner"

I'm blessed with the privilege of  learning because others are proactive enough to learn and then pass it on. We all have a voice in our passions. Keep learning and practice sharing so the fire in our bellies stays lit. People are pouring into our lives so we can pour into others' lives as well. God connects us with people and points us to resources all the time...we just have to be "awake". Voice your passions and bless someone. It may be an article, one-liner, a letter...do it your special way.

God Bless You all and Let's Rock this Gift of Life we've been given....YEAH!

 


http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/2010/05/05/vegan-a-lifestyle-of-compassion/

Our First Shout Out in Another Blog

Meet our friend Donna. She writes an awesome blog called Champuru Mommy Blogging and More.  In today's post she mentions and links our blog in relation to healthy eating :D. What a privilege.

Our boys are grown, yet I love reading her posts.  It's full of fun stories, info and transparency.

Her latest blog post is entitled: Why Is Healthy Eating So Hard and asks about the high cost of organics in addition to the battle of making organic choices.  She uncovers many more questions that arise as she contemplates eating healthy.

Jeri's learned truth: Government subsidies are part of the high cost of organics. They subsidize land for overgrowth of corn to feed the overabundance of animals including fish to make meats cheap and maybe unknowingly overfeed America. The animals barely have space to move around inviting disease. Yes, the farmed fish too.  America is diseased and can't explain it.  Go figure!

I have to give a shout out to the farmers and fisheries that do use safe farming practices like Snapper Farm.

There is hope. We can research, learn and write about these issues to our legislation to stop the abuse of subsidies. Better yet, fax it to them. It is much more economical to subsidize organic farming that will remain sustainable for generations. As we learn, we can share it with others.

Enjoy Donna's blog and participating in answering her questions. You could be helping her and many others by doing so.

As T. C. Campbell and Brendan Brazier always say, "There is always hope". 

God Bless You All.