Thankful Thursday (c) Melanie Pruitt

The harder the day, the harder it is to be thankful.

I waited until the end of the day to write this “Thankful Thursday” post. That’s mostly because I was having a pretty hard day. As I wrote yesterday in my Yo-Yo post, life is so unpredictable when you have M.E./CFS, or any other number of chronic illness, for that matter.

Having had a flare begin 2.5 days ago, and a late doctors appointment yesterday afternoon that really tired me out, I awoke again today with aches and low fever at 6AM. I took tylenol and dosed but got up at my normal time to drink my tea.

I spent a little time online, reading emails, some of the blogs I follow and by 9:30 I thought I needed to go back to sleep. I had two emails left and then I was going to shut down my computer, when up popped a chat from a friend.

This is a very dear friend, who lives quite far from me. She’s been experiencing some extremely difficult things in her life lately.

I am SO so thankful that it was a Pajama Day and I was stuck in bed. My dear friend really needed to connect with someone, and I’m thankful to have been that someone today.

Never underestimate your value. I felt very worthless today, and yet, my “stuck in bed” day turned into a day I got to spend with my friend.

I am very thankful for that!

Jul 282010

Yes, that’s what I feel like… a Yo-Yo!

I never know from day to day – even from moment to moment what my life holds. One minute I’m happily engaging myself in the little things of life, and the next, I’m thrown downward.

I had a nice first half of the day yesterday…  Checked my email, drank my tea, got dressed, took out my Miata and put the top down, picked up a friend and had a nice hour of coffee and chatting. I came home, got a little sun (vit D), enjoyed some time with my daughter, and worked on my latest painting “Tropical Enchantment”.

Then, without warning – my throat suddenly felt scratchy. The Yo-Yo was being dropped… and quickly I went from a state of decent functioning, to sore throat, slighly feverish and aches all over my body. This is my typical sign of a M.E./CFS flare. Sometimes it last a short time, and sometimes it’s like that old Yo-Yo trick of “walking the dog”… I stay down for so long I wonder if I can get back up!

So it is with this illness. Thus, my life is filled with unknowns and I could easily freak out.

I want to share a song with you on this YouTube video below. Kathy Troccoli’s music has been a great encouragement to me for many years. I used to use one of her songs in a conference session I taught on dealing with difficult marriages. Now, I have 2 newer CD’s that minister to my heart as I struggle to grasp hold of this “Yo-Yo” life.

If it wasn’t for this truth – I don’t think I could go on… bouncing up and down unpredictably!

So here she is live, performing one song that has carried me through:

Words:

Life can be so good
Life can be so hard
Never knowing what each day
Will bring to where you are
Sometimes I forget
And sometimes I can’t see
That whatever comes my way
You’ll be with me

My life is in your hands
My heart is in your keeping
I’m never without love
Not when my future is with you

My life is in your hands
And though I may not see clearly
I will lift my voice and sing
Cause your love does amazing things
Lord, I know, my life is in your hands

Nothing is for sure
Nothing is for keeps
All I know is that your love
Will live eternally
So I will find my way, yes
And I will find my peace
Knowing that you’ll meet my every need

My life is in your hands
My heart is in your keeping
I’m never without love
Not when my future is with you

My life is in your hands
And though I may not see clearly
I will lift my voice and sing
Cause your love does amazing things
Lord, I know, my life is in your hands

When I’m at my weakest love
You carry me
Then I become my strongest love
In your hands

My life is in your hands
And though I may not see clearly
I will lift my voice and sing
Cause your love does amazing things
Lord, I know, my life is in your hands
I trust you Lord
My life is in your hands

No matter whether I’m up or down, I’m trying to really embrace this life – even as memories of my “healthy” self tug at my heart. The reality is, it really doesn’t matter how “healthy” I was or what I used to do or be… NOW is where I live! NOW is what I must make count! Memories are fine to enjoy, but not to chase after. Instead, I’m chasing after the best “me” no matter the circumstances.

Because… my life is in His hands!

Castle Baths 2

Have I ever found a fantastic company with spa products that not only pamper, but are aimed at reducing pain and increasing your health!

Let me introduce you to Castle Baths!

I’ve had the great pleasure of conversing and getting to know the owner of Castle Baths. I was impressed with how much she understood the health benefits of her products. For those with Fibromyalgia, M.E./CFS, M.S, and a multitude of other ailments, these are the spa products that are best suited for your needs!

bath-salt-sc

I was especially intrigued with the dead sea products and I received a full jar of Sweet Communion Dead Sea Bath Salts to review. The product description opens with “Leg cramps? try our Dead Sea Bath Salts with Lavender & Ylang Ylang”

I instantly thought of the muscle pain, and joint pain I experience with my M.E./CFS and was excited to have a nice bath soak.

I had also just been reading an important website by Dr. Mayhill about getting enough minerals – especially magnesium. She suggested soaking in Epsom salts, so I asked the owner of Castle Baths what the difference would be in Epsom salt and Dead Sea Salts. She told me that Dead Sea Salts have a great variety of minerals for your skin to soak in, and also detox your skin just like Epsom salts, but there is one big difference. Dead Sea Salts hydrated your skin and leave is silky smooth – Epsom salts dry your skin out.

Wow… was she ever right. I drew my bath and added a capful of salts to the bath. The aroma was intoxicating, inviting me to come in and relax. Unlike general bath salts from the market store, the fragrance lingered throughout my whole bath, with the Lavender and Ylang Ylang even helping my mind to relax!

Just as promised, my body was was so hydrated and smooth all day long, that I never even used any body lotions!!!

Of course, I can’t “see” the minerals and the detoxing (which my body needs badly), but from all that I’ve read about good salt soaks, I’m sure there are great benefits to my health from this soak!

passion-massageoilt prayer-massage-oilt swtdreams-massageoil-prt

I was also sent several samples of Castle Baths essential oil blends. I dabbed a little of the “Passion” on in the evening and got a big smile from my husband. I’m guessing I might finagle a full back rub soon!

My favorite scents were these three: Passion, Prayer, and Sweet Dreams.

I use a CPAP to sleep, and it’s hard to use any aromatherapy at bedtime, but I dabbed just a bit of the Sweet Dreams on my nose as I getting ready for bed. And I found it very relaxing as I readied for bed and could even smell it for a short bit while falling asleep, even with my CPAP on.

dead-sea-mud-n Yes, Castle Baths was very generous to me, and she also sent me some Dead Sea Mud! I was very excited about this, as I had wanted to try this product too!

The website claims: “Dead Sea Mud is a Natural Alternative to Expensive & Painful Chemical Peels! A gentle cleanser, reaching deeply through the skin surface to draw out impurities. Offer your skin a radiance with a newborn freshness.”

Ah… with my age quickly creeping towards 50, I can use all the help I can get with my complexion!

But on top of that, I again had health in mind! It contains 26 minerals, absorbs dirt and pollutants clinging to the skin, and has high magnesium content too! It’s great for those who struggle with acne or  psoriasis.

I have only used it once on my face, and my face hasn’t looked this good in years. It was clean, and smooth… not dried out, but not oily ALL DAY LONG! It’s only meant to be used once or twice a week, so I’ve washed with my regular face soap the rest of the week, and plan on another face treatment today. AND… I’m going to use it on my hair, and shoulders and arms… all places that need smoothing, cleansing and detoxing!

As you can tell… I LOVED Castle Baths products!!! I have a list of products I want to buy and am greatly enjoying this pampering because I know that it’s not just pampering my emotions, it’s taking care of body that is struggling with health! What a great combination!

And, yes! Castle Baths is offering a GIVEAWAY here on my blog!

One lucky winner will get to choose between an 8 oz Dead Sea Mud or a 16oz salt Sweet Communion Dead Sea Salts!

GIVEAWAY ENDS MONDAY AUGUST 2ND at 12PM Pacific Time. Winner will be contacted and will have 48 hours to respond.

ENTRY: Just one post will enter you into this Giveaway. All you need to do is visit Castle Baths website and leave a comment here telling me one product you’d like to try that I didn’t mention in my review!

EXTRA ENTRIES: Want more chances to win? Here are several things you can do. You must post each one in a separate comment and each comment counts as another entry! (NOTE: all entries will be checked for accuracy and any post not following entry guidelines will be deleted before drawing takes place.)

  • Follow me on Google Friend Connect (on the left sidebar)
  • Follow @CastleBaths on Twitter
  • Follow me on Twitter @CreatorsPalette and tweet this giveaway. You may tweet once a day and leave the link in a post as an entry. (If you tweet every day from now until the giveaway closes, that’s 11 entries!) Feel free to use this sample tweet or the tweet button at the top of this post: Win Dead Sea Spa Products from @CastleBaths on http://tinyurl.com/2a3rucu #CreatorsPalette #giveaway #spa
  • Subscribe to my Feeburner email feed OR RSS feed (please tell me which you one you chose) Both are on the upper left sidebar
  • Leave a comment on any of my other posts in July (list of archived posts on the right sidebar) and then leave a comment here telling which post you commented on (up to 3 entries – leave a separate comment here for each one)

Winner will be picked with “And The Winner Is” WordPress Plug-in

**I did not receive any compensation for this review. All my comments are my sole opinion after using the products sent to me.

I’ve loved you since before I knew you my darling daughter! How happy I am to have been blessed by your presence in my life these past 24 years.

What wonderful memories of all the hours we spent watching Sesame Street, listening to your record and then your tapes of Sesame Street songs, going to the Sesame Street store to see all the little plastic characters, your purse full of little Sesame Street plastic characters (you don’t still carry one in your purse do you?), and all the Sesame street toys and games we played with!!!

You will always be our “Cereal Girl” … love you, and I’m proud of you my darling girl!

Friends – for those of you in the midst of child raising years, trust me. They go faster than you can imagine right now while you’re in them. But, there is a lot to look forward to, because adult children are as priceless as those little babes you tuck into bed at night!

Treasure your time now, but also look forward to all the years and treasured times ahead!


“Sisters… Sisters… there were never such devoted sisters…”

~Irving Berlin from White Christmas

Every child experiences fear. There is fear of the dark, fear of thunderstorms, and fear of “things” under the bed. In the past year, children have also experienced adult-sized fears.

Three weeks after the September 11 Twin Towers tragedy, I was packing my bags to fly to Alaska. My eight-year-old kept hugging me and telling me he didn’t want me to go. My 11-year-old tearfully asked me what she would do if I didn’t come home.

My children were fearful for my safety, and the truth was, so was I.

How do we help our children deal with difficult fears such as these? I have discovered three important factors in calming my children’s distress.

Emphasize God’s goodness.

It’s tempting to dismiss our children’s fears and assure them that nothing bad will happen. But if we do, we may be setting them up to feel abandoned or lied to. I couldn’t promise my kids that I would be safe on that flight or that nothing would happen to me. I didn’t have control over who else might board and what their motives would be—just as I don’t have control over other drivers on the road, and I can’t stop disease from entering my body.

It’s important to help our children feel confident in God’s goodness, even when the answer to their prayers or the outcome of a situation may look different from what they had wanted. Although I couldn’t promise my children I would be safe, I could promise them that God loved them and would always be with them and take care of them. I promised them that He would only allow what was best for me, for them, and for His perfect plans.

King David experienced many moments of fear, yet in Psalm 34 we find him focused on God’s goodness. David reviewed the many times God had already rescued him. This led him to trust God with all of his present fears.

I have found that David’s process of remembering God’s goodness is necessary for my children and me. On the day before my trip, we sat down together and made it a game to see how many good things we could remember about God. By the end, instead of being filled with fear, my kids were joyful over the many blessings they have received from God. I have tried to teach my children to look for God’s goodness in all situations—good or bad.

Teach them to pray.

I have always felt that it was important to teach my children to take their fears to God. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” When my kids were very small, I would pray out loud for them. I prayed for God’s protection and thanked Him for His goodness and love. As my children grew, I encouraged them to pray out loud after I had prayed. Then I began encouraging them to pray first. Over the years, they have learned to tell God about their fears and to thank Him in advance for His help.

We have also spent time memorizing verses that remind us of God’s love and protection. I encourage my children to say these verses quietly until they fall asleep. One of their favorites has been Ps. 56:3–4

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”

When they were young, my children enjoyed a song with these verses. I would often hear them humming it in bed after the lights were out.

As I left for Alaska that day, I reminded them that if they felt fearful they could pray anywhere and anytime. The Bible verses they had memorized were in their hearts, and God was with them at all times.

Model Trust

How do you handle fear? Our children perceive much more than we generally give them credit for. They see our fear, and they watch us when we worry, obsess about problems, and try to control outcomes. Children see right through us when we teach one thing and live another.

As my children and I talked about my upcoming trip, I knew that I had to put my own fears in God’s hands. I modeled the steps I had taught my children. We remembered together how God had brought about this trip and talked about the wonderful things He could do through it. We recalled the many trips I had taken in the past, the great works God had done, and the safety He had provided. Then we prayed together. We prayed for my safety, for the person who would sit next to me on the plane, and for the people I would meet. We asked God to help us trust Him—no matter what happened.

By the time I left, all of us were excited about my trip. The children slept great while I was gone, and they prayed for me each day. My daughter told me later that she still didn’t know how she would live without me, but that she was confident God would help her if that’s what she had to do. Now that’s real trust!


What are some of the things you do to help your children deal with fear?

Written by Melanie Pruitt ©2002

“How Do I Help My Children Deal With Fear?” Originally Published in the July | August 2002 issue of Discipleship Journal

poppies

These poppies seemed the perfect compliment to our bright summery days for my Wordless Wednesday picture.

Can you guess where this picture was taken?

Leave a comment with your guess, and if you are the first to guess right – I’ll email you a copy without the watermark that you can use as a desktop background!

Blessings,

7/17: No guesses yet???

HINT: It’s a famous place on the West Coast!

HINT #2: A famous place in CA

Well that wasn’t a very successful guessing game LOL! This picture of Iceland Poppies was taken at…. DISNEYLAND!

Watch for future photo guess – giveaways

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