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Feb 13

Cookies for Your Sweetie on Valentine’s Day

By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | GF Recipes | No Comments

This Valentine’s Day make gluten-free chocolate chip cookies for your Sweetie.

Gluten-free cookies can be challenging. They often spread out on the cookie sheet and run together like flat pancakes. Adding guar gum can help. Guar Gum powder is derived from guar beans. It is used as a thickner and can help baked goods rise.

There are lots of cookbooks with gluten-free cookies, but most use refined sugar. This recipe uses maple syrup and stevia instead of refined sugar. My husband and I make our own maple syrup by tapping our maple trees in late winter and boiling down the sap.

Chocolate chip or Carob chip cookies

Makes about 1 ½ dozen cookies

Preheat oven to 350˚

½ cup butter

¼ cup sunflower oil

½ cup maple syrup

1 t Stevia Plus by SweetLeaf

1 egg or egg substitute

Mix these ingredients together in a small bowl

In a larger bowl mix together the dry ingredients

1 ½ cup gluten-free flour (I grind equal amounts of quinoa, buckwheat and millet together for flour using a vita mix, or you can use rice flour)

¾ cup ground almonds

1 ½ t guar gum

½ t salt

½ t baking soda

½ t cream of tartar

Gradually add the butter/maple syrup mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until blended well then add:

1 cup chocolate chips or carob chips

½ cup pecans or walnuts.

Cook for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees

Done when light brown on the bottom

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Feb 11

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Brian Weiss on Past Lives
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review, Past lives | No Comments

Last winter when I visited friends in Hawaii, I came across a remarkable book on their bookshelf: Many Lives Many Masters by Brian Weiss. It is a true story about a prominent psychiatrist and his patient who were both changed by the patient’s past-life memories. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested metaphysics. It is a thought-provoking, fascinating story that took courage to write.

Catherine came to see Dr. Weiss because she was plagued by fears, phobias and anxieties that were keeping her from living a happy, fulfilled life. After 18 months Dr. Weiss had still not made any significant progress treating her, so he tried regressing her to her childhood through hypnosis. She remembered some childhood trauma, but she didn’t get any better. So Dr. Weiss told her to go back to the time when her symptoms arose and she began telling him in great detail about a past life.

Neither Catherine or Dr. Weiss believed in reincarnation. Weiss was skeptical at first but as Catherine continued to remember past lives his doubts eroded. Catherine’s past-life recalls occurred in many time periods and she was both male and female. In all of them, she was an ordinary person: a servant, soldier or peasant. Many of her lives were hard and her deaths brutal, such as having her throat cut or drowning in a flood. However, it was remarkable that as she remembered these lives she started healing from her fears and anxieties.

Dr. Weiss began to research past lives and learned about Ian Stevenson who interviewed 2,000 children with past-life recall. Weiss also discovered references to past lives in the Old and New Testaments that were taken out in 325 A. D. by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Still it took him awhile to fully embrace the idea of past lives. He studied them as a scientist would, and kept detailed records of his sessions with Catherine.

Interestingly in one session Catherine told Weiss that he was her uncle and teacher in 1568 B.C. It became apparent that it wasn’t an accident that she and Weiss came together in this life.

In each lifetime, Weiss would take her to the moment of death and she would float out of her body, toward a light where guides or spiritual masters were always waiting for her. Even though her deaths experiences were similar, her religious beliefs about the afterlife were different in each lifetime.

As well as remembering past lives, Catherine began to talk about her in-between–lives state. In that state Catherine could channel guides or masters who spoke to Weiss. Once they gave her a message from Weiss’s father and son, both of who had died. The son had died as an infant from a heart defect and had come to show Dr. Weiss “that medicine could only go so far, that its scope is limited.” (p. 55)

From these inner guides Weiss learned that “we are all in school… (and) No one is greater than another.” (p. 210) We learn a “systematic body of spiritual knowledge. This knowledge spoke of love and hope, faith, and charity.” (p. 172)

From these past-life memories, Catherine got rid of her symptoms and became a much happier person. Meanwhile Weiss had a spiritual awakening and eventually felt guided to write this book about what he’d learned. He thought it would comfort people to know that we never die, that we have lived countess life times, and there are spirits that are guiding us.

Dr. Weiss has written many other books about his experiences with patients remembering past lives. You can check out his website at: http://www.brianweiss.com.

I also found an interesting You Tube video interview with Dr. Weiss Entreparentesis – Dr. Brian Weiss.

In this You Tube Weiss explains that consciousness survives death and that everything is about love. In each life we have to come back here to get it right, but eventually we move to a higher place.

Knowing that our loved ones never really die helps people find joy. In one of his past lives Dr. Weiss was killed for talking about past lives. But in this life he feels incredibly blessed to be able to share this information and in return he meets wonderful people all over this planet.
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Nov 29

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Fun Animal Stories
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Animals have always been a special apart of my life. When I saw my cousin recently she mentioned visiting me when we were children and what stood out for her was that I had 32 salamanders in my room. On the same visit I found a frog and brought it into the house to show my family who were having breakfast. The frog escaped and landed right in my father’s scrambled eggs!

As well as enjoying the creatures that lived around my home, my family had a horse, dog, cat, hamster, and guinea pig.

The animals brought a great deal of love into my life and enriched it in many ways. I belief that animals are souls just like us and that they, too, are here on earth learning and growing.

I heard a couple of animal stories recently. My husband Jim was on the way to work a week ago when he saw two cute little dogs running loose in the cold snow. One of them had a leash on like it had escaped from its owner. Jim stopped and put the dogs in his truck. One crawled on his lap and one curled onto a coat he had on the seat. He found a tag on one dog with the vet’s phone number. Then he called the vet who said he’d contact the owner. Jim drove to work and soon after he arrived the owner called. She didn’t know her dogs had gotten loose and drove right over to get them. The dogs stood at the window of the truck, excitedly looking out when she arrived. She and the dogs were happy to be reunited. As I reflect on the story I wonder how many times I’ve been in a situation where I could help, but decided I was too busy. But what a difference it made to those two dogs and their owners when Jim took the time to help them. In the future, I’ll try to be more aware of how I can serve in the world.

The other day Jim’s cousin Mary told me another story about a dog. She used to be a teacher but had to quit when she got multiple sclerosis. When she left her job one of her friends, a school volunteer, said, “Someday I’m going to help you in some way.” The two women lost touch with each other and four or five years passed. Mary’s ms got worse and she needed a help dog. She went on a list to receive one and had to wait for awhile. Finally they had a trained golden lab for her. They told her that when you get a help dog you are to meet the dog trainer first. When Mary went to meet the trainer it turned out the woman was her old friend, the school volunteer. The friend was delighted that the dog, she’d been carefully training for four years, was going to Mary. Now Mary’s old friend comes to see her and the dog regularly. Mary’s friend’s desire to help was fulfilled in an unexpected way. I am always amazed when I hear stories like this at how wonderfully the universe works. Some people call them coincidences, but I think they are miracles. They show the ways in which God is constantly working in our lives.
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May 27

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Chungliang Al Huang
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review | 4 Comments

In a recent post I wrote about Huang being an inspiration to me. Today, I found an article with a photo of him in the Your Life Lakeshore Weekly News here in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The photo was taken by Mark Trockman.

In the photo Huang demonstrates the Tai Jai move The Sing Whip in front of a new sculpture at the Marsh. The sculpture was done by Zhu Ming a Chinese artist and brought here from Hong Kong.

The photo captures the wonderful spirit of this amazing person.

Who are some of the people in your life who inspire you, help you follow your dreams and keep your vision on what is important to you?
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May 22

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Conscious Women Conscious Relationships
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review, Writing | 5 Comments

Darlene Montgomery has a new book in her conscious women series:

Conscious Women Conscious Relationships

True Stories of Wisdom and Awareness on the Path of Relationships.

Compiled by Darlene Montgomery

I have a story in the book called Three Gold Coins about my journey as a writer. In the story I talk about getting the story idea for my first book through a series of six dreams that were like watching an action/adventure movie. I also talk about the amazing experiences that happen when I listened to my inner guidance while promoting Red Willow’s Quest.

The following is a quote from my story.

“We each come into this life with unique gifts and talents. It’s up to us to discover what they are, to develop and believe in them, despite the obstacles. We are always being guided and aided in our mission, if we listen and stay tuned to the highest part of ourselves. When we follow our heart and serve our purpose it opens the door for great joy and brings a passion for living to our lives. Equally important, it inspires others to do the same.”

The book includes a story by Oprah Winfrey called On Success. Other stories are by Jo Leonard author of The Would Be Saint, Darlene Montogomery author of the Dream Yourself Awake, Ellie Braun-Haley author of A Little Door, A Little Light, and Monique Rider founder of Body Life Dynamics

Here is a quote from the introduction to the book by Darlene Montgomery.

‘”Nothing in our lives challenges us, sculpts us, nor moves us to grow or reflect the way our relationships do. Relationships of all kinds, from: spouses, parents, children, friends, relatives, workmates and more are the soil from which we harvest the qualities of patience, humility, harmony, detachment and most importantly, Divine Love. All of our relationships are for one thing: Ultimately they lead us to a greater relationship with our self and ultimately God.

All the stories in this book bear a lesson. Among them: forgiveness, letting go, humility and discipline. But above all these is the lesson of Divine Love. By using Divine Love in all life situations, we naturally learn its by-products of forgiveness, harmony and patience.”

Do you have a story about a lesson you learned from life and your relations? Please share it as a comment so others can learn benefit from what you learned?

What People Are Saying About

Conscious Women Conscious Relationships

“Conscious Women, Conscious Relationships combines wise journeys of women’s struggles and joys with transcendent poetic images. The spiritual truths in these stories shine divine light onto the murkiest paths. Let these women inspire you to create your own conscious life.”

~Linda Anderson, co-founder, Angel Animals Network, www.angelanimals.com

“This is a book I have waited for my whole life. The stories are our own. Dare to find yourself in these pages!”

~Maxine Hyndman, Author, The Naked Millionaire and The Organic Entrepreneur

“The Conscious Women series of books is like a hug during uncertain times. It’s healthy and helpful for us to look at other women’s lives, their struggles and their triumphs. It helps us realize that—to paraphrase someone wiser than I am—no matter what lies ahead of us, it can’t possibly measure up to what lies within us. Here’s to conscious living—and Conscious Women! ”

~Erin Davis, Radio Host, CHFI
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May 22

0

Inspiring People
By heidi.skarie@gmail.com | Book Review, Writing | One Comment

I’m inspired by people who are wonderfully alive and still contributing to the world in their later years. It opens me the possibility that I, too, can be productive and giving to the world as I age. This winter when I was at an art gallery in Hawaii I saw on display clay figurines of animals created by a women in her eighties. They were charming sculptures and she has quite a following of people who collect her work. The woman still teaches art classes as well as selling her artwork. I left the art gallery thinking about how wonderful it was that she could still do what she loved and pass her skill along to others.

This week I had another experience with a person who is contributing to life. The man was Chungliang Al Huang. He is 73 years old and full of energy, love, and life. I attended one of his workshops on Tai Ji. Huang is the founder and president of the Living Tao Foundation and the author of numerous books. Accompanying Huang was Dave Darling who is an award-winning Cellist.

I came away from the workshop recharge and inspired. Huang talked about Tai Ji as an ever-constant ever-changing creative process. He teaches his students to be spontaneous and to dance with the movements.

In his book, Spirit of the Dancing Warrior, he says that “Your primary intention is to discover how to play, train, work and live in alignment with our heart.” He quoted the Buddha who said, “Your work is to discover your greatness and to give your self to it.” Huang went on to say, “When you function from a heart-space . . . you demonstrate integrity, affirm yourself and others, and seek the extraordinary in each day.”

In an article in Internal Arts Magazine July- August 1988 Huang told a story about a man who came to a Zen master. He said was a doctor and told all about himself, then said he wanted to learn from the master about Zen Buddhism. The master asked him to have some tea, and then poured the tea into a cup. He continued pouring even though the cup had overflowed. The doctor said, “The tea is spilling over.” The master said, “You come with a full cup. Your cup is already overflowing with knowledge. Unless you come with emptiness and openness, I can give you nothing.” Huang said, “We need that kind of innocence, that kind of ignorance, in learning and dealing with things every day.”

In the class Huang talked about the same idea. The Chinese phrase is Wu Wei. Doing by not getting in the way, or going with the flow. I think of it as letting go. Not getting in the way of life. So often we have to release something in order for something new to come. Be grateful for the wonderful things we experience and then let them go so new things can come in.

Darling led a part of the workshop as well. He taught us to let go of all limitations about our musical abilities whether singing, dancing, or playing a musical instrument. Forget any teacher that said you couldn’t carry a note or discouraged you in some way. Darling said that when he works with cello students he doesn’t say this is going to be a difficult piece, he said this is a beautiful piece and we will have fun learning it. We sang and danced to his beautiful cello music, letting ourselves be free and enjoy the energy of the other people in the room.

Spirit of the Dancing Warriors is by Huang and Dr. Jerry Lynch. The book uses a meditation program based on warrior virtues. It is a soulful path to motivation, inspiration, and wisdom for athletics, fitness, and life. Huang’s website is www.livingtao.org.

Have you read any books lately that inspired you? Please share the book and tell us why it inspired you.
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