The Shack Movie: God and your Tragedy

18 March, 2017 by Leave a Comment

When this book was first published, I heard it was great, but wasn’t in a good place to read it because I had a five-year-old little girl at the time. As soon as I realized what could happen, I put down the book and finally picked it back up when she was ten.

Paul Young has written and incredible story and though it was initially self-published it for his family. Mainstream media caught wind of it and, well, you know the rest.

There has been much controversy over the movie on theology, though not clearly evident. It wasn’t until I looked back and thought about some of the scenes that I questioned whether or not Mr. Young was keeping biblical truths in tact.

One big question asked was “why wouldn’t God save Mack’s little girl?” or in general, (why do bad things happen to good people?”) Here’s my opinion on that one if you’d like to check it out: “Why Bad Things Happen to Good People”

The following is an article written by a co-writer who has published quite a few books and is a good Christian man. I’ve heard him speak and taken several classes from him. He offered this article to be shared with the release of this movie to answer some of those shaky theological questions.

Hope the article sheds some light on the good and the bad in this fictional story. Any conversation starter about God is a good thing in my book.

The Shack movie: God and your tragedy

By Rusty Wright

 

When your personal tragedy strikes – and it will – is God good?

Millions wrestle with that question. The Shack, a bestselling novel and now a movie, uses fanciful fiction to help people process age-old intellectual and emotional struggles about evil, suffering, and divine character.

Did a loved one just die? Maybe your marriage is failing, your boss showed you the door, your lump is malignant, or an earthquake leveled your home.

Perhaps an important business deal collapsed or false gossip torpedoed a treasured friendship.

“God, how could you allow this?” comes the cry. How could God be all loving, all powerful, and all just?

From Office Depot to a theater near you …

Author William Paul Young first self-published fifteen copies of The Shack at Office Depot as Christmas gifts. It’s now sold 19 million copies and been translated into 50 languages. Clearly, the story has hit a nerve. Film stars include Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer (The Help), Sam Worthington (Avatar), and Grammy winner Tim McGraw.

(Spoilers ahead.)

Mack, the protagonist, has submerged much of his childhood pain from his abusive, alcoholic father. He now enjoys life with his wife and family, until a serial killer abducts and murders his young daughter Missy, sending him into deep depression. Through some curious happenings, he revisits the murder scene, a decrepit shack deep in the woods.

There he spends a fascinating weekend with … God. Actually with all three members of the Trinity: God – a large, loving African-American woman named “Papa” (the story explains this); Jesus – an actual Jewish carpenter; and the Holy Spirit – an Asian woman with a Sanskrit name, Sarayu, meaning “wind.”

Processing pain

The four enjoy sumptuous food, starlit nights, and lots of conversation. The three guide Mack through processing the painful “if only” questions related to Missy’s death, and in forgiving his adversaries.

They also help with the intellectual questions: God gave humans free will, hence human evil. Jesus came in love. By his death and resurrection, humans can be reconciled to God and enjoy the relationships – divine and human – for which they were created.

Multiple resonances

Many may find The Shack emotionally/spiritually therapeutic and intellectually satisfying. The story resonated with me on multiple levels.

I agree that God, though sovereign, gave us freedom to follow or disobey him. This does not answer all concerns (because he sometimes does intervene to thwart evil) but suggests that the problem of evil is not as great an intellectual obstacle as some imagine.

Pain’s emotional barrier to belief can be formidable. Jesus understands suffering. He was scorned, beaten, and cruelly executed, carrying the guilt of human rebellion.

When I see God, items on my long list of questions will include a painful and unwanted divorce, betrayal by trusted co-workers, my second wife’s tragic death last year from cancer, and all sorts of disappointing human behavior and natural disasters. Yet in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection I’ve seen enough to trust him when he says he “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.”

Serious conflicts

That said, The Shack book has some serious conflicts with a biblical view of God, and some with simple logic. (The movie avoids some – but not all – of these.) Others have detailed such issues, so I’ll mention just a few.

The book seems to indicate that Jesus’ death and resurrection will bring all humanity back into a relationship with God, regardless of individual decisions. The biblical documents maintain that individuals must personally accept divine pardon for it to be effective in their lives. The film only hints at this issue.

The book’s Sarayu and Papa say rules like the Ten Commandments were given not to make humans good but to reveal their flaws and their need for God. Fair enough. It took me nineteen years to understand that important distinction. But the two also believe rules and expectations harm relationships, which should be our focus. (The movie touches this matter tangentially.)

I would stress the proper emphasis. Biblical expectations (about love, service, forgiving, spousal faithfulness, etc.) can be tracks for healthy living once we’re plugged into divine power for living.

In the book, Sarayu perplexingly claims the word “responsibility” is not found in the Bible. A simple search disputes that. The film omits this mistake.

The book’s Jesus maintains that all mental turmoil and anxiety are related to religious, political or economic institutions. Including concern for tsunami deaths, for instance? “Allness” claims invite rebuttal. Better “much,” or something similar. The movie omits this overstatement.

The Shack film will get people thinking about important issues. If you view it – or read the book – I encourage you to do so with discernment, discuss it with friends, and measure it by the Good Book.

Rated PG-13 (USA) “for thematic material including some violence.”

www.TheShack.movie Opens March 3 (USA) International release dates

Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

Copyright © 2017 Rusty Wright

The Shack movie: God and your tragedy. When your personal tragedy strikes – and it will – is God good? Millions wrestle with that question. The Shack, a bestselling novel and now a movie, uses fanciful fiction to help people process age-old intellectual and emotional struggles about evil, suffering, and divine character.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mack (Sam Worthington) and “Papa” (Octavia Spencer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mack and his family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus, Mack, Papa, Sarayu

Filed Under: BLOG POSTS, Guest Posts, Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Movie Review, Real Relationships Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Addiction Saved My Life

12 May, 2015 by Leave a Comment

 

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I know I haven’t posted much lately since I’m actually working on the book, but I was honored to receive a request to write a guest post for Liberty in Christ Ministries if you’d like to check it out. Be sure to read Patty’s story too while you’re there…it’s a good one!

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Filed Under: Addiction, Beating Depression, BLOG POSTS Tagged With: , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Laughter really is the best medicine

20 October, 2012 by 6 Comments
 
With winter approaching, many people are affected by seasonal affective disorder and fight the wintertime blues. Since my busy life has made it difficult for me to post lately, I thought I’d repost my series of practical tips to get those happy hormones in your brain working to create a happier you this winter. Enjoy!
As a pharmacist, a patient, and a child of God who’s had to be “parented” quite a lot over the last eight years, I have learned many practical solutions to insomnia, depression, anxiety, and addiction. I’ve also learned that these four issues often go hand in hand, and are directly related to the chemicals in our brain. The pharmacist in me sought a medical solution–pills. And as most of you know, pills just made things worse.
Throughout this year, I’m going to share small, easy changes you can make in your life that will make for a happier you. All of these tidbits of information are based in both scientific fact and scripture. Medicine and faith really can walk hand in hand when God is your first and foremost physician. I’ll try to keep it simple as far as the “sciency” stuff goes, but a little knowledge about the brain really helps understand why these solutions work.
Most of you have probably heard about the hormone we have called serotonin, right? It’s that almighty chemical the media flooded us with information about when Prozac was first introduced. There is another hormone in your brain called cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that really kicks in we we are under high stress, afraid, in a hurry, etc. It’s the one that helps us with our “fight or flight” mechanism. Remember that term from high school biology? Well, these two hormones do not coexist well. When Cortisol is high, like when you are worried or stressed, Serotonin is low. And vice versa. 
I’m here to tell you that you don’t need Prozac or one of it’s relatives to help. There are numerous small changes you can make in your lifestyle that have been clinically proven to increase the serotonin levels in your brain. 
Today I want to tell you about laughter aerobics. “What?” Yes, laughter aerobics. This has got to be one of the silliest things I’d ever heard of, but it really exists. Laughter aerobics is a class where people basically sit in a circle and one person is appointed to begin laughing. Fake, real, goofy…it doesn’t matter. They just have to laugh. In turn, everyone else starts laughing too. The great thing is, you don’t have to go to an aerobics class! In the evening, after your work day is complete, do some laughter aerobics with your family. Your kids will think you’re nuts, but that’s all part of the fun! I promise you will end your day with a happy note, your cortisol levels will decrease, your serotonin levels will increase, and as a bonus, you will sleep better.
To top it off, science is not the only confirmation that laughter will make you happier. Read the prescription verse for today. From this verse comes the quote we’ve all heard, “laughter is the best medicine.” 
So tonight, begin your new year by making this small change. Spend just five minutes with your family playing laugh aerobics. I promise you won’t regret it and what do you have to lose?
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, God's Pharmacy, Handling Stress, How to be Happy, Making Changes, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , ,

Serving a Supernatural God in an Ordinary World—Is He Your Superhero?

25 September, 2012 by 10 Comments

 

For seven years I sought the help of medical doctors, psychologists, chiropractors, and other natural healers to cure me of grand-mal seizures, migraine headaches, depression, and opiate addiction. I hate the think about the thousands upon thousands of dollars I spent doing so.

All that time, I had a direct line to a Superhero. I kept relying on worldly resources when I really needed the Great Physician. The creator of the universe. The ultimate healer. The one who holds the answers to every question. The one who holds the master plan.

As is human nature, I looked for answers myself. I failed. As a Christian, I had direct access to the supernatural. Being born again give you access to the spiritual world. I mean think about it. “Born Again.” You certainly can’t be stuffed back into your mother’s uterus!

 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 NLT)

Born again = Born from above.

I just had to get past myself to realize it. Which apparently took seven years, because apparently I’m fairly stubborn. Once I finally stopped looking inward, and began looking upward, asking God his plan, he healed me overnight. Exactly two years ago today.

On September 25, 2010, I woke up completely free.

Seizures? Gone.

Headaches? Gone.

Depression? Gone.

Addiction? Gone.

He reached his arm down into this ordinary world, and lifted me up to a supernatural place. Other than a few minor headaches, I can honestly say I’ve been completely free from seizures and all medication.

Happy Birthday to me!

Do you have a problem that is beyond your control? Release it to God. Seek out his plan. He can handle it. He’s THE SUPERHERO.

 

From my heart,

Celeste

Filed Under: Beating Depression, Chronic Illness, Fighting Your Fears, Freedom in Christ, Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Miracles Do Happen, Overcoming Addiction, The Power of Prayer, Uncategorized, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Learning Through Change…and Patience

11 August, 2012 by 2 Comments


There are some new adventures in the Vaughan household these days. Our vacation of Beachy Goodness was just what we needed before the wave of change took place. 

So here’s a mixed-up post to go with my mixed-up life. Forgive my rambling. It’s the state of my brain right now.  

Miranda just graduated from high school. 

Even though she will be doing the thirteenth year program her first year and going to Greenville Tech, she and her best friend are moving into the apartment above our garage. I’m already regretting the decision to let her do this. I do love Joelle (her BFF) and I hope it will be a good experience for them, but it’s requiring much reorganizing on my part, and I have a feeling I’m inheriting another child’s laundry for next year. 
The day after we returned from Vacation, we purchased a Brightstar franchise. This is an exciting adventure, and we hope to help meet a serious need in our community. But there is so much to learn. David just returned from a week of training in Chicago just full of information. 

During this summer, I’ve taken a few courses on blogging to improve my little niche in space so you’ll enjoy visiting. For all of you who blog, you know the drill. Blogger or WordPress? Which is better? I do love Blogger, but after what I’ve learned, I think WordPress is going to be a better fit for me. So you may see a new look here very soon. We’ll see how it goes. Oh, and I’m excited (I think) to have my blog critiqued by Laura Barnes on her website “Laura B Writer”. Bring on the criticism. I can take it {note to me—reread the prescription verse above}. 
As if that’s not enough to do, I have the privilege of writing a series of twelve articles for Addiction Blog. 
I’m really excited about this because this is a predominantly educational blog, and they are allowing me to write from a spiritual perspective. I know without a doubt that I would still be in the exact same miserable pit I was in if God had not wrapped me in a blanket of mercy and lifted me to safety. Because of this added writing, I’ll be posting less often on my blog, but don’t worry; I’ll post a link so you can find me wherever I go! 

Last, but not least, I’m still working on THE BOOK. Can you feel the frustration in my fingertips?                       

{This is a great image of what it’s like when I sit to write—something or someone else getting in the way.}
                              
And every time I think my writing is good enough, I learn something new, and feel the need to continue to make it better. Will that feeling ever go away? Probably not. Eventually I’ll have to kick it out of the nest and see if it flies. 


I celebrated (I use that term loosely) my 43rd birthday this week. BTW, I love Facebook birthdays. Who know I would get so excited about so many little notifications! It only takes a second to wish someone a happy birthday on FB, and who knows what joy you may bring someone? All of my birthday wishes made me smile. Okay—getting back on track…

It’s been almost two years since God pulled me out of my pit, healed me, and plopped me here with a purpose. It is my heart’s desire to help others with addiction and depression. I’ve been there and it’s hell—as literally as I can imagine. I’ve been careful not to be too hasty in putting myself out there, as I want to be equipped with the knowledge to counsel with wisdom. I’ve prayerfully and carefully worked with three people with addiction, and one with depression. With each one, God confirms his call on my life. I know I didn’t suffer in vain. Every person I’ve talked to that suffers with addiction issues says the same thing: 

“It’s not terribly helpful to have a professional tell you what you need to do to get better. They can’t understand. Hearing it from someone who has been there personally, understands how you feel, and knows the medical details of addiction makes all the difference in the world.” 

I’ll keep learning, God, and you take me where I need to go. 

 From my heart,
Celeste

Filed Under: Making Changes Tagged With: , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Be careful little ears what you hear

21 July, 2012 by 1 Comment




Summer months are lazy months. Kids are home from school and all they want to do is sleep late and then when they finally do get out of bed, they plop down on the sofa to television. And I fall right into the trap with them! Especially if there’s housework to be done. Procrastination is often my adversary. 

When I start feeling like a sloth…
                                                                                                         …I get my iTunes going. 


At least it does these days. 

During my years of depression, you would never find me listening to music. Why? It made me think. I didn’t want to think, I didn’t want to hear anything that might make me feel something. I didn’t want to hear any of the voices inside my head (an upcoming blog post you don’t want to miss.) So television was my go-to. I could sit numbly on the sofa absorbed in someone else’s made up life. Actually kind of like the One Tree Hill marathon I watched with Miranda last week…but that’s a different story. 

I’ve been blogging about the five senses God gave us and today we will talk about hearing. 

What we hear has a direct route to our brains and has a direct effect on the way we think. In the elderly population, depression is often triggered by a loss of hearing. This sparked the idea that sound therapy could be a solution for depression in the hearing population…they just need to be listening to the right stuff. 

This is where my research got really technical…and actually really boring…reading about difference in frequency and sound waves. I’ll just depend on those providing sound therapy to handle that part. I’m much more interested in what it does to the brain. Here’s what a found (it’s bit technical too, but much more interesting—if the sciency stuff loses you, skip down til you see the ***):

Sound Therapy is a non-pharmacological option in the treatment of depression and a tool that could make counseling more effective by supporting it with a physiological impact on brain activation. Creative, focused work or meditation also stimulates the left hemisphere. Research showed that the stronger is the left orientation, the happier the person is likely to be. Sound Therapy directly stimulates the left-brain, so long term Sound Therapy listening is likely to increase levels of happiness. Someone who had had a tendency to depression may need a significant period of time to reshape the brain’s responses. Sound therapy has also side effects, but they are all good: better sleep, more energy, better audition, memory, concentration and learning abilities improved… Don’t you think it is better for you or your child than the drugs with all these terrible side effects?


Okay, so it works on the left hemisphere of the brain. Here’s a little more of my research: 



***
Remember that brain diagram I gave you the other day to illustrate the awe of God’s creation? It’s a diagram of the limbic system—right where our emotional responses come from and right where sound therapy works. The left pre-frontal cortex mentioned above is the first responder in our brains to any type of emotional event. If it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, we don’t know how to recover from very sad events. That’s often when depression occurs. So anything that can keep these parts of our brain functioning like God planned, and in a manner pleasing to God, is a good thing. 

Do I think sound therapy is a cure all? No. But I do believe God gave us what we need. He made us in his image. He gave us a brain that is unbelievable and five senses that have a direct effect on that brain. We need to lean on him, not on our own understanding and the trends our world has conformed to. 

I hope I didn’t lose you with all the sciency stuff. All five senses can be used to fight depression. We just have to know how to use them correctly. 

 


Remember the song we sang in Sunday School? 

God tells us in today’s prescription verse above we should not conform to this world, and our society is all about the quick fix. I’ll be the first to tell you that antidepressants are very helpful for some people. But not this many: 

latimes.com




October 19, 2011

 

Antidepressants apparently keep a lot of people functional, according to new data from the federal government.

 

The most recent statistics about antidepressant use in the United States, released Wednesday, show 11% of Americans ages 12 and older take the medication. Antidepressants are the most common prescription drug used by people ages 18 to 44. Almost one-quarter of all women ages 40 to 59 take antidepressants. 

Click here to read the entire article. You will be stunned.

What if some disaster happened and drugs were suddenly unavailable? Where would that leave us? Our need for medication keeps us imprisoned. Sometimes this is unavoidable, and we deal with it.

But are 11% of all Americans over 12 years of age really clinically depressed?

I don’t think that’s part of God’s plan. Do you?

From my heart, 

Celeste


P.S. Click here to go to my delicious stack with more articles on sound therapy and depression. 

          P.S.S. In case you’re really interested in Sound Therapy specifically, Here are some links for    sound therapy providers, but I think the right music on iTunes can be pretty effective 😉


Antidepressants apparently keep a lot of people functional, according to new data from the federal government.The most recent statistics about antidepressant use in the United States, released Wednesday, show 11% of Americans ages 12 and older take the medication. Antidepressants are the most common prescription drug used by people ages 18 to 44. Almost one-quarter of all women ages 40 to 59 take antidepressants.


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

Tip to a Happier You in 2012~I’ve been kidnapped!

15 July, 2012 by Leave a Comment


Well, here it is Saturday evening, and I haven’t posted my {tip to a happier you} for today yet. But I have a good excuse:


I’ve been kidnapped and taken to Tree Hill, North Carolina! 

I’ve been shot in the chest, almost drowned, gotten arrested for beating up an abusive father, given birth early to twins that I wasn’t supposed to be able to get pregnant with only to have my husband forget and leave one of them in the car, been admitted to a mental health facility for blackout episodes because I forgot I had a son six years ago, and almost had a breakdown when my husband disappeared for a week and we didn’t know if he was dead or alive. Luckily, everything ended happily.
Miranda, my 18-year-old, had her wisdom teeth taken out this week. So I have played the roll of caregiver—which for Miranda means making her jello and spaghetti, escorting her plethora of friends in and out to see her, and sitting beside her to keep her company while watching the show of her choice—One Tree Hill.  

Miranda is one of those girls that loves for her friends to spend the night. I have always loved it that she wants them to come here, so we frequently allow them to.

This week, however, held one obstacle: our air conditioner upstairs is broken and must be replaced, so everyone is sleeping downstairs. Did this deter her friends from wanting to spend the night? Nope. So downstairs this week, I’ve had all three sofas made into beds, an extra twin mattress beside one of them, and a double air mattress beside another. Between kids coming and going, fixing meals for Miranda, for my family, and for any extras that may be here, and being kidnapped into the world of One Tree Hill I’m exhausted! I don’t think I’ve loaded and emptied the dishwasher this many times in years—all in the midst of giving birth early to the twins and escaping from the drug dealer kidnapper of course.


When I was depressed, I often found myself watching television and getting wrapped up in others lives so I didn’t have to think about my own. But I would DVR them and only get to watch them when they aired on television. Now we have Netflix. You can sit and literally watch 84 episodes back to back—pausing for potty breaks of course. I suppose it’s a good thing we didn’t have Netflix when I was going through depression. Sitting absorbed in someone else’s life for hours at a time would have been just fine with me, but I think my family would have thrown me to the curb. 


After the hours of One Tree Hill this week, I prefer my life any day of the week, thank you very much. But only because God has blessed me with the ability to be happy again, and in the process, has taught me much about what’s important in life. 

So where’s the tip this week? I’ll let you figure it out. This week has left me with a disaster of a house, too much washing to be done, and sleep deprived from the One Tree Hill marathon. I sat down to write a few times only to hear, “MOM! Can you__________?” But I got to spend the week beside my soon-to-be-grown-up-and-gone Miranda. We made a memory.

Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

Even if it is watch a One Tree Hill marathon 😉
From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: How to be Happy, Parenting Tips, Simplify Your Life, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , ,

The Great Depression, the Road to Freedom

4 July, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I’ve often said that anyone who has not experienced true depression cannot really understand it. 

About four years ago, while still in the midst of my depression, someone recommended The Shack by William P. Young. As soon as I realized the youngest daughter in the story disappears, I put down the book. Marlee was five at the time and it was more than I could bear to read. But since God lifted my depression, I picked it back up and finished it. I’m so glad I did.

As I describe my years of depression as The Great Depression, this author refers to it as The Great Sadness. When I try to describe the way depression feels, I suppose the pharmacist comes out in me, because I always describe it as “all of the nerve endings in my body were heavy and weighing me down.” I think William Young’s description in The Shack is more understandable: 

“Emotions are the colors of the soul; they are spectacular and incredible. When you don’t feel, the world becomes dull and colorless. Just think how The Great Sadness reduced the range of color in your life down to monotones and flat grays and blacks. “


The dictionary defines “dark” as the absence of light. Depression is darkness. God tells us in John 12:46 that he has come into the world as a light, so that NO ONE has to live in darkness. 

When Isaac Newton was dabbling in his many scientific experiments, he used a prism to see what exactly made up the color “white.” What he found was that white light is the effect of combining the visible colors of light in certain proportions. In other words, white is the combination of all the colors of the rainbow. 



God came as the light. He also gave us a promise when he created the rainbow. 

I think being raised with religion all around me, I took the light for granted. I couldn’t see the colors in the relationship. As a friend of mine explained it well, those were my “ivory tower” days. I lived in the white tower but I couldn’t see the colors that it contained. 

During my depression, a black tunnel lay before me. Now I see that Jesus was my “light at the end of the tunnel.” Now that I have experienced darkness—the absence of light—colors have a whole new meaning for me. 

My Great Depression led me to freedom. It painfully guided me to the color that Jesus provides in my relationship with Him. My world is no longer shades of gray. Whether you feel like depression is an obstacle for or not, Jesus can make your life into the most beautiful rainbow you’ve ever seen. 

Jesus is the light. Seek Him. Read about Him. Talk to Him. Have faith in Him. 

Religion will always let you down. A relationship with Him will never let you down. 

From my heart,
Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Freedom in Christ, 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: , , , , ,

Tips to a Happier you in 2012~The Sweet Truth

31 March, 2012 by 1 Comment



What are the most common conditions for which we would consider a change in our diet?


•   High blood pressure? 
•   Obesity?
•   Diabetes?
•    
Those are the no-brainers. But what about your brain? Do you think about the food we eat being connected to our brain? 

Let me give you an example from personal experience: 

When I was finishing pharmacy school, I did a clinical rotation at Greenville Memorial Hospital in the Cancer Treatment Center. I had to be up on the 5th floor of the hospital at 7:00 AM to do rounds with Dr. Gluck. Every single morning, about half way through rounds, I got very light headed, weak, shaky, and I broke out in a sweat. My heart beat so hard I felt like I was having a panic attack. I’d go into the hall and sit down with my head between my knees afraid I would throw up or pass out, neither of which anyone had time for. 

After a few weeks of this everyday occurrence, Dr. Gluck examined me, but could find nothing wrong. The patients we were seeing every morning were stage 4 cancer patients at the very end of their lives—tough situations for a 20-year-old college student to handle at 7:00 AM every morning. We just figured the situations were getting to me. It was somewhat overwhelming, but I couldn’t believe it could make me physically ill. 

Finally, when I was about at the end of my rotation, the pharmacist I worked with asked me what I was eating for breakfast. Every morning I ate toast with grape jelly around 6:15 AM.

He suggested I switch to cheese toast and see if it would make a difference. 

What do you know? I was absolutely fine. 

When I ate jelly on my toast for breakfast, I was getting a sugar high. Then, around 7:30, my insulin was in high gear to take care of processing that sugar, and caused my sugar to drop so rapidly, it almost did me in. I ended up in a hypoglycemic state. It can be confusing to think of getting hypoglycemia when we eat too  much sugar, but it’s the insulin’s response to the high sugar that throws us into hypoglycemia. 

Look at today’s prescription verse. …Be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
There is a definite mind-body-soul connection. What affects one affects the other.  

Our brain relies on a steady, balanced level of glucose to function properly. When we eat too much sugar, our body goes into overdrive trying to process it, causing a rise in adrenalin and cortisol (the fight or flight hormone). As I’ve stated before, this rise in cortisol will cause a decrease in serotonin and other hormones in the brain. Basically, everything gets out of whack. The more unbalanced our sugar intake is, the more unbalanced our mood is. 

Our brain and body need to stay in balance, so it is essential that our diet be balanced as well. 

Too much sugar does not a balanced diet make. Here’s the link to a great article I found explaining this phenomenon well: Conquering Anxiety, Depression, and Fatigue Without Drugs—the Role of Hypoglycemia
My reaction to sugar was somewhat extreme. Most reaction are much more subtle and not as easy to diagnose. Here are some symptoms to look for that could be blamed on sugar intake: 
•   Anxiety
•   Nervousness
•   Restlessness
•   Irritability
•   Depression
•   Forgetfulness
•   Crying spells
•   Inability to concentrate
…And there are many more. 

How incredible would it be to just balance your sugar intake and solve these problems without the use of drugs? It may or may not work, but all you’ve lost is a few pounds! 

Here are some suggestions from The Hypoglycemic Diet to start you in the right direction: 
1) Avoidance of sugar, coffee, strong tea, nicotine if possible, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, cakes and sugary drinks, candy bars, colas, cookies, ice cream sweetish fruits such as bananas, grapefruit, melons, honey and dates (these fruits may be reintroduced at a later stage in moderation) etc.
2) High protein + complex carbohydrates snacks every three hours or sooner, to provide a slow release of glucose, and to prevent the hypoglycemic dip. A high protein breakfast must be considered the most important meal of the day. Good sources of proteins are eggs, white meat as in chicken and fish. Eat plenty of green vegetables and fruits and the more varied the diet the better it is.
3) Supplementation of diet with Anti-stress vitamin B-Complex tablets, including vitamin B6, B3, B12, chromium picolinate, magnesium, zinc + Vitamin C, and fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids), vitamin D. 
4) Other supplements that could slow down the absorption of glucose (thereby avoiding blood sugar peaks and the release of stress hormones) are: Psyllium Seeds Husks (1 tbsp. per day), Glucomannan including pectin (follow instructions on bottle), Grapefruit and Cinnamon.
So the sweet truth is that sugar is not so sweet after all. It can be downright mean. 

Let’s don’t let something so simple as sugar control our emotions. And did you know when we stop eating sugar, we stop craving it? But that’s another blog post…
From my heart,
Celeste
P.S. If you’d like more great information on sugar and diet, here’s the link to my delicious stack of articles on The Sweet Truth.
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Eating to Live, God's Pharmacy, Making Changes, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Music Therapy

17 March, 2012 by 7 Comments
Everyone is affected by music. In one form or another, it’s all around us. 
In the Bible, David wrote the entire book of Psalm dedicated to singing to the Lord. David had a heart for God, but if you read the stories of David in scripture, you also know he was just another sinful human being saved by the grace of God. 
Music has been used for years as therapy for depression, stroke victims, and accident victims—virtually anyone, whose brain has been altered—to aid in their recovery. 
One particular study quoted in a Men’s Health article, “How iTunes Cures Depression” does a good job explaining how music helps our brain without getting too sciency 😉

  • It’s a distraction. “The brain is organized in such a way that thinking about one bad thing recalls another,” Salimpoor says. “Music provides a great intrusion and breaks this cycle. When you’re concentrating on the music you hear, you don’t have the mental resources to focus on other negative thoughts.”
  • It gets you high. Salimpoor authored a study earlier this year published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, which found listening to your favorite songs boosts levels of the hormone dopamine. “Dopamine gets us excited and motivated to do things,” she says. “There are many drugs that target this system, but music provides a natural high.”
  • It makes you feel understood. Just because you’re feeling sad doesn’t mean you should avoid sad songs. In fact, “listening to sad songs can make you feel like someone out there knows exactly how you feel,” Salimpoor says. “And that can help you feel less alone when 
One of my favorite old country songs is “The Song Remembers When” by Trisha Yearwood. Being a country song, you know it’s about some relationship gone wrong, but I love the gist of the song. No matter what you’re doing or where you are, a song can take you back to a specific memory in time. And how true that is! Even this song takes me back to driving into the mountains about 18 years ago on our way to a weekend away in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. 
I know how horrible my memory is; yet I can hear a song and it will trigger a memory I hadn’t thought of in years. That’s pretty powerful. 
We know David sang to the Lord.
We know science has proven music to have positive effects to our brain. 
We know a song can take you back to a specific memory or event in time. 
So here’s my tip to a happier you for this week: I want you to listen to Christian Music and only Christian music for the next two weeks. Find a local Christian station, or use the free app, “TuneIn Radio,” on your iPhone and listen to my favorite, His Radio, WLFJ (89.3 FM).
Here are a few reasons why Christian music will be beneficial to you:
  1. Once you learn a few songs, you’ll love them.
  2. If you listen to the words, you can’t help but be blessed.
  3.  You end up worshiping every time you drive. 
  4. You’ll find that you and your kids will quickly learn the words and sing along. (You are writing scripture on their hearts.)
  5. You’ll begin thinking on good things, not putting songs in your mind about cheating, drinking, and gambling…subjects of a multitude of today’s pop and country music. (Just today I heard a 15-year-old refer to R&B music as “baby-makin’ music.”)
And the neatest benefit of all about listening to Christian music goes back to my favorite old country song: When “The Song” that you hear “Remembers When,” it will take you back to a time or a memory where there was Jesus. 
From my heart,
Celeste
P.S. For more articles on how music cures depression, check out my Delicious Stack here

 

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

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: , , , , ,