Archives for June 2012

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~The Power of Touch

30 June, 2012 by 1 Comment

I’m back to my posts on how we can use the five senses God gave us to fight depression and made us happier. Today it’s the power of touch. 

The touch of Jesus is illustrated through story after story in the Bible. 

  • The story from the prescriptions verse above where he touched the leper and healed him.
  • The story of Peter when he stepped out of the boat to walk on water. When he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. But when Jesus took his hand, they walked across together. 
  • The story illustrated in Matthew 28 where Jesus touches the eyes of the blind man and restores his sight.
  • The story in Mark chapter 7 where Jesus healed the man who was deaf and dumb through touching his ears and his tongue. 
  • The story in Luke chapter 8 where the woman touched the hem of Jesus’s garment and was healed. 
Jesus healed all of these people through his touch. But was it really his touch that did the healing? God sent Jesus to earth in human form. He was not an angel or a spirit or a deity when he was on earth. He was human. So how did his touch heal so many? 

I believe it was the faith behind his touch. Because Jesus was the Son of God, people had faith in his touch. It was really a no-brainer if you ask me. But now let me tell you another story…

I have a friend, Patty Mason, who suffered severe depression—nearly to the point of suicide, back in mid-1990. She has suffered a difficult childhood and put all of her happiness in her own husband and children. But something was always missing. She could never fully leave her past behind and depression overcame her. In the shower one morning—the morning that she told God she’d had it…she was going to end her life—God impressed upon her to go to her MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) group that day. So she went. 

After listening to a speaker who just happened to be speaking on depression, she stayed a little late to chat with the speaker. Before she knew it, she was pouring out her heart to this woman she didn’t even know, sobbing uncontrollably in front of other women, who were no doubt staring in disbelief. 

After intently listening, this woman reached out to console Patty, touching her left arm. In that exact instant, the depression disappeared. 

And never had the guts to return. 

Did this woman heal her? No. Did Jesus heal in the Bible? I don’t think so. God worked through them—through the power and faith of their touch—to heal. 

Now I realize the trinity puts a whole other spin on the situation, but Jesus was in human form when he lived here on earth. I don’t presently recall any stories in the Bible that Jesus’s touch did not heal, but I bet there were some people touched by Jesus who were not healed, because they did not believe. 

Researchers have spent much time, effort, and money learning how human touch affects human emotion. You can see some of the articles in my research in my delicious stack, but I can tell you all the literature show a direct proportion between hugs and happiness.

Have you ever seen someone on the street with a sign that says “Free Hugs?” In most cases it’s not some nutcase trying to get close to you. There is a movement going on to increase happiness and love through the power of hugs. 


Besides just observation, Dr. Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute (you know it must be important if it has it’s own institute) says the following: 

The benefits of touch seem to stem largely from its ability to reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone manufactured by the adrenal glands. This was measured in two dozen studies. She said that touching with moderate-pressure (a firm handshake) stimulates activity in the vagus nerve, one of the 12 cranial nerves in the brain, which in turn slows the heart and decreases the production of stress hormones including cortisol (remember, that’s the fight or flight hormone I’ve discussed in other {tips to a happier you} posts).  

Other studies published from the Touch Research Institute, published in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrate that touch contributes to…


  • Decreased pain. Children with mild to moderate juvenile rheumatoid arthritis who were given messages by their parents 15 minutes per day for one month experienced less anxiety and lower cortisol levels. Over a 30-day period, parents, kids, and their physicians reported less pain overall in the children.  
  • Enhanced immune function. In studies, women with breast cancer and HIV patients showed a measurable increase in natural killer cells—part of a line of defense in the immune system against virus-infected cells and cancer cells—after massage. They also experienced less anxiety and depression. 
  • Happier, healthier babies. Preemies who were touched more while in the NICU gained more weight.
  • Less labor pain. Women in labor who received a backrub the first 15 minutes of every hour of labor reported less pain and made fewer requests for pain medications. Their labor was also shorter, on average.
  • Enhanced alertness and performance. Following massage, adults completed math problems in significantly less time and with fewer errors.   


Okay, enough of the sciency stuff. I think you’re getting my point.  

When we were in Chicago last week meeting the head honchos of the home health franchise we are looking into, there was a very unique impression made on me by Shelley, the president/CEO of the company. After our initial dinner meeting—which consisted of ten couples and a few executives—she bid us good-bye with a hug…each and every one of us. I’m guessing that as a CEO of a successful company, she knows the value of a hug. 

If God worked through the touch of his son Jesus, he can work through our touch. After all, we are his children too! 

From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, How to be Happy, Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Miracles Do Happen, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Count Your Blessings

25 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment


I’m beginning to think I’ve never placed enough value on actually counting my blessings. I know I’m blessed. I’ve had a very comfortable life overall—yes I struggled for those awful seven years, but I now see that as a blessing too! It’s the small blessings in the every day that I take for granted. 

The prescription verse today tells us whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father. I’ve had some gentle reminders lately that counting blessings is important—not something we should neglect or take for granted. 

  • A few months ago I read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It immediately became a best seller.
  • Our church recently sang a remake of the old hymn, “Count Your Blessings.” Haven’t heard that song in years. 
  • In my research for my {Tips to a Happier You} Saturday posts, I’ve seen over and over again how important it is to actually write down your blessings—the exercise of writing down things you’re thankful for has been proven to actually help with depression.

I created a “One Thousand Blessings in 2012” page here on my blog that I’ve added to throughout the year, but I’m just on number 200. Not because I’m not thankful, but when you go to write down those little blessings, it’s really hard to think of them…without repeating the same ones over and over that is.


So my {make-a-change} Monday challenge for you—and me—is to write down three blessings every day. Just three things, big or small, that you were thankful for that day. 

Sounds easy, right?

If you’d like, hop on over to my One Thousand Blessings page, scroll all the way to the bottom, and put your blessings in the comment section each day. We can help each other realize the God-given blessings all around us!

I believe there’s more to recognizing our blessings that meets the eye 😉

From my heart,
Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, How to be Happy, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes Tagged With: , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Happiness by Choice

23 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment


David and I have been in Chicago this week at a training seminar for a home health care franchise we are purchasing in South Carolina. My brain is drained and we’ve had very little sleep. As I was in the seminar this morning, I was thinking, “When am I going to get my blog post done for tomorrow?” (You know the perfectionist in me can’t leave you without a {tips to a happier you} post for Saturday). 
As we were looking at their websites and blogs, I ran across this slideshow they posted and decided it would be perfect for your happy tip this week. 

If you read the prescription verse above and think, “What does that verse have to do with happiness?”, let me tell you: People who have suffered and overcome struggles in life have gained wisdom. Whether it’s addiction, depression, bankruptcy, loss, whatever…they have learned from the experience. 

When I was battling with depression and addiction, I wish I had been more willing to seek advice from others who had overcome. Instead, I stayed home in my pajamas and shut myself off from anyone and everyone. I didn’t want the difficulty of relationships and I certainly didn’t want to deal with the masks and pleasantries required for social     interaction. 

Maybe that’s why I had to suffer as long as I did. 

Maybe I’d have been ready for God to use me sooner if I’d been willing to learn from others. 

Maybe everything had to happen exactly as it did for me to learn how God wanted to use me to teach what I had to learn the hard way. 

Anyway, enjoy the slideshow below. Many of my Saturday tips I’ve shared thus far are included in the slideshow, so hopefully it will give you an overview of what happy looks like. 

I realize that depression is not a choice, but I believe happiness can be. Remember, it’s all about small steps—changing your thoughts a little at a time. 
Happiness by choice

View more presentations from hosanna



From my heart, 


Celeste
Filed Under: How to be Happy, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With:

Speaking her love language

21 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment


I am so blessed to have great kids—all three of them. But I often have people ask, “What in the world did you do to have such a great teenager?” She has her values in place, she is a leader rather than a follower, and she loves Jesus. Now is she a slob? Yes. Do I have to stay on her all the time to get her chores done? Yes. Could she screw up at any given moment? Yes. But in the grand scope of things, I’ll take it. 

We give her boundaries. We keep tabs on her. We know where she is most all the time. We set rules she must follow, and there is a punishment when she doesn’t. And she loves us, not in spite of these things, but because of them. She knows, without a doubt, that she is loved to the moon and back, and knows that’s why we parent the way we do. 

More than anything, though, she is the girl she is because of her daddy. A daughter must have the love of her father. David has put her on a pedestal since the day she was born; she will accept no less from anyone she dates. 

We practice the Five Love Languages with our children…as best as we can, anyway. Every child has his “emotional tank” filled in a certain way. The five “love languages” include:
  • Physical touch
  • Words of affirmation
  • Time
  • Gifts
  • Acts of service
Miranda’s is definitely time. She loves to spend time with us. When we speak that love language to her, everyone wins!


I don’t know any other teenage girl that would actually like her daddy to go back to college so he could be her room mate! And that’s from her mouth, not mine. 

On Father’s day this year, we made David a card thanking him for speaking love languages to his family. Truly, it is just a tiny glimpse into the dedicated father that he is. We are blessed. 
What is your child’s love language? 


From my heart, 
Celeste


Filed Under: Parenting Tips Tagged With: ,

Make-a-change Monday~Freedom to Fly

18 June, 2012 by 1 Comment



I’ve written a few blog posts recently about freedom. With Memorial Day just behind us and July 4th ahead, we see much in the news about the freedom of our country. I’m thankful every day for the soldiers who fight for our country’s freedom. But for each of us personally, what good is the freedom of our country if we aren’t free within ourselves? 

Freedom is a big word. 


Personal freedom is like a hot air balloon. There are so many factors that affect whether or not it will be able to fly…. or be free. 


Some factors cannot be controlled. Wind and precipitation for instance. Then there are other factors which can be controlled, and are actually used by the balloonist to keep the balloon from flying—tethers and sandbags.  


Satan uses as many circumstances as he can to keep us from freedom. We many not be able to control the state of the economy, war among nations, poverty, or natural disasters, but we can control the sandbags and tethers in our lives. 


Let me rephrase…with Christ, we can control the sandbags and tethers in our lives. 




What are our sandbags and tethers?

  • Addiction—To television, pills, work, sex, pornography, food, etc.
  • Animosity—Holding a grudge against someone
  • Greed—Constantly feeling the need to hold on to your possessions
  • Worry—About the future, the economy, your children, poverty, war, etc.
  • Abuse—Verbally or physically by someone close to you
  • Pride—Defining success by your own understanding and accomplishments
These are all burdens we bear unnecessarily. Just as the balloonist might feel safer and more in control with a few sandbags in the basket, we get comfortable with things in our life that keep us from true freedom. 

I held tightly to my sandbags for seven years…some of them most of my life. Pride, addiction, and worry were the tools that Satan used to keep me from freedom. 

You know that verse in the Bible that says everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial? Read this translation from The Message:

Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean
that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever
I thought I could get away with, I’d be a slave to my whims. 
(1 Corinthians 6:12 MSG)

There is no freedom without boundaries. God gives us some boundaries in scripture. Some are created simply by the law of our land. Most boundaries, however, are left up to us. 

When I was battling addiction and depression, I was a complete prisoner to my medication. Whenever we would plan to go out of town, I panicked when I thought there was a possibility I could run out. One year we planned a family vacation to Park City, Utah to go skiing, and all I could think about was, “What if I run out of medication?” Sad.

I was a prisoner. 

My {make-a-change} Monday challenge today is to identify the things in your life that keep you from complete freedom. What are your sandbags? Pick one, and see how you can change it this week. It may be as simple as keeping the television off for a week; it may be as hard as seeking help to get out of an abusive situation. It may just be looking inside your heart and finding forgiveness for someone who has hurt you. 

I promise God can handle whatever sandbag you’re trying to throw out of the basket. He has it under control. We can fight for control, knowing we will eventually lose, or we can let him have it and begin to live a life of freedom in Christ. 
Be still, and know that I am God. 
(Psalm 46:10 ESV)



Throw off those sandbags and fly! 

From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: Freedom in Christ, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Choosing to See Truth

16 June, 2012 by 1 Comment



As a pharmacist who became the patient for seven years, I gained quite the understanding on depression. If you’ve never experienced it, I’m rejoicing with you! It’s not a place you want to go. If you have experienced it…well, I’m right there with you. 


In the gloomy pit of despair and hopelessness that is depression, desperation is born. The desire to be out of that pit is overwhelming. We will do anything to get out. 


Prozac, one of the most prescribed medications for depression, was approved by the FDA just as I began practicing. It was the first antidepressant in its class of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. That particular class has grown drastically over the last twenty-two years and has actually spun off into a new class—serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For a list of the serotonin reuptake inhibitors, click here. For a list of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, click here.


During my first fourteen years as a pharmacist, I couldn’t begin to tell you how many Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil prescriptions I filled. I never understood the desperation behind those prescriptions. In the last few years, Cymbalta—one of the newer antidepressants—has gained popularity. Drug companies in the U.S. have invested millions in research, marketing, and advertising making antidepressants the most prescribed class of drugs in our country. 


A 2007 article at CNN Health, “CDC: Antidepressants most prescribed drugs in U.S.,” says the following: 

According to a government study, antidepressants have become the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. They’re prescribed more than drugs to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, or headaches. CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen discusses the CDC study on antidepressants.

In its study, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in visits to doctors and hospitals in 2005. Of those, 118 million were for antidepressants.

A 2011 article at Harvard Health Solutions, “Astounding increase in antidepressant use by Americans,” gave the following statistics: 

  • According to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the rate of antidepressant use in this country among teens and adults (people ages 12 and older) increased by almost 400% between 1988–1994 and 2005–2008.
  • 23% of women in their 40s and 50s take antidepressants, a higher percentage than any other group (by age or sex)
  • Women are 2½ times more likely to be taking an antidepressant than men (click here to read a May 2011 article in the Harvard Mental Health Letter about women and depression)
  • 14% of non-Hispanic white people take antidepressants compared with just 4% of non-Hispanic blacks and 3% of Mexican Americans
  • Less than a third of Americans who are taking a single antidepressants (as opposed to two or more) have seen a mental health professional in the past year
  • Antidepressant use does not vary by income status
Are you getting the picture? 

During my seven years as a patient, I was desperately searching for a cure for my depression (among other things). I tried a few of the antidepressants, none of which helped my depression. Cymbalta, in particular, caused so many side effects and drug interactions, I think it made me more depressed. And when I decided to go off of it, I had to wean very slowly to avoid withdrawals (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea) from this drug that we are told is not addictive. 

Okay. I’ve said all that to say this: 

We’ve got to stop trying to take the easy way out of everything. 

God created our brain—every little complex, intricate detail—to deal with sadness and depression. He also gave us our eyes—the sense of sight.  

In an article at Mood-Factory on the power of color, Susan Minamyer tells us this: 

Bright colors, such as yellow, reflect more light and stimulate the eyes. Yellow is the color that the eye processes first, and is the most luminous and visible color in the spectrum. 

And what color did God decide for the sun? 

I don’t believe that to be a coincidence. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder gives us further proof of this. It’s a kind of depression that occurs a certain time of the year, usually in the winter months. There is even a special type of light you can buy that mimics sunlight. And yes, I have one of those too. 

Now I’m not totally against antidepressants. I do believe in some cases they are necessary. 
But in the United States, we want immediate gratification. Consider this excerpt from the CNN Health article quoted above: 
Dr. Ronald Dworkin tells the story of a woman who didn’t like the way her husband was handling the family finances. She wanted to start keeping the books herself but didn’t want to insult her husband.
The doctor suggested she try an antidepressant to make herself feel better.
She got the antidepressant, and she did feel better, said Dr. Dworkin, a Maryland anesthesiologist and senior fellow at Washington’s Hudson Institute, who told the story in his book “Artificial Unhappiness: The Dark Side of the New Happy Class.” But in the meantime, Dworkin says, the woman’s husband led the family into financial ruin.

 

“Doctors are now medicating unhappiness,” said Dworkin. “Too many people take drugs when they really need to be making changes in their lives.”

We have a choice.  

We choose what we see. 

Your eye is a lamp that provides light for you body. 
When your eye is good, your body is filled with light.

We choose to see things that make us happy. We choose to see light or dark. We choose to see truth. 
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet 
and a light unto my path. 
(Psalm 119:105 KJV)

Doctors see only a sliver of our lives, yet we expect them to fix us. It’s not their fault, really.  With advertising and the Internet, we typically walk into their office knowing what we want. As patients, we need to look deeper. 

What are you choosing to see?

From my heart, 
Celeste
For more information, check out my delicious stacks: “Antidepressants” and “What you see is what you get.”

If this post was of particular interest to you, check out an older post, “America on Drugs.”
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Chronic Illness, Managing Prescription Drugs, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Prayer & Circumstance

11 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment



Have you ever heard God speak? 


If God called you on the phone, would you recognize his voice? 


I remember as a teenager trying to figure out if God was telling me to do something, or if it was just made up in my head. It can be very confusing to know God’s voice as opposed to the “voices in your head” if you don’t talk to him—and listen to him—enough. 


Many people ask, “Why pray if God already know what’s going to happen?” Here’s the answer: 


Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes us. 

When we seek God’s help through conversations with him and through specific requests, and he answers us, our faith is increased. If we never ask, however, and he gives us whatever we need, our faith is not changed. We chalk it up to circumstance. 

Let me give you two examples. 

Me? A Speaker? 

I went to a speaker’s conference in October of last year. Everyone tells me that with the type of book I’m writing, I need to be a speaker as well. If you know me at all, you know I hate speaking in front of a group of people. One of the things I liked about being a pharmacist is that I didn’t have to sell myself. I stood behind the tall counter and people came to me…one at a time. But I felt like God was nudging me in that direction, so I went.

After the conference, all of the other speakers got their one-sheets ready to be put in a database of speakers to be “on the market.” But not me. I obeyed God and went to the conference, but specifically told God afterwards that if he wanted me to speak at an event, he was going to have to “drop it in my lap.”

Four months later, I was on my way to church with my family and I pulled my phone from my purse and put it in my lap. I turned it on to see if I had any Words with Friends moves, and I saw I had a new text: 

Now how was that for an answered prayer? Even though it wasn’t quite the answer I was hoping for, I certainly couldn’t deny that God had heard exactly what I said and responded in such a way I knew it was him. 


Her Ship Came In. 


My very oldest friend Jacqueline (not in age but in how long I’ve known her) was having a financial crisis a few weeks ago. It was Friday and her family had $30 to make it on until Tuesday. Pretty tough for a family of four, and that included the weekend. She and her husband have both gone back to school for the last few years, and have really struggled financially, saving and getting by the best they could. She was really at her wit’s end at this point, and prayed, “Okay God, it’s time for my ship to come in.”

Now back up a few months for an important detail: Jacqueline’s husband opened something in the mail that had to do with her mom’s estate. He handed her the letter and told her it looked fairly important. She responded by sending them a copy of the death certificate and the other information they needed to settle the issue. 

On this gloomy Friday afternoon, as she was wondering how in the world her family would make it on this $30, she went to the mailbox. In it was an envelope, with the return address simply as “SHIP.” Not thinking too much about it, she opened it to find a check for $10,000.

How’s that for an answered prayer?  

It turns out that the unresolved issue from her mom’s estate was money that had not been claimed, and the company who was now handling that went by the name, or acronym, “SHIP.” 

Jacqueline prayed that prayer on that Friday when she was in a bind. God orchestrated the $10,000 check several months before. That check was coming. God knew she would need it. But when she prayed and her “SHIP” came in, her faith grew by leaps and bounds! 



It’s so easy to recognize God’s voice—even when it’s not audible—when we talk to him enough to recognize when he answers. 


So here’s my {make-a-change} Monday challenge for you: Pray specific prayers. Pray believing that God can and will answer your prayers. It may not be an immediate answer, and the answer may not be what you want to hear. But he will answer, and when he does, your faith will skyrocket. 


From my heart, 
Celeste

P.S. I did speak at the event for Mauldin First Baptist. I was a nervous wreck at first, but God calmed my nerves as all of the women there were so sweet and receptive to what I said. It was a great first speaking event. 🙂

Filed Under: Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Make-a-change Mondays, Miracles Do Happen, The Power of Prayer, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , ,

Tips to a Happer You in 2012~When life gives you lemons, sniff them!

9 June, 2012 by 56 Comments


“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles 
and all the years you have lived.” – Helen Keller





God gave us five senses—hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell. All of these senses send direct messages to our brains. Consider the information given by the Social Issues Research Center on the subject of fragrance and emotion: 


The association of fragrance and emotion is not an invention of poets or perfume-makers. Our olfactory receptors are directly connected to the limbic system, the most ancient and primitive part of the brain, which is thought to be the seat of emotion. Smell sensations are relayed to the cortex, where ‘cognitive’ recognition occurs, only after the deepest parts of our brains have been stimulated. Thus, by the time we correctly name a particular scent as, for example, ‘vanilla’ , the scent has already activated the limbic system, triggering more deep-seated emotional responses.

There are many references to perfumes and essential oils in the Bible. Events of sacrifice and worship most always involved essential oils. Frankincense and myrrh were two of the three gifts brought to Baby Jesus when he was born. God uses our sense of smell to make connections in our brain. 

The nose knows. Scents take us back in time to our memories that were associated with that scent. We also associate scents with certain events. 

  • Coffee = Morning
  • Fir = Christmas
  • Coconut=The Beach
  • Lemon=Clean

Studies on the effect of scents on mood show the following examples:

  • Natural plant odors make people calmer, more alert, and in better moods than those in an odor-free environment. 
  • Orange, lavender, coffee, and licorice increase attention span.
  • The smell of cleaning supplies makes people more generous. 
Aromatherapy is the practice of using natural oils to enhance psychological and physical well-being. 

We have a very personal relationship with our sniffers. What smells good to me might smell terrible to someone else. Many people love the smell of vanilla. I hate it. I used to battle with migraine headaches pretty frequently and used a heating pad on the back of my neck sometimes for relief. This particular heating pad was one that you microwave and it was vanilla scented. The heating pad never did help with my headaches; now when I smell vanilla, it gives me a headache! 

Now I realize that sticking a great smelling candle in your kitchen won’t cure depression. But it’s a small step. We can use the senses that God gave us—our sense of smell in this case—to make our environment a happier one. The little things add up to big things. 

If you are a regular reader, you know I post regularly on Saturdays and Mondays little tips and ideas to make your life happier and maybe a little easier. No single tip or change you make will be a cure-all. It’s all about small steps. I can’t tell you how many times I have cleaned all of the junk food out of the pantry, determined that my family will eat healthy, only to end up replacing most of it within a few days because everyone is fussing. As humans, we resist change, but change is necessary to grow. We must take one step at a time and repeat, repeat, repeat. We are creatures of habit and must turn these small things into habits before we move on the next one. In a year’s time, these small changes will equal big results. 

So my little {tip to a happier you} today is to think about smells you associate with good things and try to incorporate them into your life. Then go back and check out the other {tips to a happier you} and {make-a-change} Mondays I have give you this year. Have you implemented any of these? Have they stuck? Have they made a difference? I hope so. 

Life certainly isn’t easy; you never know when your coming up to the next big hill. Any small thing we can incorporate into our lives can make a difference. 

So when life gives you lemons, sniff them! 




From my heart, 



Celeste

For more information on how scent affects your mood, check out my delicious stack of article here. 



Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Making Changes, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , ,

Freedom

7 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment
What does the word “freedom” mean to you? 
  •      You’ve just been released from prison? 
  •      You are finally out of that abusive relationship you’d been in? 
  •      You are free from the bonds of an addiction? 
  •      You’ve finally paid off those student loans from school? 
  •      You finally got out of your three year old daughter’s room that she locked you in            with the lock you put on the door to lock her in? (Yes, that really happened…but thank goodness not to me!) 
One of the worse traps people put themselves in from childhood to the grave, is worrying about what other people think. Someone once gave me some very good advice, and at the time I never realized how much I would cherish it. “What other people think of you is their problem, not yours.” 
There are hundreds of ways we feel trapped, and I want to share with you the way to freedom from everything. Twenty-one months ago, I was trapped. Once God freed me from a seven-year struggle with my health, he has shown me how to have freedom in everything. Now stick with me here, I’m not saying it is EASY, but once you get a taste of how sweet freedom in Christ is, you’ll never want to turn back. 
    
Freedom in forgiveness—In Matthew 18:21-22, God tells us to forgive those who have wronged us. How many times? Seventy times seven. When you can let go of a grudge…truly forgive the person who has wronged you and let God be their judge, you would be amazed at the weight lifted from your shoulders.
Then Peter came up and said to him,
 “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? 
As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him,
 “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
He also tells us in Mark 11:25, in order for God to forgive our sins, we must forgive those who have sinned against us. Now if that isn’t enough reason to forgive, I don’t know what is! 
And whenever you stand praying, forgive,
 if you have anything against anyone, 
so that your Father also who is in heaven 
may forgive you your trespasses. 
Freedom from worry—God tells us not to worry. By worrying about something does it do you any good? Does the situation change by worrying about it? No. Action may change it, but worry doesn’t. 
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin… (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)
Freedom from fear—Everyone is afraid of something. But just like worry, does fear really do us any good? An action that helps us with that fear is good, but the fear itself is in vain. In a previous blog (Life is good, Eternity is better) I shared a story about Jeff Strueker faced with a life and death situation during the gulf war. He could fear death, but instead he chose to look at it like this: If he died in battle, he would get to receive his award in heaven and begin his eternity with Jesus. If he survived, he would gain his reward here, go back home to his wife and continue God’s work. Win-win.  
For God gave us a spirit not of fear 
but of power and love and self-control. 
(2 Timothy 1:7 ESV)
 So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:26-33 ESV)
Fear of the Lord himself is the only fear that should drive our actions. He is our creator, our judge, and our savior, and is the only one who decides our eternity. 
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; 
fools despise wisdom and instruction. 
(Proverbs 1:7 ESV)
In the prescribed verse of the day, God tells us that we will have troubles in this world. We know that. The part we need to remember so well is “I have overcome the world.” We get so easily caught up in our troubles of this world. And while we must deal with them accordingly, if we can remember that someday this world will be no more and look at the bigger picture, maybe our grudges, worries, and fears will be a little easier to let go. Freedom in Christ is an amazing way to live.
I have a little leather bracelet that helps me remember not to let my thoughts imprison me. Embossed in the leather are the simple words, “Change your thoughts and you will change your world.” 

Freedom. 
From my heart, 

Celeste
P.S. If you are a blogger and post a blog about freedom, be sure to enter to win a free blog design that Ashley and George are offering over at Tekeme Studios. Click here for the link 😉 Just by commenting on this blog post you’ll be entered for the drawing once! Just be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment. (No spam, I promise!)
Filed Under: Fighting Your Fears, Freedom in Christ, Living in Faith, Living with Purpose Tagged With: , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~My Neighbor, the Farmer

4 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I love the convenience of the grocery store. One stop shopping, everything in one place. I  try to buy organic when I can, shopping at Whole Foods or Earth Fare, but I do my share of Wal-Mart shopping as well. 


Well, my family and I went on a “Farm Tour” this weekend. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. Here in the Upstate, there are about 30 farms within easy driving distance that all participated in a tour to make people more aware of them and their products. There is a Buffalo Farm right here in Simpsonville! Real, live Yosemite Buffalo! And they are a breeding farm only…no killing. So I loved that. 


Anyway, one farm in particular really made an impression on me and got me thinking. Happy Cow Creamery, less than 10 miles from my house, works very hard to provide local, healthy milk to the community. The owner has grown the farm from the ground up. They have their own “closed” herd of cows so no disease or bacteria are introduced from elsewhere. They minimally heat the milk so any possible bacteria are destroyed, but the enzymes that are valuable to our health are not. Tom Trantham, the owner of Happy Cow, lives a good, but modest, life. He cares about people and wants to help provide his community with healthy milk. The kind of milk that has been shown to prevent cancer. The kind of milk people can drink even when they have been labeled “lactose intolerant.” And it’s affordable. He has even been to Washington on our behalf to fight improper labeling of dairy products that make the public think they are making healthy choices. 


I’ve bought Happy Cow milk in the past, but just when it was convenient. But Tom Trantham is my neighbor. He started this farm because he cares about me. He doesn’t know me personally, but I am in his community and he started this farm because he cares about his community. 


The second most important commandment in the Bible is this:

 B)”>‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
(Mark 12:31 ESV)

Let me repeat that. You shall love your neighbor as yourself is the second most important commandment in the Bible. Only behind the first: 

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul 
and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 
(Mark 12:30 ESV)

I’m thinking that God puts a pretty high priority on the whole “love your neighbor” thing. 

Today’s prescription verse to stir up one other to love and good works and to encourage one another. 

I never would have realized how much Tom Trantham has done for our community had I not gone on that Farm Tour. He has made me realize the importance of supporting what our neighbors do for us. I’ve always liked to support local business for the sake of the economy. But this goes deeper than economy. This is about community. I will be making a point to visit Happy Cow not only for the great milk they provide, but to support my neighbor in his good efforts. To encourage and motivate him to continue his efforts to make us healthier. He is my neighbor. I’ll be taking that little country drive out to Happy Cow for my milk and cheese from now on. 

Do you support people in your community who are trying to do good works? 

My {make-a-change Monday} challenge is this: Don’t get so wrapped up in yourself that you forget about your neighbor. Do something to encourage and uplift someone in your community who is trying to make a difference. 

Even if it is just buying the milk from their cow instead of someone else’s. 
From my heart, 
Celeste

 

Filed Under: Eating to Live, Making Changes Tagged With: , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~What are you afraid of?

2 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment

There really is an app for everything. My kids were playing with my phone the other day asking me things like, “Do you know what Astrophobia is? Or what about Didaskaleinophobia? Katasaridaphobia?” They found an app that listed all known phobias. A smorgasbord of all of the crazy—and not so crazy—things people are afraid of. Did you know there are over 500 identified and named phobias? Here’s a small sample:

  • Astrophobia– Fear of stars or celestial space.
  • Katsaridaphobia– Fear of cockroaches (Who isn’t?).
  • Didaskaleinophobia– Fear of going to school (I had this one in 6th grade).
  • Amnesiphobia—Fear of amnesia (Wouldn’t you just forget you were afraid of it?).
  • Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia—Fear of the number “666.”
  • Mageirocophobia—Fear of cooking (This is a current one for me!).
  • Alektorophobia—Fear of chickens.
  • Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia—Fear of body odors.
  • Consecotaleophobia—Fear of chopsticks.
  • Vestiphobia—Fear of clothing. 
  • Disposophobia—Fear of hoarding (Now I NEED this one).
  • Gymnophobia or Nudophobia—Fear of nudity (I’m thinking the Gymnophogiac wouldn’t get along too well with the Vestiphobiac)
  • Asymmetriphobia—Fear of assymetrical things (If you ever saw the show “Monk,” you know it was one of his top fears). In fact….
Enjoy this clip from “Monk,” one of my faves 😉

Now some phobias are a little easier to understand: 

  • Thanatophobia—Fear of dying or death.
  • Ochophobia—Fear of being in a moving Automobile.
  • Ichthyophobia—Fear of fish (Miranda has this one).
  • Hadephobia, Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia—Fear of Hell.
  • Dementophobia or Maniaphobia—Fear of insanity. (I experienced this once when I had a drug interaction. I thought I was going to end up in a straight jacket staring at four white walls!)
  • Aviophobia or Aviatophobia or Pteromerhanophobia—Fear of flying. (I recently overcame this one!)
If you are fascinated, amazed, or just want to find the name of your phobia, they are ALL listed on The Phobia Index for your convenience 😉
I’m thinking there are a LOT of people scared of a LOT of things for there to actually be crazy names for this many fears. 
Why? 
If we say we believe in an almighty God, the creator of the earth and everything in it, can we not take him at his word? One of my life verses is John 16:33:
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart, I have overcome the world.
And in today’s prescription verse from Philippians, Paul (who experience trouble and persecution around every corner) tells us not to be anxious or afraid of anything. Just let God handle it. He has it all under control, even though it’s beyond our understanding.
That’s where our faith comes in. 
I know I have quite a few blogs about fear, but I didn’t realize the prison of fear I lived in until God showed me that He has it under control. I had to learn the hard way, and I’m hoping I can take what I learned and make things a little easier for someone else. 
So today’s {tip to a happier you} is to let go of fear. I realize that’s easier said than done. Just think of the song we sang in Sunday school when we were little…
It’s a good video, I promise…these guys must have created it? 
He’s got this! All of it! 
We just have to let Him have it…
From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: Fighting Your Fears, Freedom in Christ, Living in Faith, The Power of Prayer, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,