Hi All,

The world cannot dim the Light that we celebrate this season. It lives behind and within all things and all beings. Today the angels talk about the constant presence of that Light and how it is waiting for us to receive. I'll share some examples of this focus in my life and how you can more deeply find and feel the Light in this season and always.

Have a blessed & beautiful week :)
♥ Ann

by Ann Albers in Northern AZ

My dear friends, we love you so very much,

Your holidays are a celebration of Light in the darkness. The Christ child came during dark times of oppression, amid taxation, in a dark, cold cave, through a young, unwed mother. The lamp stayed miraculously lit after intense massacre, war, and turmoil when hope was desperately needed. The celebration of the solstice – the darkest day of your year – marks a turning point towards the Light.

The history of each holiday is different. The celebrations are unique. Nonetheless, the vibrations of all these holidays are the same: love, peace, and hope. Each, in its own way, is a celebration of the triumph of Light over darkness that offers a ray of hope no matter how challenging times may be. You focus – some of you for the entire season, some for a moment –  on the Light and the ever-present love that waits to be sought, seen, and acknowledged.

The Light has never left you. It was present in the moment of creation. It is present in every loving glance. It is present in the birth of every child and the re-birth of every soul as they transition back into the expanded realms. The Light is in your tears as you grieve your physical losses and present in your laughter. The Light is in your joy and your sadness where it lays buried, perhaps like a seed waiting for you to acknowledge the life it wants to sprout within you.

The light is present as strongly now as it always has been. The love remains constant and unchanged. It shows up in countless different forms. To the degree that you allow it in your own heart and your own life, you will experience ever-increasing amounts of this light.

You call something a miracle when your focus on the desire is stronger than your doubt, disbelief, and focus on the problem. If you want to experience the light dear ones, focus on it. If you want to experience it as love, focus on love. If you want to experience it as abundance, focus on abundance. If you want to experience it as peace, focus on peace. For wherever you are, there the light is. Wherever you focus, that is what you experience.

Mary focused on God's grace and her willingness to receive it in the form of a child. The keepers of the temple focused on hope and reconsecrating it to the Light once again. During the solstice, you focus on longer, lighter days to come. During these turning points, your world's focus shifts from dark to Light and despair to hope. In so doing, you allow the Light – in many more beautiful forms – to flow into your experience.

Turn your focus to all that is beautiful, light, and love-filled. Focus on the warmth behind the holiday trimmings. Enjoy your material world. It, too, is a manifestation of Light. Remember, however, to appreciate the love behind it. Love your gatherings by focusing on the good within all. Love your traditions – new or old – by focusing on the good feelings they bring. Love your meals and treats as symbols of loving care. Love your gifts as emblems of love; whether or not you like the thing, appreciate the thought. Love your decorations for the artistry and creativity in each.

Everywhere you look, see the love. With each sparkling Light, each candle burning bright, think about and appreciate the sparks of Light within each one of you. If you have lost love in the form of a dear one, open to feeling them as they are now, for they know where you are, and they feel closer to you than can be described in human terms and want to share that Light with you.

The Light is never gone. It is there for you all. It is simply waiting for your focus to invite it into your hearts, lives, and communities. Welcome the Light into your heart during this season by focusing on it more; in so doing, you will experience more of it each day.

God Bless You! We love you so very much.
-- The Angels

Hi Everyone,

This was the year of the perfect turkey. After cooking Thanksgiving dinner This was the year of the perfect turkey. After cooking Thanksgiving dinner for over three decades I finally got it exactly right. The meal has always been insanely good, but this year, it was perfection - moist, flaky, fall apart in your mouth good. I think the secret was singing to the bird. You see, it was a bit behind schedule when I woke up. A few years ago, I got a big roaster like Grandma's, making slow roasting so much easier than when I did it in the oven. If the "cooking-time" math works correctly, the bird roasts overnight and finishes cooking just in time to take apart before the guests arrive so that I can enjoy my company.

Anyway, back to the story, the beloved bird was in all night and not cooked quite enough when I awakened, so I did two things – one logical and one pure energy. I cranked up the temperature a bit of course, and started singing to the tune of Chuck Berry's "Johnny be Good." It just popped into my head. "Go, turkey, Go! Go, turkey, Go! Go, turkey, Go! Turkey be Good!" The pure silliness put me in such a joyful vibration the universe had to respond! I've never eaten such a good meal, and I've both cooked and eaten the same meal for decades. I blessed and thanked the soul of the bird who lived and died for my dinner and felt the love come back at me. Years ago, the angels came through a channel I trust deeply and said that many animals incarnate as food animals because they enjoy the "rush" of going back into the Light. They don't see death as we do and ask only for kind treatment. That was new to me at the time. I always have deep gratitude for the souls who contribute to my life – human, plant, or animal.

I feel the Presence of the light strongly these days. The years of practicing appreciation make it second nature. Today, I appreciate the changing leaves, plants growing in the garden, and the crisp, cool blue sky dotted with spattered clouds. I appreciate the people in my personal life, my dear clients, and all of you. I appreciate the cold water in my faucets, the food in my fridge, and the holiday decorations that are finally up after three-day weekend of hauling boxes and climbing up and down a ladder. I love this season.

I am often asked by people how and why I'm so happy. The truth is, I'm not all the time. I work at it constantly. The world could easily get me down a thousand times a day, but I work unceasingly to manage my mind and choose my focus for one simple reason – I prefer to feel good. I prefer to see love, be love, and share love. That's my essence and yours too. We're made of it.

Children seek the Light so easily. If something upsets them, they accept themselves first. They have a good sob, an epic tantrum, or a quiet pout. Within minutes, however, if left to their own devices, they'll find something to feel better about. Focusing on things that make you happier is natural. We're born to do it. We get trained out of it. We were taught – often unconsciously – that we have to be "responsible" and focus on problems, that we have to dwell on or fight unpleasant behaviors, and that we have to be smart, right, look good, fit in, etc. We were conditioned to focus on problems and join the fight "against darkness" instead of bringing forth the Light from within.

In truth, we can respond best to life when we focus on the solutions. We are happiest when we look for the love around us. We are kinder, more authentic beings when we turn our cheek away from destructive behaviors and focus on the kinder souls or the good within everyone. The Light is there in all cases. Sometimes it just takes more mental muscle to focus on it.... and we can exercise our minds to do so.

This holiday, more than ever – perhaps because the world needs love, peace, and compassion – I'll be focusing on all that is beautiful about the season. After I finish the newsletter, I'm having Thanksgiving dinner for the fourth time and will cozy up with a good cup of tea, my warm fleece, and perhaps a little Hallmark before bed. Sappy as the shows are, I love how kind everyone is to one another! Whatever helps you focus on love this season, do it. It is, after all, a season dedicated to bringing forth light in the darkness.

Here are a few tips to help you focus on the light during this season...

1. Open to the heavenly light first

Take time in silence to sit with your angels, dear ones in heaven, or the pure presence of the Divine. Put on some sweet music. Breathe, and intend to simply receive. Allow yourself to relax and open. Trust your loved ones, angels, and the Divine are always flowing love to you. As you relax, see if you can open to feeling their love. Imagine it wrapped around you and flowing over you because it is. As you start to feel good, see if you can open to feeling even better. Keep expanding, breathing, and receiving. You are the manger, the lamp, and the dark welcoming the dawn. Open. Nothing can please the heavens more than opening to receive their indescribable love for you.

2. Give the light to yourself

Every day this season, do something kind for yourself. Stop to enjoy a song that you love. Pause to enjoy the beauty around you. Sip something you enjoy. Think of something or someone you are grateful for. As you do something daily that honors your own spirit, you bolster the spark of light within you and begin to experience your own worthiness.

3. Be the light

Be an ambassador of the light and the love that lives within us all. Be kind to someone who looks in need of a smile. Volunteer or sit in silence and pray. Give a little tiny something to someone to share your appreciation. There are so many ways, great and small, to share the love. Do it because it feels good to be your kindest self. No matter what mood you are in, sharing love illuminates your own soul. The love that flows through you must first flow to you.

It would be my heart's wish that the extra kindness and cheer of the season illuminate our hearts daily; that we take time to savor small moments, to treasure the people in our lives, and to sit in that beautiful silence. We can become the receptacle for the love that is beyond imagination.

Have a blessed week :)
Love,
Ann

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This is homemade delish!!! If you don't want turkey, subsitute chicken or beans and corn!

For Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped very fine
garlic cloves chopped very fine
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, or 2-3 t dried
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomatoes, or stewed tomatoes

For Filling:
2 cups cooked turkey, shredded or chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, or 2-3 t dried
2 tablespoons chopped up roasted Anaheim chile peppers, or 1/2 4-oz can chopped chiles
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, grated
8-10 small corn tortillas
cooking oil
More cheddar cheese for topping
¼ to 1/2 c green onion greens, sliced

1. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and cook onions and garlic till translucent, stirring frequently to prevent browning.

2. Meanwhile, mix tomato sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, salt, and cumin in a medium saucepan and heat over medium low heat. When onions and garlic are read, add all but 3T to the sauce. Reserve the 3 T for the filling. Continue to simmer sauce on low for about 15 minutes.

3. Mix turkey, 2 t cumin, and cilantro with reserved onion and garlic. This will be your filling. Put it in a small bowl, near your work area. Put the cheddar in another small bowl and have a spoon handy. Measure 1/2 c of sauce into an 8x8 baking dish, just enough to cover the bottom.

4. Preheat oven to 350°. Now, heat about 3-4 T cooking oil over medium. One at a time, soften the tortillas in cooking oil. When you remove them, fill with 2 T turkey filling and 1 T grated cheddar. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Continue until all filling is used up. Pour the remaining sauce over all, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle a thin layer of grated cheddar over this, and cover with foil.

5. Bake at 350°, covered for 20 minutes. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top and broil for 1-2 minutes just until cheese is bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes to cool, then sprinkle with green onions.

6. Serve with chips, salsa, and spicy baked beans. Pass sour cream for extra garnish.