When a child is born

When a child is born and handed into loving arms, shaky from anticipation. Their parent looks down upon the perfection that is this tiny person and opens their heart in full embrace. They do not ponder their future sins or begrudge the pain of their birth. Love washes over it all. 

As their baby grows, so form growing pains. Sometimes shown in the form of harsh words, acts of rebellion and defiance, and pure challenge of authority... but through it all one things remains. The love. No matter how much they fight you or even wound you, you still can remember that day when all they wanted was you. Sleeping in your arms, completely dependent on your love.  No matter what they say or do they can't erase that memory; they can't make you stop loving them.

Our relationship with Jesus is just the same. 

The day you decided to love Him is the day you were born. No matter who you think you are/were to warrant disapproval, judgement, or general separation; all  he can see when he looks into your heart is the child who reached their arms toward the heavens and said "I love you".

If you do not love Jesus, that is the only thing you are guilty of. He made sure of that through great suffering. If you do love Him, that's the only thing you need. 

As a child learns to crawl, then walk... so He will gently teach you to walk with Him, always with an outstretched hand. 

Social Networking gone BIZERK

I am Melissa Williams and I am addicted to Facebook! 

That being said... I am a bit amazed at the level of obsession for online social networking that has taken over our society. 

It's definitely a head scratcher for me 

Case in point:

I was sitting in a restaurant with my husband and I looked over at a table next to me and saw a couple on a date. This couple was taking pictures of each other pretending to take bites of their food and posting the pictures on their facebook page. This was not a "fancy" restaurant.

So why is it necessary to have pictures of yourself eating there? 

My theory?

Modern culture is obsessed with sharing every moment of their lives along with every fleeting thought. I suppose it may be a method of feeling valuable without taking the time to form close relationships... either way... it confuses me. 

I have seen people post pictures of their dinner on facebook, share their outfit choice on facebook, update their weight and pant size every 2 days or so, update their "location" from EVERY. SINGLE. PLACE. They go!

Hey... I get it.... it's addicting.... but if you are out on a date with your mate it's OK to enjoy their company without taking pictures of them eating.

Enjoy life.... tell us about it later!!! :)

(this coming from the ironic/hypocritical blogger/facebook addict) 

Anxiety Stigma

Mental health conditions are victim to vast amounts of misunderstanding. The various forms, there of, are only truly understood when experienced. Anxiety disorders are, for example, often interpreted simple as social anxiety which is simply a POSSIBLE symptom of a a true anxiety disorder. 

Have you ever gone without sleep or food for an unreasonable amount of time until you feel as if someone is applying a cheese grater to your nerve endings? That is how people with anxiety disorders feel pretty much all the time. 

In stressful or dangerous situations our brains release adrenaline to equip our bodies and minds with heightened awareness and sensitivity. When the situation has passed our brains release endorphins and dopamine in order to recover from the adrenaline (so to speak). This is, incidentally, how people can become addicted to "thrill seeking".  With a person suffering from anxiety disorder it's as if someone has switched on their adrenaline and forgot to turn it off. There are no endophins or dopamine to compensate for the adrenaline and it forces them to feel that "cheese grater" sensation previously described. 

Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand simply due to the deficiency in tension releasing chemicals. These chemicals can be forced (short term) through exercise, drugs, and certain types of foods. In some cases, a regular exercise routine is all it takes to force your brain to "kick in" and start manufacturing necessary relaxing chemicals. For some, it requires a little more than that. 

Many people suffering from true anxiety resort to synthetic medications to allow them to feel "normal" enough to function. As described to me by a therapist "Medication for an anxiety disorder work like a coat on a snowy day. You still feel the cold, but it's not unbearable." 

Most of those on medications are on them for a temporary basis, averaging about 1 year, and then are weaned off of them as their condition improves. 

Social anxiety can make it very difficult to for the sufferers to communicate with others and to be in large groups of people, and social anxiety is very common in those already suffering from an anxiety disorder (although they can be mutually exclusive), but a true anxiety disorder is not actually a sensation necessarily of fear, but more often is it's a feeling of tension, frustration, and depression. 

It's incredibly easy to misunderstand a condition in which you've never experienced. It's also difficult, at times, for people suffering from conditions to really explain how their feeling, because it's inexplicable and/or they are ashamed, due to social stigma. Those with minor anxiety disorders would undoubtedly  have an easier time recovering from their conditions without said stigma for both the disease and the medications associated with them. The best road to recovery from anxiety is empathy and understanding. 

Be you

It's quite normal to feel an occasional sense of in inadequacy and/or a deep rooted desire to please. We are meant to live is a community, and while modern society has veered from this, somewhat, we still have a subconscious value for the thoughts and feelings of others. This is, in proper consideration (and company), a desirable trait.  Our sense of empathy should never be overruled by our desire for worldly independence. 

The problem comes in when we have difficulty establishing relationships based on this perceived inadequacy. The biggest relationship that suffers from this perception is our relationship with God. 

 

It's natural to assume that, due to God's overwhelming power, we must strive for his approval and acceptance. This can include the feeling that we must completely change our personality to be accepted by Him. After all, society teaches us that there are only a certain amount of acceptable personality combinations that can successfully thrive in modern times. 

This, of course, leaves out the "relationship factor". 

God didn't create you and then one day thought "when did they become such a basket case? I wish they were more like their brother!" 

No, instead, he appreciates your own brand of perspective and whatever it is about your personality (ie shy, overactive, mellow, exuberant, wary, overly trusting, intellectual, spiritual, etc) that you think makes you insufficient, actually makes you the perfect candidate for the life you are meant to lead and gives you the perfect amount of empathy for just the person/people you are meant to reach. 

Don't let society limit your possibilities by conforming your character away from who God made you to be. There is a mission for you right where your standing, being exactly who you are and as long as you're open to it there is no reason to feel insufficient.

Feeling fear meeting someone new  is normal but we should never be afraid to approach the throne of God, because there is nothing you can hide from God. There is nothing about you that he hasn't already seen since the beginning of time. 

Be you! :) 

  

Fail at Crunchyness

I absolutely fail at being "Crunchy". 

One the one hand, I am a big advocate for everything natural.

 I make my own... well... nearly everything... and am often wrist deep in soft soft essential oil, fixed oil, mixture.  

I am on a sugar/flour fast that may end up being a permanent lifestyle choice. (apart for occasional indulgences) 

I have done "oil-pulling" regularly drink chia seeds 

I am very very anti "antibiotics". 

I have a thyroid condition that I refuse medication for, but instead use natural supplements that work great 

I am in search of a holistic Dr. near by because I don't trust "mainstream" Doctors. 

I dream of having a piece of land that I can grown my own small organic farm 

I use coconut oil for nearly everything 

I on NO OCCASION drink soda  

I never buy anything "low fat" or "fat free" 

I loved and miss nursing my babies. 

I am making my own dog food and treats 

I use glass Tupperware. 

This is where I absolutely fail... ready crunchy friends???? Ready to look away in horror...???? OK... let's go!

I am not a worrier, by nature. I don't believe that everything is going to kill me and I tend to not get worked up over much.

I, on rare occasion, use bleach in my home, because it's cheap and it can help with eliminating certain amounts of "elbow grease" 

I use regular deodorant

I brush my teeth with regular toothpaste 

I am trying to make the perfect natural hair products, but I'm running into dead ends here and there (no pun intended) and sometimes splurge on something cheap to wash my hair with (I buy the natural expensive stuff for my kids) 

I like eating out more than I should... like... WAY more than I should (which is inevitably changing with my new diet) 

My kids are.... vaccinated... bum bum bum ;)  

My son is circumcised (and if we had had another boy, he would have been too) 

I like a glass of wine in the evening (not lately, but sometimes) 

I don't often buy organic meat or produce. I get local whenever possible, but I AM a bit a cheap skate. I'd rather have a fridge full of various produce that I can wash in a water/vinegar mixture than a few organic things.

I use regular makeup. I"m trying to find a natural alternative that doesn't completely break the bank, but insecurity, on my part, makes it difficult for me to go completely without. 

I loooove coffee. I put half and half and agave in it... but I really drink way more than my share... 

I used disposable diapers and wipes. 

I own and use a microwave 

While I use glass Tupperware, I often use plastic cups. 

I'm sure there's more.... but that's the gist.... I suck at being "crunchy", but I do love my family, I swear.