Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Aloha!
Here's a link to my Sept Video eNews:
http://app.talkfusion.com/fusion2/view.asp?NTk0MjY0_3706246
My sharing includes: an Oprah update, my new book/cd + my upcoming Aloha Goddess Retreat
Enjoy - it's the first of more video sharings to come!
Hugs & love,
Faith
Here's a link to my Sept Video eNews:
http://app.talkfusion.com/fusion2/view.asp?NTk0MjY0_3706246
My sharing includes: an Oprah update, my new book/cd + my upcoming Aloha Goddess Retreat
Enjoy - it's the first of more video sharings to come!
Hugs & love,
Faith
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
How I Became a Veggie Head & Raw-at-heart
So how does a meat-eating local girl from the islands becoming a veggie head & raw-at-heart? Well this is my brief story mostly to share tips with those of you interested in exploring new territory in your eating adventures. Again I’m just a newbie but since you asked here I go – the first part is my backstory into becoming a vegetarian & then exploring raw living foods, and the second part (which you can so just jump too) is practical tips/ideas/references.thnx to TopMomBlog.com for this pic of my fav raw dish ever from www.Aulac.com
So I’ve always loved animals!
As a kid, I had a dog named Prince, 10 guinea pigs named Stardust, Moonglow, Comet & more plus a nameless mynah bird, and yet there was always this disconnect that the food I ate used to be living, breathing critters once. On a trip to
As I’ve grow in my own spiritual practice & my knowing in the oneness of all life, I’ve always wanted to be vegetarian but knew I would not undertake that switch until it could be done with grace, peace & all that good stuff. What’s the point of becoming a vegetarian or making any big change if it’s done with negativity, judgment, stifling rigidity & all that not so fun stuff? So I patiently waited for that perfect moment to present itself & it did in Jan 2009.
Somehow I started the year not eating any meat, not as a conscious decision or anything, it just happened that way. I love the mystery/synchronicity of the internet – it’s certainly been a big part of some of the most life-changing connections I’ve had in my life (that’ll be another story). Anyway, on a website or email somewhere I read about something called The World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle http://worldpeacediet.org. The title intrigued me deeply while my more shallow sarcastic side said “C’mon a world peace diet? What a cheesy concept? Puhleeeeze!” The lil’ kid in me always open to possibility won out the skeptic & I downloaded the eBook & began reading it. Did you know all these folks were vegetarian: Pythagoras, Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi (hey where are all the ladies)? Also one of the lines I liked from the World Peace Diet “It’s funny how we want transformation without having to change.”
It’s been a while now since I read it but I do remember feeling pummeled by loads of information as the book continued. Sometimes I felt angst maybe even anger coming from the author why we NEED to be vegetarian. However within this heavy-handed commentary on the seeming wrongs of being a meat-eater, some insights that I resonated with began to emerge. Ideas like…
- the disconnect between living breathing animals we see & appreciate out there, and the chicken mcnugget on our plate that we take in here (I’m pointing at my belly)
- the way we unconsciously move through this beautiful act we call eating/feeding our body necessary nutrients & “fuel” to do all that we do in life (we eat on the run, don’t make time to acknowledge/appreciate the food, etc.)
- the environmental, spiritual, physical, even emotional impact of eating animals
It also reminded me of a related aha moment that happened at a HUB event in late 2008 One of the speakers/HUB member Michael Beckwith said we do not love in general, we love in specific – meaning if I say I am loving or I am peaceful, then this should be reflected in all areas of my life, including my dinner plate. I finally realized my own personal disconnect. I had written songs on peace, a whole album about my passion for living everyday peace & sharing this message - knowing this is truly the only way our planet will experience true peace, one person at a time. And yet here I was eating everyday, unconscious of or maybe in denial of what it takes to get some yummy sushi or my island fav, kalbi (Korean short ribs) on my plate. It’s not to say that there are not more conscious/sacred ways that cultures have approached getting their meat, but let’s face it – most if not all the of the meat we consume come to us from factories/companies whose main focus is not on health & wholeness for consumers or the animals. If that were the case, I might have to re-consider this whole vegetarian thing. Honestly it is not set in stone for me. This might sound silly, but I have even questioned eating plants or any living thing. So that would leave me with air & I think there actually are breatharians(?) – let’s not go there :)
Let’s just say I felt compelled to bring my eating into alignment with my core values. So that’s how I became vegetarian & I did it cold turkey - except for one slip up in January when I was starving after a Sunday church gig & ate some pasta at a farmer’s market & didn’t know there was meat in it. Thank God for my hubbby, Nolan, who said, “Don’t freak out honey. You didn’t know.” So that’s been my mantra around being vegetarian: not to freak out, not to have it be some rigid thing in my mind and yet another thing to judge myself by. With this more graceful approach, I’ve never gone back to meat.
By Feb 2009, I don’t remember what exactly brought me to eating raw foods (probably an article/ website online), but Nolan & I signed up to receive a week’s worth of raw vegan foods from www.Rawvolution.com to give it a shot. We committed to doing it for two weeks, so this meant no meats of any kind, no dairy or eggs, and all uncooked, unprocessed & organic veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, etc. I continued into a 3rd week at about 90% raw. This experience surely helped me to commit to a vegetarian lifestyle. It was challenging given that even salads were not a common part of our diet. I must say it was a joyfest for my tastebuds – so much that it was sometimes overload for me because of all the different flavors I had never experienced before & the intensity of those flavors. In that short time we experienced superhero nail strength, energy boost & I noticed my hands were not shaky as they always had been. In fact I didn’t really know my hands were shaky until I recognized how stable they were after going raw. Plus of course about 5-6lbs of weightloss.
For Lent this year (2010), inspired by Nolan, we committed to 46 days of raw vegan living foods. During that time we found soooo many more awesome raw food choices, restaurants, snacks & so on. Some folks may love the bold, hard-core nature of the Rawvolution menu, but for us to make it through what we thought was going to be a long-ass time, we sought out all the yummiest raw foods we could find which is what led to my list of favs below. I’ll also include references to other websites & folks that have a way deeper understanding of raw food & that can answer all your questions.
We did not experience the same superhero nail strength like before, but here were other experiences we had:
- feeling lighter (in all ways)
- more connected with life & nature
- great weight-loss (Nolan 15lbs, me 12lbs)
- more energy for me
- my complexion was more smooth & clear (I’ve had acne since I was a kid)
- our skin felt baby smooth all over (even like our heels & elbows)
- less energy & more sleepy for Nolan at times
- de-tox at the ending for Nolan
- certainly more awareness/appreciation for food, eating & our bodies
- time slowed down, felt more flowy & relaxed
So on Easter we completed our 46 day raw adventure & the funny thing is the hardest part for me was that final day, dreading my old life or old mental battles around food thinking should I eat that? I could, but do I? & blah blah blah. Driven by my old-school mentality of “let’s party” & “celebrate” because we did accomplish 46 days raw, I had a not so good pasta dish, then a soy chai latte at the airport in
The bottom line for me is: what I think, how I feel & what I believe around my food choices is as important as the actual food choices.
I remain a veggie-head & raw-at-heart with about an 80% raw diet. The sweetest thing is my mind is in agreement & above all, I’ve committed to having peace, grace & even fun be a part of my experience around food. This keeps the tummy & the soul happy!
Peaceful eating to you…make time to enjoy, celebrate & appreciate the foods that fuel our vibrant lives :)
FAV RAW FOODS /DRINKS
Ablsolute FAV Raw Restaurant: AULAC. We love Fried Chicks, Curried Rice, Da bowl, Humanese soup (ask for it to be blended), & Blueberry smoothie http://www.aulac.com
Easy & Yummy BREAKFAST DRINK to start each morning: Juice organic oranges, blend with ice, banana, & a handful spinach (Thanks to
Simple extras to make SALADS Super: Organic Broccoli/Carrot slaw from Trader Joe’s, Pine nuts & Avocado (I bring these two on the road with me to dress up salads)
Chocolate Shake & Cheesecake from http://www.planetraw.com (
Coconut water – fresh & cut open at Whole Foods
Kale shake & raw tacos at http://www.sunpowernatural.com (near Universal Studios in southern CA)
Raw chocolate coconut fudge www.awesomefoods.com (2nd to
Cheesecakes from http://earthcafetogo.com/onlinestore (boxed - sold at Whole Foods & other stores that carry raw food or order online)
Pizza, Burger, Tuna w/ salad from http://www.goodtogorestaurants.com (
Bliss Mix http://www.royalhimalayan.com/berriesnuts.htm (order online or make your own mix)
Raw chocolate covered nuts & raisins from Gone Nuts at Whole Foods or order online
http://livesuperfoods.com/snacks/LIV006.html?Screen=USL&Code=LIV006
Best “sandwich” & chips http://www.greeneryrawcafe.com (
Raw Tokyo Salad at http://www.mothersmarket.com (in southern
Chips, salsa & guacamole & more http://www.gorawcafe.com (
Ginger Snaps from http://www.goraw.com also sold at Whole Foods
Cheesy Kale Chips http://www.blessingsaliveandradiantfoods.com/kaleinkrunch.html also sold at Mother’s Market (www.mothersmarket.com)
MORE RESOURCES
if you google “raw” you’ll find many sites, these are just some personal folks/friends I’ve met along the way
http://zenhabits.net/2007/08/how-to-become-a-vegetarian-the-easy-way/
http://www.pamsterling.com – receive a free info packet about becoming raw when you sign-up for her enews & watch her youtube videos for making quick raw meals
Contact Siena Lee at www.makenamusic.com so she can let you know when her recipe book is done or listen in to her ongoing GirlMeetsGirl podcast with Toast Tajiri
http://www.meetup.com – search for vegetarian or raw groups in your area
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rawinspirations - Laura Fox, Raw Food radio show
http://www.thetravelingvegetarian.tv/category/blog – blog from music artist/vegan & a new friend from
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
New Thought @ 2009 Parliament of World Religions
[pic above by Steve Rohrbach of Agape Int'l Choir w/ us Village Choir People @ the Sacred Music Concert - SHORT VIDEO CLIP see more videos here]
11/30 MONDAY - LAX 2 Syndney 2 Melbourne on V Australia
*Fun dance songs (that I don’t know) thump away as I wait in the V Australia line. Then right as I approach the friendly, gorgeous blond agent, my fav “Unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfield fills the airwaves…good omen for the trip
*Fun dance songs (that I don’t know) thump away as I wait in the V Australia line. Then right as I approach the friendly, gorgeous blond agent, my fav “Unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfield fills the airwaves…good omen for the trip
*Anytime I need a pick-me-up on the 14 hr flight, I head for the bathroom & get a fix of bumpin’ dance music
*Did you know if you order special vegetarian meal, they serve you first?! Yay!
*On int’l flights, it’s movie/tv/game time w/ a feast of goodies to choose from. Passed on Harry Potter’s latest movie & instead found myself totally taken in by The Cove, a documentary on what’s happening with sweet dolphins in a hidden town of Taiji, Japan. Amazing to hear the story of Ric O’Barry, who helped launch the multi-billion dollar dolphin industry as Flipper’s capturer & coach & has now committed his life to freeing every single dolphin in captivity.
12/1 TUESDAY - The Tuesday that never was…
This day somehow disappeared as we traveled to the “land down under” (ooh they played this song often in the bathroom)
12/2 WEDNESDAY - New Thought Pre-Conference bringing together Unity, Centers for Spiritual Living, Divine Science, Foundation for Better Living, ANTN & more (see videos here)
*In Sydney – wow, the guy arranging the luggage as they drop onto the conveyer belt in Customs is so GQ’d out w/ full suit & tie & nice smile
12/1 TUESDAY - The Tuesday that never was…
This day somehow disappeared as we traveled to the “land down under” (ooh they played this song often in the bathroom)
12/2 WEDNESDAY - New Thought Pre-Conference bringing together Unity, Centers for Spiritual Living, Divine Science, Foundation for Better Living, ANTN & more (see videos here)
*In Sydney – wow, the guy arranging the luggage as they drop onto the conveyer belt in Customs is so GQ’d out w/ full suit & tie & nice smile
*No tip jar in sight at the coffee shop at the airport or anywhere I’ve seen in Sydney & Melbourne. I’ve heard folks get paid better here so don’t count as much on tips.
*Once in Melbourne, I SkyBus it to the city, meet a Fleetwood Mac fan from Tasmania on the bus in town for their concert, she tells me where to get off & I roll my luggage past shopping complexes & impeccably dressed Aussiess to my sheek, mini-hotel room @ the Pensione on Spencer (great rate – my roomie & I split $115 per night)
*I freshen up for a minute & run, run, run to the pre-conference @ the convention center 
just in time for the ending of Michael Beckwith’s meditation. Yay I made it in time to sing “God Is…” backed by the fab AGNT music director Doug Lebow to 250+ new thought folks from around the globe including all our fab leaders.[Pictured below thanks to Steve Rohrbach: James Trapp, Kathy Hearn, Michael Beckwith, Barbara King, Kenn Gordon, Mary Tumpkin & many more]
just in time for the ending of Michael Beckwith’s meditation. Yay I made it in time to sing “God Is…” backed by the fab AGNT music director Doug Lebow to 250+ new thought folks from around the globe including all our fab leaders.[Pictured below thanks to Steve Rohrbach: James Trapp, Kathy Hearn, Michael Beckwith, Barbara King, Kenn Gordon, Mary Tumpkin & many more] 
*On the walk home, loving the Yarra River & bridge that I’ll cross everyday + I spot the flashing lights of the Crown Casino across the street – my mom taught me well (she’s from Hawaii & Vegas is their mecca)
*Seems like I elulded mr. jet lag – I feel great the whole day/evening. Thank you universe!
12/3 THURSDAY - Opening evening ceremony for the World Parliament of Religions which happens only every 5 years. (Last time it was in Barcelona. Melbourne was probably chosen this year because of its green facilities at the Convention Ctr & the so user-friendly transportation system)
*Morning walk along the Yarra River – art at every turn some including pinwheels (pic below by Megan Stanek), lotsa eclectic bridges, black swans, large golden bees on top of a building, stopped for an Egg McMuffin & watched a cool falling leaf do perfect summersaults on its entire way down.
*Morning walk along the Yarra River – art at every turn some including pinwheels (pic below by Megan Stanek), lotsa eclectic bridges, black swans, large golden bees on top of a building, stopped for an Egg McMuffin & watched a cool falling leaf do perfect summersaults on its entire way down.
*The highlight among highlights of my morning walk – stepping into the most beautiful cathedral I’ve seen, St. Paul’s on Swanston then hearing an all girls choir rehearse Christmas songs, being led to my Melbourne angel via a shiny golden angel mosaic near the sanctuary, and a prayer said in that very cathedral by Pope John Paul II as he knelt at a prayer station: God our Father, you have made us to be one and sent your son Jesus to be our light. Bring together in truth the separated Christians that we all may be one and the world believe in the light of your love. Amen.
*Opening ceremony: Lotsa dignitaries, about five thousand folks in attendance, Aboriginal shaman and the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir welcome us. I love the global fusion! I don’t so love the formal speeches, the slow pace, or the music (just a personal thing, y’know) but appreciate their heart of sharing. I poop out early & head home. I end the night in our curtain-less, door-less shower & end up showering the entire bathroom and myself. I’m in bed by 9pm.
[Pic - official logo for 2009 Parliament of World Religions]
[Pic - official logo for 2009 Parliament of World Religions]
Parliament of World Religions
12/4 FRIDAY - First official day of break-out sessions @ the Parliament
*My first session was the Spiritual Practice of Yoga – we do poses while singing Sanskrit chants at the same time. Kinda like rubbing your tummy & head at the same time.
12/4 FRIDAY - First official day of break-out sessions @ the Parliament
*My first session was the Spiritual Practice of Yoga – we do poses while singing Sanskrit chants at the same time. Kinda like rubbing your tummy & head at the same time.
*There's a big turn out at our first New Thought panel with delicious music by Lisa Ferraro & Ericka Luckett (pic below by Steve Rohrbach)
*Lunch with awesome teen, Alex Eisenhart, @ Automatic overlooking the river.
We chat all bubbly like two teens except for I’m like not a teen, but I feel like one (does that count?) He reads me his list of Aussie sayings that he got from his local cousins + a few others I learned:
How you going - how are you doing?
No Worries - you’re welcome, not a problem
Take away - to-go, take-out
Pop it away/down/etc. -Put it away/down/etc.
parking lot-car park
tough guy-muzza
"z"-zed
cool/awesome-grouse
that's sick (in the good way)-that's the cootes
college-university
delicious-beautiful
tea with milk-white tea
downtown-in the city
Movie Theatre-cinema
mall-plaza
*Learn a chant 10min before a Divine Feminine presentation by friend/Gather the Women co-founder, Kathe Schaaf http://www.womenattheparliament.blogspot.com/ I lead the chant & an impromptu dance (the moves help me remember the words) to close the session (pic below by Steve Rohrbach):
We all come from the mother
And to her we shall return
Like a drop of rain
Flowing to the ocean
*Lunch with awesome teen, Alex Eisenhart, @ Automatic overlooking the river.
We chat all bubbly like two teens except for I’m like not a teen, but I feel like one (does that count?) He reads me his list of Aussie sayings that he got from his local cousins + a few others I learned:
How you going - how are you doing?
No Worries - you’re welcome, not a problem
Take away - to-go, take-out
Pop it away/down/etc. -Put it away/down/etc.
parking lot-car park
tough guy-muzza
"z"-zed
cool/awesome-grouse
that's sick (in the good way)-that's the cootes
college-university
delicious-beautiful
tea with milk-white tea
downtown-in the city
Movie Theatre-cinema
mall-plaza
*Learn a chant 10min before a Divine Feminine presentation by friend/Gather the Women co-founder, Kathe Schaaf http://www.womenattheparliament.blogspot.com/ I lead the chant & an impromptu dance (the moves help me remember the words) to close the session (pic below by Steve Rohrbach):
We all come from the mother
And to her we shall return
Like a drop of rain
Flowing to the ocean
*At the Divine Feminine presentation, connect with Valerie Kaur, a young beautiful Seik woman. She has a degree in divinity, is finishing law school, promoting her film Divided We Fallhttp://www.dwf-film.com/, and is a presenter at this session. We share briefly about our spiritual paths & as different as they seem in practice, the core principles are undeniably the same. I laugh “I’m a Seik” & she smiles “I’m New Thought”!
*At the same presentation, I hear about a religion new to me called Urantia that shares New Thought’s principles of oneness. They believe Jesus not only came on a mission to earth but that his work was meant to impact many worlds/planets as well. I was intrigued. I have to find out more.
*Community Night ~ Parliament attendees take buses to party with different faith communities. I choose to go meet the local new thought community at Unity of Melbourne where I’m to sing on Sunday. The bus ride is super fun – my lil’ group are the loud silly ones. I sit with a very bubbly lady named Honey, a sweet quiet lady from Christian Science who wanted to find out more about our faith, and Laura from Samoa who claimed no particular religion & just loved serving wherever she was needed from Christian service projects to relief missions of other faiths. The highlight that evening: aboriginal healer Jeremy Donovan (pic by Graeme Sharrock).
His didgeridoo droned while other seeming voices spoke /chanted over it. It was amazing – something I’ve never heard before from this instrument. He’s so passionate about sharing the power of his Aborigine culture! The Indian food was mmm mmm good too!
12/5 SATURDAY - My first performance w/ the Agape Int’l Choir
*Go on another gorgeous morning walk along the river, then go to a session on spiritual teacher/artist Sri Chinmoy. I’m blown away by his creativity: over 17,000 songs, 50,000 poems, drawing/painting millions of “soul birds,” 700 concerts! Wow! If I could do just a pinky’s worth of the art he did, it would be awesome! He’s my inspiration to write, dance, sing, paint everyday!!!
His didgeridoo droned while other seeming voices spoke /chanted over it. It was amazing – something I’ve never heard before from this instrument. He’s so passionate about sharing the power of his Aborigine culture! The Indian food was mmm mmm good too!
12/5 SATURDAY - My first performance w/ the Agape Int’l Choir
*Go on another gorgeous morning walk along the river, then go to a session on spiritual teacher/artist Sri Chinmoy. I’m blown away by his creativity: over 17,000 songs, 50,000 poems, drawing/painting millions of “soul birds,” 700 concerts! Wow! If I could do just a pinky’s worth of the art he did, it would be awesome! He’s my inspiration to write, dance, sing, paint everyday!!!
*I walk by a dedicated man (I saw him take his mask off) everyday at the front of the Convention Ctr Exhibit hall (pictured below), plus peaceful protestors that I beam love & gratitude too (one group whose sign says: Trust NO Religion - Trust only Jesus and another group: All Religion is a Delusion. Think for Yourself)
*Discover yummy, delicious, fresh food at the nearby Crown Casino ($3 overflowing greek salad) + free drink! And like a good girl, I “tithe” to the Casino with a few spins here & there on their slot machines. Most machines will only take dollar coins. They have an interesting feature of “taking your win” or “gambling your win” once you hit a money-making pull.
*Following a surprisingly conservative/traditional Samoan choir (I’m used to them rockin’ out in Hawaii), we (Agape Int’l Choir along w/ us Village People Choir as Rickie called us) get our divine groove on in one of the larger break-out rooms w/ hundreds in the audience. Rickie calls me forward, since I’m kinda in the back (everybody was so excited to sing, be seen & all that good stuff). Anyway, I jump forward & get to do a verse on “My God is So Good to Me” I open my mouth & out comes… “In my time of transformation” – the choir sings “God is so good” & I seriously have one of those gospel/spirit-take-me-over moments wailing “IN MY TIME OF TRANSFORMATION…” It was super fun to let my spiritual groove hang full out!
*I end the night with fun, heart-to-heart time with Patricia Bass (awesome Rev. from Unity of Overland Park). I bring her to the posh lounge/bar at the Crown Casino – we get our own plush circular rocking chairs overlooking a view of the city. We sip on Sprite & mineral water (I know what party animals, huh?). We chat about décor, babies, to what’s next in both our ministries! We both agree it’s time to level up & be bigger & of more service than we’ve ever been before.
12/6 SUNDAY - Performances @ Unity of Melbourne & the Parliament’s Sacred Music Concert
*Get to know Big John, our awesome driver to Unity of Melbourne – he shares his story of finding Unity teachings & his move from corporate world to freedom in pursuing his own passions in the finance world. We don’t miss a single stadium or sport arena on our drive out since Big John is dad to two pro football (yknow, soccer) players.
*Discover yummy, delicious, fresh food at the nearby Crown Casino ($3 overflowing greek salad) + free drink! And like a good girl, I “tithe” to the Casino with a few spins here & there on their slot machines. Most machines will only take dollar coins. They have an interesting feature of “taking your win” or “gambling your win” once you hit a money-making pull.
*Following a surprisingly conservative/traditional Samoan choir (I’m used to them rockin’ out in Hawaii), we (Agape Int’l Choir along w/ us Village People Choir as Rickie called us) get our divine groove on in one of the larger break-out rooms w/ hundreds in the audience. Rickie calls me forward, since I’m kinda in the back (everybody was so excited to sing, be seen & all that good stuff). Anyway, I jump forward & get to do a verse on “My God is So Good to Me” I open my mouth & out comes… “In my time of transformation” – the choir sings “God is so good” & I seriously have one of those gospel/spirit-take-me-over moments wailing “IN MY TIME OF TRANSFORMATION…” It was super fun to let my spiritual groove hang full out!
*I end the night with fun, heart-to-heart time with Patricia Bass (awesome Rev. from Unity of Overland Park). I bring her to the posh lounge/bar at the Crown Casino – we get our own plush circular rocking chairs overlooking a view of the city. We sip on Sprite & mineral water (I know what party animals, huh?). We chat about décor, babies, to what’s next in both our ministries! We both agree it’s time to level up & be bigger & of more service than we’ve ever been before.
12/6 SUNDAY - Performances @ Unity of Melbourne & the Parliament’s Sacred Music Concert
*Get to know Big John, our awesome driver to Unity of Melbourne – he shares his story of finding Unity teachings & his move from corporate world to freedom in pursuing his own passions in the finance world. We don’t miss a single stadium or sport arena on our drive out since Big John is dad to two pro football (yknow, soccer) players.
*Unity of Melbourne is filled with ministers & attendees from the Parliament. The Christmas tree is aglow with the backdrop of light colored panes in pastel greens, blues, lavenders & pinks. Sr. Minister, Rev Bill, hosts the entire day with humor & Aussie love & plays a mean organ & piano :) Doug Lebow & I rock out with the energetic crowd on “Coming Together,” then prep the talk with “Called to Be” (me on piano & Doug on guitar), bring it to the heart with “God Is…” and end with “Colors of Praise” with the lyrics on screen so everyone sings on the chorus. Sweet talk by Rev. Julie Montague out of Whiterock, B.C. in Canada (also the new chair of the Assoc. of Unity Churches). We are not about miracles, she says, because that would mean we think these beautiful moments of synchronicity are rare & unexpected. Julie goes on…No – we’re about DEMONSTRATION baby (I added the baby). That means, we are about demonstrating daily thru our practice, our way of being & our resulting experiences the everyday magic that is our life! Yay!
*Mmmm find some delicious vegetarian sushi at the food court before our big performance tonight at the Sacred Music Concert
*We rehearse thru all the songs Rickie might choose from. We get all squishy on the risers, trying to find space to do the moves & groove! With a few “Hey Tim, can we…” (Tim is Rickie’s awesome music assistant), we move the platforms around enough to give us all the space we need. Then we wait & wait backstage in our room. I scrounge for food for Doug Lebow as he runs to his hotel room to get his bass (since he only brought his guitar). So fun to see how excited all the ministers are – just like me, it’s our first time to experience the Agape Int’l Choir from the inside perspective. With colorful silk garb flowing, we take to the stage – the woman to my right is nervous & needs lil’ “you can do it” hug. The curtain opens & we begin to share the heart of New Thought teachings thru music. The divine groove is infectious & by the end of “We Let it Be” everyone – from Sieks to Muslims & everyone in between is on their feet and if not on their feet, like some of the Buddhists Monks & Nuns, they’re swaying from side to side in their seats, clapping their hands. After this high, Rickie goes immediately into our final song “See the Best of Life” (I think that’s the title) and a few of the Revs behind me begin crying & tears of joy flow as we end our first unified sharing of our inclusive teaching of love from new thought with the world! It was glorious to say the least.
[Pic by Ray Messner of Rickie BB]
12/7 MONDAY - Rainforest, Beach, then Youth @ the Parliament
*My roomie, Megan Stanek (the beautiful on-site coordinator from AGNT for all us New Thought folks), and I take a bus out of the city to board Puffing Billy & take a train ride thru the forest in the scenic Dandenong Mountain Range. We stop first to have tea & scones at a rest stop while a laughing kookaburra watches & cockatoos & other fun birdies fly by (pics below by Megan Stanek).
*Once I’m back to Melbourne, I head to St. Kilda beach with Kyra Beahr (vibrant founding Rev from Unity of Divine Love in Chandler, AZ). We walk the beach, share our year’s highlights & lessons and intention for the new year. We make our way to Acland street lined with boutiques & cafes. We order sweet treats & lattes, pet all the fluffy doggies that go by, then head into a boutique & buy matching diva wear blouses (Kyra gets white, I get it in black) + black sex leggings. We head back to the convention center on a sugar high & shopping bags in hand.
*The evening session featured amazing youth artists & speakers. Aside from the Sacred Music Concert, this was truly my favorite general session! A standout among the amazing presenters is Hugh Evans //www.hughevans.com.au committed to ending poverty in our lifetime. His passion attracted support from stars like Bono to Pearl Jam & has led to awesome results like the Australian government upping their foreign aid to needy countries. The night ends with joy & giggle-filled dancing up at the youth café! So neat seeing all the bubbly Japanese teens, the tall African youth, young-loving older folks (like me haha), and the rest of the multi-cultural mosh pit that danced on & on, did high-kicks, grooved in a circle, & connected at a heart level by partying on the dance floor!
[pic by Ray Messner of Hugh Evans]
12/8 TUESDAY - Hooky day
*With umbrellas in hand, Doug Lebow & I make it thru the rainy city, jump on the FREE (ooh I like that) city tram to Victoria Market Place (great deals, souvenir shopping, yummy vegan café, thai foot massage, exotic deli, long lines at the doughnut bus, music & more)
[Pic by Ray Messner of Rickie BB]
12/7 MONDAY - Rainforest, Beach, then Youth @ the Parliament
*My roomie, Megan Stanek (the beautiful on-site coordinator from AGNT for all us New Thought folks), and I take a bus out of the city to board Puffing Billy & take a train ride thru the forest in the scenic Dandenong Mountain Range. We stop first to have tea & scones at a rest stop while a laughing kookaburra watches & cockatoos & other fun birdies fly by (pics below by Megan Stanek).
*Once I’m back to Melbourne, I head to St. Kilda beach with Kyra Beahr (vibrant founding Rev from Unity of Divine Love in Chandler, AZ). We walk the beach, share our year’s highlights & lessons and intention for the new year. We make our way to Acland street lined with boutiques & cafes. We order sweet treats & lattes, pet all the fluffy doggies that go by, then head into a boutique & buy matching diva wear blouses (Kyra gets white, I get it in black) + black sex leggings. We head back to the convention center on a sugar high & shopping bags in hand.
*The evening session featured amazing youth artists & speakers. Aside from the Sacred Music Concert, this was truly my favorite general session! A standout among the amazing presenters is Hugh Evans //www.hughevans.com.au committed to ending poverty in our lifetime. His passion attracted support from stars like Bono to Pearl Jam & has led to awesome results like the Australian government upping their foreign aid to needy countries. The night ends with joy & giggle-filled dancing up at the youth café! So neat seeing all the bubbly Japanese teens, the tall African youth, young-loving older folks (like me haha), and the rest of the multi-cultural mosh pit that danced on & on, did high-kicks, grooved in a circle, & connected at a heart level by partying on the dance floor!
[pic by Ray Messner of Hugh Evans]
12/8 TUESDAY - Hooky day
*With umbrellas in hand, Doug Lebow & I make it thru the rainy city, jump on the FREE (ooh I like that) city tram to Victoria Market Place (great deals, souvenir shopping, yummy vegan café, thai foot massage, exotic deli, long lines at the doughnut bus, music & more)
*Attend a Classical Indian Dance class but sneak out during the “pretend you’re sad & longing for your lover” exercise
*Sneak into a packed room playing the film, Compassion Rising. When the lights turn on, find out I’ve been right next to composer/teacher Michael Stillwater. He then films lil’ clips of me for his film “In Search of the Great Song” – an amazing project helping people to find their own song Watch out for it (www.innerharmony.com)
12/9 WEDNESDAY - Sing “Stand Together” & experience the Dalai Lama
*As part of our last New Thought presentation (featuring Rev. Mary Omwake to Keith Cox, Peggy Price & more), I perform “Stand Together” (which I wrote with Harold Payne for AGNT’s 2008 Awakened World Conference) with Doug Lebow & more new thought singers that surprise the audience by coming up during the 2nd chorus. We end the very upbeat panel with my sing-along “Coming Together”
*I go through security with my Melbourne buddies (Megan & Doug pic above) to see the Dalai Lama at our closing session. He is as funny & warm as Mary Morrissey (my friend & former facilitator for talks w/ the Dalai Lama) has told me in the past. His Holiness loves his gift from Aborigine leader, Auntie Joy who presents him with a leafy floral arrangement & a skinned fur. The Dalai Lama giggles “…oh it’s living…warm” After settling down, he says he is so happy to be joining us, to see our unity as people of different faiths ,then challenges us now to take this into action, in our everyday lives. Hi Holiness shares with such love, calmness all while cameras flash continuously as he speaks. We are all blessed by his participation! [Pic below - thnx Ray Messner]
12/9 WEDNESDAY - Sing “Stand Together” & experience the Dalai Lama
*As part of our last New Thought presentation (featuring Rev. Mary Omwake to Keith Cox, Peggy Price & more), I perform “Stand Together” (which I wrote with Harold Payne for AGNT’s 2008 Awakened World Conference) with Doug Lebow & more new thought singers that surprise the audience by coming up during the 2nd chorus. We end the very upbeat panel with my sing-along “Coming Together”
*I go through security with my Melbourne buddies (Megan & Doug pic above) to see the Dalai Lama at our closing session. He is as funny & warm as Mary Morrissey (my friend & former facilitator for talks w/ the Dalai Lama) has told me in the past. His Holiness loves his gift from Aborigine leader, Auntie Joy who presents him with a leafy floral arrangement & a skinned fur. The Dalai Lama giggles “…oh it’s living…warm” After settling down, he says he is so happy to be joining us, to see our unity as people of different faiths ,then challenges us now to take this into action, in our everyday lives. Hi Holiness shares with such love, calmness all while cameras flash continuously as he speaks. We are all blessed by his participation! [Pic below - thnx Ray Messner]
12/10 THURSDAY - Last day & more airport running
*Last minute shopping @ the Victoria Market Place where I find the Thai foot massage place, the much talked about Feng-shui store, eat another delicious veggie Indian meal while listening to the soothing flute sounds of a Peruvian band playing outdoors.
*I help my roomie drag her luggages a few blocks to the train station, in time to take my final walk (for now) along the Yarra River. I sit on the rocks at the edge of river at Batman Park & thank the city & my Oz angles for making it such a special trip. I vow to come back with Nolan & maybe even my family from Hawaii.
*I re-connect w/ lotsa Parliament attendees at my gate waiting for our Melbourne flight to Sydney. So fun – we have our own lil’ Parliament at Gate 31 with two young reporters from Muslim Today in Chicago, a Monk Nun now on her way to Vietnam to lead a large women’s leadership conference, a spunky mom & daughter duo from Agape & a few ladies from around the country that sang with me as part of the extended Agape Choir. It was super to hear everyone’s experiences & feedback on the Parliament. Meanwhile, I saw guys playing different video games in our gate areas – Simpsons pinball & Daytona car racing.
*We are delayed so late that they have to hold our flight in Sydney (heading to L.A.) for over an hour as we use our golden passes to fly through customs then run, run, run to the gate to our comfy middle aisle seats. I get to watch the ending of “Strictly Ballroom” which I started on my flight to Australia, “Mao’s Last Dancer” (awesome!) “Star Trek” (I saw it once before), and finally Sandra Bullock in “The Proposal” which of course I miss the romantic, climactic ending as we land (I’ll have to rent it again). I exit the plane super excited to see my honey & super antsy to find out how “The Proposal” ended
*My evening ends doing show & tell with Nolan on our time apart and snuggling on the couch sharing all the highlights, pictures, souvenirs, stories & more! Can’t wait to create new memories in my fav city of Melbourne on my next visit…wanna join me?! Contact me at www.faithrivera.com aloha@faithrivera.com www.facebook.com/faithrivera Thanks for reading & sharing in this experience :)
MORE BLOGS TO CHECK OUT
http://newthoughtnewsservice.blogspot.com
http://www.womenattheparliament.blogspot.com/
http://www.kindnesskrusade.org/whats-happening/
http://blog.enlightennext.org/tag/parliament-of-the-worlds-religions/
Monday, June 8, 2009
2009 "I Am Power" Songwriter's Summit
Back in 1996, my hubby, Nolan & I launched our record label Lil’ Girl Creations with no clue, but lotsa “how-to” books & a simple mission statement to inspire & empower through music. The universe has surprised us time & again with opportunities to do just that, like this past April when I was called to Clearwater, Florida for 3 days of writing with some of the most amazing new thought/positive music songwriters in the country. With the beach across the street, in a cool reality-tv-ish 8-bedroom home, we wrote in pairs – songs on prosperity & body-image for the roll-out of a revolutionary self-empowerment program called I Am Power!
It was truly a gift & an honor to be a part of this songwriters summit! The songs created from our time together have continued to inspire & empower me personally each day – so I can’t wait to share them with all of you & millions around the world. Here are highlights from my time with these awesome songwriters in the order of our writing sessions….
Harold Payne two of the cutest, sing-along-a-ble affirmation chants I wrote on the trip "I'm Making Money & It Feels So Good" (aka The Moolah Song) & "I'm Beautiful" plus his "break-in" into the beach house to get his luggage (haha - only funny because he did get his luggage, of course)
David Roth most easy, flowing writing session that resulted in my first & only weight-loss song to date “Gone”, that I love! and also our prosperity song "Here & Now" that's a lil' weird, or better word, refreshing & cool to me.
Richard Mekdeci the first Latin/dance song I've ever co-written that I can really see people jammin' too on the dance floor - called "Let It Out." I love the lyrics he brought to the verses about having greater power, love, dreams etc. still yet to express. I feel so empowered/powerful singing this song & even debuting it with Richard in Clearwater in May!
Karen Taylor Good crying while we wrote the lyric to "Now I Can Love Myself," totally healing for us & for our no-longer ugly kid selves we were dragging along with us, also my first disco-ish co-write with "Gotta Dance" that has some sweet changes in the chorus. Fell more in love with the Diva I'm happy to say :)
Jana Stanfield first song I've partially co-written taking a gorgeous walk on the beach - yay. It's called "Twinkle, Twinkle Superstar" about loving the uniqueness of who you are. Learned about the power of less is more & simplicity & focus when writing lyrics. Thanks Jana for this insight! Plus loved her truly loving, intentional ways :)
Sue K. Riley last co-write at our songwriters summit, probably the most fun or giddy session I had as we struggled for lyrics on the oh, so punchy, estrogen oozing ditty, "Super," a wee bit dance/disco-ish again & forced Sue to use her deep warm middle/low voice that she has still yet to love (we'll love it for her till she figures out how cool it is)
And more general highlights…
**Matt Wilder rockin’ Nashville producer who boldly came to capture audio of our just-born creations. He’s a consumate pro & easy-going flow even in his makeshift mobile recording bedroom & even when yours truly unplugged the hard-drive losing probably 2 hours of work. Whoops my bad…even with that, Matt left with some great stuff & has done some sweet productions of our songs already!
**Rapping a Karen/Jana/Sue song, “I love my body ,I am a hottie” to a bumpin’ rhythm track ala Pussy Cat Dolls. How could I not help my sistah songwriters out especially after Karen says to me “Faith, we’re old & white!” I guess they needed my chocolate, 30sih vibe?! Haha
**Stunning walks on the beach – almost two or more a day. I’ve never seen soooo many beautiful seashells on a seashore before J I even got to “rescue” a stranded starfish with a blessing & a toss out to the ocean.
Be sure to check out www.IAmPower.com to find out more about their launch & the release of this empowering music- tell them Faith sent you :)
It was truly a gift & an honor to be a part of this songwriters summit! The songs created from our time together have continued to inspire & empower me personally each day – so I can’t wait to share them with all of you & millions around the world. Here are highlights from my time with these awesome songwriters in the order of our writing sessions….
Harold Payne two of the cutest, sing-along-a-ble affirmation chants I wrote on the trip "I'm Making Money & It Feels So Good" (aka The Moolah Song) & "I'm Beautiful" plus his "break-in" into the beach house to get his luggage (haha - only funny because he did get his luggage, of course)
David Roth most easy, flowing writing session that resulted in my first & only weight-loss song to date “Gone”, that I love! and also our prosperity song "Here & Now" that's a lil' weird, or better word, refreshing & cool to me.
Richard Mekdeci the first Latin/dance song I've ever co-written that I can really see people jammin' too on the dance floor - called "Let It Out." I love the lyrics he brought to the verses about having greater power, love, dreams etc. still yet to express. I feel so empowered/powerful singing this song & even debuting it with Richard in Clearwater in May!
Karen Taylor Good crying while we wrote the lyric to "Now I Can Love Myself," totally healing for us & for our no-longer ugly kid selves we were dragging along with us, also my first disco-ish co-write with "Gotta Dance" that has some sweet changes in the chorus. Fell more in love with the Diva I'm happy to say :)
Jana Stanfield first song I've partially co-written taking a gorgeous walk on the beach - yay. It's called "Twinkle, Twinkle Superstar" about loving the uniqueness of who you are. Learned about the power of less is more & simplicity & focus when writing lyrics. Thanks Jana for this insight! Plus loved her truly loving, intentional ways :)
Sue K. Riley last co-write at our songwriters summit, probably the most fun or giddy session I had as we struggled for lyrics on the oh, so punchy, estrogen oozing ditty, "Super," a wee bit dance/disco-ish again & forced Sue to use her deep warm middle/low voice that she has still yet to love (we'll love it for her till she figures out how cool it is)
And more general highlights…
**Matt Wilder rockin’ Nashville producer who boldly came to capture audio of our just-born creations. He’s a consumate pro & easy-going flow even in his makeshift mobile recording bedroom & even when yours truly unplugged the hard-drive losing probably 2 hours of work. Whoops my bad…even with that, Matt left with some great stuff & has done some sweet productions of our songs already!
**Rapping a Karen/Jana/Sue song, “I love my body ,I am a hottie” to a bumpin’ rhythm track ala Pussy Cat Dolls. How could I not help my sistah songwriters out especially after Karen says to me “Faith, we’re old & white!” I guess they needed my chocolate, 30sih vibe?! Haha
**Stunning walks on the beach – almost two or more a day. I’ve never seen soooo many beautiful seashells on a seashore before J I even got to “rescue” a stranded starfish with a blessing & a toss out to the ocean.
Be sure to check out www.IAmPower.com to find out more about their launch & the release of this empowering music- tell them Faith sent you :)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Millions hear "Beauty of You" on George Noory's Coast to Coast AM Radio Show
So excited to share news on the largest radio airplay I've received to date...
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On April 5, 2009, music by indy artist Faith Rivera was featured on popular radio show Coast to Coast AM hosted by George Noory. Millions of Coast to Coast AM listeners were introduced to Rivera's upbeat pop song "Beauty of You" along side bumper music by mainstream artists like Santana, U2, Nirvana & more. http://beta.coasttocoastam.com/show/2009/04/05
Rivera was one of the first singer/songwriters to be featured by Noory in an ongoing first Sunday of the month program to highlight music by emerging artists.
Coast to Coast AM producer, Tom Danheiser, and Noory met Rivera at the 2012 Quantum Leap Conference in Burbank this March & even joined her onstage for her performance. Following the end of Rivera's set, Noory announced to Rivera & the excited crowd that he would be using her music soon on Coast to Coast - giving this emerging artist the largest radio airplay she has received to date.
**Listen/buy "Beauty of You" on I-Tunes or on Rivera's album "Faithgroove" available at http://www.faithrivera.com/
**Listen to the 4/5/09 Coast to Coast AM show at: http://beta.coasttocoastam.com/show/2009/04/05
=======
On April 5, 2009, music by indy artist Faith Rivera was featured on popular radio show Coast to Coast AM hosted by George Noory. Millions of Coast to Coast AM listeners were introduced to Rivera's upbeat pop song "Beauty of You" along side bumper music by mainstream artists like Santana, U2, Nirvana & more. http://beta.coasttocoastam.com/show/2009/04/05
Rivera was one of the first singer/songwriters to be featured by Noory in an ongoing first Sunday of the month program to highlight music by emerging artists.
Coast to Coast AM producer, Tom Danheiser, and Noory met Rivera at the 2012 Quantum Leap Conference in Burbank this March & even joined her onstage for her performance. Following the end of Rivera's set, Noory announced to Rivera & the excited crowd that he would be using her music soon on Coast to Coast - giving this emerging artist the largest radio airplay she has received to date.
**Listen/buy "Beauty of You" on I-Tunes or on Rivera's album "Faithgroove" available at http://www.faithrivera.com/
**Listen to the 4/5/09 Coast to Coast AM show at: http://beta.coasttocoastam.com/show/2009/04/05
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