My Elevation Creations

Category: Books, Books, Books

  • A New Relationship with Money

    A New Relationship with Money

    Have you ever wanted to improve your relationship with money? I have had a rocky relationship with money in the past. It has always been a source of stress and anxiety for me. On bill paying day, I used to get physically ill, it was horrible. I have since had many experiences and opportunities to learn more about finances and how money works. I think it’s important to note that the things I learned were not entirely foreign to me, but I had to progress in my knowledge before those things really made sense to me, or at least made sense in a different way. I understand them at a different level now. It’s all part of my life story, as it should be, because all of our experiences affect how we view the world. Anyway, I wanted to share a little bit about a book I’ve been studying, and that Ron and I are starting to implement in our lives.

    The title of the book is The 4 Laws of Financial Prosperity by Blaine Harris and Charles Coonradt. As you will notice the more you read my website, that I use essential oils in every aspect of my life, and finances is no exception. When I’m stressed about money or paying the bills, I use oils to calm my troubled heart, and bring peace into my day. There are also oils that help to open my mind and allow me to more fully accept new ideas and concepts so I don’t get so overwhelmed when I’m studying and learning new things. Oils have also played a different role in my journey with money. The company I work with has started a program to help its wellness advocates become free of debt. It’s an educational program that if we follow it, will allow us to be free to give back. In fact that’s the name of the program; Free to Give. Wouldn’t you like to be free to give? Free to give to the kids next door when they are fundraising for school, free to give to the Marching Band that needs new uniforms, free to give to the charity that you have always believed in, free to give to public television, or another arts foundation, free to give to your brother when he needs help, free to give your sister a new outfit because she deserves it…..the list could go on forever.  I will tell you that I believe this freedom is possible for anyone who wants it and is willing to follow the steps to make it happen. It doesn’t even matter what your income is. I’m not going to tell you all the book has to say, because I want to encourage you to read it for yourself, but I want to impress upon you that it has made a difference for me, and the results begin almost immediately. There is ample abundance in the world, and anyone can access it.

    I’m so excited to see how all of this will unfold in our lives. I’m not sure what it will look like exactly, but I know that God is waiting for me to be prepared to receive the blessings he has in store for me. He has innumerable blessings for you too. Will you take this journey with me? We would love the company, and I would enjoy learning along side of you. When you read the book, let me know what you thought.

  • Questions regarding the Hobbit

    Questions regarding the Hobbit

    I was watching The Hobbit with my youngest son, over the course of a few snow days this winter. I hadn’t read the book in about 12 years, and as we were watching I had several questions enter my inquisitive brain. Question such as: Was Thorin such a big jerk in the book? Were the orcs even in the book? Was Thranduil as heartless as they portrayed him in the movie? There were probably more that I just don’t recall at this moment. So I decided I would just read the book again and find some answers. Now, I need to give you a little background about my love of reading. I used to read all the time! I probably went through 12-20 books in a year. I thought I would always love reading and use it as a way to travel to distant places and live in a little dream world for a little while every day, then I went to college………Reading became a little bit of a chore. Even when I was taking literature classes and literary analysis classes, it just wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be. Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved those classes and learned so much, but it really did taint my sanctuary of reading. So, when I picked up the Hobbit and started to read after having just watched the movie, I thought the story dragged on a bit in places. (Curse you Hollywood)  But, I did enjoy visiting the Shire, and Rivendell, and all the other places of Middle Earth.

    Let’s get to the questions. Was Thorin a big jerk? Not really. He was much more jovial in the book, knew how to laugh and really liked Bilbo.  He was affected by the dragon sickness, but not as extensively as they portray in the movie.  Thranduil, on the other hand, was pretty spot on. He just wants to live in the middle of Mirkwood and let the rest of the world alone. Of course, the book doesn’t mention Legolas by name so we don’t see their relationship, but I can imagine that they weren’t too far off in writing it the way they did for the film. The Orcs only come into play during the battle. There was no chasing of the Hobbits, but they were nasty competitors in the battle. Bard was a character that was written so differently. In the book he is a well respected citizen of Lake Town. The mayor is still a putz, but he doesn’t have his grips on the city as he does in the movie. The people were much more free and less oppressed. Of course the battle is much shorter in the book than in the movie. I think the book is more about the journey than the destination.

    Now, I’ve always wondered if Gimli still lives in Erebor when he travels to Rivendell for the council about the Ring. His father, of course, was Gloin, and after the battle of five armies he stays in Erebor. I’ve done a bit of research and yes, Gimli does come to Rivendell from Erebor. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship shows him enter Rivendell with Gimli.

    The next novel, I have on my stack is the last Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites book. I’ve owned it for many years, and haven’t picked it up yet. I think it’s about time!