I loved watching Netflix's "Old Money," A Turkish romantic drama about love and wealth.

“Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that

 draws one person to another, not words.”

― Rumi

I loved watching Netflix's "Old Money," a Turkish romantic drama about love and wealth. The show beautifully portrays the opulence and influence of money, while also exploring the profound connection of a deep soul bond with another person.

The whole cast was exceptional, especially the connection between Nihal and Osman...

Nihal is determined to help her father escape debt by taking on the task of designing a yacht for the Bulut family. While Nihal comes from old money, the Bulut family represents the nouveau riche. 

While dining with her longtime friends and gazing at the Bosphorus Strait, which links the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and separates Istanbul between Europe and Asia, Nihal reflects on the old way people connect just through physical intimacy and the new way they bond through their souls, and then physical intimacy. Though skeptical of this modern approach, she is unaware that fate is about to introduce her to a profound soul connection. That other soul is the stunningly gorgeous Osman Bulut, and their relationship will be both bewildering and breathtaking.

The connection between Nihal and Osman is truly captivating, embodying the essence of life's deepest experiences. Yet, Nihal is plagued by doubts, influenced by the voices of her friends telling her this connection isn't genuine.

Just like in the tale of Eros and Psyche, Psyche was overwhelmed with doubt, influenced by her sisters' voices questioning the truth of her bond with Eros. Venus, hearing of her doubts, reprimands Psyche, declaring her unworthy of such love, and banishes her to the realm of her unconscious. There, Psyche must confront and transform her feelings of unworthiness if she wishes to be blessed with the union of her soul and Eros's.

So too, Nihal must look within and recognize the true bond she shares with Osman. Their connection, forged by the Bosphorus Strait where the two seas converge, brought to life the feeling of an eternal connection. 

Only she can overcome the doubt her friends planted about Osman and recognize that this is a genuine connection!  

Can Nihal overcome her doubt?

XOXO, Serena Jade

https://www.raising-the-sparks-publishing.com/

Review: Israel: A Simple Guide To The Most Misunderstood Country On Earth by Noa Tishby

The Hand of God At The New Gate, Jerusalem 

Israel: A Simple Guide To The Most Misunderstood Country On Earth by Noa Tishby is a must-read for anyone who doesn't understand how Israel and Jews often stand as outcasts in the global context. This highlights how they represent a societal shadow—values that are essential yet often hidden or ignored.

You can see in history, “Blame the Jews, it’s their fault.” Look what’s happening right now, Israel is to be blamed for their misfortune. The world does not have empathy for Israel or the Jews.

The average person views Israel as the stronger entity compared to a terrorist group like Hamas governing Gaza or the Palestinian Authority managing the West Bank. As societal outcasts, Israel and Jews often develop greater resilience, which leads to a perception of strength. However, constantly being on guard for the next attack can have the opposite effect. 

Like Noa Tisby asks: How should Israel retaliate when Hamas fires thousands of rockets into southern Israeli towns? Why haven't the Palestinians made a final peace deal? Will the Palestinian Authority unite with Hamas, and if so, will Hamas denounce violence? 

Here are hot topics the layperson brings up such as:

Israel is a Colony: Noa Tishby states, "Israel is a refugee state, reestablished after the British left, as the Jewish homeland, after thousands of years of exile and persecution."

Israel is an Apartheid state: Apartheid came as South Africa's segregation of white and blacks. I've been to Israel twice and Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze live side by side. 

Ethnic Cleansing: That would mean Israel would have to wipe out all of the 22 countries in the Middle East.

Unequal Warfare: The IDF is organized and structured, where Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are not. 

Do You Count Steps As A Form Of Exercise?

Counting steps as a fitness trend is a relatively new concept. Over the past forty years, technology has transformed our lives, and now we hold devices in our hands that track our every move. But is it truly beneficial if the steps we count are just part of our daily routine?

One has to realize just walking in everyday life is not taxing your heart. One has to keep the heart rate elevated for an extended amount of time, to have any real benefits of keeping one's blood flowing through the arteries and enhancing lung capacity. 

It is not about the number of steps you take but the quality, for the benefit of your heart and lungs. And cardio is only one aspect of fitness, and the others are flexibility, and the most ignored is strength training with heavy weights. 

If you're searching for the Fountain of Youth in health and beauty, focus on the most underrated trifecta that many overlook, strength training, cardio training (not the quantity, but the quality of steps), and stretching. - Serena Jade, former personal trainer for the Real Housewives of Long Island.

https://www.serenajade.co/thepowerofworkingout

If Zohran Mamdani Becomes The Next New York City Mayor, America is Doomed

As history tells us all empires crumble from within. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s candidate for New York City Mayor, wants to “Globalize the Intifada,” “End the Occupation, and Apartheid.” And if you don’t know the Intifada is a violent uprising against Jews. And the occupation referrers to occupied Palestine to most Muslims. And most think Israel is an apartheid. But apartheid is total separation, in Israel, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Baha’i’s, and Druze live side by side.

And with these destructive antisemitic statements, America’s destruction is next, and most likely this is the start, if Zohran Mamdani is elected the next Mayor of NYC.

Let’s give one of the most powerful cities in the world, New York City, the power to defund the police, “White People” will have to pay more taxes, all housing will be rent controlled, give free bus transportation, possibly subways, have city-controlled grocery stores, universal childcare, and up the minimum wage.

Mamdani says, he wants financial equality for all, he says there is enough money for all people, he really wants the people to be dependent on the government (socialism and communism) as opposed to capitalism.

Thomas Sowell, an American economist states, “The greatest threat to freedom is not tyranny, but the illusion that government can deliver what only the individual can earn.” -

I am a working class native New Yorker; I would prefer a Sunni Muslim rather than a Shia Muslim for mayor!  I am not prejudiced against Muslims, and I am friends with some, and I think the Muslim call to prayer is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. The Sunnis are more liberal in their beliefs. An example: In most Sunni countries women are not required to wear a Hijab nor a full burqa. Another example: Islam just celebrated the holiday of Ashura, where the Sunni’s celebrate the parting of the Reda Sea and the liberation of the Israelites, on the other hand, Shia Muslims mourn the death of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson on this day.

Mr.  Mamdani also disagrees with President Trump's stance on immigration:   

When I lived in Egypt, a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, the police, often armed with machine guns (a common sight in the Middle East), would randomly visit the complex where I was staying to check everyone’s documents and ensure they were legally allowed to stay. I really didn’t want to imagine what might happen if someone wasn’t legal.

Here in the US, if you don’t have legal documents, you are illegal- period, end of story!

I was watching a podcast with New York Newscaster Bill Ritter, he asked Zohran Mamdani, “What do you think of the concept of Israel?”

Like most politicians Zohran answered in the politically correct way. However, the question struck me as odd, the concept of Israel. Do we think, Pakistan and Bangladesh as concepts?

Around the same time modern Israel was forming, Pakistan and Bangladesh were emerging as nations, once part of the Indian subcontinent. These areas became predominantly Muslim countries, leading to the deaths of millions of Hindus and Muslims and forcing many Hindus to become refugees in lower India.

And to this day, India and Pakistan are still fighting over Kashmir, that was once part of the Indus Valley of India!

I want to end my voice and give you the 12, 13th century Sunni Islamic Mystic, Ibn Arabi  …

"My heart can take on any form: A meadow for gazelles, A cloister for monks, For the idols, sacred ground, Ka'ba for the circling pilgrim, The tables of the Torah [the Jews], The scrolls of the Qur’an. My creed is Love (Love is the Lover, longing for her beloved): Wherever its caravan turns along the way, That is my belief, My faith."- Ibn Arabi

Long Ago, A Couple Yearned For Children. They Sought The Wisdom of A Psychic Midwife, Who Prophesied, “You Will Bring An Old Soul Into This World, And She Will One Day Reunite With Her Twin Flame…

My debut book, “Charismatic Connection,” intertwines my story with that of Chris Antley, a renowned American jockey. We shared an exalted inner essence, making us true soul mates with a connection so intense it defied time and space. Yet, we faced a dilemma: we felt unworthy of such profound love.

Chris and I were spiritually connected; our extraordinary bond was tied to our immortal essence. I expected us to unite, but our co-dependency was a barrier that needed transformation before we could ascend to a higher union. This journey bestowed upon me the gift of sharing our spiritual connection with the world, along with the insight that soul mates transcend survival needs or emotional security from another.

This profound understanding required alignment between my lower nature and my soul. As I recover from my own issues, I realize I wasn’t ready for a soul-level connection. Accepting that Chris and I would never unite in the third dimension was a trial. I now comprehend that Chris, and I needed to balance our karma to liberate our soul and draw nearer to the Divine. Our bond was so deep, rivaling the connection with our Twin Flame.

Deep within, I felt compelled to chronicle my experiences with Chris. My initial aim wasn’t to author a book but to find a spiritual companion. When life didn’t align with my plans, I knew I had to document our remarkable tale. Having gained this spiritual insight, I once believed that experiencing such an extraordinary bond predestined me to unite with my ultimate soul mate. Yet, I couldn’t be further from the truth.

Long Ago, A Couple Yearned For Children. They Sought The Wisdom of A Psychic Midwife, Who Prophesied, “You Will Bring An Old Soul Into This World, And She Will One Day Reunite With Her Twin Flame…Tomorrow, a flower with a black and white blossom will appear by your window.”

The couple was meant to pick only the white blossom, but they chose both. As time passed, the midwife was summoned for the birth. The first child born was an old soul, perceived merely as a pleasing servant. Unaware of the child’s significant soul, the midwife, with the mother’s half-aware consent, cast her out the window to survive on her own, discarded and forgotten. She grew up hindered emotionally, filled with suffering, and in solitude.

Shortly after, a baby girl is born, healthy and beautiful, yet without a soul. Her mother acknowledges and embraces her, integrating her into the family. As she matures, she becomes perfect, accomplished, and universally adored. Meanwhile, the servant spends her life covertly observing her sister’s life and family, yearning for what she lacks. Unlike her sister, she possesses a soul.

Years on, the midwife’s prophetic vision begins to unfold. The woman is destined to reunite with her eternal love. On the crucial day, as the woman is about to meet her destined twin flame, the servant obstructs her path. Claiming to be the woman’s long-lost sister, the servant demands a mate from the woman, threatening that otherwise, the woman will never encounter her Most-Profound Eternal Love. After many years, the woman succeeds in finding a man for the servant who stays beyond a night. The servant’s boyfriend aids in her transformation, leading to her acceptance of her sister and herself. Only by confronting her shame can she find love and respect.

Years later, the woman and the servant’s qualities merge. The woman attains peace, her calm mind reaching out into the cosmos. She is now prepared to embrace her most cherished gift: her deepest, most profound eternal love. - Excerpt from The Auto-Bond: A Personal Growth Relationship

The Difference Between A Religious Person VS. A Spiritual Person...

If You Are Not With Israel, You Are With Hamas

I am an American who lived in the Middle East: If you are not with Israel, you are with Hamas. After the 9/11 attacks American President George Bush invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. Attacks on Israel October 7, 2023. People in the surrounding areas of Israel, see the United States and Israel as one.

If you doubted the above statement I posted on April 6, 2024, then the events of April 8, 2024, should serve as confirmation… Chants of “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” rang out, and not in the streets of Tehran but right here in the USA where Islamic extremism is being allowed to fester.

“Thousands march in support of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. Protesters, many with kaffiyehs covering their faces, shout ‘Intifada, intifada,’ ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ and ‘America is a terrorist state.’ Local imams give fiery antisemitic sermons. This isn’t the Middle East. It’s the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Mich,” wrote Steven Stalinsky who warned of the incendiary rhetoric spewed by local radical clerics after Israel retaliated against the Hamas savages who massacred over 1,200 of its citizens during the October 7, 2023 raid on civilian areas.- April 8, 2024-

https://www.bizpacreview.com/2024/04/08/michigan-muslims-chant-in-disturbing-video-death-to-america-death-to-israel-1450865/