Oasis Sperrdatei: So wird der Casino-Zugang blockiert

Oasis Sperrdatei: So wird der Casino-Zugang blockiert

Wer in Deutschland Glücksspiele im Internet nutzt, stößt früher oder später auf den Begriff der Sperrdatei. Die Oasis Sperrdatei ist dabei kein gewöhnliches Regelwerk, sondern das zentrale Instrument, mit dem der Zugang zu Online-Casinos für bestimmte Personen unterbunden wird. Sie richtet sich an Spieler, die sich selbst schützen wollen – oder die von Angehörigen gemeldet wurden. Wer die Mechanik versteht, kann besser einschätzen, welche Konsequenzen eine Sperrung hat und wie sie sich umsetzen lässt. Lesen Sie mehr dazu auf paypal casino deutschland.

Was die Oasis Sperrdatei genau ist

Hinter dem Kürzel OASIS verbirgt sich das „Online-Anbieter-Sperr-System“. Es handelt sich um ein bundesweites Register, das von der Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder betrieben wird. Sobald ein Spieler dort eingetragen ist, dürfen lizenzierte Anbieter ihm keinen Zugang mehr zu ihrem Angebot gewähren.

Die Datei ist nicht öffentlich einsehbar. Weder Betreiber noch Spieler können beliebig darin stöbern. Stattdessen gleichen Anbieter bei jeder Registrierung und bei jedem Login die Daten ab. Wer gesperrt ist, erhält keine Spieleinladung mehr – der Zugang wird technisch blockiert.

Der Eintrag gilt grundsätzlich zunächst für zwölf Monate. Danach prüft die Behörde, ob eine Verlängerung notwendig ist. In bestimmten Fällen, etwa bei pathologischem Spielverhalten, kann die Sperre dauerhaft bestehen bleiben.

Wie eine Sperrung beantragt wird

Spieler können sich auf zwei Wegen eintragen lassen: über einen lizenzierten Anbieter oder direkt bei der Aufsichtsbehörde. Der Weg über den Anbieter ist meist der schnellere. Viele Casinos stellen ein entsprechendes Formular bereit, das nach dem Login ausgefüllt wird.

Alternativ lässt sich die Sperre schriftlich bei der Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder beantragen. Dafür genügen Name, Geburtsdatum und Anschrift. Eine Begründung ist nicht zwingend erforderlich – der Schutzgedanke steht im Vordergrund.

Wichtig zu wissen: Eine einmal ausgesprochene Selbstsperre lässt sich nicht kurzfristig zurücknehmen. Wer sie umgehen möchte, muss zunächst die Behörde kontaktieren und einen Antrag auf Löschung stellen. Das dauert in der Praxis mehrere Wochen.

Angehörige haben ebenfalls die Möglichkeit, eine Sperrung anzuregen. Das ist vor allem dann relevant, wenn eine spielsuchtgefährdete Person die Gefahr selbst nicht erkennt. Die Behörde prüft solche Anträge individuell.

Konsequenzen für Spieler und Anbieter

Für lizenzierte Casinos ist der Abgleich mit der Sperrdatei verpflichtend. Verstöße können mit Bußgeldern geahndet werden. Deshalb kontrollieren seriöse Anbieter bereits bei der Anmeldung, ob eine Sperre vorliegt.

Für betroffene Spieler bedeutet die Sperre eine vollständige Blockade des legalen Marktes. Ein Ausweichen auf nicht lizenzierte Seiten ist möglich, aber riskant: Dort fehlen Verbraucherschutz, Auszahlungsgarantien und Streitschlichtung.

Die Sperrdatei ist damit kein reines Kontrollinstrument, sondern ein Baustein des Spielerschutzes. Sie greift dort, wo Selbstkontrolle nicht mehr ausreicht – und schafft eine verbindliche Grenze zwischen Spieler und Anbieter.

Welche Zahlungsmethoden akzeptieren deutsche Online-Casinos?

Welche Zahlungsmethoden akzeptieren deutsche Online-Casinos?

Wer in Deutschland ein Online-Casino nutzt, stößt schnell auf die zentrale Frage der Ein- und Auszahlung. Der Markt hat sich seit der Legalisierung im Jahr 2021 deutlich verändert, denn die Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder vergibt inzwischen Lizenzen an regulierte Anbieter. Diese müssen bestimmte Zahlungswege erlauben und andere ausschließen. Für Spieler bedeutet das: Nicht jede Methode, die international üblich ist, funktioniert auch mit deutscher Lizenz. Zusätzliche Details gibt es bei krypto casinos.

Die wichtigsten Zahlungsmethoden im Überblick

Regulierte Casinos in Deutschland akzeptieren in der Regel mehrere Wege gleichzeitig. Zu den am häufigsten genutzten gehören Kreditkarten, E-Wallets, Sofortüberweisung und klassische Banktransfers. Kreditkarten wie Visa und Mastercard sind besonders verbreitet, weil sie schnell und unkompliziert funktionieren. Visa verarbeitet weltweit Milliarden Transaktionen pro Jahr und gilt als eine der zuverlässigsten Optionen.

E-Wallets wie PayPal, Skrill oder Neteller gewinnen ebenfalls an Bedeutung. Sie bieten eine zusätzliche Sicherheitsschicht, weil Bankdaten nicht direkt an das Casino weitergegeben werden. Die Einzahlung erfolgt meist in unter einer Minute, während Auszahlungen je nach Anbieter zwischen wenigen Stunden und drei Werktagen dauern können.

Sofortüberweisung, heute als Klarna bekannt, verbindet den Komfort einer direkten Banküberweisung mit sofortiger Gutschrift. Laut Erhebungen nutzen rund 30 Prozent der deutschen Online-Spieler diese Methode regelmäßig. Auch paysafecard bleibt beliebt, vor allem bei Spielern, die ihre Ausgaben kontrollieren möchten.

Methode Einzahlung Auszahlung Besonderheit
Visa/Mastercard sofort 1-3 Tage weltweit akzeptiert
PayPal sofort bis 24 Std. Käuferschutz
Sofort/Klarna sofort 1-2 Tage direkte Bankanbindung
paysafecard sofort eingeschränkt Prepaid-Prinzip

Regulierung und Sicherheit bei Ein- und Auszahlungen

Seit dem Glücksspielstaatsvertrag gelten für lizenzierte Anbieter klare Vorgaben. Dazu zählen ein monatliches Einzahlungslimit von 1.000 Euro über alle Casinos hinweg sowie ein Einsatzlimit von einer Euro pro Spin bei Automatenspielen. Diese Regeln sollen Spielerschutz gewährleisten und problematisches Spielverhalten eindämmen.

Banken und Zahlungsdienstleister sind verpflichtet, Transaktionen zu unregulierten Anbietern zu blockieren. Das erklärt, warum manche internationalen Casinos für deutsche Spieler kaum noch nutzbar sind. Legale Anbieter müssen zudem ihre Zahlungsprozesse verschlüsseln, üblicherweise mit 256-Bit-SSL-Technologie.

Ein weiterer Aspekt betrifft die Identitätsprüfung. Bei der ersten Auszahlung verlangen seriöse Casinos einen Nachweis über Alter und Herkunft. Dieser Schritt ist gesetzlich vorgeschrieben und dient der Geldwäscheprävention. Spieler sollten daher ihre Daten bereits bei der Registrierung korrekt angeben, um Verzögerungen zu vermeiden.

Praktische Tipps für die Wahl der richtigen Methode

Wer häufig spielt, sollte auf niedrige Gebühren und schnelle Auszahlungen achten. E-Wallets sind hier oft im Vorteil, weil sie Bearbeitungszeiten von unter 24 Stunden ermöglichen. Kreditkarten punkten dagegen mit maximaler Verbreitung und einfacher Handhabung.

Ein Blick auf die Mindestbeträge lohnt sich ebenfalls. Viele Casinos verlangen Einzahlungen ab 10 Euro, während Auszahlungen teils erst ab 20 Euro möglich sind. Auch Wechselkurse spielen eine Rolle, wenn in fremden Währungen abgerechnet wird.

Letztlich gilt: Die beste Zahlungsmethode hängt vom individuellen Nutzungsverhalten ab. Wer Sicherheit und Geschwindigkeit kombiniert, fährt mit E-Wallets oder Sofortüberweisung meist am besten. Wer Bargeldäquivalente bevorzugt, ist mit paysafecard gut beraten. In jedem Fall sollten Spieler nur bei Anbietern mit gültiger deutscher Lizenz einzahlen.

Les pièges des bonus de bienvenue dans les casinos en ligne

Les pièges des bonus de bienvenue dans les casinos en ligne

Les bonus de bienvenue sont l’arme marketing préférée des casinos en ligne. Ils promettent des centaines d’euros supplémentaires, des tours gratuits et des offres alléchantes dès le premier dépôt. Pourtant, derrière cette générosité apparente se cachent des conditions complexes qui transforment souvent une offre séduisante en véritable parcours du combattant. Comprendre ces mécanismes est essentiel pour tout joueur souhaitant éviter les mauvaises surprises. Pour en savoir plus, consultez casino en ligne neteller.

En France, le marché des jeux d’argent en ligne est strictement régulé par l’ANJ. Les opérateurs légaux doivent respecter des règles précises, mais cela ne les empêche pas de concevoir des offres promotionnelles complexes. Les joueurs français qui se tournent vers des plateformes internationales non régulées, notamment celles acceptant des méthodes de paiement anonymes comme Neosurf, s’exposent à des conditions encore plus opaques et à des risques juridiques réels.

Le piège du wagering : des exigences de mise irréalistes

Le premier piège majeur réside dans l’exigence de mise, communément appelée « wagering ». Il s’agit du nombre de fois que vous devez miser le montant du bonus (et parfois le dépôt) avant de pouvoir retirer vos gains. Un casino peut offrir un bonus de 100 % jusqu’à 500 €, mais avec une exigence de 40 fois, vous devrez miser 20 000 € avant de toucher le moindre centime de vos gains potentiels. Cette somme est souvent difficile à atteindre, surtout avec des jeux de table qui ne contribuent qu’à hauteur de 10 % ou 20 % au calcul de la mise requise.

Les machines à sous contribuent généralement à 100 % de l’exigence, mais elles sont aussi conçues avec un avantage maison qui grignote votre bankroll à chaque spin. Statistiquement, la probabilité de compléter un wagering de 40 fois sur une machine à sous avec un RTP de 96 % est inférieure à 10 %. Les joueurs doivent donc lire attentivement les conditions générales avant d’accepter une offre, car le montant affiché du bonus ne reflète jamais la valeur réelle de l’offre.

Certains opérateurs ajoutent des restrictions temporelles sévères. Un délai de 7 jours pour compléter l’exigence de mise est courant. Passé ce délai, le bonus et les gains associés sont purement et simplement annulés. Cette pression temporelle pousse souvent les joueurs à adopter des stratégies de mise agressives qui augmentent leur risque de perte, allant à l’encontre d’une gestion responsable de leur budget de jeu.

Mises maximales et jeux exclus : des restrictions cachées

Outre le wagering, les casinos imposent une mise maximale autorisée lorsqu’un bonus est actif. Cette limite, souvent fixée à 5 € par tour, vise à empêcher les joueurs de placer des paris élevés pour compléter rapidement l’exigence de mise. Si vous dépassez cette limite, même une seule fois, le casino se réserve le droit de confisquer votre bonus et vos gains. Un joueur qui tente de miser 10 € sur une main de blackjack peut ainsi perdre l’intégralité de ses fonds bonus sans aucun avertissement préalable.

La sélection des jeux éligibles constitue un autre piège redoutable. Les bonus de bienvenue sont souvent réservés aux machines à sous, excluant les jeux de table comme la roulette, le blackjack ou le vidéo poker. Pour contourner cette restriction, certains joueurs se tournent vers des paiements par carte prépayée comme Neosurf, qui offre une certaine discrétion. Pourtant, parmi les plateformes qui acceptent Neosurf, peu affichent clairement leurs exclusions de jeux. Un joueur qui mise 100 € sur la roulette avec un bonus actif peut se voir annuler tout son solde, car la roulette ne contribue qu’à hauteur de 5 % au wagering dans la plupart des casinos.

Pour éviter ces désagréments, privilégiez les opérateurs transparents qui affichent clairement leurs conditions de mise. Les plateformes qui proposent un wagering de 20 à 25 fois, sans restriction de mise maximale excessive, et qui incluent les jeux de table dans leurs offres méritent une attention particulière. Un bonus plus modeste avec des conditions équitables offre toujours une meilleure valeur à long terme qu’une offre spectaculaire aux exigences inatteignables. La lecture des conditions générales, bien que fastidieuse, demeure le seul moyen efficace de transformer une offre promotionnelle en avantage réel pour le joueur averti.

Thoughts on the Las Vegas shooting

Shortly after my first son was born, a dear friend, a psychologist specializing in abused, underprivileged or troubled youth, came to my house to visit the new addition to our family. She walked into the baby’s room and I saw the emotion in her face… not from seeing the new baby, but from seeing the room. It was a magical room with striped walls in two shades of calming baby blue, white furniture, a comfy soft beige glider and a cloud shaped ceiling light adding heavenly lighting. With wide eyes my friend said, “If all babies were born to this environment, I wouldn’t have a job.”

She didn’t mean all babies had to come home to a similar magical room. My son’s room was simply a reflection of the love, happiness, and peace in which I wanted to surround my baby. My baby was born to two parents who anticipated his arrival and welcomed him. He was, and is, surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends that adore him. Since the day he entered this Earth, all he has ever known is love. 

When I heard the news of the Las Vegas shooting I was devastated. There are lives lost, people traumatized, and fear is on the rise…again. People are adamantly stating their positions on social media regarding gun control, politics, and terrorism. Everyone is angry, scared and hurt. I went to bed thinking about the people in Las Vegas and woke up thinking about them too. I headed out for my morning run and tried to lift my spirits by playing some nice music on my headphones, but the music did not quiet the thoughts. I found myself thinking of the shooter, the 64-year-old man who felt compelled to walk into a concert and kill innocent people. It took me back to that day my friend walked into my baby’s room. I wonder: what did that shooter’s room look like when he was a baby? Was he born to loving parents? Was he rocked on a rocking chair while he nursed at his mother’s breast? Was he showered with love by family members?

I recalled a social media post I had seen in which a doctor pointed the finger at psychiatric medications and how they induce violence. So I question further, was this man medicated when he was just a child? As a society are we lovingly  over medicating our children causing them to be prone to drug addiction? Could these “medicines” induce the types of mental instability that could lead to these horrific events?

I ask these questions because the story has to start somewhere. While having access to automatic weapons is horrific and unnecessary, access alone does not cause the gunman to pull the trigger. I look at my little boys, who are being raised with so much love and support, and  ask myself: could they turn out to be mass murderers?  

This 64-year-old man was just a baby once with parents. What could have happened to that man as a baby, or a child, or a young adult that led him to this heinous crime?

Who cares you might ask? The point isn’t what led him to this act, the point is to stop others from doing it. And that’s when I say, therein lies the rub. No matter what we do to protect our society, there will always be a way for someone to commit a crime. So what if we looked deeper? What if we started earlier? Could we teach parents to teach love? Could we stop the madness of medications that are so prevalent in our society? Could we stop injecting violence in our children’s brains with video games? What would it cost us to bring love and teach love to foster homes and abandoned children? Could we prevent the children we are raising today from harming others tomorrow?

I don’t have the answers to these questions but I believe we need to ask them and invest our resources in finding the answers.

After all, as a society we sure are paying for this man’s actions.

 

On September 5th, I was scheduled to speak in an event in Puerto Rico.  A few days before the event, I was notified that it was postponed and rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma. When I received the new date, I immediately felt a pang in my heart, realizing that my middle son, Justin, was scheduled to perform in a play that very day.  I told the event coordinator I would have to get back to her regarding my availability.  The mommy guilt set in. I thought to myself: This is just the beginning. I’ve chosen a career that is going to separate me from my kids. Is this how it’s going to be, me traveling and missing my kid’s important events? This is not something I have to do, this is something I’m choosing to do. Am I making a mistake? 

I felt so conflicted that I even thought maybe speaking was something I was going to have to put on hold for now. Suddenly I heard the horn honking. I had forgotten that my husband and kids were waiting for me in the car. I jumped in and told my family about my enormous conflict. “Guys, I just got the call about my event in Puerto Rico. It was rescheduled to September 30th which means I would miss Justin’s play.” Seeming unfazed, my husband replied “well Justin has three performances, so technically you’re only going to miss one out of the three.” I was insulted.

 “I am his mother. I should be at all his performances! I’m going to tell them I’m not available. I can’t go.”

My husband challenged me “Shouldn’t you ask Justin how he feels about you missing the play?” Convinced my son would never let me go, I turned around to face the back seat. “Justy, how would you feel if I was out of town on the day of your performance?”

 “Mommy, you not going to your speech makes no sense, you wanna know why?

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I have three plays! If you go to two of my plays you get to see me do what I love AND you get to do what you love. But if you go to all three of my plays, then you miss out on doing what you love. That wouldn’t make any sense. You should do your speech.” I felt so proud of that little six year old for his wisdom and his sense.

My other two boys and husband chimed in in agreement. My poor supportive husband added “yes, and on that day, all of his family is coming to see him perform so I will be there and so will his grandparents, godparents, and cousins.” Of course, that comment made me angry…because I am crazy (edited by my husband). Its not that I didn’t want Justin to be surrounded by family on his big day. It’s just that I felt I should be there too. I guess I was feeling a little jealous.

What is most embarrassing about this post is that I speak about being there even when you can’t be. This is precisely my topic! But when it came to my own parenting, I couldn’t handle it. I understood my son would be fine even if I missed the play. I mean, I KNOW the things I could do to be present for my son while I was gone. What I had not accounted for was how I would feel to be away from my family while they were having fun and celebrating. Seeing myself outside that picture was very painful.

It became crystal clear that there was no choice in the matter. I had to go to my speech. That’s the thing about having a calling: it’s not always convenient and it certainly isn’t always ideal. Sometimes you have to make tough choices. On the day I’d be missing out on a nice family outing, I would carry my father’s legacy.  I would lead by example. I would share a message with parents that may not have a choice in the matter the way that I did. I would show my kids that you can’t always take the easy way out, and, more importantly, that the world doesn’t revolve around them. Although they are my priority and they are loved, there will be times I have to miss something that is important to them because I have to do something that is bigger than us. Ironically, this time it was Justin teaching me that lesson, not the other way around.

I’ve always heard and reiterated the phrase, “80% of the things we worry about never happen,” yet I consumed myself with a scenario that unbeknownst to me was never going to come to fruition. Sadly, I was worrying about something that was so important to me, not realizing that we were going to confront a crisis that was so much bigger than all of us. The recent catastrophes in Mexico, the Florida Keys, Puerto Rico and Houston make all the petty things we worry about seem so insignificant. Seems like before I can teach lessons to my kids, I should learn them myself.

Today, I find myself looking for ways to be there for Puerto Rico, even though I’m not physically there. Isn’t life ironic?

It was Wednesday morning and I had been running around since 4:30 a.m. Wake up, pack lunches, exercise, come home & shower, help kids get dressed, eat breakfast, drive kids to school, head to a meeting, put gas, and make it to Chucho’s funeral mass by 10 a.m. It had been a busy morning of a busy week, completely programmed with time blocks for meetings, work, kids, and exercise when I got the call that my extended family member, Chucho, passed away. I was saddened to hear of his death, and even more so for his wife, children and grandchildren. The news took me back to a couple of years prior when Chucho’s daughter, Michele, passed away suddenly. Painful. 

I sat in front of my calendar shifting things around to make sure I attended Chucho’s funeral. There I was on Wednesday morning running into the church as the funeral mass began. I’d been so busy that I hadn’t had enough time to really process this. I moved robotically, shifting gears from one commitment to the other checking the to-do’s off my list.

The church doors opened and suddenly a gust of silence and stillness hit me like a truck. I sat down alone in a back pew and took a deep breath. The alarm clocks, deadlines, traffic, red lights, cell phones – all the chaos – disappeared.  There was so much peace in this space. Looking around, family members’ heads were bowed down, praying, weeping, and loving each other. There was also pain in this space.

Sometimes it feels as if time does not stop for anyone. The world keeps churning regardless of the circumstances. I had been on that time wheel right up to the moment when I entered the church. But sitting there in reflection I realized that time does stop for those who need it. Time had stopped for Chucho’s wife, his daughters, his son and his grandchildren. There were no other to-do’s on their calendar. There were no time blocks, commitments or tasks to complete. They were just there, fully immersed in the pain of the loss they had endured.  It was in that space that I could truly be present for my family.

At the burial, Chucho’s daughter, Terry, spoke about her father. I didn’t know much about her dad other than he was married to my mom’s cousin and was always kind and friendly to me since I was a little girl. I listened as Terry retold her father’s life.

“My dad walked each of his daughters down the aisle at their weddings with the same shoes he wore on his wedding day. He also wore those same shoes to his son’s wedding. Throughout the years, his feet grew…but he still squeezed them into those shoes the day each of his children married.”

I had never heard of anyone do that before. In that one simple story, I learned so much about Chucho. I learned that he was a sentimental person. He loved tradition. He was thoughtful. He was family oriented. He loved his wife and children. He had a good sense of humor and he’d be willing to wear uncomfortable shoes in exchange for a symbolic gesture.

At the end of your life, isn’t that what matters? Not how much money you made, or how many awards you received. Its not about what car you drove or what profession you chose. Life is about the impact you make in the lives of the people you leave behind.

The image of Chucho in that pair of shoes will stay with me forever; that story will always be with me even though he’s not. In fact, I was thinking of giving away the shoes I wore to my wedding but now they have a new purpose in my closet: to wait for my sons to get married.

Chucho’s feet will no longer squeeze into those old pair of shoes but the footprints he left will last forever.  

In Memory of Juan Angel Diaz 

Piling on Perspective

For the past week, Floridians have braced themselves for what could be the worst natural disaster we have faced thus far…Hurricane Irma. Between the recent destruction hurricane Harvey brought to Texas, and watching hurricane Irma attack island after island almost in slow motion, families have been faced with days of fear, anxious preparation, and really tough decisions.  The burning question in my house has been “Do we stay or do we skip town?”  A question that has been analyzed with every possible scenario being explored. Although we are yet to face the storm, (it is now looking like we will be hit by the outer bands of the hurricane sometime this evening), the waiting process in it of itself has been torturous.

For me, this time has been one of deep reflection and realizations.

On Wednesday morning, around 12:30a.m., my husband, who’d been watching the news in the living room, opened the door of our bedroom and gently shoved me to wake up. “Caro, I’m going to fill up the gas tank and we are going to Georgia. Get up and start getting ready.”

Panic set in. Oh my God, this is serious.  Swiftly I got out of bed and went into preparation mode. What do I need to protect? What should I take? My first move was to pack a few outfits, a jacket for all of us, and our toiletries. Immediately after I gathered my hard drives that contain pictures and videos of my children, my wedding album, and my box full of postcards my father sent me. I kept looking around. I tried to focus. What am I forgetting?  I couldn’t think of anything else. Pacing around, looking at my beautiful home, I kept thinking how will I feel if I lose this painting, or this piece of furniture, or this TV.

My answer was consistent.

It doesn’t matter what happens to those things. 

 In fact, the only thing I cared about, at all, was my family’s safety. What a liberating moment. For two years since my father’s death, I have agonized over what to keep of his and what to toss. Rummaging through every one of his papers and files, I feared losing a treasure. Suddenly I found myself thinking I could lose it all in one sweep, and it didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary, now it made sense. Everything I need to hold on to I carry with me, in my heart and my mind. No hurricane can take that from me unless it takes my life.

After all that turmoil and packing, fear of the heavy traffic and gas shortage changed our course of action. We were back to staying home. With the hurricane still days away, but closed schools and offices keeping us home, I grabbed the bikes to take my kids out to ride. For two days, we spent hours riding outside with friends and our neighbors’ kids. This was the first time since we moved into our house three years ago, that our kids played with the neighbors kids. Looking at my street filled with children having fun and not worried about getting their homework done or getting to soccer practice was delightful. I found myself secretly thanking the universe for giving me a few days before the storm to enjoy my children and the outdoors.

Once we were anchored, our home became the hub for the family. Little by little, our evacuated members have arrived with air mattresses, food, water and flashlights. My kids are thrilled to have a slumber party with all their favorite people at once. We’ve spent the days preparing for the storm, and the evenings laughing, eating and joking with our family. Despite the worry and the anxiety, we are finding peace in being together.

As of now, the news is offering some relief that the storm has shifted and is no longer as big a threat to our lives.

We may have dodged a huge bullet this time around, even though we are all currently playing the waiting game. But already the threat of this natural disaster has given me a gift.

The gift of perspective.

 I’ve learned that in life we often have no control over how things are going to turn out. More often than not, we are faced with choices and each option can lead us down a different path. There is no way to know which answer is the correct one but the uncertainty causes more pain than the path. Trust in yourself. Weigh your options, make a calculated decision, take action, and have faith that things will work out.

I’ve learned that community matters. Surround yourself with the people you love. Help each other. Stick together. Laugh and love each other. Nothing matters more than that.

I’ve learned that the only real fear in life is the loss of it. Other fears are often fabricated or exaggerated in our minds. But when one is in a life-threatening situation, things that seemed overwhelming in the past become trivial. If we could somehow bottle that wisdom up and open it in times of stress, we would eliminate most of the unnecessary fear we place on ourselves.

I’ve learned that material things don’t matter, time does. Time well spent with family and time to enjoy life. The time we have is our most prized possession and sometimes it takes the universe to force us to STOP the grind and just be present in the moment. Even if that moment is a bad one, it pulls us together and brings out the best in us. This creates memories that will last forever.

I am not sure why there are so many natural disasters occurring around the world, nor why there is so much destruction and devastation. It is all happening so fast and all at once. But my hope is that we can focus on the gifts instead of the grief. We humans are resilient beings, we can lose it all and still come out strong. As we band together to repair and rebuild what has been lost in the face of these disasters, I hope we can all remember to look around and reconstruct this Earth with the most powerful weapons we have…love, hope, and the power of working together.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families all over the world suffering from earthquakes, forest fires, and hurricanes. Wishing everyone peace and strength during these times.

He was Right.

I can’t believe that it has been two years since my father, Joachim de Posada, passed away. I remember it like yesterday – laying next to him on that little cot in the hospital, holding his hand and trying not to fall asleep because I knew he’d be leaving soon. I remember the sound of the thunder and lightning bolt that simultaneously shook and illuminated the window, alerting me that he had taken his last breath. I had no idea, then, how I would live without my father. But in my head replayed a lot of the things my father said to me along the way.

He said I would survive.

He said I was strong.

He said he would never leave my heart or my mind.

He said that I could tolerate anything, because we humans are resilient.

He said I would keep laughing, and loving, and living.

He said that our connection was so strong that he felt it would continue…and he had such curiosity. 

be there even when you're notHere we are, two years later, and it turns out my dad was right.

I am strong. I did survive. I do continue to laugh, and love and live. And so can YOU.

No matter what you are going through in life, you are resilient and you will recover.

Through the last few years I’ve witnessed so much resilience around me. I am in awe of how people can bounce back from traumatic events in their own lives. I wonder at the limits humans can push past physically and emotionally.  I’ve seen the strength in others and in myself.

This post is not a how-to or a life hack. We can take a lot of routes to get to the same location. But if you’re feeling a little down today, or if you are in the midst of difficult change, I just thought I should tell you that you have the power to pull through. You are strong. And you can choose happiness.

As for my dad’s curiosity about the mystery of our connection upon his death, somehow I feel as connected to him as ever. When people see me, they see him, even those that don’t know him. Because I carry my father’s greatness like a badge of honor. He is now a part of my soul and my spirit, traveling this journey with me in my heart & mind instead of by my side. He was right about that, too. 

 

Home Remedies for the Flu

There seems to be an epidemic of the flu going around. Everyone is getting sick; Teachers, children, and inevitably, the children’s parents. My family escaped contamination for a while…until last Sunday…when my oldest son complained of having a headache. All went downhill from there. Fever, coughing, headaches, body pains and runny noses have invaded our bodies, one by one, in a domino effect. The only man still standing strong as of now is my husband.

From the moment I realized my oldest son was sick, I went into Mama Bear mode taking care of my cubs. I brought out all my weapons to fight this flu – ginger, turmeric, garlic, vitamin c, vitamin d, essential oils, sovereign silver, and tried and true, good ole’ fashion, chicken soup.

Now let me be clear. Just because I bombard my children with all these natural remedies, doesn’t mean they are not going to go through the process of the sickness. Their bodies still have to work it out with the virus and they are still going to feel crappy.

However, I give them this stuff for two big reasons:

  1. In hopes that they process whatever they’re fighting in a faster response time; and
  2. In hopes that they have enough anti-inflammatory in their system to prevent a serious complication (I.e. Hospitalization, pneumonia, sepsis, etc.)

So far, I’ve met these two goals: Each child has been sick for an average of 2-3 days which is not too bad given the gravity of the flu (Two of my three kids are back to school, and the third one is on day 2 of the process…fingers crossed); and thankfully, their symptoms have not been too severe.

I wanted to share two of my favorite home remedies with you, just in case the flu attacks your home. This is not by any means a quick fix, but my theory is the more good stuff we pile on, the better off we’ll be. Now I would love to hear what works in your home? Please share your home remedies with us in the comments section below.

Ginger juice

  • 1 inch peeled ginger
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp honey/maple syrup
  • Directions: Blend water and ginger in a high-powered blender. Pour through a sifter. Add lemon and honey. Serve room temperature or as a hot tea.

Turmeric Milk

  • 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder (or 1 inch of peeled turmeric root)
  • 1 inch peeled ginger
  • 1 tsp of maple syrup or honey
  • Directions: Blend all the ingredients and then warm on the stove. Serve warm like tea.

Thanks for stopping by and happy healing during flu season.

 

 

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease.