Author: Emy Minzel

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

*Disclaimer; this picture was saved from the internet many years ago, I do not know who to give credit to. If it is you I will gladly do so.

Accidental Hero

March 13, 2018 Emy Minzel

I admire my grandmother, she was a strong woman who lived her life in direct service to her community. She lived in Cook MN, where she was the head Nurse in the small-town hospital for her entire career of over 40 years. This town has a population of around 600 people and you can bet that with over 40 years of serving her community she has had interactions with most everyone in her area.

Legend says she delivered babies by herself and knew more than some of the doctors that passed through the hospital halls. This does not surprise me, she was smart, kind and dedicated to caring for others. My grandmother Ema Dee spent her whole life in service to her community even delivering Meals on Wheels the morning of the day she passed away.

We say people are strong because they do the things that others can’t or won’t. Strong people see things and experience events that leave others changed and not always for the better. My grandmother was strong yet soft, her words were not harsh, her touch was gentle, and her patience was that of a Saint. She had diplomacy that I strive to reach myself. She knew how to keep the peace in her family and in her career.

After her passing I retreated into my own family, I finally saw that time was the most important gift you can give someone. She lived a full life, with a large family, many friends in her community, a successful career to feel good about. She took care of my grandfather who had ailing health and dementia until she passed, she cared for others until the very last moment of her life.

This makes me think, “What was her motivation? Why would she work so tirelessly for seemingly no reward or benefit to herself?”

I pondered these questions for years, I didn’t get it until I got it. My grandmother was a devout Catholic, she believed in her role as part of the greater good. We are all connected by our souls, it does not matter how much money you have, how successful you are, or what kind of house you live in. What matters to the higher power is that you do something that benefits the greater good of the world around you.

You don’t have to spend your entire life in service like my grandmother did, but we can learn from her and strive to bring light to our family or our community instead of the opposite. I am far from perfect and no Saint, but what I am is a good person who is compassionate for those who are less fortunate, a voice for those who cannot speak, a soldier of love and light. I feel like it is my purpose to carry on her legacy of caring for my community in my own way, doing what it is that I know how to do. Just being me.

Many people believe that they don’t matter, nothing they do will help, much less have any chance of changing the world for the better. I find this sad, and untrue! What if we could? What if just by being the best you, you can be; you do help the world in some way? What if we believed who we are and what we do matters in this big world? I believe the world would be a much kinder place if we all tried even a little.

I was named after my grandmother Ema Dee who was often called Emy for short. My mom tells me grandma showed up right before I was to be delivered into this world and that was why she decided to name me Emy. Grandma was always there for her family, she was consistent in her persistent love. She lived her faith through her actions not her words, that is what I love and miss about her the most. It is also something I strive to emulate for my own life.

She didn’t plan or try to be, but my grandmother is my hero and someone I admire for doing what is right even if it is hard. She was just her, doing what she knew how to do best, showing up, helping, caring and accepting her role she had been given in this lifetime to fill a void in the need of the greater good. She lived simply but had a powerful impact on those around her, just being her.

Who we admire says a lot about who we are and what we value. It took me a long time before I was able to look past the monetary success or fame that dazzles most of us. I have had chances to meet people I admire and was sorely let down by their character and no longer dazzled by dollars. People are just people no matter how much they have or how little they have. What matters to me is who they are inside.

Who do you look up to? Why do you look up to them? What do you do to try to be like your idol? Do you do your thing your own way or do you copy them exactly? Do you admire their character or their success?

Just something to think about today!

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Trust

March 12, 2018August 7, 2018 Emy Minzel

They say we should “Let go and let God” Trusting God/The Universe/Dharma or Spirit (same to me) sounds so easy! They say we must release any thought of control, to trust life will all turn out roses. Yet we know from experience that life situations are not full of roses rather sometimes feels like an overgrown garden full of raspberry thorns, stinging nettles. Making the garden of life difficult to travers, sometimes painful and annoying as all hell. Or maybe that’s just me…

Why oh, why do we have to go through difficult times as often as they seem to come? Or do we make our own difficult days by not trusting our path??? We are told to let go and trust that God/The Higher Power has it handled. Everything you experience has a purpose for your greater good. You just may not be aware of yet.

Trusting what the Universe has in store for us is much easier when life is on the upswing. When we are falling in love, growing family, finding that perfect job, or going on vacation. Trusting life’s path is not so easy when we are going through challenging transitional times. Like losing a job, changing careers, graduating college with enormous dept, divorce.

Sometimes we even end up making difficult choices like having to choose between paying the mortgage or buying a lifesaving prescription; buying food or paying the light bill… When we experience mentally challenging growing pains, and ecstatically wonderful life events all of these encounters help us become who we are meant to be.

Trust; is giving up belief you have any control. Spirit has everything working the way it is meant to for our greatest and highest good.

I will liken it to when your child gets their driver’s license, they are excited beyond measure to get the keys to the car and the yearning to go anywhere at all. You know as a parent that you’ve raised a good, level headed, smart kid who knows how to drive and is responsible to come home when they say they will. Yet you are still scared when you see them pull out of the driveway.

It is because we know in our hearts that no matter how good your kid is, the world out numbers them. How do we trust the big fat scary world to hold our baby safe for us? The news tells me scary stories day after day, it can be easy to get caught up in the constant programming of fear on television. Sometimes we make ourselves insane with worry and that is no way to live. It’s no wonder why we get so scared of everything!

On the days I feel like the worried parent of a new driver because I just can’t predict what is going to happen next. Those are the days is seemingly the most important to let go and let God; breath in trust, exhale fear. Worry and fear only keep your energy down, stressing you out for no good reason in the here and now. Stealing joy from today and that’s no good.

Trusting in a Higher Power/God means to really believe that today and the future will be okay until proven otherwise. Put one foot in front of the other, put your garden gloves on and get to work thinning the weeds until you find the flowers again while being thankful for my blessing of having a garden at all.

Trust tests us even when we get what we have been asking for! We tend to question our good fortune skeptically. Is this really meant for me? Do I deserve this? Should I sabotage this because I am scared to accept this opportunity? Deep stuff circles in the ocean of our minds all because we are fearful of trusting our path.

Those days that test your trust, with situations that make you think “is this really for my greatest good???”

If it feels bad don’t do it. If makes your heart sing get to it! Remember enjoy it and trust it, let go and let God.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Who Cares?!

March 9, 2018March 9, 2018 Emy Minzel

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I seem to be seeing an abundance of anger in some people while the hopeful souls seem fewer in between. The more I pay attention to the world I realize that it strongly mirrors the energy of individuals we are surrounded by. I am feeling bombarded with nay Sayers, no hope for the future kind of thinking and I wonder if this has a purpose for me?

I find that I try to act in ways that will prove my muggle pals wrong. I try to cheer them up by lifting their mood and hopefully swaying their thoughts on ‘how horrible the world is nowadays’ with words of encouragement; at the same time reminding me why I still wish to live in a way that gives me hope. I believe I can make a difference in the world for the better and I believe you can too.

I care about the effect my actions have on the collective of my family, community and our country. I think people are angry because they feel hopeless and helpless, they feel their actions do not matter, but they are wrong. Anger does have a large effect on the collective energy of the world around us. This reminds me of the old saying about Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody;

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody,

Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and

Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would

do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody

got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody

thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody

wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when

Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

I believe in manifesting, yet I don’t think we can manifest desires like protecting the environment or making the world safe with wishes and prayers alone. I believe we must take steps and action to make progress in receiving what we desire. If I want to be an author I have to write a book or my manifesting dream most like will not come true.

I have started in small ways that don’t seem like they would make a difference to some, but I know that even small efforts help the collective world around me. Imagine what could happen if we all tried a little?!

Here are six small things you can do that add up to make a big difference in the world;

Recycle EVERYTHING – I reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose most everything I can, I got this habit from my mom and my grandmother, waste not want not! This applies to food, clothes, containers, cars, tv’s, phones, appliances, furniture, wood, you name it. When we recycle we lessen our demands for mining, drilling, clear cutting, over harvesting resources that harm the earth and poison our water. Recycling can change the way we consume for the better. When we recycle appliances like computers and smart phones we won’t have to ravage and poison the earth to continue making the endless new improved versions.

Vote with your dollar – This more important than we give it credit for, your voice is your dollar. We tell the powers that be what we want with the money we spend. It’s all about the money and where you spend yours. I buy organic, I support my local farmers for humanely raised meat sources and eggs, I also frequent farmers markets when I am able. I try to avoid large super stores who sell food covered with pesticides and use marketing trickery to get me to buy more then I need. I support small businesses as often as possible because I know from experience doing so supports the families in my community and not some CEO’s bonus.

Vote with your ballot – If you don’t like the current affairs of our country, take time out of your life to vote when election day comes. Not just in Presidential years but in mid-term voting years like 2018. Midterm voting is extremely important to endorse your beliefs through the candidates in your preferred political party. By making an educated vote and researching your candidates for midterm elections you essentially set up the support team of your favored Presidential party elections two years later.

Volunteer – Get involved in your community or affairs that interest you. I used to volunteer at the local food shelf but that didn’t seem to be the right fit for me. I still volunteer as often as possible with a local pet rescue in my community fostering dogs when I can give them the time and energy they need. I help my neighbors when the need assistance right next door, I help my friends and family when in need. Helping, volunteering, doing something that lifts the energy of the people around me helps the greater good. Doing good feels good.

Kindness – I like the Golden Rule, I believe in treating other living beings as I would like to be treated. Right down to the spider that found himself in a strange land of my home, just wandering around on the wall and got lost, not doing any harm. I choose to escort him gently outside instead of squishing it dead for being in a foreign land and not knowing the language. If ever I find myself lost in a strange place, not knowing what to say, I would hope to find the same kindness. Wouldn’t you? Most people would.

Forgiveness – Sometimes it’s not forgiveness for the other other person that is important, usually it is important for you and your own peace of mind. Don’t let the few ‘bad apples’ ruin your perspective on the whole of humanity. Look around your life and count your blessings. There are so many people who brighten your day or even your life in so many ways that they must not be taken for granted. People make mistakes, we all do, lets work on forgiving ourselves and others so we can move forward in a supportive and loving way to create the healthy happy future we all want. Chose love over judgement.

I believe our everyday actions matter, they tell the Universe/God what you want more of in life. What do your actions say you want?

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

*Photo credit to Brainyqoute.com

Signs, signs…

March 7, 2018March 7, 2018 Emy Minzel

I had a dream that I was trapped in a very large but comfortable bedroom. Every time that I tried to leave this bedroom I was chased and haunted by a ghost that seemed to represent me as well. I would try repeatedly to leave this room first through the door then the window. I would even take my dog with me in the dream, we ran out into the cold looking for an escape and tried to hide from this ghost that was me. I was running away from myself.

When I woke up I thought “what a weird dream… I wonder what it means?” after contemplating the symbolism of the me ghost chasing me, I concluded that it was my subconscious letting me know that I am scared to go beyond my comfort zone(bedroom). This rings lots of bells in my head because life has been dangling a big opportunity in my face. Seemingly asking me “Do you want it or not?!”

When I write I sit at the kitchen table and watch the birds eat peanuts and sunflowers that I put out for them. I find it relaxing and kind to help critters who struggle to find food in the winter. It had just snowed last night so I had to replace the seeds this morning. Cardinals, Blue Jays, chickadees, and many other birds did not hesitate to swoop down to enjoy the feast I provided for them.

However, there were two crows that sat far up in the trees hollering to each other in excitement about what they found. One of these large crows swooped down and sat on a tree branch just a few feet from the ground eyeing up the bounty that laid just a few feet from it. Yet the crow did not trust it, for several minutes they hollered and talked about the food on the ground just waiting for them to fill their bellies, but they did not take the opportunity. They got very close then decided it just wasn’t meant for them and flew away in the opposite direction without even a bite.

Crows are notoriously resourceful I know that they will survive just fine without the bird food I put out for them. What I can’t get out of my mind is just maybe these crows were sent by God/Universe for me to see that my fear could possibly be keeping me from the success or bounty that lay just at my feet. I am having a hard time trusting that maybe this new path before me is really for the best because it scares me.

Even though I am an Adventure Sister I still get scared about things that will shake up my world. It’s not like when we go on vacation and I get to come back home to my normal life. This is a unique adventure, this opportunity I am wary of would shake up my daily life making it very different. Clearly, I am concerned I won’t like this new path full of excitement and unknown choices. After all I have worked purposely and diligently at making my life calm and peaceful on purpose!

What if the message from the Crow and my dream were sent by God/Universe for me to see that I should not be scared? As I sat at the kitchen table I tried to will the crow to the food I provided out of love. I even said out loud “Don’t be scared pretty bird, it is safe for you!” Insert face palm here…. Instantly I knew that was the whole point of what The Universe/God had been trying to tell me about this dream and through my experience with the crows.

I had been thinking about the dream and what I was so scared of all morning. I couldn’t put it together why I was chasing myself as a ghost in my dream. The ghost was just my subconscious telling me I am keeping myself small and scared to be safe and comfortable. The crow seemed to tell me that even though I clearly see this opportunity of abundance I am feeling too scared to take advantage of it.

I see now, that my fear is standing squarely in front of the path to what it is I say I want and need. I love it when I pay attention to the signs and symbolism that life or God sends us every day! These two ‘signs’ were so poignant and right on that I cannot deny what they mean. I believe that the Universe sends us signs and signals in so many ways and all we must do is pay attention and listen. After all, God/Higher Power does not usually have actual words to communicate so we must discern what the happenings in our daily life truly mean.

We were given free will and free choice to choose how we want our lives to look for many reasons. We also have experiences in life that affect our reasoning behind why we choose what we choose or do what we do. Why am I feeling too fearful to take this adventurous leap? This is the next step to discernment and personal growth. Now that I know the problem the next step is to figure out why this is a problem. What can I do to fix it or feel better about it? Are my fears valid or are they there just to finally be acknowledged? More discernment is needed, but I will keep you filled in on my progress.

What do you do when you are scared? What signs does the Universe/God send you that are unmistakable? I would love to hear your stories of divinely guided synchronicities I believe are everywhere.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister