Moving on from Halloween...

I'm usually crazy into the Halloween decorations and costumes. For some reason, this year, I'm really ready for it all to be over. (I'll be sugaring up 100+ trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood tomorrow night.) It's so much fun for the kids, though. Their excitement is infectious!
Lately, my eyes have been going right past the gaudy orange and black aisles in the thrift stores and heading straight to the Christmas section. (It could be that my fascination with everything ANGEL has kicked into high gear.) If you're in the same ethereal mode, you may enjoy viewing these angel paintings by ReneaL. I've recently been motivated to pick up my paint brushes again, and these images are serious food for inspiration!

Tonya Zavasta is an Inspiration

Years ago when I first started learning about the raw food movement, I found the ultimate inspirational person for both inner and outer beauty. Tonya Zavasta, now in her early 50's, absolutely glows from her diet of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Do you  need any more proof than her picture that this is the way we were meant to eat? She has done extensive research into the benefits of raw foods on the body and written several excellent books. I have four of them on my bookshelf, including Beautiful on Raw, Your Right to be Beautiful, Quantum Eating, and Raw Food and Hot Yoga. Tonya Zavasta wins my first Raw Angel Light award for inspiration!

Dr. Eben Alexander's Heaven Experience

Recently, I was walking down the magazine aisle at the grocery store when I chanced upon Newsweek magazine and the article, "Heaven is Real: A Doctor's Experience with the Afterlife".
It's not often that you see a scientist proclaim experiences such as this, and the experience that he had while in a coma is fascinating and breathtakingly beautiful. It was only after I searched online about it that I remembered that I'd seen Dr. Alexander's tale on "Through the Wormhole" (a show on the science channel, narrated by Morgan Freeman). He has published a book about his experience called Proof of Heaven that I'm anxious to read. Have you ever had an afterlife experience or do you know someone who has?

©James Nelson c/o RawAngelLight

If you are wondering about the word, "Raw" in this blog title, it comes from my belief that we can only be truly healthy and avoid disease by including more fresh, raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds in our diet. I've read many raw food books over the past few years, and although at this point I am not yet 100% raw, I realize the irrefutable importance of including fresh foods in what we eat every day, and preferably at every meal. I'll go into more details about this in a later post. For now, I want to point out that I definitely feel lighter and happier on days where I have eaten some fresh, raw food. On those days, there's a little more spring in my step and a better outlook on life. Yesterday, I had a banana-pineapple-parsley smoothie for breakfast and a kale-veggie burger-dried cranberry-walnut salad for lunch (YUM!) and I feel a lot better than the day before when I my fare was not quite as wholesome. It does make sense, doesn't it? Our bodies need pure food in its natural form, because that's where we get the nutrients and enzymes that we need to thrive. So, today...eat a crisp apple...have a salad...or make a smoothie from some of that produce in the bottom bin of your fridge. Your body will thank you!

Presidential Debate Tonight - View With an Open Heart

All of the negative campaign ads have been such a downer. I've become a quick draw with the remote, so I can hit the mute button. I'm not sure if I'll be able to watch the presidential debate tonight as I may have another commitment. I'm a decided voter anyway, so I'm not looking for new information to change my mind. If I were watching to help me decide, it wouldn't matter who is the best debater, who has the flashiest smile, who throws the best "zingers", or who has the best hairdo! If you are still on the fence, consider which candidate best represents your values and cares about all Americans. Isn't that what it all boils down to? That's what really matters when we're choosing a leader. No one man can fix the economy or personally get you a job. However, one man can be a figurehead for what is right and just. Vote with your heart!

There has been too much darkness in my life lately, and I've finally said, "ENOUGH!" This is why I've decided to start this blog. It's time to explore the brighter side of life. Are you game? If you come along on this wagon ride with me, I promise to share uplifting snippets of my day and anything that brings a smile to my face. It may be spiritual (as I am on a quest), funny, heartwarming, cute and fuzzy, colorful, artsy, or downright nutritious and good for your soul as well as your body. They might also just make you pause on occasion and think about a deep subject or think of something in a new light.

This morning, a glance up at the sky touched me:

I'm not one to gaze up at the clouds while walking my kid to school. (That's a good way to trip and fall on your face in front of a whole lot of snickering elementary kids.) However, on this mostly sunny morning, I happened to glance up and do a double take. There was a configuration of clouds to the immediate southwest that was so beautiful and unexpected, I wish that I had my camera with me to photograph it. The image was of a woman with her hands clasped in front of her, praying. Directly below, as if flying in tandem with her, was the image of an angel. The scene appeared to be a mother and an angel-child. I pointed it out to the kids that I was walking with, and they clearly saw it too, without any hesitation. I promise that this type of celestial image was not something that I was looking for and I really had nothing on my mind that morning other than getting my child safely to school, so I could return to my cup of coffee and the newspaper before starting my writing tasks for the day. However, my heart has been so heavy these last few days after the discovery of 10-yr. old, Jessica Ridgeway's body in a nearby town. Her disappearance on her way to school has made national news, and the killer is still at large. If you believe in signs from heaven, do you think this was a signal to all parents that day to keep their children close and safe?