Create Joy

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast during daylight hours for the entire month. It is the holiest month in the culture, and one that prepares them for the rest of the year. In this Episode, I talk with Shahnila about what Ramadan is, how Muslims celebrate, what we can learn from their experience, and the wonderful contributions that the Muslim community provides to the world.

This year the celebration is very different, as Shahnila describes in the interview, but that does not keep the community from celebrating and refining themselves during this time, as well as praying for the world to overcome this difficult time.

email: [email protected]

Instagram: @bravemuslimparents

www.whyislam.org

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In 2020, Ramadan goes from April 23 to May 23.

A simple, yet meaningful way to support our Muslim friends during Ramadan is to simply reach out and say “Happy Ramadan!”

3 Tips that will make your next fast the best ever.

Ramadan - the holiest month of the year for Muslims, when the Quran is believed to have been revealed.

Iftar - breaking the fast together in the evening.

Eid al Fitr - Festival of Breaking the Fast - when the community celebrates the end of Ramadan

Iman - the Muslim religious leader that leads the congregation in nightly prayers

Mosque - A building where Muslim’s worship God.

"O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may develop God-consciousness." (Quran 2:183).

Having our basic needs met is really a privilege, it’s not an entitlement. - Shahnila Ahmad.

“When the month of Ramadan begins, the gates of the heaven are opened; the gates of Hell-fire are closed, and the devils are chained.” - Prophet Muhammad

Ramadan is a month of intense spiritual rejuvenation. - Shahnila Ahmad @bravemuslimparents

During Ramadan you get to plant whatever seeds you want, and throughout the year, you get to benefit from the harvest. - Shahnila Ahmand @bravemuslimparents

We give up bad things during Ramadan, because we know what we are going into that month for. - Shahnila Ahmand @bravemuslimparents

It is leaving your bad habits at the door, and seeing on the other side, once the 30 days are over, which ones you actually want to leave behind, because it wasn’t really serving you anyway. Shahnila Ahmand @bravemuslimparents

Instead of a “To Do” list, I say we have a “GET to do list” - Shahnila Ahmand @bravemuslimparents

God doesn’t need our hunger. - Shahnila Ahmand @bravemuslimparents

In this episode I talk about how your expectations might be keeping you from seeing what is amazing around you. I think it is especially relevant this mother's day. 

I also have a bonus project I am sharing with you. To send in a submission, just submit your form here, or send me an email at [email protected] or over on Instagram - @createjoypodcast

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Viktor Frankl’s inspiring book, “A Man’s Search for Meaning” can help us figure out how to find meaning in hard times through meaningful work, love and courage. In today's episode, we dive into lessons learned from the holocaust to help us find meaning in our darkest of times. 

Quotes

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” - Frederich Nietzsche

“Suffering in and of itself is meaningless; we give our suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it.” - Harold S. Kushner 

“If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the “size” of human suffering is absolutely relative.” - Viktor E. Frankl 

“Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire.” - Viktor E. Frankl

“Often it is just an exceptionally difficult external situation which gives man the opportunity to grow spiritually beyond himself." Viktor E. Frankl

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” - Zig Ziglar

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During this global pandemic, we may be attempting to shield our children from what is going on, but are we being part of the problem? Are we creating a home environment that makes them feel loved, safe and protected?

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In this episode, Stephanie Donegan shares how sharing her experiences with really hard things brought unexpected benefits, and some of the best friends someone could find.

#CreateJoyChallenge

This week’s #createjoychallenge is to look for small little wins.

As of the time of this recording, we are at a weird time in the world. Most of the world is at home right now because of COVID-19, and we are experiencing life in a way that we did not expect. This can cause a weird identity crisis, as well as a myriad of other complicated emotions, and this is ON TOP of all the things that life has already thrown at us.

It can be tempting to give in to the frustration of the moment, to the fear. It can feel so easy to wallow in the loss of the plans that we made. It can be hard to be met face to face with our own inadequacies, as we try to parent in a whole new way. It can also be easy to feel swayed by social pressure to make every moment of our social isolation “pinterest worthy”.

I would strongly encourage you not to. I would encourage US not to give in to any of it. Yes, feel the feelings that you need to feel. Those feelings are valid, and real. But then look for the wins, as small as they may be. The increased connection you see in your children, the imperfectly baked bread you made, the fact that you made it outside in the sun today, having a dance party, or maybe a long hug with a child, or that you reconnected with an old friend over text, and in my case, the isolation from much funnier people make my kids think I am actually funny.

Look for the small wins, and celebrate them… with ice cream, if you have any.

Connect with Stephanie

Instagram - @stephanie_donegan

Resources Shared on Podcast

Brooke Snow Podcast

Quotes

“Everything I am dealing with is only making me more like Christ, and if my true purpose is to be more like my Savior, then I just have to trust that this is part of Heavenly Father’s plan for me.”

“God is listening. He is with me. I just have to press forward.”

“Share what your feel comfortable with.”

“You’re not alone.”

“It’s OK to not be OK.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. Have a dance party.”

Ashley Marie Soap

You can buy this amazing soap at AshleyMarieSoap.com use the code STAY HEALTHY for 10% off.

Connect with Ashley on Instagram @ashleymariesoap

Don’t forget to enter for you free bar of soap by leaving a rating and review!

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Our bodies are amazing, wonderful creations, and they know exactly what they need! They usually start to tell us subtly, and if we don't listen, they get louder and louder.

In this episode, Julie helps gives us three amazing tips on how to start working with our bodies.

The Create Joy Challenge this week is to have something you love, and keep it visible.

Maybe have lots of somethings you love, but make them meaningful, and make them prominent. This can be anything… this can be fresh flowers on the dining room table, a seasonal candle lit in the living room, a favorite tea kettle that lives on the stove, the guitar displayed in the piano room. If you have a blanket your grandma made you that makes you feel like you are wrapped in her arms again, it can be laid out on the foot of your bed. It can be a charm your child made you on your key ring. The key here is to keep things you love present in your environment, so it can be there to help you spark joy throughout the day. I would love to see what some of your favorite things are that you have in your life. If you feel like sharing on Instagram, tag me @createjoypodcast so I can see it and/or use the tag #createjoychallenge so we can all create joy together, and maybe get some new ideas of things to incorporate into our own homes and lives.

Connect with Julie

Instagram - @posturemassage_ct

Website - posturemassage.net

Resources Shared on Podcast

Armchair Expert Interview with Bill Hader 

Feelings Buried Alive Never Die

Girl, Wash you Face

Girl, Stop Apologizing 

Quotes

“You might not be allowing your body to communicate with you because you are blocking it with all these other things.”

“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”

“You can listen to your body and have a dialogue with it just like any friend. You are getting into a relationship. Treat it like a relationship.”

“Our bodies like to get out of pain.”

“Getting to know your body is a lot like getting a brand new baby. They can’t communicate verbally, but you have to be quiet and work on bonding with it.”

“There are so many different reasons that we distance ourselves from our bodies. It is so important to reconnect and get to know each other again.”

“Acknowledging that you have a body is is a huge first step for a lot of people.”

“When you are confident in your body, you become more lovely to other people. When you are ashamed of your body and what it is, people also get uncomfortable, because they can feel that uncomfortableness in you.”

“When you are dehydrated, you in essence are human jerky.”

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In the episode we talk about 10 ways we can find joy amidst the chaos in the world of the coronavirus. It can feel scary and give us a lot of anxiety, but it doesn’t have to feel that way.

The ten tips are:

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

Coronavirus - Why you must act now

How to Talk to your Kids About COVID-19 - National Association of School Phsychologist

Tips to Spring Clean Closets - Darling Darleene

Fun Activity Ideas

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Our guest today is Lorin Smith of @goodglutenfreegrub 

In this episode she talks about her own crazy journey to diagnosis, and how she has found health in spite of her struggles. 

She also gives us amazing takeaways to help us improve our own health journey, regardless of the health situations we may have. They are: 

1. Educate yourself

#createjoychallenge

Pay attention to how your body is feeling. Keeping a food journal would be ideal, but do what you need to do to figure out what your body is trying to tell you and how it is reacting to certain foods. You don’t have to have an autoimmune disease, or a chronic illness to have food impact the way your body is feeling. And wouldn’t it be amazing if you could feel amazing all the time?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

To get the recipe from my favorite things this week, simply click on the link below. You won’t regret making them!

createjoypodcast.com/messymemories/the-best-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies

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It can feel mind-blowing to think about the changes that take place for a caterpillar to become a butterfly. Do we realize that as women, we go through similar changes? Do we realize that we try our hardest to go back to being a caterpillar when we have already become a butterfly?

Sources

The Maternal Brain - Scientific American 

Tissue microchimerism - Oxford Academic

#createjoychallenge

Love your body and appreciate it for what it has done… and become.

Transcript

If you are interested in the transcript for this episode, you can find it here.

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This week we have my daughter, Grace Gandara on the podcast talking about how God can guide us. You can also find her on her podcast "Kids Change the World."

Podcast https://anchor.fm/kids-change-the-world

Instagram - @kidschangetheworld.podcast

#createjoychallenge

This week’s create joy challenge is to pay attention to how God is trying to guide you. 

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