<New Year>

Spiritual Parenting Thought for the Month (SM)

Brought to you by Mimi Doe

January, 2011

V13 #1

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This newsletter is my gift to you in the hopes of empowering children and parents everywhere to live more joyful, connected lives.

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-WELCOME FROM MIMI

- GOD'S LIGHT IN ALL PEOPLE

- SEND LIGHT AND LOVE

-TURN DOWN THE NOISE, TURN UP THE SANCTUARY

-WHAT'S NEW

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Greetings,

How is the start of a fresh new year unfolding for you? Do you feel energized or dipping from lack of sunlight?

This newsletter is about the power of the light within you to both infuse you with energy and guidance as well as give you a gift you can share with your children and send out to others. With dark days and cold winter nights call upon the light you carry within and experience the rich results.

Our newsletters will be coming every other month, but do watch my blog for more frequent posting.

Blessings and LIGHT from my heart to yours,

Mimi

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Let the good in me connect with the good in others,

until all the world is transformed

through the compelling power of love.
-----Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

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God's Light Is In All People

Here in the United States, we've recently celebrated many festivals of light: Hanukkah, Advent and Christmas, Diwali, and Kwanzaa. Festivals and celebration of Light are common in many of the world's religions and cultures. Here are some familiar examples:

-- Hanukkah is a Jewish festival, The Festival of Lights, and occurs in the winter, around the time of the winter solstice. Hanukkah is the celebration of rededicating the Temple, and tells the story of 1 day's supply of sacred oil burning miraculously for 8 days. During Hanukkah, a candle is lit every day, adding to the candles lit the days before -- ending with a glorious series of 8 lit candles in the menorah.

-- Diwali (or Divali) comes from the Sanskrit word Deepavali which literally means "a row of lights." This auspicious holiday, known in English as the "festival of lights," is celebrated for 5 days by Hindus around the world, and for most Hindus marks the beginning of the New Year. It is a celebration of the victory of good over evil; the uplifting of spiritual darkness Rows of candles are lit anywhere possible -- flooding the home, community, and even rivers with candlelight.

-- Buddhists celebrate Buddha's birthday, Buddha Day, with a Festival of Light: Buddhists use Light (candles, butter lamps, lanterns) to celebrate Vesak to recall that the Buddha showed people how to become enlightened. The Vesak festival, or Buddha Day, celebrates 3 major events in the life of the Buddha: his birth, Enlightenment and passing away on the full moon of the 6th lunar month (May). It is the most important festival in the Buddhist lunar calendar. In villages, Buddhists gather around statues of the Buddha when it is dark. They walk around the statue with candles, lamps, and lanterns, till it is all covered in light.

-- Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus (One of his many names is "The Light of the World") at Christmas on December 25, around the time of the Winter Solstice. During Advent, the 4 weeks prior to Christmas, a candle is lit in the Advent Wreath each week -- representing Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love -- building up to the final lighting of all 4 Advent candles along with the central Christ candle.

-- Kwanzaa is a 7-day celebration in the United States, from December 26 through January 1, celebrating universal African-American heritage and culture. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to 1 of the Seven Principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith). Seven (7) candles are placed in the kinara, or candle holder: 3 red on the left, 3 green on the right, and a single black candle in the center. A new candle is lit on the kinara each day. The center black candle is lit first, and the lighting alternates between the red and green candles beginning with the outermost red candle and moving towards the center. In this way each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to the contemplation of 1 of the Seven Principles.

-- The idea of Inner Light is important to many Quakers (modern-day Friends): the idea that there is the Light of God within everyone, guiding us through our lives. Often, when asked to pray for someone, a Quaker will reply: "I hold you in The Light."

In each of these examples, we are asked to reflect on the Light in the world, the divine Light within ourselves, and to find ways to nurture this Light, express it, and share it with our friends, family, and community.

Take a moment today to visualize the light that burns within you…a pure and powerful force of love and good.

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Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.

— Mother Teresa

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Send Light and Love

Metta meditation is an ancient practice that is meant to help us reach across to others when conflict arises. "Metta" means loving-kindness to "Metta meditation" means the meditation of loving-kindness. Buddhists use this meditation to cultivate openheartedness and centeredness in all relationships. You don't have to be a Buddhist, however, to practice Metta meditation. Say the following words when you wish to transmit love and send Light to your teen or anyone else. The effects are remarkable.

May I be filled with loving kindness

May I be happy

May I be peaceful and at ease

May I be well

May (child's name) be filled with loving kindness

May (child's name) be happy

May (child's name) be peaceful and at ease

May (child's name) be well

May we be filled with loving kindness

May we be happy

May we be peaceful and at ease

May we be well

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Turn Down the Noise, Turn Up the Sanctuary

Our job as parents is to gently invite our children to remember that quiet doesn't have to equal bored or asleep or deep thinking. We can help them reconnect to the extraordinary experiences that can happen in ordinary moments, and reawaken what may seem like a sleeping sense of wonder. We can encourage our sons and daughters to "stop already" and "center down" as the Quakers call quieting ourselves.

The common rooms of your home can counteract the busyness of your children's other environments, offering them a sanctuary. Factors like subdued lighting, relatively low noise levels, and a sense of order can contribute to creating peace. As one mother and stepmother of 2 teenaged boys says: "When our boys to their other parents' houses, they get a lot of stimulation. In one house, people interrupt and talk over each other. In the other, there's a TV on all the time, even during meals. We try to be more serene here with conversation instead of electronics."

Of course, with teens in the house, peace and quiet won't reign all the time. The phone and doorbell will continue to ring, and a teen's natural exuberance has to find expression at home. However, if your intention is that your home will be a place of peace, you'll find ways to make it so. Magic can be more easily found in a peaceful place -- a cat purring, the soothing tick-cock of a clock, a new idea bubbling up to the conscious surface of a stilled mind.

Try even one of these strategies, and notice a little more peacefulness in your home:

-- Move the TV to a location other than the rooms where your family congregates for meals and/or conversations. You can take this a step further. I know several families who neither have TV reception nor subscribe to cable. They have one TV in the basement that is used for movies.

-- Unplug the phone or let voice mail pick up during family meals. Turn the ringer down as low as possible during other times. Make SURE meal time is no cell phone time for everyone in the family!

-- If you like to listen to music in the background, experiment with the difference between music with vocals and instrumental recordings. Some people find that background instrumental music is soothing, while vocals can create tension unless you listen attentively. I love Pandora and have a great nature sounds station I play throughout the day on my computer and in the evenings via my iPhone in the docking station in our kitchen.

-- Turn off unneeded lights in the living areas. Not only will this save energy, it can be relaxing. We often associate bright lights with noise and busyness, so try creating the opposite atmosphere in your home.

-- Create a room in your home where every family member can sit comfortably with lights conducive to reading. My family realized recently that our pets used the living room furniture more than we did. So, we invested in some great reading lights, rearranged the furniture, placed coaster around to accommodate drinks, and dug out throw blankets to entice napping. The serenity I feel reading with my family, pets on the floor where they belong, is deeply grounding.

-- Candlelight can turn an ordinary evening into a magical event. My family has collected a number of candleholders over the years, in using them we are reminded of the circumstances around their purchase -- a special trip or meaningful symbol. We light a candle in the morning at breakfast, and always have candles at dinner, regardless of the menu. I find that soulful conversations are spun within the peaceful ambience of candlelight.

-- Get lots of read-aloud books from the library. Read a new story by candlelight each night. Your kids will never forget this experience. If they're all wound up, candlelight has a magical, soothing effect. Whining, argumentative children start whispering and getting this dreamy look about them.

-- Give your child a string of little white lights and let her decorate her room with them. They can stay up year-round to add magic to the ordinary.

-- Light a fire in the fireplace. It sounds simple but so many of us forget we even have a fireplace. It's in a living room we rarely use, or we haven't gotten fire wood this year. Our daughters aren’t living at home anymore (college and first job) but when they were, I found that lighting a fire drew them to that space. The dog curled up in front of the fire, the girls moved in and out of the room, often stopping to cuddle with the dog or warm their hands.

-- Bring more light into your life. You have the power to call in light anytime. You can be driving to a Boy Scout meeting, attending a conference, cooking dinner, or sitting with a sick friend, and still call in light to feel peaceful, calm, and protected. When you want to help someone, send her light. As you practice this powerful technique, describe it to your children -- they will pick it up easily. When you leave for the day, picture your house or apartment surrounded by light. Bring light into your body when you are feeling sick. Picture the light going directly into the place of discomfort. Children love this technique -- approach it as a child would, with wonder and an open imagination. You will experience amazing results.

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THINGS I LOVE THESE DAYS

1. Online Learning

I love all the opportunities for free learing online from some of the world's greatest professors and thinkers. From MIT OpenCourse ware to Ted Talks, click above for a portal to knowledge you'll never believe. Whisk away to a classroom and learn about quantum physics, all before the kids wake up from their naps or your have to take yours.

2. Dream Manifestation Wizard

I'll let the developer of these transformational products tell you about them in his own words as mine don't do justice:

Manifest any goal, desire or life dream with this new award winning audio and software program. A simple and highly efficient process, using the power of your intention combined with images and your own voice, to reprogram your mind for instant and lasting success.

This is an amazing gift of empowerment and will uplift you this month or anytime. If you have a dream, this will help manifest that dream. I spend time each week editing my Dream Manifestor images and lists as my dreams come true almost as fast as I can articulate and put them up!!

3. Nesting Blog

For pure delight I follow this Nashville decorator's blog as it's full of beauty and inspired home design. I love looking at the pretty pictures and my "house lust" is satiated.

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~*~WHAT'S NEW~*~

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO THESE DAYS

Lately I've been listening to Steve Halperns OM Zone on my laptop as I work. It transports me to ease and calm. Check out this instrumental CD and I promise you will find a new serenity. What soothing music do you love? I need some new songs.

MIMI BLOGS

Click HERE to visit my Blog. You can bookmark it on Google to receive updates of new posts. Do leave comments and suggestions so we can have a virtual conversation.

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CREATE A YEAR OF DREAMS

Make ALL your dreams come true with the Dream Manifesto!

For YEARS I have been creating vision boards or treasure maps using poster boards and images of what

I would like to manifest in my life...Literally for about 24 years...

Up until now...

Now, since I'm on my computer so much of the time...I've installed this easy to use software, literally I had it up and running in less than 5 minutes, and my images are scheduled to appear with sound...that I've created...every few hours...reminding me of what I wish to focus upon...

It's crazy cool! In fact, I have had to delete most of the images I first put up as they HAVE COME TRUE. Time for new dreams!

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TREAT YOUR TEENAGERS TO STRESS FREE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS!

If your children are in high school, pick up a copy of my book: Don't Worry You'll Get In: 100 Tips for Stress Free College Admission. I believe that knowledge is power and have created various ways to help make the application and admissions process less stressful.

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CREATE A LIFE LIVED ON PURPOSE IN 2011

Busy but Balanced

Begin RIGHT NOW to craft a more balanced life!

This book takes you through the year, week by week...Full of tips, tools, ideas and inspiration for crafting a family life that is calm, centered, and full of joy!

Start 2011 with a committment and intention to craft a life of calm and ease. Dive into this weekly, inspirational guide for living a more meaningful life. Your own new semester of sorts.

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Spiritual Parenting Thought for the Month (SM) is written and produced by Mimi Doe and Karen Adolphson. If you have any stories to share, questions or comments, please send them to: Editor@SpiritualParenting.com. We'd love to hear from you!

Any submission of tips, stories, and other content to Spiritual Parenting Thought for the Month and SpiritualParenting.com, whether by email, mail, or posted to our website, becomes the property of Spiritual Parenting. Please see our terms of use and privacy policy for more details at: http://www.SpiritualParenting.com.

Mimi Doe, Author of:
"Nurturing Your Teenager's Soul"
"Busy But Balanced"
"10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting"
"Drawing Angels Near"

http://www.SpiritualParenting.com