Make-a-change Monday~Maintaining a Healthy Body pH Could Save Your Life!

12 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Between my career as a pharmacist and the seven years I spent trying to fix myself, I learned a LOT about health and nutrition. 

One thing you can count on in the world of nutrition is everyone has an opinion and they believe their way is the best way. 
Through research and/or personal experience, I tried: 
•   Xango Juice
•   Barley Green
•   Juicing
•   The Hallelujah Diet (all raw food)
•   The 21-day Detox Diet
•   Juice Plus
•   Gluten Free Diet
•   Noni Juice
•   Adrenal Gland Support Therapy

…And that’s honestly just a few. I can’t even remember them all. 
It’s really so simple. 
God gave us everything we need when he provided fruits and vegetables for us to eat. We have to make everything so complicated! 
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the nutritional “bandwagons” I tried, but they are all very expensive, and really not necessary. There’s one trait they have in common: they all work to increase the overall pH of your body. 
Our bodies are at their healthiest when we maintain a pH above 7—an alkaline pH. Anything below 7 is acidic. Anything above 7 is alkaline. When we maintain an alkaline pH, we can fight disease, including cancer. 
Did you know that cancer is nothing but an overgrowth of abnormal cells in our body and we all battle cancer every day? Those if us never diagnosed with cancer just happen to be keeping those cells under control with our immune system and a pH that is alkaline. 
When my dad was diagnosed with stage 4-lung cancer, I tested this theory. My mom and I tested our pH and found our to be between 7.5 and 8. My dad’s pH was 3. Extremely acidic. Unfortunately, I didn’t have this knowledge early enough to try to save my dad, as his cancer was stage 4 when we discovered it. But God uses all things for good, and now I know.


Here’s a link explaining pH a little more and how to test your pH: Restoring pH Balance in the Body. It’s as easy as putting a little strip of paper on your tongue! Click here to order online or they are available at most health food stores (Whole Foods, Earth Fare, GNC)
So today’s “make a change” just might prevent you from ever having to battle cancer. And it’s so easy! 
Begin eating and drinking foods that will increase your body’s pH. There are plenty of options, some you already eat. Our challenge is to add one new item to your diet this week, and continue for weeks following. 
Here’s a list of foods provided by a great article: Alkaline Foods to Increase Your pH Level


Slightly Alkaline Foods
These foods are only slightly alkaline, and can be used when your pH is only slightly low:
* Peas
* Watermelons
* Apples
* Blueberries
* Pears
* Grapes
* Onions
* Bananas
* Raspberries
* Peaches
* Tomatoes
* Oranges
* Lemons
* Apricots
* Grapefruits
* Potatoes (sweet or white)
* Strawberries
* Tangerines
Medium Alkaline Foods
* Cherries
* Limes
* Green Beans
* Dried Dates
* Raisins
* Avocado
* Pineapple
* Cauliflower
* Mushrooms
* Rutabagas
* Radishes
* Cucumbers
* Green Soy Beans
* Brussels Sprouts
* Beets
High Alkaline Foods
These foods have the highest alkalinity you can find in natural food sources. They can be helpful if your pH level is extremely low. If it’s not very low, consider trying some of the lower alkaline foods first.
* Broccoli
* Cabbage
* Rhubarb
* Lima Beans
* Lettuce
* Sauerkraut
* Watercress
* Chard
* Dried Beans
* Carrots
* Dried Figs
* Celery
* Molasses
* Beet Greens
* Raw Spinach
Here are some ways to increase your pH in what you drink from the article, What Drink Will Increase the pH Level of My Body?

 

 

Lemon and Lime Juice

Although lemons and limes, like all all citrus fruits, are highly acidic, they are actually an alkalizing food. Water with lemon or lime added is one of the best drinks for raising your pH level. Many restaurants serve water with lemon. Even if you’re in a restaurant that doesn’t, you can usually request it. Another great thing about water with lemon or lime is that it does not matter if the water is from the tap or filtered.

 


Vegetable Juice

Vegetable juice is an ideal beverage for increasing your pH level. Any combination of vegetables will get the job done, with the exception of corn and olives. In addition to increasing your pH level, you will also be given your body a good dose of other powerful vitamins and nutrients.

Almond Milk

Almonds are one of the best foods for lowering your acid level, so it’s a good thing that almond milk has become increasingly popular and can be found in almost any grocery store. If you can’t find almond milk at your local grocery store, you can order it online. Almond milk tastes great by itself but it’s also good on cereal.

 


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/485450-what-drink-will-increase-the-ph-level-of-my-body/#ixzz1opIDyIhW

So keep it simple and listen to the instruction God gave us in our prescription verse and again in Genesis 9:3. 

…And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.


From my heart,

Celeste



If you’d like to read more about body pH, here’s the link to my Delicious Stack containing the articles mentioned above plus a few more: Maintaining a Healthy Body pH
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Chronic Illness, Eating to Live, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Physical Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~The Muddled Multitasking Mind

10 March, 2012 by 1 Comment


Join me inside my head for a few moments, will you?
I have got to go clean up the kitchen. 
{Walk to kitchen} 
I can’t believe Marlee left her dirty socks in the floor when she took off her shoes.
 {Pick up socks and take them to the laundry room}
Shoot— I can’t believe I forgot to take the clothes out of the washer last night and now the smell horrible! 
If I have to start it again, I might as well go see if there are any more towels and washcloths upstairs.
{Walk upstairs}
This bathroom is a mess. Miranda’s cabinet has got to be cleaned out. 
{Sit down in front of her bathroom cabinet}
Where did she get all this stuff? Oh, here’s her contact lens case.
 {Pulling out stuff, creating a mess on the floor} 
I must make her eye doctor appointment. 
{Walk downstairs to get phone}
I missed a call; let’s see whom it was from.
{Click on my email by accident}
E-mail from Vonda. I have to get this article finished for her.
{Go get computer}
Oh, I haven’t even done my blog post for this weekend! 
At the end of the hour (or two) that it’s taken me to run from task to task, here’s the situation:
•   My kitchen’s a mess
•   The clothes in the washer still stink
•   Miranda’s bathroom is now messier than it was to begin with
•   No eye appointment has been made
•   Have no idea who I missed a call from
•   The article is still unfinished
•   I still have a blog post to do
•   I’m frustrated and overwhelmed! 
Can you relate? 
I always think I can multitask, but I never get any one thing accomplished when I do. 
Look at today’s prescriptions verse. Let steadfastness have its full effect…
steadfast |ˈstedˌfast|
adjective
resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering 
DERIVATIVES
steadfastly adverb
steadfastness noun
ORIGIN Old English stedefæst [standing firm] (see stead , fast 1 ).
We need to be resolute and unwavering in what we do. Now, I realize “resolute” may be a little extreme for washing the dishes, but obviously multitasking does not work for me. I’ve never been one to do anything half way, good or bad. It’s my personality. I need to handle the everyday chores the same way. 
“To do two things at once is to do neither,” wisely wrote the Roman philosopher Publilius Syrus in the first century B.C. And modern research is proving him right. 
Now for the sciency stuff: 
If you’ve read some of my other tips, you know about cortisol—otherwise known as the “fight or flight” hormone, or stress hormone. 
We juggle different tasks; our brain perceives it as stress, and produces cortisol. An increased level of Cortisol causes a decrease in the level of serotonin, thus causing depression and anxiety. 
In addition, increased cortisol causes: 
•   An increase in blood pressure
•   Chronic fatigue
•   Insomnia
•   Weight gain
•   A drop in immune response leading to viruses and infections
These are awfully negative consequences for doing something we think increases our productivity, when in reality it doesn’t. It takes longer to do two things at once that to focus and get them done one at a time. We can only process one activity at a time, and it takes our brain a few seconds to switch from one activity to another. 
For those of you like me, leading a crazy busy life, an article from WebMD offers the following suggestions:
•   Mix and match. Pair high-cortical involvement tasks — those that involve judgment — with routine, physical tasks that the cerebellum, the brain’s autopilot, can handle. For example, talk to your mom on the phone while folding laundry.
•   Rest your case. If your hectic schedule demands you rise at the crack of dawn, steal an hour from the TV at night. A sleepy brain can’t focus.
•   Wean from screens. Resist email, the Internet, texting — anything that’s not essential to the work you’re doing right now.
•   Ban boredom. Try to do what you love and what matters most. Organize your life around this principle, and you won’t be tempted away from the task at hand.
I have been using The Pomodoro Technique recently. To put it simply, you set a timer for twenty-five minutes and focus on only one activity until the timer goes off. There is much more to it that you can read if you like in the Pomodoro Technique PDF you can download for free here.
Let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
So for today’s tip, join with me in learning to focus and quit running yourself in circles.
I challenge you to get a simple kitchen timer and focus on one thing at a time in increments of twenty-five minutes. Whether it’s laundry, writing, praying, reading, or cleaning, choose one item. Work on it for twenty-five minutes, take a five minutes break, then reset the timer and start again. Do this consistently for just three or four hours one morning and just see how much you’ve accomplished. 
I bet you’ll be surprised! 
From my heart,
Celeste





Filed Under: Brain Functions, How to be Happy, Making Changes, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Secret to a fulfilled life with purpose

7 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment


I had an article published at “Inspire A Fire” this week on the addiction part of my story. If you’ve read my story page on here you know my story is full of gut wrenching moments, but the addiction part seems to gain much attention; maybe because I’m a pharmacist, maybe because I’m a Christian, or maybe just because it’s the juiciest part of the story. It makes no difference to me, as long as someone is brought closer to Christ through it. 
One of the most important statements I wrote in that article is one that has received several comments: 
“Only when my desire to know His plan for my life became greater than my desire to fix myself, He healed me.”
That statement is what I want to focus on today. 
I whole-heartedly believe that this is the secret to a fulfilled life with purpose that has been kept far too secret. I mean, you wouldn’t think it’s a secret because the scripture tells us right there in Matthew 6: 
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
 and all these things will be added to you.
Now I was raised in the church, memorizing scripture along the way, but I’m not sure this verse ever really sunk in. I’d read this verse, but for some reason the verse that I heard in my head was Luke 11:9-10: 
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Ask and it will be given to you.
Who can’t get on board with that? Just ask. 
But both of these scriptures, Matthew 6 and Luke 11, are instructing us in how to pray. In Luke 11, we are told to be persistent in our prayers. Ask, ask, ask. But we are also told to seek. Seek what? 
Back to Matthew’s instruction on prayer: Seek ye first the kingdom of God. 
Maybe this is why we have four Gospels—four accounts of the life of Jesus on earth. God gave them to us to read them all, not just one. But I digress…
When I was fighting seizures, migraines, depression, insomnia, and addiction during my seven years of hell, you better believe I asked. I asked for God to take the seizures, migraines, depression, insomnia and addiction away. I asked to be happy again. When He was silent, I asked for the rapture. I either wanted to be healed, or be gone. I asked and asked and asked. 
But I did not seek first. 
I know God has a plan. I’ve always known he has a big, all-encompassing, life-long plan. But I never once asked him to show me what it was. I never really had the desire to know my part in His plan. 
When I had my last seizure, on August 4, 2010, I was at rock bottom. Any resilience I might have had was gone. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t have the energy to even get dressed. I loved my family, but I had resigned to the fact that I was no good for them. Marlee, my 8-year-old, was baptized on August 8, 2010, and it took every bit of strength I had to make it to her baptism. I envisioned spending the rest of my life in some type of extended care facility. It was really that bad. 
I knew this wasn’t God’s plan for my life. 
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
(Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) 
For the first time ever, it was my heart’s desire to know his plan and purpose for me. It was beyond my thoughts, down deep to the core. What my brain thought was overridden by my deepest desires.What I wanted didn’t really matter any more. I didn’t care enough about my life for Him to fix me. I had gotten to the end of myself, and the beginning of Him. 
On September 25, 2010, just over seven weeks after that last seizure, He healed me. Just like that. I woke up that Saturday morning and I was an entirely new person. My mind was clear, I had energy, I felt happy, I wanted to eat, I hugged my kids and called my husband (he was out of town), I called my family and friends, and I knew without a doubt that God had given me a miracle. 
Within three months, I was completely off all medications. It has now been almost eighteen months since I’ve been medication free, and I can honestly say I’ve had no cravings for any narcotics (which I never thought I’d be able to say), I’ve had no seizures or symptoms of seizures, I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and I sleep like a baby. 
I never want to forget how bad I was, because I never want to forget the incredible strength and mercy of my Savior.
He saved me that day.
He saved me because I was finally ready.
I was finally seeking Him first, above everything. 
From my heart,
Celeste

 

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

Make-a-change Monday~Don’t Be a Sloth

5 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment

So let’s review. 


What small changes have you made so far this year? Are you sticking to them? Have you seen any result? 

Here are our “Make-a-Change Monday’s” so far: 


We’ve attempted to work on our physical body, our spiritual relationship with God, our home, and our relationships. It’s hard isn’t it? Even though these are very small changes, we must continue them to make a difference in our lives—to be able to look back at the end of this year and see a difference. 

Today I’m giving us a little break from new changes, and taking time to review how well we’ve done on the changes we’ve attempted thus far. 

My hubby can tell you I love to stay in my pajamas if I don’t have anywhere to be first thing. If my plans are to write, or any other work that requires my computer, it will be lunchtime and I’ll still be in my pj’s! He hates it, and honestly I do too. So why do I still do it? Could it be the “L” word? 

Look at today’s prescription verse. Let’s break it down: 

Do not be slothful…

Here’s what the dictionary has to say:

slothful |ˈslôθfəl; släθ-; ˈslōθ-|
adjective
lazy : fatigue made him slothful. (yep, there’s the “L” word)

fatigue made him slothful: lazy, idle, indolent, inactive, sluggish, apathetic, lethargic, listless, languid, torpid; archaic otiose.

Sometimes I feel like this is how I look in the mornings: 

Do not be slothful in zeal...

Here’s what the dictionary has to say about zeal: 
zeal |zēl|
noun
great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective : his zeal for privatization | Laura brought a missionary zeal to her work.
Ross’s zeal for football: passion, ardor, love, fervor, fire, avidity, devotion, enthusiasm, eagerness, keenness, appetite, relish, gusto, vig-or,energy,intensity; fanaticism. ANTONYMS apathy, indifference.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t typically have too much zeal while I’m still in my
pajamas. To feel zealous, I must act. 
Making “to do” lists of the things I want to accomplish does not get anything accomplished! 
Since November, I’ve been running. On day one, I started out running for 2 minutes, then walking for 3 minutes, for a total of 25 minutes. Today, I’m up to 30 minutes without walking. Do I look forward to running? No. I pretty much dread it…until I go put my workout clothes on, put my headphones on, and get outside. Then I’m motivated to accomplish something.
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit…
fervent |ˈfərvənt|
adjective
having or displaying a passionate intensity : a fervent disciple of tax reform.See note at eager .
• archaic hot, burning, or glowing.
a fervent prayer: impassioned, passionate, intense, vehement, ardent,sincere, fervid, heartfelt; enthusiastic, zealous, fanatical, hardcore,wholehearted, avid, eager, keen, committed, dedicated, devout; literaryperfervid. ANTONYMS apathetic.
Passion is the word I like to use for fervent. I had passion for a few things/people growing up, but God was not one of them. It wasn’t until I really got to know God that I loved Him enough to be passionate about Him. I wish I could say I just kept pursuing Him until I got Him, but it was His pursuing me that got my attention. 

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

serve |serv|
verb
1 perform duties or services for (another person or an organization):
    Malcolm has served the church very faithfully

they served their masters faithfully: work for, be in the service of, be employed by; obey.

Obey. That’s the difficult part of service, especially when it comes to serving God. Who
knows what he will ask? I have learned the hard way that obedience is the only way to go. 


We can only be truly happy when we live a life of obedience to Him. 

Anything we want to accomplish takes change. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I’m
amazed at the person I’ve become in the last year, and it’s been all about small changes. Yes,
I still battle with the whole pajama thing, but I’m getting there! 
So I guess it’s time to go get dressed…

From my heart, 

Celeste







Filed Under: How to be Happy, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Time to Dance

3 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment
  
I will admit that this Southern Baptist girl hasn’t done much dancing in her time. It’s not that I don’t like dancing; I’ve just never had many opportunities to dance. There was my senior prom, for which my date (now my hubby) and I learned to shag, but beyond that we have never spent too much time in ballrooms.
With the era of X-Box and PlayStation, you no longer need a fancy dress and a ballroom to dance. You can dance right in your living room with your kids, and it’s fun! The simple act of playing “Dance, Dance, Revolution” with your kids covers several of my previous “Tips to a Happier You” from this blog series. Dancing is exercise, of course, so that covers my “Get Moving” tip, and if your family’s dancing ability is like mine, there will be no need for “Laughter Aerobics!”
My kids love to dance. Miranda, in particular, loves any dance that is goofy. She is definitely not a Waltz/Tango kinda girl, but more of the Chicken Dance/Apache type. There is an old sitcom, “Friends” in which a nerdy brother and sister get to appear on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and they decide the only way to get the camera on them is to do “the routine,” a dance they made up in the middle school. Miranda talked Trevor into learning “the routine” with her. I can’t tell you the hours they have spent laughing and recording themselves doing “the routine.” So this past Christmas, David and I decided we would learn the routine and record it to play for the kids on Christmas morning. I could not believe the fun we had trying to learn that stupid dance and recording it! Not only did we get lots of laughter out of it, but the kids got quite a laugh on Christmas morning as well! 
Dancing has been shown in studies to lower stress and depression. Not everyone likes the “sciency” reasons that dancing helps with depression, so here’s a link to my Delicious stack with articles that give you the sciency stuff if you’re interested. 
And of course, dancing is biblical. Read today’s prescription verse from Ecclesiastes. And how many times does David dance before the Lord? He was definitely a man with a heart for God. 
So this week’s tip to a happier you is to dance. Pull out the Dance Revolution cd for your X-Box and get dancing with your family. You’ll exercise and bond with your kids; you’ll not only boost your mood, but you’ll be doing the same for your whole family! I promise once everyone gets involved, y’all will have a ball! 

Just to get you motivated, Here’s “the routine” from friends: 

With a few bribes for Miranda, I talked her into letting me post her and Trevor’s version of “the routine.” I know they’re my kids, but I loved it. I hope you enjoy it because I have to do her kitchen chores for a week and give her four foot rubs after work! 

Enjoy…

If David wouldn’t divorce me, I’d show you our versions of “the routine.” The laughter alone would be enough to boost anyone’s mood! 
So dance. Be sure to laugh at yourself—it’s a necessity if you’re a Baptist like me and never really learned to dance! And by all means, dance like no one is watching…
From my heart, 

Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Family Focused, How to be Happy, Just for Fun, Physical Wellness, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Love One Another

27 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Since we made the change last week to start cleaning out the stuff we used to consider to be treasures, we will have time to lay up our treasures in Heaven. 

All my life I’ve been taught that earthly treasures mean nothing. “You can’t take it with you,” they said. 

It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle 
than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. 
(Mark 10:25 ESV)

I get it. “Stuff” means nothing. Worrying about our stuff keeps us from spending time on what’s truly important.

But what are our treasures in Heaven and how can we begin to put them in place?

Souls. Souls are our treasures.

God commands us to love one another, just as He has loved us. Love one another. 

That’s how we lay up our treasures in Heaven. Love. Share the love of Christ and make it so enchanting no one can resist. 


For every fifteen minutes you spend cleaning clutter, spend another fifteen sharing what Christ has done for you. 



From my heart,

Celeste
Filed Under: Living with Purpose, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Forgiveness

25 February, 2012 by 2 Comments

Today’s tip to a happier you is forgiveness. 


First, forgive me for such a quick post today. I have been invited to speak this weekend, so I’ve been busy preparing (and biting my nails =o/) and haven’t had time to spend much time blogging this week. 


God commands us to forgive over and over again in His word. 


Holding a grudge only hurts the one holding it. It can consume and destroy you from the inside out. 


I am short on time, but know that I love each and every one of you who read my blog, so I am leaving you in very capable hands today with a link to a post by Ann Voskamp at “A Holy Experience”  on forgiveness. Her writing style is unlike any other, and I love her photography! I hope you enjoy it! 

From my heart,

Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Freedom in Christ, How to be Happy, Making Changes, Real Relationships, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: ,

The only physician who can save your life

23 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This week I’ve been focusing on faith. If you didn’t read Saturday’s “Tip to a Happier You,” click here. 

I’m currently reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp…which will go at the top of my “Books that will change your life” list. She contemplates Luke 17: 15-19, where there seems to be some inconsistency in the scripture:
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Yes, thankfulness, I know. Next verse.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Wait. I trace back. Hadn’t Jesus already completely healed him? Exactly like the other nine who were cured who hadn’t bothered to return and thank Him. So what does Jesus mean, “Your faith has made you well”? Had I under interpreted this passage, missed some hidden mystery? I slow down and dig. I read Jesus’ words in Young’s Literal Translation, “And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Having risen, be going on, they faith has saved thee.’” Saved thee? I dig deeper. It’s sozo as being made “well” or “whole,” but it’s literal meaning, I read it—“to save.” Sozo means salvation. It means true wellness, complete wholeness. To live sozo is to live the full life. Jesus came that we might live life to the full; He came to give us sozo. And when did the leper receive sozo—the saving to the full, whole life? When he returned and gave thanks. I lay down my pen.
Do you see? This says everything about why I created Celestial Prescriptions. God is our great physician and is the only one who can truly save your life—your whole life.
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Filed Under: Beating Depression, Chronic Illness, Fighting Your Fears, Freedom in Christ, Have an Eternal Perspective, Living in Faith, The Power of Prayer, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~The Fifteen-Minute Clutter Cleanup

20 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment


Are you a pack rat? 
I am desperately trying to simplify my life. Learning NOT to be a pack rat is one major change I’m making, and it is not easy. 
For years I’ve read books on decorating, organizing, saving, displaying, etc. and there have been times I’ve spent more effort on moving around the “stuff” in my life than probably anything else. It’s ridiculous. It’s STUFF! 
So today’s “make a change” is short and sweet, and I’m working hard on this one myself. 
Choose one small space and spend 15 minutes cleaning out the clutter. You might choose one of these:

•   Your toothbrush drawer
•   The hot spot in the kitchen where everyone dumps things as they walk in the house
•   Your underwear drawer
•   A child’s toy box
•   Your nightstand
Now, as you go through items and deliberate what to do with them, ask yourself these questions:

•   Has it been a year since you last used/wore it?
•   Is it too big or small, or out of date? (Think of clothes and techy gadgets here)
•   Could it be easily replaced?
•   Do you spend more time moving it out of the way to get to something else than you do actually using it?
•   Do you have something similar that serves the same purpose? 

If you answered “yes” to those questions, let it go. 
Now if you’re like me, you’ll feel guilty about throwing these treasures away, so you end up spending even more time figuring out what to do with them. I’ve come up with a fairly easy solution that is working well for me. 
I went to TJ Maxx and bought some of their large, reusable shopping bags (only 99 cents and really cute) and I put two of them in each of the kid’s closets, my closet, and the laundry room. For each set of bags, one is for Good Will and the other is for consignment. 
Each time I do my fifteen-minute clutter cleanup, I have bags ready to deposit the items. When a bag is full, I take it to its destination, and then put my empty bag back in its place to fill again. 
•   No huge mess to “clean up” once I’ve “cleaned out” because I never do anything that takes more than 15 minutes. 
•   No truck full of stuff to ask my hubby to get rid of when he comes home from work. 
•   No procrastinating or dread of the huge clean out project looming over my head.
Just 15 minutes. Once a day, twice a week, whatever you can do. You won’t miss that small chunk of time, and a year from now, you’ll have lots of clean spots in our houses! 
The really cool thing is, once we can spend less time on this earthly “stuff” we accumulate so easily, we can spend more time on laying up our treasures in Heaven! (If you’re not sure exactly what those are, stay tuned. I’ll have a post on that one next Monday.)
Go do your 15-minute clutter cleanup now! 
From my heart, 
Celeste
P.S. Once you start this process, you will automatically think before you buy more “stuff.” Once you get the space clean, you won’t want to clutter it up again. 
P.P.S. For those of us who are really hardheaded, those hot spots may have to be cleaned up more than once.
P.P.P.S. A prayer over a husband and children may also be required if they are the clutter bugs! 

If you want lots of cleaning and organizing tips that make life easy, check out The FlyLady. I found her several years ago after reading her book, Sink Reflections, which is full of great tips to help you make those changes that stick!

If you want someone to walk you through a few weeks, my friend Tsh over at Simple Mom is doing Project Simplify for Spring. She has an easy plan she’ll walk you through!

Filed Under: Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Tips to a happier you in 2012~Have Faith

18 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment

From the moment I had my first seizure, I tried to hold on to this verse. 

Having peace in God in the midst of my world of seizures, addiction, and depression required much faith.

Faith is belief in something that cannot be seen. Having faith is a decision based on life experiences, which are different for everyone. 

I became a Christian when I was seven years old. I went to church, did Bible studies, and said my prayers. But something was always missing. 

Is it possible to have faith in someone you don’t really know?

I knew about a lot about God, but I didn’t know him personally. For seven years I struggled with my demons and with God, questioning his plan and his purpose. I pleaded with him to help me understand my situation—why all of this was happening to me. 

It took seven years for me to get to the end of myself. It was then that my desire to know him overcame the desire to solve my problems. 

Once my greatest desire was to know Him, my life changed overnight. He healed me completely of the seizures, depression, and addiction. 

Now for the sciency stuff: 

Research conducted at Duke University and the Durham VA Hospital has shown that individuals who pray, read scripture, or participate in regular religious services are less likely to suffer with depression than non-religious control subjects and achieve remission more readily if depression does develop. 

This type of research is really a no-brainer to me, as it would be to most Christians. 

What this study could not evaluate, however, was faith. It is the people who pray and read scripture that will have faith, and faith is essential for happiness. 

If we get to know God—build a relationship with him—it will be much easier to trust his plan, for He has overcome the world. 

Making the conscious choice to get to know Him and have faith in Him decreases stress, reduces anxiety, and relieves fear…all of which decrease the amount of cortisol and increases the amount of serotonin we have in our bodies.

My hubby loves the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” in which Steven Covey describes our circle of influence and our circle of concern. 

Our Circle of Influence encompasses those concerns that we can do something about. They are concerns that we have some control over.(1)

Our Circle of Concern encompasses the wide range of concerns we have, such as our health, our children, problems at work, the amount of government borrowing, or the threat of war.(1)

When we have faith in a God that has already overcome the world, we don’t worry about those situations in our Circle of Concern. We put those concerns in His hands.

There is much happiness to be found in faith. Faith gives you freedom. Freedom from worry. Freedom from fear. Freedom in knowing that God has everything under control. He’s got this!

I challenge you to get to know Him. Ask God to help you get to know Him. Search for Him. Just be ready. When you find him, your life will never be the same.
From my heart,

Celeste

Filed Under: Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Making Changes, Miracles Do Happen, The Power of Prayer, Tips to a Happier You, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Be My Valentine

14 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

Filed Under: Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Just Do It!

13 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment





Change. 


Why is it so hard? Why do we resist even when we know it’s for the best? 

In November of 2010, I decided I wanted to write a book. I suppose I could say God called me to write this particular book, since He gave me an overnight miracle and gave me a very specific testimony with a unique perspective as a pharmacist and a patient. If I’d had any idea what I was getting myself into, I never would have attempted it. Now, fifteen months later, I’m so excited about how far I’ve come in the process and how much I’ve learned. If you’d known me just eighteen months ago, you’d be just as amazed as my husband is! 


“Even the greatest of all journey’s begin with the first step.” I have no idea who said it, but I’ve heard it all my life. I didn’t truly understand it until now. 

It’s all about small changes. 

•   I joined the ranks of Facebook
•   I learned to blog
•   I learned to tweet
•   I went to a writer’s conference
•   I went to a speaker’s conference
•   I joined a writer’s group
•   I joined an online marketing group for writers
•   I submitted articles for publication
•   I’ve completed the outline for my book
•   I’ve written the first four chapters
•   I’ve sent the first chapter to be edited

Those are the things I’ve accomplished in these last fifteen months. Did I just decide to create a blog and sit down and do it one day? No. I had to join Google, join blogger, learn to navigate Word, learn to create links, manipulate photos, document resources, change font, create layers, upload templates, etc. It hasn’t been easy and I’ve probably lost a little hair in the process. But I decided to do it and I did, making one small change at a time. 

I had to make changes to become a writer. Today is about what you want to change. What is something that you’ve wanted or needed to do but haven’t? 

•   Reconnect with an estranged person from your past?
•   Begin an exercise program? 
•   Clean out your closet? Your whole house?
•   Cook tastier and healthier meals?
•   Make a quilt?
•   Paint your bedroom? 

Whatever it is, write it down. Then decide what tiny little step you can make toward your goal and just do it.

•   Find the phone number of the person you want to reconnect with
•   Go walk for thirty minutes
•   Clean out one drawer in your closet
•   Find one recipe online that you like and print a copy to take with you to the grocery store
•   Create a box to begin collecting scraps for your quilt
•   Go by a paint store and look at paint colors; make a list of the items you’ll need.

Goals can seem overwhelming. One small step at a time is within reach. Remember, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. He certainly can give us enough strength to clean out one drawer. Begin today with just one small change, then another, and another. Remember the Nike slogan “Just Do It?” You’ll be surprised where you’ll find yourself one year from now. 

What change do you need to make? Will you just do it?



From my heart,

Celeste


P.S. I’d love for you to briefly comment on my blog and share your small change. It will help keep you accountable and give me some inspiration! My closets are a mess…
Filed Under: Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes Tagged With: , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Do you have insomnia? Learn how to sleep!

11 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When God created the earth, he rested on the seventh day. Wouldn’t it be nice if we only had to rest once a week? It sure would free up time for my to-do list. But sleep doesn’t work that way. God created us to need sleep, and unfortunately, a little more than once a week. 
When I was in the midst of my seven years of hell, insomnia plagued me frequently. In my depression, all I wanted to do was sleep. But also in my depression, I didn’t want to do anything at all, so my brain never really told my body it needed sleep. So of course the pharmacist in me took the easy way out—a sleeping pill called Ambien. The depression and lack of activity, however, even kept the Ambien from working the way it should. I never slept for more that two to three hours at a time, and once I went twenty-one days straight with not one wink of sleep. I know, I’d tell you it was impossible too if I didn’t experience it myself. 
The sleep-wake cycle is complex. No two ways about it. There are six stages total sleep-wake cycle, and each of the following hormones plays a part: Cortisol, Acetylcholine, Glutamine, Norepinephrine, Dopamine, Serotonin, Adenosine, Galanin, GABA, Melatonin, Progesterone, etc.; are you getting the picture? Did God create a complex brain or what? He knew what he was doing and He gives us instructions on how to take care of it.
…And when they sleep, they will wake refreshed. 
(Jeremiah 31:26 CEV)
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil;
For he gives to his beloved sleep. 
(Psalm 127:2 ESV)
And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” 
For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 
(Mark 6:31 ESV)
On September 25, 2010, when God showed mercy on me and rescued me from the pit I was in, quite a few light bulbs came on. The revelations didn’t come all at once, but over a few months God revealed truths to me that I couldn’t see in the pit. I won’t bore you with too much sciency stuff, but I want to give you some absolutes about sleep. 
•   Some type of exercise early in the day will help you sleep at night. 
When we exercise, our body makes cortisol (our fight or flight hormone), which lasts in our body about eight hours. It also breaks down ATP to give us energy and a hormone called adenosine. Once the cortisol level begins to drop off early in the evening, the adenosine is there and ready to calm us down to get ready to sleep. If we exercise too late in the day, the timing doesn’t allow this process to occur any faster, so we can’t get to sleep. Since I’ve started running in the mornings, I’m typically asleep within a minute…once I stop talking of course. 

•   A sleeping pill is meant for short-term use only. 

As is the case with many drugs, once your body becomes used to them, their effect declines. Ambien, a common one used today, activates GABA receptors in your brain that control the rhythm of sleep cycles. It’s speculated that Ambien does not allow for an adequate amount of REM sleep which is necessary to recall past events. If you’ve ever taken Ambien, you know that it really messes with your memory. I can remember waking up in my bed, having no memory of the night before—no memory of getting the kids to bed, cleaning up the kitchen, or taking my shower, yet apparently I had done them all. 

•   Meditation can be a powerful tool, not medication. 

I used to roll my eyes when people told me that. I always thought meditation was just a new age title for prayer. Now I have been known to recommend prayer at bedtime, because when we pray, the devil will put us right to sleep! But when insomnia is a problem, prayer can sometimes make us dwell on the things in our lives that cause worry. Here’s a little meditation trick that I find very helpful when you can’t go to sleep: 

When you are in the bed completely relaxed, begin breathing in and out slow to the count of four.
Breathe in…1 2 3 4; breathe out…1 2 3 4.
Repeat.
 Each time you breathe out, try to let your body relax a little more by the count of four. 
By counting, your brain doesn’t have time to think about all of the things trying to crowd your brain. The repetitive action of counting and breathing naturally helps our bodies produce calming hormones like melatonin. It works like a charm. 
•   Sleep in a dark, quite room. 

The happy hormone that I’ve talked so much about, serotonin, is actually converted to melatonin to help us get into that deep sleep. However, it is impossible for serotonin to be converted to melatonin in light. Melatonin can only be produced in the dark. That’s why it’s so difficult for people who work third shift to get on a sleep cycle that is effective, and why there is such a high incidence of depression and insomnia in Alaska when the sun shines twenty hours out of the day. It may be “all in our mind,” but it’s the chemicals “all in our mind” that are in control. 
I know this was a lengthy post, but sleep is essential to everything we are. Lack of sleep causes us to be depressed, overweight, fatigued, in pain, short-tempered, stressed, anxious, etc., and insomnia plagues more people than you might think. Please share this with anyone you know who suffers from insomnia. The pharmaceutical world we live in pushes us to take this for that or that for this, when the best answer to insomnia is simple lifestyle changes. 
So put some of these tips into practice and sleep your way to a happier you! 
From my heart, 

Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Making Changes, Managing Prescription Drugs, Physical Wellness, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Post it!

6 February, 2012 by 7 Comments
New Year’s Day 2008~
This is it. This year is going to be the year. 
I’m going to read my Bible more and pray more.
 I want to be a better person. Closer to God. 
New Year’s Day 2009~ 
This is it. This year is going to be the year. 
I’m going to read my Bible more and pray more.
 I want to be a better person. Closer to God. 
New Year’s Day 2010~
This is it. This year is going to be the year. 
I’m going to read my Bible more and pray more.
 I want to be a better person. Closer to God. 
Are you getting the picture? Have you made similar promises to yourself and to God only to fall asleep while you’re praying on January 3rd? And sleeping too late to get up and get your Bible read before getting the kids up for school? 
I did this year after year after year. 
But then, on September 25, 2010, God revealed himself to me in a very real, miraculous way. He reached his loving arms down, gently scooped me up, and saved me from my pit of seizures, addiction, and depression. I now knew and loved Him in a way I never had before. I was smitten. 
From that moment on, I knew I could never live without Him. But I also knew that Satan would do everything he could to make me forget to pray. He would do everything he could to make me the estranged daughter of my Heavenly father. So I put the almighty post-it note to use. Not just the yellow ones, either. NEON colors. 
I placed them on:
•   My bathroom mirror
•   The dash of my car
•   My washer and dryer
•   Above the kitchen sink
•   On the refrigerator 
                         
…And simply wrote “God” on them. 
So, every time I put on makeup, drove my car, did laundry, washed dishes, or ate, I remembered to have a conversation with God. It’s been shown that if you do something for 15 days in a row, it becomes a habit. Once I did this for a few weeks, I no longer needed the post-it notes.
Now, with the post-it note in mind, go back and read the prescription verse for today. “Tie them on your finger, wear them on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house.” Who knew post-it notes were Biblical? 
So this week’s “make a change” is to improve your spiritual walk and your relationship with God—get to know your father as you never have before. And believe me, this one will change every single facet of your life. It has mine. 
From my heart,

Celeste
P.s. Don’t forget to keep doing last week’s change—keep drinking your water!
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life, The Power of Prayer, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , , ,