Take ChargeTuesdays, by Gina Meyers

Take Charge Tuesdays

New Year, New You!

By, Gina Meyers

Start your new year 2016 off right with small, manageable changes to your lifestyle. This is your year to lose those extra pounds, get that promotion at work and find the one! 85% of us will fail at our New Year’s resolutions, but it’s possible to succeed if we make small manageable steps towards change.

Step One

Write it down!

 A new year often evokes the desire to work out more, lose weight, eat right. While those are great goals, sometimes we are too hard on ourselves. Allow yourself a cheat day. A day where you can have the See’s candy or that extra helping of mashed potatoes and gravy. Keep a food journal as well as an exercise journal. In your exercise journal write down your goals for the week, the month and the year. Write down encouraging statements and paste pictures of people that you want to look like in your exercise journal. In your food journal, print recipes found off the internet that appeal to you, make a list of foods that are healthy to keep on hand when you get really hungry, even a pantry list of food(s) that you know are good for you. Create your own good for you recipes and try something new, like Brussel sprouts.  

Step Two

Be Kind To Yourself

Each year brings about new hopes, and dreams, but it also brings about unexpected changes and even disappointments. Don’t beat yourself up over the setbacks and disappointments. Often times unexpected changes can really be blessings in disguise. Keep your chin up and roll with the punches.

Step Three

Make a Dreamboard

A Dreamboard is a visualization tool of pictures and inspirational phrases on a board to focus on your dreams and hopes for your future. The board activates the subconscious mind and the universal law of attraction to begin manifesting your dreams into reality. Dreamboards are effective because they are constant reminders of what you want and keep your mind focused on your goals for the future.

Gather Materials:

You can either use magazines or images found on websites. If you choose to use magazines, gather different types of magazines, so you can cover all the topics that you are interested in. For instance, if you are interested in traveling, visiting a local travel agency and requesting brochures on the countries you would like to visit. If you are interested in Yoga for instance, purchasing a magazine devoted to Yoga, health and wellness would be appropriate.  You can also use documents you collect or bulletins, found at your local church or university. You want to find images that remind you of your goals and ambitions, hopes, dreams for your future. These images are meant to motivate.

Cut out images:

Go through each magazine and cut out any pictures, inspirational words that appeal to you. Allow your mind to wander and follow your instinct. Find bright, colorful images that make you feel ambitious, motivated, exhilarated, fantastic. Ideas are: nice houses, cars, flowers, landmarks, fitness goals, pictures of families, and powerful words such as  (love, hope, joy).

Purchase a board:

A large blank poster board, inexpensive and available at a local art store or dollar store, discount drug store/pharmacy. You can also invest in a canvas or a magnet board.

Cut and paste pictures:

Cut and paste pictures on your dreamboard. You can use glue sticks, or Elmer’s glue.

Place the dream board:

Put it beside your bed, or in your office, or in your workspace. If you don’t have a lot of room, take a picture of your dreamboard and look at it on your phone or print out a photograph of your dreamboard. It will be a smaller version, so good for handy reference to keep in your glove box of your car.

Over the course of a year, you will notice that you will start to achieve some of your dreams that you have placed on your board.

These three steps will increase your odds of sticking to your resolutions, have a great year!

     

                           

About the Author

Author, Publisher, Gina Meyers

Gina Meyers is best known for her popular culture television trivia and cooking expertise books related to the Twilight Saga and the iconic television show Bewitched and is the proud winner of the prestigious Gourmand International Cookbook Award for Best Charity Cookbook, Hope For Haiti. Gina is also the author of The Dorm Room Essentials Cookbook, Cook Like a Native Italian, and has co-authored Manifesting Magnificence: A Personal Growth Workbook.

Make a Difference Mondays, by, Gina Meyers

 

 

 

Make a difference Mondays

Meet Avi Gardner

 

 

By, Gina Meyers

 

 

In our new format, Serendipity Press will be introducing you to people and concepts that “Make a Difference”, each Monday. In Avi Gardner’s first book, From Darkness To Light: A Fight for my Life and Light, ( Copyright © 2016 by, Avi Gardner, Serendipity Media, 978-0692450390) Avi tackles many difficult subjects. She poses many important questions in her book,  one of which, “how do we have the courage to forgive ourselves when unforgivable things have happened to our spirits?” She answers this and many other questions with a positive and upbeat attitude, taking into account you must acknowledge and not ignore what has transpired and you must give yourself time to “heal and to feel”. She has done an exceptional job at providing resources and thoughts on what has helped her through what many term, “ritual abuse”. She has become a singer and a song writer and has written not only a comprehensive guide on putting God first, but her message also is shown in poetry and prose. Read in her own words, Chapter 29, Courage.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 29 - Courage

William Shakespeare wrote, “Our fears are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”

 

Fear is the opposite of faith. Just as we are commanded to love, we are commanded to “Fear not.” Courage is a choice. It is faith in action.

 

As Peter Hill founder of World Tai Chi, G.E.T.I.T., and author of G.E.T.I.T. Together teaches, courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to move forward even when we feel it. We do not need to wait for fear to go away before taking action. In fact, we do just the opposite. By moving forward through our fear, we gain more courage to take the next action. When we, as Peter Hill says, “…have a clear goal with pure intent,” we can move past any fear. As Anthony Robbins said, a clear enough why overcomes any how. Susan Jeffers, author of, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, says that fear does not go away. The more we exercise our muscles, our ability to move through fear strengthens.

 

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the ability to keep moving forward even when we feel afraid, unless of course, a bus is coming our way.

 

It takes courage to keep looking and moving forward when we don’t see where we are going. We can pray for this courage and keep looking toward our dreams knowing that they will come to pass, taking one step at a time.

 

When I have something big enough to believe in, faith replaces fear. Whenever I feel afraid, I choose to replace this fear by believing in the atonement of Jesus Christ, by loving God with all of my heart, all of my might, all of my mind, and all of my soul. When I believe that He is taking care of things for me, while I work super hard, I am filled with His Light, and His perfect Love casts out all fear.

 

 

Before publishing this book, I knew I would be facing a lot of fears, so I bought a surfboard. I figured having enough faith to feel safe in the ocean would help me to have enough faith to publish the book.

 

When I was a kid, I used to surround myself with stuffed animals at night. I imagined myself submerged deep in the ocean, with sharks swimming around me. It was always light, and I could see. I knew my numerous stuffed animals would keep me safe. They would stop the sharks from hurting me.

 

The same faith that I used as a child is true for me today. This time, instead of stuffed animals around me, my Heavenly Father has my back. He won’t let anything hurt me. I am safe. Perfect love casts out all fear.

 

We may still fear at times.  God does not expect us to be perfect. We can pray to be filled with perfect love every day! Eventually, faith replaces this fear. 

 

When I went to the Mormon temple again after a seventeen-year absence, I felt at home. As my friends and I drove over the bridge, light from the sunrise illuminated the bay. I knew I was coming home. It had been a long journey.

 

Inside the temple, many things were on my mind. As I mentioned earlier, I had this big test to pass in order to keep my credentials in California. In order to keep my current position until the end of the year, I had one shot. I also knew I needed to write my book, and at the same time, still felt really scared about doing it.

 

While I sat with my friends inside the temple, two very clear thoughts came to my head. I had thoughts like this before during very important times in my life, and they were always right. To me, these thoughts were direct inspiration, things I needed to know. The first thought was very clear. “You will pass the test.” The second thought came just as clearly. “Publish the book. You will be safe. Build my kingdom, and you will be safe.”

 

The inspiration gave me motivation to keep studying. I spent hours and days and received several priesthood blessings. Knowing I would pass brought so much peace that I had the power to study even harder.  Sure enough, I passed the test.

 

When fears regarding my own safety came up about publishing the book, I kept remembering what God said, “Publish the book, and you will be safe. Build my kingdom, and you will be safe.”

 

~

It has been said that courage is the testing point of all virtues. When we are at a place where every virtue is tested, and we still choose the right thing, that is courage.

 

According to Joseph Fielding Smith, there is a difference between those who are, “brave at heart,” and those who have “the courage of faith.” The brave at heart fight for a cause and often give up when they see the battle as hopeless, or when they feel despair. Courage of faith comes when we believe in something much bigger than ourselves to make things happen. Those with courage of faith never give up.

 

Fielding goes on, “He (Paul) labored fearlessly, he had delivered a divine message, he had resisted the enemy, and they apparently triumphed over him. He was taken prisoner and subjected to humiliating treatment by the administrators of the law. He was in bonds, and death awaited him, but he was still courageous. His was the courage of faith. While he was in prison and awaiting death, when most people would have thought “Their cause lost,” Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Imagine how much courage that takes!

He was awaiting death, and still he said to protect himself with the armor of God.

 

Fielding continues, “ After we have done all we could do for the cause of truth, and withstood the evil that men have brought upon us, and we have been overwhelmed by their wrongs, it is still our duty to stand. We cannot give up; we must not lie down. Great causes are not won in a single generation. To stand firm in the face of overwhelming opposition, when you have done all you can, is the courage of faith. The courage of faith is the courage of progress. Men who possess that divine quality go on; they are not permitted to stand still if they would. They are not simply creatures of their own power and wisdom; they are instrumentalities of a higher law and a divine purpose.

 

Others would quit; they would avoid trouble.  Such men read history, if at all, only as they make it; they cannot see the hand of God in the affairs of men, because they see only with the eye of man and not with the eye of faith. All resistance is gone out of them – they have left God out of the question. They have not put on his whole armor. Without it, they are loaded down with fear and apprehension, and they sink. To such men everything that brings trouble seems necessary. As Saints of God, it is our duty “to stand,” even when we are overwhelmed by evil.

 

He states, “One of the highest qualities of all true leadership is a high standard of courage.”

 

As we move forward, we can have something else to look forward to. 

As much as I say it is not what we experience but the meaning we give to it that matters, I wonder how much of my identity comes from what I went through. I wonder if some of my perceived self-worth comes from surviving something big.

 

What will I do next?

 

It takes courage as we move forward living a life based on new beliefs. With courage, we create new situations where we know these new beliefs are possible. Really, there is no reason to fear because God is in charge. We are always safe.

 

 

 

God is in Charge

God is in charge,

There is nothing to fear

God is in charge

There is no need to fear

 

His perfect Love

Casts out all fear

‘Cause God is in charge,

There’s no need to fear

 

For He knows

What we want

Before we even ask.

He gives us what we need.

There’s no need to look back.

 

God is in Charge

God is in charge,

There is nothing to fear

God is in charge

There is no need to fear

 

His perfect Love

Casts out all fear

‘Cause God is in charge,

There’s no need to fear

                   -Avi Gardner

Author, Guest Speaker, Singer, Avi Gardner

Buy the book

Author, Publisher, Gina Meyers

Book Description: From Darkness To Light: A Fight For My Light and Life

Serendipity provides a tradition of success. Whether you chose the road less traveled or the path most traveled, rest assured that your needs are our top priority. From Darkness To Light: A Fight For My Light and Life, by, Avi Gardner.

From Darkness to Light

by, Avi Gardner

How many of us are dealing with major changes? How many of us want tools for surviving divorce, death, war, assault, and other major traumas?  How many of us desperately need tools for moving forward and living our dreams?

Losing almost everything she owned and nearly all she was as a person, Avi Gardner found the courage to begin again and rebuild her life from the ashes. Ever since her early teens, Avi’s motto to others has been: “Live your dreams.” Although she tried time and time again to live her instead, she lived out unconscious beliefs formed during a traumatic childhood.

 

Like many World War II and Vietnam veterans, Avi relived early events as if they were happening in the present. As she tried to put the pieces together, her whole life seemed to fall apart. Until one morning she stepped out in front of a bus.

 

This book is her story. It is about the Light that gets us through the darkest times. Let it guide you with tools to help you heal from trauma, PTSD or any major life change. Let it help you truly live your dreams and reach your full potential. Let it be your first step toward the Light.

 Preorder your e book today!

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

½ cup of butter, softened

1 cup of granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 cups of all-purpose flour, divided use

1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

1 cup of buttermilk

2 cups of finely peeled apples

1 ¼ cups of packed organic brown sugar

½ cup of chopped nuts

1 to 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon

1/3 cup of melted butter

Drizzle topping: (optional)

½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon of shortening

 

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together ½ cup of softened butter, and sugar until well-combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Combine 2 2/3rds cups of flour, the baking powder, soda and salt; add alternately to beaten mixture with buttermilk, beating until combined. Fold in apples.

While cake is cooling, combine chocolate pieces and shortening in a small saucepan or micro-safe bowl. Melt over very low heat, stirring until blended, or microwave on low power until melted, stirring to blend. Before serving, drizzle topping over cake. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

By, Chef Gina Meyers

1 Pumpkin (small, Trade Joes sells pumpkins for pies)

3 eggs

1 cup of Evaporated Milk, Vitamin D Added

1 stick of butter (melted)

Dash of salt

¾ cup of Organic Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1 ready to eat Graham Cracker Crust

Directions: Wash pumpkin, cut in half, remove stem and scoop out seeds and remove strings. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about one hour at 350 degrees.

Once cooled, peel, smash, and mix pumpkin until smooth. In a large bowl, add milk, melted butter, pumpkin puree, eggs, dash of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extra and blend with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Pumpkin Pomegranate Bread

 

 

 

Pumpkin Pomegranate Bread

By, Gina Meyers

1 (15 ounce) canned pumpkin puree (spiced)

1 ½ cups of granulated sugar

½ cup of vegetable or coconut oil

¼ cup of water

2 eggs

2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour (if you are gluten-free, substitute Nu Flour)

½ Tablespoon of ground cinnamon

½ Tablespoon of ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

¼ cup of pomegranate kernels (arils)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with either extra virgin olive oil or canola non-stick cooking spray three 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. If using the spice pumpkin puree, no need for additional spices. Fold in pomegranate arils. Bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean from the center of the bread.

 

Pomegranate Icing

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 1/2 Tablespoons of POM (Pomegranate Juice)

Mix in a bowl with  a spoon, add more powdered sugar if needed or a 1/2 Tablespoon at a time of pomegranate juice if mixture needs it. Drizzle mixture over your baked and cooled Pumpkin Pomegranate Bread.

Gina's Cookbooks Buy Here

Whole Grain Pomegranate Sangria Bread

Whole Grain Pomegranate Sangria Bread

By, Chef Gina Meyers

The Twin Pomegranate Wine Cookbook Book Trailer

 Purchase the Pomegranate Cookbook

1 Tablespoon of Cornmeal

1 cup of quick-cooking rolled oats

1 cup of buttermilk, divided

½ cup of True Temptation Pomegranate Sangria

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons of packed light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of caraway seeds

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

6 tablespoons of butter or margarine, chilled, cut into pieces.

2 eggs, lightly beaten, divided

½ cup of currants

½ cup of pomegranate seeds

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle large baking sheet with cornmeal. In a bowl, combine oats with ½ cup of buttermilk; ¼ cup of pomegranate sangria let stand ten minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine all-purpose and whole wheat flour(s), sugar, baking powder, caraway seeds, baking soda and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs: set aside. Reserve 1 Tablespoon of egg; combine remaining egg with remaining buttermilk (1/2 cup), plus ¼ cup of Pomegranate Sangria. Stir into oat mixture; stir in currants and pomegranate seeds. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until stiff dough forms. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Shape dough into round loaf; place on baking sheet. Brush top of dough with remaining egg. With serrated knife, cut an “X” in top of bread, extending cut over sides of loaf down to baking sheet. Let stand in warm place for fifteen minutes. Bake 40-45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool slightly on pan on wire rack before serving.

 

Buy The Twin Pomegranate Wine Cookbook