Judging You, Judging Me

These days, everywhere we look, everything we hear, feels like a judgement about a person, a group of people, an idea… Demonizing others has become commonplace. And in general, the ones doing most of the demonizing and judging seem to be on the far right, including those who profess to follow Jesus. In fact, some apparently have decided he has put them in charge or given them a special edict to persecute and stamp out anyone who doesn’t believe the same way.

The frenzy of fear tactics from the right is astounding. When I listen to them speak I can barely believe my ears. Honestly, if you love Jesus, why not follow his words? Have you read Mathew 7:1-5, he talks about the importance of not judging others.

You hypocrite, first remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Focus on your own life! Stop distracting ourselves from the huge beam in our eye, by demanding that others live the way we want them to. We don’t like how some folks live or the life choices they make? Look within ourself, and ask why it bothers us so much. Why does it cause us to hate others? What do we feel we’re losing? What are we so afraid of? We have such a huge boulder in our eyes when we judge others, compared to the tiny speck of sand in theirs. Change our own life. Stop concerning ourself with others. It is not our job to judge and force others to live the way we want them to. Your way is not the right way for everyone. We are living together on this planet, and must allow everyone to follow the path that is right for them. Live the life that works for you, and allow others to do the same.

Jesus clearly stated many times that judging was not our job, that our focus should be on God’s love and grace, changing our own lives to follow Love, to see others with love instead of judgement. If that was all we focused on, we’d have world peace because that in itself is a huge task and enough to keep everyone busy for a lifetime. What a wonderful world we could create if that was our life’s focus.

Judge not, lest ye be judged. For with what judgment you judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Yikes, that’s another good one! It’s Karma, baby. Stop forcing others to follow your path. Live in harmony. Live and let others live, too.

Let our life be about loving others. Make that choice. That is the way to Christ consciousness. When he said, I am the way, the truth and the life, I am thoroughly convinced that is what he was talking about. He was the example of love and that is simply all we need to focus on. That’s all the knowledge we need. Live the way of love, say yes, and let it transform your life.

What You Think I Said is Not What I Said

Subscribe to continue reading

Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.

Already a subscriber?

Preferring People Over Robots

This is probably old news to most of you, so bear with me. I was reading some articles about companies planning to use self-driving trucks and I’m concerned, probably angry, and frustrated there isn’t more of an outcry against artificial intelligence.

The US Postal Service is testing self-driving trucks for mail delivery. You can read about it here.

Another company, Plus.ai has been testing self-driving trucks and recently had one going cross country delivering butter. They did have two actual humans on the run in case something went wrong, but that wouldn’t be the case eventually. You can read the article here.

Call me crazy, I don’t see this as a good thing. Sure, I know cases can be made that “sound” logical — humans get tired, might fall asleep at the wheel, will save the company money… Still, to me it’s better to have humans working. Humans having jobs. Humans making money because they have jobs. Humans interacting with humans and learning lessons from all the good and uncomfortable situations you inevitably encounter. All these situations help us grow, open our mind to others, creates community and trust. Interacting with computers does not open your heart. Does not teach you compassion, empathy, joy or forgiveness.

And then there’s hacking — anything computerized can be hacked. What a mess that could make. Sure they say it will be secure, but look at all the “secure” sites that have been breached these days.

Why do we need it? Why do we need robots doing jobs that once were held by humans? I don’t think we do. Imho, it comes down to greed. Companies want to make more money. They don’t have to give robots heath insurance, don’t have to deal with sick leave, vacation pay, paternity leave, office disputes, human resources, raises. Hey, there probably won’t even be human resource departments anymore.

Jobs are disappearing like tender seedlings in a gopher field. Just because we can do something with technology does not mean we should. It does not mean it’s a good idea. It feels like another tech toy gone rogue. What is the obsession with “toys”? They’re fun for a while, but the newness or cleverness wears off eventually and there you are with yourself again, the self you were trying to avoid with distractions.

There is so much more to life away from the computer, engaging with humans. Technology is great, of course it is. But not when it’s taken too far. Then it will hurt our society. It already is. Look at the lack of human customer support, so much is automated, you call a number and get a computer voice, and more often there is a text option, no calling. We have a generation who texts more than talking. What’s wrong with talking to people? Engaging with people is how we learn to function in society and learn social etiquette.

I would rather see all this brain power and money being funneled into ways to cure diseases, heal the earth, save our planet, end hunger, find more solutions to end our dependency on plastic, on oil, on pesticides — there are so many other things to do with our brilliant minds and money.

And gosh, while I’m on a roll, can we please stop outsourcing. When you make something, you feel good and proud. America needs to be a maker country again. It’s good to work and feel proud!

I’d love to see a middle class again. I’d love to see honest people doing an honest day’s work as the saying goes. I’d love to see independent boutique shops thriving, and cobblers and mom and pop run stores. Why? Because it makes community. It’s humans working and offering something to other humans and having interactions with each other.

I’m a human who supports the idea of humans in our society. Thanks for reading.

 

Ordinary Miracles 01

I’m not a consistent blogger, though hope to change that somewhat and chronicle what I call Ordinary Miracles. Ordinary means commonplace, standard and “normal”. How often do amazing things happen in our life that we overlook as something really special? When we allow ourselves to really notice the moments in our daily lives, are in the present and Say Yes to Love (wink), we find that miracles are quite commonplace and happening all the time. And why shouldn’t they be? Why shouldn’t our lives be “that normal”?
I can’t think of a reason why not…

Today was a tough day for me. I was overwhelmed with financial issues, house issues and I’ll tell you, when thrown into the world of financial juggling, I can feel like I’m circling the drain.

Backstory: Self-employed ups and downs, feast or famine, you get the picture. Homeowner of a fixer upper house and way too large yard. It is overwhelming to take care of everything that needs attention.

Plot: Front yard (larger than my house) became very overrun with weeds. I mean so much so that when I’m out there weeding, you don’t even see me because those nasty things are that tall… How did it get that bad? Drought, then no drought and lots of rain, enormously busy with projects inside, and rarely using the front entrance so “out of sight, out of mind”. Some folks (not the nice ones) left me a note complaining about it, so after some of the interior stuff calmed down, it was time to call for help on the front. 

This was an ordinary miracle too actually. A few garden people were supposed to come by and give me a quote for clean up but only one actually showed up, and they were the perfect team. A man, wife and sister who were a delight to work with. The four of us spent a couple of days working it and made a huge difference, yay! There’s more to go but progress is definitely happening. I’ve worked with other yard folks before and none have ever been as enjoyable as these lovely people. Thank you Divine Love!

Today’s Ordinary Miracle: Yard debris pickup is on Thursdays. My two cans were filled to overflowing, with many more piles to go. After they got emptied, a neighbor helped fill them again with more weed piles, which was wonderful, yet there was waaay more to go.

After such a challenging day, I came home to find a voice mail from my neighbor across the street telling me they had forgotten to put out one of their debris cans and called the City asking if it could possibly be picked up during another neighborhood run and they said yes, SO, when they arrived my neighbor also asked them if they would kindly empty my newly filled cans too, and they did!!! They came into my yard, and wheeled them down to the street and emptied them. SO NICE! Now my cans are ready for more weed piles and we might just be able to eliminate what was the largest pile! Superb!

Now, this might not seem like much to you, but it is to me. It’s one less worry, one less heavy load, and such beautiful human kindness shining through.
1. from my neighbor,
2. from the yard debris pickup folks.
This was definitely the bright spot of my day and I am very thankful for it and thankful to be reminded to keep my mind in that place of hope and possibility.

Let’s not stray into the dark and murky waters of defeat and hopelessness. Think on all that is lovely, good, and uplifting because that is Love at work. Love is always at work on our behalf. Find Love, trust Love, and know that no matter what, our future is bright. 

If you’ve read this far, thanks much for letting me share my thoughts with you. I send you wishes for a very beautiful day.

xo

 

Please Vote — Spirit Cards Nominated for 2013 Art of the Heart Awards

 

 

I’m excited to say the Spirit Cards are nominated for the 2013 Art of the Heart Product Awards at Coaching Toys!

For those who don’t know, these tiny decks have been working their magic since 2003. Their quiet simplicity packs a powerful message to all who choose to embrace them. They are truly a transformational guide to facing our fears, accepting our vulnerabilities, and opening to our greatness.

You can see them here if you need a refresher (or are new to them): http://www.joettetizzone.com/spiritcards_main.html
and here: http://www.joettetizzone.com/meet_iam.html
and here: http://www.joettetizzone.com/meet_iwill.html

Purdy please, follow the link below to vote for the little cuties. And, please tell your friends & family, too!

Voting link:
https://app.icontact.com/icp/sub/survey/start?sid=6538&cid=400734

A thousand thanks. xoxo

Super Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Flatbread

What does gluten-free flatbread have to do with Saying Yes to Love?

Simple. I’m gluten and wheat sensitive and use Food for Life’s GF Brown Rice Flour Tortillas all the time . Since living in the burbs, the only real shopping choice I have without having to drive miles and miles is Raley’s in the Natural Foods section. They’ve been OUT of these tortillas for a very long time, and I was LONGING for a fix. I could either continue to wait for their return and pine away, OR honor the happy-yummy energy I feel when eating the tortillas and Say Yes to LOVE by making something myself…

Since I didn’t want something fussy, and wanted it to be quick, I remembered a recipe I found on Food.com a long time ago. I made it once and it was ok – then forgot about it. I pulled it out again and made some modifications and YUM, it fit the bill!!!

Here’s the recipe, with my mods. Makes 2 flatbreads:

• 1/2 Cup Bob’s Red Mill All purpose GF flour (a scant 1/2 cup actually – you can play with this)

• 7 Tablespoons filtered water

• 1 Tablespoon organic coconut oil (Trader Joe’s brand)

• 1 Tablespoon Ultra EVO (extra virgin olive oil by O Olive Oil)

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Mix everything together and let it sit for 10 minutes. It’s very important to let it sit, so be patient! It will thicken up a bit.

Warm  a heavy skillet on medium, then add a tiny bit of oil (I used olive oil). Swirl it around to be sure the bottom of the pan is evenly coated.

When a tiny drop of water sizzles like crazy, it’s ready for the batter.

Pour half the batter into the pan, it’ll spread and the edges will get pretty – kind of ruffly, like this:

Watch for lots of little bubbles to appear on the top, and for the bottom to become golden brown. Flip and in a minute or two, it should be done.

Repeat, and then eat!

I ate most of the first one while waiting for the second — it was so yummy. I smothered it with avocado, added a little soy cheese, and enjoyed with fresh-from-the-farmer’s-market arugula and cherry tomatoes, tossed with Basil olive oil & Orange Blossom vinegar (both from O Olive Oil).

These are definitely best warm. They seem sturdy enough to go into a pop-up toaster (I have a toaster oven so haven’t tried a pop-up). I haven’t experimented with other flours as I had Bob’s on hand.

The original recipe is here: http://www.food.com/recipe/quick-and-easy-gluten-free-flat-bread-wraps-217103.

Enjoy!

My Holiday Wish to You All

Don’t Make Too Much Lemonade

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. A popular and very noble saying, and one I’ve lived my life by.

I’ve been through some really difficult passages in my life, and you know what? I’m a gourmet lemonade maker. I’m a resilient, happy, upbeat, gourmet lemonade maker. And that has served me well most of my life.

The problem with all this lemonade lately, is I’ve come to realize it might be keeping me in situations longer than what’s good for me, and worse, masking my true feelings.

Making lemonade, looking on the bright side, walking on the sunny side of the street, being positive, are all really wonderful ideals — truly. Yet in the last few years, I feel perhaps I’ve been making too much lemonade and losing sight of my hopes and dreams. I’ve been so caught up with all the lemons and trying to make them into something better or “putting up with” things, yet my life just isn’t where I’d like it to be. It’s not the life I want to live.

I truly appreciate the goodness in what I have right now, yet don’t want to forget the passion I feel when I’m in the right place for my soul — for the divine person I am. With all that’s gone on in the last three years, I wonder if I’ve somehow swapped realities with someone else. They’re trapped in an alternate reality that would be LOVE for me yet it’s TERRIBLE for them!!! LOL

We all need different things and what works for one doesn’t work for everyone. It’s not always easy figuring it out either. One thing I do know, I love living in urban areas, where I can walk to get my business & personal needs met, have good public transportation available and feel the energy of people bustling about. I enjoy getting into random conversations w/others I meet standing in line or sitting outside the tea shop. And, it’s not just that I like it, I need it. My personality thrives on it. I feel anesthetized living in the suburbs. I feel heavy every time I have to get in my car to get something I need. I also love living in my house & having my peaceful hangout, so these needs and loves have to come together in some beautiful organic and holistic way. Knowing this can happen, and can happen for me, is the key.

The tradeoff for having my house was the burbs. It was an adventure I took that included lots of lemons. Real (which are delicious btw), and metaphorical. Maybe all the metaphorical lemons are showing up to tell me I need to make a change, and that it’s ok to do so. I mean, how much lemonade can one person drink after all???

In real life, instead of making lemonade I use lemons to flavor the foods I love or for cleaning things. And metaphorically, why not do the same thing? Use the lemons to reconnect and move forward with my dreams, see the lemons as flavorings to enhance my life, lessons learned to clean up the dross and keep moving toward Love instead of trying to make “lemonade”. Some things just won’t ever taste sweet when they aren’t in alignment with who one really is. And thankfully so, else we’d all be off track all the time, overdosing on all the lemonade we’re making and wondering why things are so hard.

So today I’m choosing to want my dreams and believe in them again. Today I’m choosing to Say Yes to Love (hello) and do something every day that will bring me closer to them until they are my reality. When I’m presented w/another metaphorical lemon, I want to give myself permission to say “Ugh, tired of lemonade — it’s ok to move on”. I want to give myself permission to grieve the parts that feel sad yet keep moving forward.

I want to live in a dwelling that makes me smile (like mine does now & even more so), an area that delights me, in a city that is successful (not potentially could be), and of course, surrounded by folks that love me.

I don’t have to figure out how it all can happen. My part is to do what I can to nurture my dreams everyday, even just a little because it will keep me open to the magic of possibilities. It will help me see “the space around the obstacles” as my astrologer likes to say.  That open space is often where the answers lie and where we find our way.

How about you? Have you been making too much lemonade lately?

xo

joette

Happy Day of Thanks

In my own life, I look at this day as a national holiday for reflecting upon the things that matter most and being grateful for all we have. I make a list and post it on my dining room wall, and sometimes friends will add to it. Even when times seem tough, there’s a lot of thankfulness to be seen on the list!

Sending my wish for you to have a thankful day, filled with love.

Happy Thanksgiving.

xo
joette

Fear, Hatred & the Polarization of America

I’ve been thinking about the polarization of our political parties and how much hatred I’ve seen from reading various posts from both sides.

I see that both feel threatened, and some seem bent towards wanting to destroy the other, even after this current election. For those of us caught up in this game, does it really make one feel good? Does one really feel clean after spewing hatred around? Does it change anything? Is it truly Christ-like, or Buddha-like etc? Hate expressed creates such an ugly energy with a sharp hurt to it. It’s energy is joy killing and life threatening, and keeps us in a small prison cell of fear.

What if we were to become vulnerable instead, unmask our fears and tell each other why we feel so threatened? What if we each would be willing to truly listen to the other and try to understand their hearts? We may still stand on different sides of the issues, yet perhaps we could in love, agree to disagree. Perhaps the dividing line would become softer. Perhaps we would find some common ground and embrace that instead of harping on our differences.

One of the greatest things about this country is freedom of expression, freedom of beliefs. I love this country because we have such a diverse population in thought, race, expression and beliefs. We have so much opportunity to learn to Love instead of fear.

Hate is fueled by fear. The more we learn about another and embrace our commonality, we may find we have less to fear and less to hate.

I’m sending my wish that Love will cover us all. That Love will bring us to our senses. We are one body, one energetic body, and we need to accept each part of us. Let us find what we can be thankful for, and discover what we can love and appreciate in each other, because I truly feel we will never, ever find true peace on this earth as long as we hold hatred in our hearts.

Say Yes to Love, because Love is where the (true) power is. The power to heal, the power to begin anew and the power to make peace. xo