Hi All,

Today, the angels talk about the wonder and beauty in life, and all the good there is to savor, even in spite of the tension we see in the world. I'll share little wonders, what I've seen with the sensitive souls the past few weeks, and how we can maintain our sense of joy even now. Tips included, as always.

Have a blessed & beautiful week :)
♥ Ann

by Ann Albers in Phooennix AZ

My dear friends, we love you so very much,

Breathe, dear ones. Your world is filled with kind souls who love and accept one another and who celebrate the differences. Your world is filled with countless beings who choose to live in peace, harmony, and love. You won't see the majority of them on your news, yet you run into them every day in so many ways.

The person who bags your groceries, gives you a smile, and offers to help you to the car is offering you love. The man or woman who walks their dog every morning in your neighborhood loves their furry angel so much they are willing to awaken early and brave any weather. The mother who patiently explains to her crying child that they'll be home soon chooses love over fatigue and frustration every day. The person who lets you turn in front of them in traffic sees your humanity, knows your desire to get going, and feels good allowing you in.

Everywhere you go, if you look around, you will find the kind, the peaceful, and the loving souls who keep your world turning.

Of course, there are also those who are sadly misaligned with their own spirit. There are bombs dropping from the skies, people dying in pain, and hatred ruining hearts. Still, we maintain that the good far outweighs the bad. The light will shine amidst any darkness. Love will continue to poke through hardened hearts like a flower that grows through a tiny crack in the concrete.

Dear ones, life is lifing and never stops growing. Love is expanding, and when it cannot find one avenue, it will find another. Just as water flows around the boulders it cannot move, and plants grow around the pebbles in the soil, love will find a way to surface in spite of all odds and obstacles.

Love is the creative force in the universe and the nature of the Source itself. It cannot be killed or extinguished. It lives even in hateful, and hurtful—blocked by their own fear and insecurities—but waiting patiently to grow through the cracks in the concrete of even the most hardened hearts.

So take heart. You are watching the dramas of hatred, fear, and ignorance unfold in real time. You are being fed a steady stream of reports on what is most disturbing and upsetting to many of you.The important question is not, "What is true in the news?" but rather, "What is true in my own life?"

Is love the most powerful force in your universe, or have you given someone else your power to be happy? Is your inner guidance your ultimate authority, or are you giving others that authority? Is your heart as important as your mind, or have you given in to the tyranny of an intellect separated from emotion?

Dear ones, there have always been and always will be forces in this universe that want to take your power. Some do it with violence, but far more engage in slowly and subtly tempting you to outsource your power and move away from your relationship with your inner self.

When you were a child, you never doubted your beau... until you watched programs that taught you false standards.

When you arrived on the planet, you trusted your own instincts... until well-meaning others taught you that theirs were more reliable.

You once witnessed nearly everything in your world with a state of awe until you were taught notions of good, bad, and how to worship.

You once found all people fascinating until you were taught to judge and sort people into categories.

You once craved connection until you found it painful or were taught to fear.

It is time to return to your natural state of awe and reverence for life; to your fascination with differences and your true desire for connection.

As you look at a tiny bee pollinating a flower, can you fathom the miraculous universe that attuned this amazing creature so precisely? It follows a light you cannot even see to the flowers that give what it needs to feed the hive and produce a sweet elixir that is both delicious and healing.

This is one tiny creature in a universe of miracles. Look around, dear friends, and reclaim your sense of awe.

Look at yourself and ask for a moment, "What makes me beautiful?" Forget artificial standards. Are the smile lines at the corners of your lips a tell-tale sign of love and laughter? Are the wrinkles in your forehead indicative of someone who ponders carefully? What makes you uniquely beautiful—not according to the world—but according to you?

How do you receive your God-given instincts? Do you feel things, just know them, get premonitions? Do things simply feel good or bad, right or "off"? Keep paying attention to the subtle signals that guide you until you return to trusting what is within you above anything else around you.

And dear ones, reclaim your fascination with differences, for you live in a world of delicious contrast wherein all souls have the same basic desires but express them in so many ways. Learn about a different culture. Try a different food. Appreciate a poem by a foreign poet.

As you work within to reclaim your identity as a loving soul, a global citizen, and an emissary of love, you will find ever-increasing joy in your life even amidst the chaos of your world. You will rob hatred of its hold. You will empower the light.

And you, dear ones, will feel tshe goodness of living in alignment with your true nature—in a dance with others who are as well—walking through life in the world but not of it, enjoying it as a soul aware of its own nature exploring itself in so many forms in this adventure called human life.

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

Hi Everyone,

There is a common estimate that it takes 12 bees their entire lives to produce a teaspoon of honey. Can you imagine? I've also read that a hive of 50,000 bees flies far enough in a lifetime to circle the Earth twice. They pollinate crops, produce healing honey, and OM-buzz all day long. Magnificent creatures!

All you have to do is take a short walk past a flowering plant and these little miracles await. I like to sweet-talk them (pun intended) and get really close to watch them stick their little faces into the lavender or rosemary flowers as they sip the nectar. I thank them all the time for pollinating my lemons and herbs. When I spend a moment smelling the flowers and listening to their collective hum, I'm temporarily in heaven.

Meanwhile, there are many in hell.

And it is hard to resolve the contrasts. Are we allowed to enjoy all that is good while others suffer?

It is an eternal question, and the angels often comment, "We'd rather have one in love than two in misery." Far better to appreciate all we can, spread as much love as we can, and come from a place of spiritual alignment in which we can be a force of light rather than succumbing to the darkness of ignorance, fear, and hatred that we—as sensitive souls—easily could.

Many people who live in areas of the world sadly plagued by decades of war have learned to live their lives more fully, perhaps because they're acutely aware of the preciousness of each moment and the uncertainty of the next.

I have a client whose grown kids live close to areas being bombed. They tell their mom they went to the bomb shelters several times the past few days as nonchalantly as we'd say we went to the store. We can learn from them and appreciate all we have now. I don't take life for granted. I don't take a single buzzing bee for granted.

The sensitive souls I talk to have had a few things in common this year—feeling exhausted, having trouble focusing or getting things done at their usual pace, and lately, what I've been seeing in waves—especially the last two weeks—are sensitive, caring souls declaring in very emphatic ways that they are done suffering to try to lift others up.

And the angels say it is time to make such a commitment to your own light that you refuse to dim it in the hopes of helping another through your own pain and suffering.

It is time to tend more to our light and our vibration so we can contribute in ways that are more lasting, meaningful, and joyful.

It is time to focus on the awakening ahead rather than the destruction at hand.

It is time for us to stand in our joy as much as possible and spread it. Instead of allowing our hearts to be possessed by fear, anger, or resignation, it is time for our light to raise people up.

As Marianne Williamson said so eloquently n one of her most famous pasasges:

"Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Beautiful truth!

So as you feel the world in your body, stop, breathe, and root yourself firmly to the Earth, who wants to hold us in her loving embrace. Permission to rest. Permission to play. Permission to find and share the joy that is native to the soul, if only in small, stolen moments.

The world needs our light here and now. The Earth needs our love. And we need the energy that comes from aligning with our true nature to create a new, more powerful, and more pleasant reality.

Here are a few tips to help us be the light in spite of all the chaos:

1.   Ground yourself

I once did some energy work so intense that I woke up the next morning, got out of bed, spun in dizziness, and fell over onto the carpet in slow motion. I sat there laughing. Clearly, I was not grounded.

Sensitive souls have a tendency to "pull up roots" when the Earth feels chaotic. If you can imagine, it looks like the aura bubble is about a foot off the ground and these little physical legs are trying to balance the bubble in a wobbly way! Grounding is important.

So when you feel like you or your thoughts are spinning, sit down. Plant your feet firmly on the floor. Breathe as if you are breathing up from the Earth itself, through the soles of your feet. As you breathe out, imagine the energy going all the way down your legs, through your feet, and into the Earth. Send some love to Mama Gaia while you're at it.

Alternatively, find some smooth river rocks and warm them in the sun. Bring them in and put your feet on them carefully. Feel the delicious, warm, grounding sensation.

These are just two of many ways to ground. You can walk barefoot outside. You can get a grounding mat. You can get a foot massage!

Whatever you do, the more focus you bring to the connection between your feet and the Earth, the more rooted and balanced you will become.

When grounded, you naturally feel safer, and it is easier to respond to life rather than reacting.

2. Reclaim your sense of wonder

At least once a day, look at something you take for granted—a flower, a bee, a crystal on your desk. Observe it. Wonder about it. Learn about it by observing it closely. Perhaps get online and learn more.

As you start to experience a sense of wonder about the most common things or beings, the world becomes more wonderful.

3. Reclaim your love of diversity

Every now and then, seek out something new and different. Go to a place you're unfamiliar with. Try a restaurant that features ethnic foods you've never tasted. Watch a video by someone of another culture to understand their point of view. Ask a person you know why they feel as they do in a way that is curious, open, and interested.

As we reach beyond the familiar to explore the delicious diversity life offers, we expand our world, discover our similarities, and start to relish our differences—just as we intended to do as souls before birth.

Wars will come and go. The horrific and the heavenly coexist on this planet and will until we collectively learn that love feels better and is our true nature.

We may not be able to stop the bigger forces in motion in this moment, but we can be part of a growing wave of people living in love who refuse to dignify the darkness by joining it in hatred, anger, or fear.

We can have compassion for the journeys of others while allowing ourselves the journey we have chosen. And we can be the light that we are, praying for all beings to know peace, joy, and love, as eventually all will.

Have a blessed week,
Love,
Ann

PS - I am a little late on this but finally finished a few projects and will have my website updated next week for class registrations :)

Inspured by one of my favorite restaurant salads, this is involved but not difficult. Totally delish! The chicken and dressing can be made ahead to save time, or if you want a veggie version, skip the chicken.

Creamy Honey-Ginger Dressing

3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp neutral oil (avocado, vegetable, or canola)
1–2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tsp sugar (optional)
pinch black pepper

Instructions
1 Add everything except the oils to a blender or small food processor.
2 Blend briefly.
3 Slowly drizzle in the oils while blending until smooth and slightly creamy.
4 Chill 20–30 minutes before serving for best flavor.

Crunchy Asian Style Salad

4 cups chopped romaine
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, julienned
¼ cup green onions, sliced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup toasted almonds
½ cup crispy wonton strips
Optional: mandarin oranges

Citrus-Chile Chicken
2 chicken breasts
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chili garlic sauce or sriracha
1 tsp honey

Cook the Chicken
1 Marinate chicken 20–30 minutes.
2 Grill or pan-sear until cooked through.
3 Slice thin.

Assemble the Salad
1 Toss the lettuce, cabbage, carrot, cilantro, and green onion.
2 Add sliced chicken.
3 Drizzle with the honey-ginger dressing.
4 Top with almonds and crispy wontons.
5 Use Honey Ginger Dressing from above

Enjoy!