The Shift - A movie being made by a movement

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Revitalize Your Soul

Forgive quickly. Love without boundaries or fear. Laugh without control. Never stop smiling. Be thankful for all your blessings. Live with hope and positivity. Embrace every moment.

xoxo,
Lovebug

God and Dog

This is so beautiful! Made me appreciate and love my Hannah even more. Can't wait to take my morning walk ... and my walks are also my pray time. This video really touched my heart :)

Revitalize Your Soul!

Good morning! And what a beautiful morning it is! Remember to smile today and take time to be thankful for all your blessings. Stop and smell the flowers or (depending where you live) stop and breath in the crisp air and take in the beautiful colors of the falling leaves. Do something nice for a stranger. Tell someone special in your life that you love them or how beautiful/handsome they are. Brush off your challenges...they are probably smaller than you think and soon they will be in the past. For those of you going through any real tragedies, may you be surrounded by love and comfort that will heal your heart and bring you peace.

Sending my warmest wishes to you all!
~Lovebug

The gratitude campaign

Jessica and I both had the opportunity to watch this video for The Gratitude Campaign before we went to NY on vacation. While we were in the city one day, we passed by several soldiers at Penn Station and we both took the opportunity to acknowledge them, say hello and most importantly ...to say Thank You. They smiled at us and you could tell that it meant a lot to them. It truly warmed my heart and felt wonderful to show my gratitude. I promised myself that I would post this video when I returned to share it with all of you.

Check it out and pass it on to others.....

With deep gratitude, warm thoughts and peaceful wishes to all our brave soldiers!

~Lovebug

Revitalize Your Soul! - Life according to Mister Rogers

A friend of Jessica's posted this on facebook and we wanted to share this wonderful message with everyone:

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person." Mister Rogers

Every encounter we have leaves a lasting effect; even when we don't realize. And the ripple effects are limitless. We should always present the best, most real version of who we are in all we do.

"Won't you be ....my neighbor?"

Revitalize Your Soul!

Jessica sent this to me in an email today and I wanted to share it with all of you :)

Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going

God does keep me going and as I read this today, I started to remember how He is everywhere and in everything. The beauty of nature, the blue endless sky, the things that make me smile and laugh and inside every person that I love...all my angels. It all equals God to me .... it's what keeps me going, living and loving.

xoxo
~Ami

Cell Phones for Soldiers!

Got any old cell phones laying around the house? Has you or anyone you know upgraded or bought a new phone recently? What should we all do with all these old phones? ....... We have the best solution for you that's super easy AND free!

Donate your old and unwanted phones to our brave soldiers. The phones are recycled and the money is used to offer a source of communication for our troops to keep in touch with friends and family. This is a true gift from the heart and is so simple to get your donated phones shipped out...

... Just throw them in an envelope (chargers and batteries are not required, but gladly accepted). CLICK HERE and print your postage free shipping label. Stick the label to the envelope and toss it in the mail.

I've shipped out old phones twice already in the past month and I have to tell you..........It feels GREAT!

If you prefer, you can also collect old phones from friends and family (spread the word) and bring them to one of our future gatherings or donation drop off locations and we'll ship them out for you.

Well, we hope this has given you another opportunity to share your hearts and send a gift of love.

May you have a restful night's sleep and wake up feeling at peace and rejuvenated!
xoxoxo
~Lovebug

Upcoming Revitalize Events!

Come join the Revitalize family!!!
Love, love, love,
Jess & Ami!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Revitalize

Let's love our Mother Earth! Below are ways that we can make a change...one day at a time:

1. Reuse your plastic bags or use cloth bags instead when you go to the grocery store (the cloth bags can hold a lot of stuff and they're only $1.00 at Publix & Dollar Tree). You can even use them when you go to your favorite record store or go shopping at the mall. You could start a trend! Just make sure to keep a few in your car so that when you go to the store, you already have them. :)


2. Instead of tossing your cigarette butt on the ground, put it out in an ashtray. It'll only take a few extra seconds.

3. Check out this list of how long it takes certain material to biodegrate:

1. Paper: 2-4 Weeks
2. Banana Peel: 3-5 Weeks
3. Wool Cap: 1 Year
4. Cigarette Butt: 2-5 Years
5. Disposable Diaper: 10-20 Years
6. Hard Plastic Container: 20-30 Years
7. Rubber Boot Sole: 50-80 Years
8. Tin Can: 80-100 Years
9. Aluminum Can: 200-400 Years
10. Plastic 6-pack Holder: 450 Years
11. Glass Bottles: A Very, Very Long Time (Forever)

*Pick up that piece of trash on the ground instead of walking over it.

4. Don't litter!

5. Reuse the scraps of your fruits and eggs...toss them in your garden instead of the garbage. Your plants will eat them up!

6. Go paperless with your bills and call them if they do not honor your request. It's worth a try and maybe one day they'll really start to listen.

7. When you're brushing your teeth, turn the water off in between brushes. It'll lower your water bill and consumption. :)

8. Recycle! In fact, many counties and states have expanded their recyclable item list. Check out your local county's website to see if you can throw away things such as paper towel rolls and cereal boxes.

**Here's a website where you can order recycling bins and get some more information on recyclable items - http://www.ci.orlando.fl.us/public_works/solidwaste/swmrec.htm

**Publix has recycle bins outside their locations where you can throw out recyclables such as paper and plastic bags...they even have recycle bins for foam trays and egg crates. :)


Just remember to continue to love our dear Mother. She's our lifeline....

Much love,
Ami & Jess

*Feel free to send us any additional tips to add - we'll be updating this list periodically and would love your input!

Revitalize Your Soul - Stop and smell the roses

Each day passes by so quickly. We go through our daily routines and then start all over again the next day. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everything that we forget to take a moment to stop and smell the roses. Something as simple as stopping whatever you are doing and concentrating on your breathing, can be so therapeutic sometimes. Or sitting back for a moment an enjoying the silence, the stillness, the peace. Or just taking a 5-10 minute walk around your neighborhood to let your blood flow and take in the beauty that is our earth. It’s always nice to even call up a loved one that you haven’t spoken to in a while to catch up on each other’s lives.

Whatever it might be, lets try to take more time for ourselves. Stop in the middle of all the madness that can sometimes be our daily lives and remember that it’s the little things that we ignore or often forget about, that actually brings us the most joy and bliss. Lately, I have been trying to make an effort to take a few minutes each day and do something that just feels good for my heart, mind and soul. Every time I do, I am never disappointed with the result of continuing my day with a bigger smile and a delightful vibe. And you know what? Sometimes the day even feels longer because of it.

Remember…..in the mist of it all….we have everything we need inside ourselves and surrounding us constantly that can bring us pleasure and contentment. We just have to decide to make the time to enjoy them.


Peace and Light,
Lovebug

Revitalize Your Soul!

It can be so hard not to let each day pass, constantly letting our minds be consumed with the everyday problems that surround our lives and those around us. There are so many thoughts of worry, concern, stress and negativity that we allow our emotions to indulge in on a daily basis.

The fact is that there is always going to be something that we can waste our energy complaining about or stressing about. Life wouldn’t make sense without these constant challenges that we are forced to face. We would be bored and confused and we probably wouldn’t even know what happiness felt like. We need these challenges in order to appreciate all the amazing things about life, earth, love …… and ourselves. It’s just so easy for us to hate these moments…..we sometimes despise them and just want them to go away. However, we usually choose to indulge in these terrible emotions, spreading the negative poison to others and sharing the misery.

So, I say…Lets try a different approach. Lets take these moments in as blessings of growth, lessons to be learned and an opportunity for us to cherish the good moments and remember the beauty of life which far exceeds these challenges. They are a gift….They are what give essence and meaning to everything that matters in our lives.

So bring it on! It will only make me Love Life even more!

Peace and Light to all!
~Lovebug

Revitalize Your Soul - The Little Things

Today I had to go to the tag office to renew my tag, get a title reprinted and change the address on my license.


To me the tag office is as horrible as the dentist.

Both tend to make you wait to long, only to tell you that you either have more cavities or not enough proof of being you.

Both have tons of strangers that are forced to sit in uncomfortable chairs, waiting for the inevitable.

Both are typically filled with workers that can't stand to be there and let you know it!
And both tend to cost way more than you thought.


For some reason, today was different. And I think my attitude played a major role in my experience...
There was hardly anyone there waiting and when I was waiting, I had a super conversation with some new parents and their glowing toddler, Jada.

When I was called, the woman that helped me, Julia, was really down to earth and took care of everything I needed - no running back to the car and having to get some other paperwork.

And all of the staff there was laughing and having a fun time.


Oddly enough, a trip to the tag office was not hell! Can you believe it? I left feeling nearly uplifted. As I continued to think positively, I noticed that I every light I hit was green on my trek home. I received several nice texts and calls and I just felt great. The fun continued when I got to my new place and had a conversation with one of my nosy neighbors who actually offered for me to chill with her if this storm gets bad.


As soon as I walked up to my door all I could think about was how each of those little things made me happier, therefore making the rest of my day even better!

Perhaps the little things are self created by the positivity that we put out there. The more we give to the universe's glowing light, the more we'll get back.


Whether it's a dentist office or a tag office or whatever task you may dread, enter the situation without preconceived notions and see what happens.
You may be surprised!

Much love,
Jess

Revitalize Your Soul - Birthday Time!

Sooooooo, this past Friday, 8.1.08 was my birthday! Happy Birthday to me! This year I turned 29 and I feel DIVINE! As I quickly approach my fabulous thirties, I realize that my thought process and decision making continues to grow and change. This year I have felt maturity and adulthood more intensely than ever before. I have been on my own and supporting myself since I was 18 years old, I have been married AND divorced, I have had several surgeries and health issues in the past, I have traveled a decent amount and have seen, survived and enjoyed all levels of experiences (the good, the bad, the best and the rest). Yet, this is the year…..2008… that I feel the most mature.

This got me thinking…..why after all these years of living an adult life am I finally feeling the most “grown up”? I am really not sure what the answer is, but I will tell you this….It feels Incredible!!! I have gone through so many phases of self discovery in the past 29 years and I feel very accomplished and content with where my life currently stands. There are so many pressures out there as to where we should all be by a certain age. The fact is that no one has the right to tell us who we should be, where we should be and how we should live our lives (especially not according to our age). If I had followed the “guidelines” and “timelines” of this world, I probably would have never gotten a divorce and stayed in an unhappy marriage OR would already be married again, I definitely would already have children, own a house, have my degree and be set in my career. I can definitely admit that these all can be wonderful accomplishments. However, I do not have any of them right now, yet there are so many things I have done in my life that I am most proud of. Things that I chose over everything else and I still have so much to look forward to. I refuse to feel that time is running out. We have been gifted the blessing of life and our sole purpose is to cherish and enjoy all the beauty it has to offer….at free will and on our own terms. I am blessed to have an amazing bond with my mom and brother, I am surrounded by the comfort and support of true friendships, I have a magical connection with the love of my life, I am co-owner of a business that specializes in Wedding Design (the celebration of Love!), I run a charity organization with my best friend, I try to focus on living each day filled with gratefulness, peace, love, balance and bliss that extends itself to all those who are the closest to me and to anyone that comes in contact with me. I am content, proud and at peace with who I am, where I stand and how I live my life. The best part is that I still have the opportunity to live and accomplish so much more. I can marry the man of my dreams (after waiting very patiently for him), I can be a mom at a time that I feel I know myself the best and can give the most, I can see my business grow into a success that becomes my livelihood, I can see Revitalize grow into a huge community the glows with positivity, encouragement and the unending act of giving, sharing and coming together to extend our love to the world.….

….My life is in my hands and I choose to be guided by my faith, spirituality and heart.

Big warm hugs to all!
~Lovebug

Supporting our soldiers...

Revitalize has adopted three Platoons consisting of about 100 soldiers. They are currently stationed in Afghanistan and Revitalize will be shipping care packages to them as often as possible. We would love for you to be a part of this wonderful cause and community movement. Any contribution you can offer sends a message of love and hope to these brave men who will not be returning home for several months. These care packages mean more to them then we could ever imagine.

With thoughts of peace,
Jess and Ami
myspace.com/revitalizeorlando

Pictures and Donation details are below....



Drop off Locations for January 2008 TBA:
If you would like to give a donation, please feel free to contact us at revitalizeorlando@gmail.com or 407.399.7589

Donation Guide (a list of items recently requested):

Food and Beverage:

Lots of Snacks (crucial) – no chocolate (this will melt in the mail)

Instant Coffee (Automatic Drip)

Creamer

Sugar

Energy Bars (come in useful when walking all night)

Beef Jerky

Canned soups and stews (starting to get really cold)

Powered drink mix (Propel, Crystal light, Red Bull, etc.)

Clothing:

Socks (wool only in black or green) – Army Navy Store

Toiletries:

Soap

Liquid Soap

Baby Wipes (they use these a lot)

Hand sanitizer

Q Tips

Shampoo

Deodorant

Hygiene products (all kinds)

Misc. and More:

Chap Stick

Fly swatters

Pipe Cleaners (To clean equipment)

Batteries (AAA, AA, and D cell )

Silly String (use to detect trip wire and also for fun J )

Hand and Boot warmers (Winters in Afghanistan are very cold)

Back Scratches

Letters can be written for encouragement, to thank them, etc.

Cards can be sent from you and your family for the holidays, etc.

Pens (the locals feel that pens represent education and constantly ask the soldiers for them)

Entertainment

Magazines – all kinds

Movies – all kinds

Music – all kinds

Board games

DVDs of recorded TV shows (haven't seen a T.V show in 8 months) – any prime time sitcom, especially "Lost" and shows from the Discovery channel, History channel and the Military channel are also great.

Books - all kinds

Stand on your good leg

Things aren't exactly peachy keen jelly bean in my life right now, especially after re-injuring my already damaged leg last week. But instead of focusing on everything that isn't going well, I will concentrate on everything that rules. I refuse to give in to any sort of sadness or despair; rather I will opt to direct my energy into completing projects that will enhance my future. A wise woman once said, "If you have time to be depressed, you're not busy enough," and I believe she was right. Now is not the time to wallow in self pity, or wish things were different; now is the time to act and fix the things that are broken. I will put all my weight on my good leg as I move forward through this crazy life of mine.

Maybe I will never be
All the things that I want to be
Now is not the time to cry
Now’s the time to find out why

-- Oasis, Live Forever

Sending love to your bad leg strength to your good one,
Becky

xoxoxoxo

Our first volunteering experience - It warmed our hearts!!!

This past Saturday, Ami and I had the opportunity to take part in a Second Harvest Food Bank event - Corn Gleaning in Zellwood. Gleaning was a new term to us so we weren't quite sure what to expect! It turned out to be an amazing way to help the homeless.

We arrived to the farm early that morning. Armed in our overalls, bandana and straw cap, we grabbed two buckets and jumped in the back of a pick up. From there we were driven through the muddy terrain and into the corn field. Eagerly we jumped off the back and went into the field. Basically, we were picking after the machines had already gone through the field. These "leftovers" are then taken to different homeless shelters within Central Florida.

Ami with her first pick of the day:


Some of the other volunteers. According to Amy (one of the head volunteers from Society of St. Andrew) we picked 12,000 lbs that day!!!:


It was so amazing to see all of the kids that were involved!!! It was very empowering. Lugging those buckets full of corn wasn't an easy task, but anytime the going got tough, we smiled and laughed, knowing what we were doing was so important and helpful.

Me with my bucket:


Working together to help the community is one of the things we are all about. It felt so amazing to be up at such an early hour on a Saturday to help. We left feeling accomplished that by giving our time, we are adding hope to someone's life.

Be on the lookout for our next opportunity to help make our world a better place! Next time we hope to see you there. You'll definately get a big high five from us!



With lots of love,
Jess

Life is Dope

Today is Friday and I am in the best.mood.ever. There are so many wonderful things looming on the horizon for me and I am eager to experience them all. Days like today are perfect to look back upon in times of darkness and gloom, to help us remember why life is totally dope.

And since one of the awesome things on the horizon is the Erykah Badu show on Sunday, I will add some of my favorite lyrics from her song Appletree.

"See I picks my friends like I pick my fruit
My ganny told me that when I was only a youth
I don't walk around trying to be what I'm not
I don't waste my time trying to get what you got
I work at pleasin' me cause I cant please you
and thats why I do what I do
My soul flies free like a willow tree
Doo wee doo wee doo wee"

And another awesome thing to look forward to -- hope to see all you beautiful ladies at the Jammy Jam on Saturday!!!

<3
Becky

Take the Negative with the Positive

In my recent quest to keep my chin up, I've been tucking away some of the negative thoughts that come my way. Instead of dealing with them right then and there, I've chosen to overlook them; possibly to subconsciously hope that they go away.

Well, they don't.

The negative thoughts just sit inside my soul until I'm vulnerable to let them out in a way that may not make sense. While working on this renewed strand of positivity, I'm learning that without the negative there is no balance.

So I figure, don't just swallow the negative and let it fester. Deal with it in that moment, then continue on with your glorious smile – chin held high….

Feelin' happy today and hope you are too.
<3,
Jess

Combating Illness with Positivity

"Affirm the positive, visualize the positive and expect the positive, and your life will change accordingly." - Annonymous

Right now someone very close to me is falling ill once again. During these times I find it hard to think as positively as possible. Knowing in my heart that those positive thoughts can turn any sickness around, sometimes I subconsciously choose to wallow in despair.

Yesterday I made the decision to not wallow but to refocus on my strength and his as well. Although sickness is testing him and us, I am choosing to fight negative thoughts with beauty and love.

Positivity can heal thoughts, hearts, sickness and even that sour attitude that loves to linger when times are tough.

With hope for a healthy tomorrow,
Jess