I hope that you all have had the best weekend! The shift is here where everyone will begin adjusting to the year, and Fall is just around the corner. I got to truly enjoy a tiny bit of time for myself this weekend, and all I can say is that ME time is unbelievably important! I took the time to play piano, swim under the stars, and actually read a good book! Perhaps, sometimes we forget that life is not all about work—what regenerates us most are the moments that we are able to gather our thoughts and continue to FEED our juices.

I had a moment this weekend that made me think of the word FEED. Perhaps it is because I am feeding hundreds of families on a weekly basis, but in essence, what I do is FEED. However, I feed not only food. The significance of this word goes far beyond our comprehension. There are so many faucets to feeding individuals, feeding families, and feeding yourself. We feed ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The word FEED has the following definitions according to the Oxford Dictionary:

• To give food to
• Provide an adequate amount of food for
• Nourishment from
• Encourage the growth of
• Supply with material, power, or other things necessary for its operation
• Supply with information or with ideas
• Supply with water
• Insert coins to extend the life of
• Cause to move gradually and steadily, typically through a confined space

The easy one to see here is that we all feed ourselves physically. We all must eat food to live; however, not all food will truly feed us in a way that nourishes us. Tonight when making my salad, my sister was preparing her food as well. She was sprinkling something onto her plate that was meant to make her food palatable. It occurred to me that true food should not need to be seasoned; it should not need to be modified to be food. We create condiments to make non-food taste like food! Food should be tasteful, delicious, and ready to eat whole. Truly, no preparation is needed. If it is food, it will already taste good. It will have all of the ingredients in it already to make it wholesome because it will be a whole food—it is complete simply by growing. We cannot create food, but food is created for us. Sure, we can snazzy it up and make it look beautiful and combine its flavors to create a truly rawesome and radical dish, but essentially we do not need to create any ingredients to cover the taste of these fruits or vegetables. They already shine and glow with life, and these juices FEED our bodies and minds to escalate to higher levels of living! When we FEED ourselves with REAL food—raw, fresh, ripe, organic fruits and veggies—we are feeding the world life. When we care for ourselves in such a way, everything and everyone surrounding us benefits. We create change simply by changing ourselves. We not only FEED our bodies, but we feed others.

When we eat foods that are truly filled with LIFE, we also feed ourselves emotionally. Nutritionally charged foods allow our minds to vibrate at higher frequencies; thus, allowing is to peak our performances daily. Everyday is an uphill climb. Once you truly incorporate living raw and living healthfully as a lifestyle, there is no going back. You will not want to go back because everyday becomes more of a blessing—you allow yourself to live in abundance and joy! Just as eating cleansing foods will cleanse our bodies of impurities, eating raw foods will also cleanse our minds of negative thoughts, sad emotions, etc. It is a different type of detox, but it resurfaces emotions that we tend to stuff away, and it clears them from our bodies. If anyone of you has ever read the book “Feelings Buried Alive Never Die,” the message is completely true. Emotions that we ignore will stay inside of us and possibly create sickness or depression in our bodies. We all manifest these negatives in different ways, but regardless, they have the potential to hinder us from seeing the light and from operating at our best. Who wants to walk around feeling like they have bricks on their shoulders?? Clear out your body by feeding your mind. Feed your body, feed your mind!

Eating foods that come from the earth and that are not modified by man’s hands create a deeper sense of spirituality in one’s life. One becomes more appreciative of the bounty that magically grows from the ground! When we eat the foods that the earth feeds us, we are then connected to our planet—we are connected to all that surrounds us. Many of us to do not get the chance to spend time in nature, so perhaps eating fruits and vegetables feels foreign to us. However, it is as easy as breathing or walking. Eating an abundance of vegetables and fruits should be a part of our lives. It is a choice. I find it funny when you watch food commercials that attempt to make a certain prepared dish look good, when in all honesty, the food looks soaked in grease and slimy. It is made-made or modified with many ingredients so that all that remains is a small portion or food and many chemicals. You never see commercials trying to get an audience to eat an apple or a pear because it is not man-made—there is no real profit being made from eating a fruit or vegetable. It is not a creation of a certain company made for profit. Sure, some will showcase a granola bar with many exotic fruits and such, but do you ever see commercials showing off the sexy curves of kale or the succulent juice of a nectarine?? Now that would get me salivating, and it would truly drive the hunger within me to share with others! Farmers grow our food, and they rarely benefit in the ways that we would wish. Our food connects us to our planet, and it increases our awareness of the earth. If we destroy the earth, we destroy our food source. If we have no food, we cannot feed ourselves. Hence, we cannot feed others or the world.

What I do in the co-op is try to FEED families, friends, and individuals. I feed everyone beautiful, abundant, and organic fruits and vegetables, but I also try to FEED everyone with useful knowledge to make excellent food choices. I like to encourage the growth of food and the growth of our souls. If I provide you with such knowledge of your mind and body, you can help to improve yourself. If you are improving yourself, you are improving the world in which we live. There has been too much negative talk about the direction in which are world is heading. I am going to stand out on a limb and say that I believe in the force that will make this world a better place. I believe in everyone to help turn everything around. Everything (the economy, pollution, relationships, networks, etc.) is affected by the ways that we feed ourselves.

Why not feed us life so that we can GIVE life and GIVE back TO LIFE? If we do this little by little, we will see things not only change, but also soar. We have the power to make this life the best life ever, and it all depends on how we FEED.

So “lettuce” FEED our bodies and minds so that we can FEED in infinite ways. There is too much to give back to make this world a truly special haven. I hope that you FEED yourself with love and compassion this week, and I hope that you FEED those around you to create a perfect abundance!

Sending many HUGS!

Kristina



I hope that you have had a great “last” week of summer! Although we will have plenty of more sizzling summer weather, schools starts so the kiddos will be heading back to school!  We have had an over-abundance of nectarines and plums and MORE, and I am already ready for my next box! It is funny that although I am not starting school tomorrow, I feel the little butterflies in my stomach that lets me know that change is coming soon. I can only be excited because I know that beautiful and truly good things are on the way!

Many fear change; however, I have learned to love it. Not many like change because it means that they must adjust their lives to their new surroundings. Sometimes, new situations or circumstances can feel uncomfortable. But, we learn to navigate them so that they can eventually feel contented to us. Once we grow into them, then they feel like our own. By that time, change comes again. Not only does this turning wheel of change keep up honest, but also it gives us life. It challenges us to deal with uncertainty and unrequited curiosities that we may encounter. Why not change? So often we wish for change; yet, ironically, we hold ourselves in the same place of discomfort because it is familiar to us. It is only until we let go of the familiar and take a leap of faith towards the unknown that we can potentially change our lives for the better.

We can only create the life that we want by moving forward and by taking chances. We must experience change. We can only create change by taking new steps and by trying to understand new things. Sometimes, these new things may not work out, but sometimes, they will. Either way, we must experience them so that we find out what works for us.  With each new step, we get closer to what works best for us.  We grow.

I can start thinking about all of the things that make the butterflies come alive in my stomach: like a new school year, not having a permanent Thursday home for co-op, or even my having to leave town in September for a week to go to Dr. Graham’s Health and Fitness Week in Seattle. The only thing that can settle me is to simply let go and allow myself to enjoy these experiences no matter what they are or what they may bring. I do believe that things happen for a reason, and that all lessons are brought our way in order for us to be presented with growth opportunities from them. There will always be lessons to learn, but it is how we choose to learn them that makes all the difference.

So whether or not you are nervous about going raw, trying new foods, or opening up your mind to eating healthier, anything is possible. No matter what problem you may find, there are always solutions. Can you see them??? They surround you! Look outside of the box, and open your heart and mind to be purely accepting. You will find yourself flexible and happy with whatever is placed at your feet. The next step is solely to be grateful. The bad only exists if we choose to see it. What may be bad to one person may be fantastic to another. It is all about our perceptions.

Whatever this week may bring for you, I can only hope that you open your heart to new possibilities and that you fear not. Take a leap of faith and try something new for yourself this week. Allow yourself to let go and simply enjoy the ride—flow.  All will work out perfectly in the end!

Hugs!

I hope that you have had a wonderful weekend! It‘s been hot, but I have loved it! A good sweat never hurt anybody!

If I learned anything this week, I learned that “home is where the family is.” I could also say that “home is where the food is” or “home is where the heart is,” but I call us a family because we are TRULY A COMMUNITY. We may be homeless after August, but we are definitely not “family-less.”  I have never seen such a group of individuals come together to simply contribute and to feel good about giving back to one another and to their bodies. After working and sweating in the Houston heat this past week, I truly felt a sense of something beyond community: I felt family.

Week to week, volunteers come to help—rain or shine, steaming or freezing, home or no home.  Even after we have moved 3 times since we left Royal Oaks, everyone has been SO co-operative and has stuck with us! Not only that, but we have been growing in the meantime! That says a LOT about our co-op family and about the amazingness that we share. The meaning of community in our world is slowly diminishing, but we have it here. We have a place where families can come and interact with their food. We get to share in a bounty that is found nowhere else. Our all-in-one variety box supports our bodies, our minds, our farmers, our families, our community, and our land. Whether or not we all realize it, the co-op has become much more than just about the food. We have created a community. Those words are so deep to me. I cannot possibly imagine the depth of this.

I love it when our lessons are laid out right before us. Sometimes, we are not always so sure what the universe is trying to tell us, but other times, it is apparent. Learning revolves around finding the balance of gratitude and humility.  If you ever want to move anywhere, you cannot get there without having gratitude. No matter where you may be, if you want something better for yourself, your first step is taking a step in gratitude. As my friend Alix Rodwell quotes,

“How can you receive something greater if you are not grateful for what you have?”

If one has an inkling of dissatisfaction, resentfulness, anger, hate, etc. in their thoughts, then they are not grateful. I was so discouraged about our temporary Thursday spot, until I realized that I NEED to be grateful for this spot. Otherwise, we would have nowhere to have co-op! Not only was this a lesson in gratitude, but also it is a lesson in humility. When we open our hearts to accept what is, the infinite becomes possible. It’s being humble enough to accept what you have and grateful enough to allow new possibilities into your life!

Moving us around was so discouraging to me, but now I am encouraged. I know the perfect place is on its way. I just haven’t gotten the memo yet (wink).  In the meantime, I want for us to thrive and share this gift!  Being in this position has made me come to the conclusion that we must dream big if we want to have our co-op thrive forever and change the world. While we are waiting for approval from a few locations to take us under their wing, we can use this time to prepare our very own spot—maybe even our own outdoor pavilion. The true home will come, and I cannot wait to see what it will be. We will keep sorting, eating, and loving.

My dream is for the co-op to have it’s own home—a safe haven where we can all go to enjoy our organic abundance. I am already planning to throw a big Hoe-Down! Get the music ready!

I want to congratulate all of those who have taken their weeks and who have turned them around for the better! I have heard of so many miraculous stories this week, and I think we owe gratitude! For those who got new jobs this week, I would like to say “HORRAY!” For those who have lost weight this week, I want to say “YOU GO!” And, for those who have conquered personal mountains this week, I have to say “LOVE BABY LOVE!” When we show gratitude for what is, we see the goodness returned to us.

Wherever you are this week, I hope that you are grateful for everything in your life. I also hope that you are humble enough to accept where you are, where you want to go, and what you want to share with others. In giving, you will receive! Thank you all for being a part of this family. Together, we create change and achieve our dreams!

Hugs*