My life has been so busy these last few weeks I’ve had a hard time just posting twice a week, and on Fridays it’s just a five minute post! But I can’t let mother’s day go by without a quick post for my mom. Among many other things, she’s one of my biggest fans! I could not have made it thus far in life without her. Besides the fact that she did bring me into this world, and probably wanted {Read More}
Comfort… Snuggling with our puppies A white goose-down comforter A fire in the fireplace A warm cup of tea on a cold day Cuddling with my kids to watch a movie Sleeping late with my hubby on a Saturday morning Reading a book in my loft watching the rain out the window A hot bubble bath But the ultimate comfort: Knowing that God sent His son to die on the cross for our sins so we can spend eternity with {Read More}
I’m linking up with Holly Gerth today on the subject of Paying it Forward. Back in the year 2000 a movie titled, “Pay It Forward” opened in the box office and made a huge impact on my life. The concept of paying it forward, though not a new concept, was introduced in this movie in a way that brought new attention to it. Especially for me. Enjoy this short clip before we continue… I’m not going to spoil the {Read More}
Five minutes: Go When I think of the word “Brave,” I think, “What does it take to be brave?” Fear. Without fear, there would be no need for bravery. So it takes fear to be brave. Courage. Without courage, it would be impossible to be brave. So it takes courage to be brave. Then there’s that verse: If God is for us, who can be against us? That verse that we hear so often, but it’s so hard to really {Read More}
Are you passionate about something? How did that passion arise in your heart? Is it a hobby? Is it a calling? A labor of love? Satan loves to discourage us. To make us think our passions—our dreams—are insignificant, or downright foolish. Don’t let him have the satisfaction. Here are seven quick tips to keep your passion alive: (Click here to tweet this ) 1. Stay connected to it every day, one way or another~No matter what your passion is, I {Read More}
This letter is to all of those moms who are hiding, imprisoned by their addiction to prescription drugs; longing for a freedom they don’t believe is possible. Dear Friend, Being a woman is hard. I believe we have Eve to thank for that! No one tells us all of the many hats we must wear as a woman. Let’s see if I can name a few: Friend Daughter Sister Wife Mother Housekeeper Cook Chauffer Launderer Mediator Room-mom Home accountant {Read More}
My brain explodes as I try to write for only five minutes about friends. Friends shape who you are. My very first friend I met standing in the middle of the street at 2 years old as she instructed me, “never say the word ‘damn’.” We are still best friends today. I love you Jacqueline! My best college friend waits for me in Heaven. Oh how I wish I could turn back time, though I’m sure I couldn’t have changed {Read More}
I’m linking up with Holly Gerth at God-Sized Dreams, and when I saw today’s subject (taking a little time out to play) I knew I had to tell you about my trip! In the midst of a writer’s conference, a speaker’s conference, and a blogger’s conference I’m attending this year (yes, all three in one year…I think I’ve lost it), I’m headed to Europe for the first time in my life. My very first time out of the country. One of {Read More}
Linking up with Lisa-Jo over at The Gypsy Mama for Five-Minute Friday. One word topic, write for five minutes, stop. Today’s word is “Jump.” Go… When I was 8 years old, I was determined to break the world record for jumping rope. I was pretty good at it, and just knew I could do it. Three hours later and days from the record, I was pooped! But I tried. I jumped. In the days after the Boston Marathon {Read More}
I’m linking up with Holly Gerth at God-Sized Dreams today and this prompt really whalloped me over the head, so I decided to make it today’s prescription. Could someone maybe have shared that little tidbit of information with me 10 years ago when I had my first grand-mal seizure? I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. I was too wrapped up in my own little pity party to hear what anyone else was trying to tell me…including God. When I {Read More}
On April 10, the Today Show aired a piece on prescription drugs used in the United States. Normally, the Today Show is so liberal, I don’t always agree, but they really did a great section on the “Pill Nation” we live in today. Here are some of their findings: They pose the question: Is America overprescribed? Are we taking too many prescriptions for our own good? Over 4 billion prescriptions were written in 2011~of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. {Click {Read More}
{Now honestly, here is where I want to be} But “Here” is somewhere for everybody. “Here” may be: On the Peter Pan ride at Disney World In the hospital surrounded by concerned family On a soccer field being cheered on by fans Sitting at your desk at work thinking, “how is it only 8:57 Am?” Writing a Five-Minute Friday post in my pj’s with my dog snoring beside me. I used to wish away my {Read More}
I’m linking up today with Holly Gerth, author of “Dream God-Sized Dreams. Here’s the writing prompt to write this post: “Fear hangs out right next to whatever it is you’re most called to do. That means the closer you get to your calling, the louder fear sounds. Keep going–fear is a chihuahua that sounds like a Doberman.” — You’re Made for a God-sized Dream, Chapter Five It’s in letter format, and she wants us to begin with an {Read More}
Today is my Miranda’s 19th birthday! How time has flown and what a sweet and oh-so-sassy young lady you have become! I couldn’t be a prouder mom (except maybe if you kept your room a little cleaner)
Couldn’t resist creating a beachy Facebook timeline cover for you as we are enjoying spring break this week. When I look out at the ocean, I’m in awe of God’s creation. And it’s true…as deep and blue as that ocean, God loves us more. Post this on your FB page and enjoy the reminder! (Click HERE to tweet) Thank you! To make this photo your facebook timeline photo: 1. Click on the photo and a menu will come up where you {Read More}
Linking up with The Gypsy Mama (Lisa-Jo) today for Five-Minute Friday. Today’s prompt is “After” Ready…Set…Go! Defining moments. They tend to occur AFTER something happens…whether it’s an event, an accomplishment, a tragedy…and it made me think of the defining moments in my life. AFTER I graduated from high school AFTER I graduated from pharmacy school AFTER I married my high-school sweetheart AFTER my life was uprooted to move to Atlanta AFTER the birth of my first baby {Read More}
Join me today over at Inspire a Fire to read “A Letter to My Enemy” if you haven’t read it before. Satan has so many tools at his disposal, and he is so sneaky in the way he uses them. Don’t fall into the trap of prescription drug addiction like I did. Sure, I had grand-mal-siezures, broken bones, surgery…plenty of good reasons to need narcotics (Lortab) for pain. But even as a pharmacist, I didn’t realize the physical effect they {Read More}
When Marlee was in kindergarten at Mauldin First Baptist, her teacher had to test each of the children at the end of the year on their alphabet. Mrs. Alli called out the letters in no particular order for Marlee to name each letter… When Alli and I had a conference at the end of school, she informed me that Marlee had received 100% on her alphabet, but she’d had to alter the rules for one particular letter. When {Read More}
1. Peace~Claim it; God has already given it to us. I have said these things to you, than in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 ESV) 2. Procrastination~Stop it; We always regret it when we procrastinate. Why do we do it even though we know better? The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. (Proverbs {Read More}
Broken. I get so frustrated over broken dishwashers, piled up laundry, and dog hair on the floor. I forget what’s important. I am broken. Young school children happily carrying on their day have their lives abruptly and horrifically taken by a crazed gunman. Our community is broken. Pornography is readily available to anyone on the Internet. Many dollars and days are being spent in Washington DC arguing gay marriage. Drug addiction is rising faster than ever before. Our nation is {Read More}
Maybe having my wisdom teeth pulled was my first mistake. At only 16, the decision was made for me. There must be a reason God gave us “wisdom” teeth, regardless of who actually named them. The pain from that surgery was the first time I let you into my life. You did a good job. You took away my pain and only made me a little nauseous. After a few days, the pain was gone, and so were you. {Read More}
Spring has sprung! Enjoy this free timeline photo for your Facebook page! Spring brings so much new beauty to the earth. (Feel free to click here to tweet and share.) If you like what I’ve created for you would you do me a favor? Just share this post using the “Share the Love” buttons at the bottom of the page, or subscribe to my blog in your email. I loved working in the pharmacy because people came to me. Selling {Read More}
Five minutes. Okay. I can do this. This is my first time participating in the five-minute Friday linkup, but I thought it would be a great exercise to hone my writing skills…or just randomly throw my thoughts out to the world-wide web I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker over at The Gypsy Mama and today’s topic is “Remember.” My hubby has been out of town for the last three days, so it’s been just me at home with the kiddos. Three {Read More}
A few posts ago I did a tutorial on drug interactions. As I said then, it’s so important for us, as patients, to take responsibility for our own health and educate ourselves so we are not so dependent on others. With the availability of the internet and some direction on which sites are reputable, there is TONS of FREE education right here at our fingertips. As I love to say, my go-to’s are God and Google. (Care to tweet that?) {Read More}
I don’t normally do author interviews on my blog, but this is one Author that had to be recognized. This is an interview with the author of THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK EVER WRITTEN. Click here to tweet Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I am the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. I do not faint or grow weary; My understanding is unsearchable. (Isiah 40:28) I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is {Read More}
Today I’m sharing a tutorial I posted on YouTube on drug interactions. As I’ve shared in my last few blog posts, drug interactions are becoming a huge problem due to the increasing number of prescriptions people take. Take a few minutes (it’s short, I promise) to watch the video and then practice with your own prescription medications to see if there are any problems taking them together. If you do find interactions, don’t panic, and don’t abruptly stop taking your {Read More}
Working in retail pharmacy for 21 years, I saw the following scenario way too many times. The circumstances and drugs were different, but the result was the same. The patient had been placed in danger due to the pitfalls that can occur when getting a prescription filled. And I’m talking about when the prescription is filled correctly from the first step to the last. These pitfalls go beyond the actual filling of the prescription. In the busy, prescription-hungry culture we {Read More}
Come visit me over at Addiction Blog today. Can you really ever feel normal after narcotic addiction?
Have you ever thought about the number of prescriptions your pharmacy fills every day? The smaller, independent pharmacies are on the lower end of the scale, but it’s not uncommon for your corner CVS or Walgreens to fill 700-1500 prescriptions every day. The use of prescription drugs in the United States on the rise and the statistics are staggering. Check out what the Centers for Disease Control reported in 2010: Over the last 10 years, the percentage of Americans {Read More}
In all honesty, I have very little artistic talent, but I can be fairly creative. The problem is, creativity takes time, which is always in short supply. But with a little motivation from a friend and a really cool tree I’ve always wanted to make something with, I decided to make a Valentine’s tree this year. My curly-branched tree is called a “Curly Ligustrom” for any of you green-thumbs out there. In the summer, the leaves disguise the branches and {Read More}
In all of my Google searches involved in the WordPress learning process, I stumbled upon a fun little site called Tagxedo. For anyone who loves words, you will LOVE Tagxedo. You can completely customize your words, image, colors, etc. and create all kinds of fun stuff! Just for fun, I created a screensaver for Valentine’s day for you to upload by clicking here: FREE VALENTINE SCREENSAVER Enjoy! I’ve never been great at tutorials, but if y’all are interested, just leave {Read More}
So much for Simple Saturdays, life has been anything but simple this week. One of my closest friends learned that her mom committed suicide (pills) on the same day she learned she’s having a baby boy. My short and oh-so-sassy 18-year-old daughter had her heart broken yesterday after attending a funeral for a boy her age who died of an accidental overdose. Pills…pills…pills…are taking over our families! How have we come to this? I remember seeing a video about the {Read More}
I’m excited to be over at addiction blog today with an article and powerful poem on the spiritual warfare of addiction. Please visit me over there today and feel free to leave a comment! I’ll be posting the poem here on my blog in a few weeks. Please share it with anyone you know who might be battling with the hopelessness of addiction.
I love how people pick one word as their word to live by for the year. Last year, my one word was simply “God.” I wanted to make God the center of everything in my life…to the extent that every decision I made each day was centered around my faith in him. Overall, I think the year went pretty well. Obviously, I didn’t consider God with every decision…like Chinese or Pizza for supper…but he was present and accounted for in every {Read More}
When I met my friend Betsy on a school field trip with our kids, I knew I’d met someone intriguing that I wanted to befriend, and she completely dismissed me, thinking I was just being nice. What intrigued me about her was her view on eating and using only organic products. The minute she heard I was a pharmacist, she assumed I was only interested in the synthetic world of drugs and wrote me off immediately. After a few {Read More}
Okay. So I set up this series of posts before Christmas, and of course these last few I’ve written at the last minute (It’s just after midnight on the 10th). And right now, I don’t feel very qualified to write a post about being overwhelmed, because I am so overwhelmed right now! Not really about important things, just things that seem urgent—like taking down my real Christmas tree that is still standing (well, actually kind of falling apart at this point). And {Read More}
Everyone has a past. That past, good or bad, can shape you into the person you are to become—good or bad. Sometimes bad experiences from the past could cause us to make poor choices in our future, and then sometimes just the opposite is true. Sometimes it’s the bad events of the past that cause us to make good decisions for our future. The point is, you either learn from your past or you don’t. How many times have you {Read More}
When Ann Voskamp wrote her book, One Thousand Gifts, she obviously awakened a place we’ve needed to get back to. A place where we can “live fully right where we are.” As part of the human {rat}race, we are always “movin’ on up” as George Jefferson would say. We are constantly trying to be better—richer, thinner, more talented, etc. We search for blessings in our future as things we must earn. If we spend out entire lives striving to be more, when {Read More}
Well, here it is 11:17 pm on Jan 6th. My goal for the first 10 days of the year was to post once daily about how certain thoughts can actually change our world. And I believe 100% in these ten “thoughts” I’m writing about. My goal of posting daily for the first ten days of the year, however, might have been a bit ambitious. Because now it’s 11:23 pm, and I’m ending up worrying about myself after all because I {Read More}
Forgiving someone who has done you wrong is very difficult for some people. Our human instinct tells us to hold a grudge against people who have hurt us. But we are all sinners, and we have all hurt someone in one-way or another. What if no one ever forgave? The world is bad enough as it is, but what if we held a grudge against every single person who’d wronged us; and what if everyone who we’ve ever hurt held {Read More}
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephasians 5:15-17 ESV) Let’s look at the definitions of “urgent” and “important…” urgent |ˈərjənt| adjective (of a state or situation) requiring immediate action or attention : the situation is far more urgent than politicians are admitting. See note at crucial . • (of {Read More}
Money typically causes more problems than anything else, but unfortunately, it’s one of the necessary evils in life. Money is necessary to live, and does provide opportunity. Because we must work for money, we tend to become selfish with it. We do need to be responsible, planning for our future and that of our family, yada, yada, yada… But the statement “money will never buy happiness” is so true. Just like the “stuff” I referred to in my last post, {Read More}
This lesson has been a hard lesson for me to learn. We moved into a new house in April of 2007. A big, clean, empty house. Our forever house. To fill with children and grandchildren…and of course the Vaughan Zoo. So how is it that a mere five years later you’d think we’d lived in this house through at least three generations? But the closets and drawers are full, and my hubby’s business is storage warehouses, so naturally we have {Read More}
, a There’s just no two ways about it, marriage is a tricky business. I just gave my daughter a book to read by Gary Chapman—Things I Wish We’d Known Before We Got Married. I would have loved to had that book before I got married, but honestly, I doubt I would have read it. Young, head-over-heels in love, with nothing but marital bliss in my future, I knew nothing bad could happen. I mean, we’d dated for almost six years, and we {Read More}
Life in this world is difficult. No doubt about it. Every step of life brings a new set of struggles. What is hard for us to see, though, is that everything we go through shapes us into the person God wants us to become. How many times have you quoted Romans 8:28 when someone is going through a difficult time? And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called {Read More}
One of the first non-fiction books I ever read was The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. I was in my first year of college at Clemson University, and I was hopelessly homesick. My mom put everything into my hands she could to help me through that first semester at Clemson, and that book was part of the package. It’s a shame wisdom comes with age, but I’m sure it’s all part of God’s plan. That’s one of those {Read More}
Today we are celebrating Trevor’s 14th birthday. When each of my children were born, I carefully and meticulously chose their baby book and wrote them each their own lullaby. I kept a journal for each one, recording funny, sweet, and sad stories about each one. All of my children love to hear stories from when David and I were little, but there are so many we can’t remember. Hopefully, by journaling (and now blogging), my grandchildren (that sounds really weird {Read More}
If Christmas was supposed to be about Santa, it would have been called Santamus. Or Clausemus. Instead it’s Christmas. There is magic in Christmas, and that magic is Christ. May you have a magically blessed Christmas, focusing on HIm. For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)
A water buffalo. A water buffalo? Yep. I just purchased my first water buffalo. Contrary to what Larry Boy says, everyone does not have a water buffalo. And of course everyone does not need a water buffalo. But for the group of people considered the “delete,” not worthy anything even among their own people, a water buffalo could mean everything. {Care to tweet that?} Every year when Christmas rolls around, we struggle to figure out what to get people. {Read More}
As we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, anticipating the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I’ve been trying to imagine the birth of Jesus from different perspectives. We read the Christmas story year after year, but we are always spectators, watching from a distance. What would it be like to be the one chosen to give birth to Jesus? Listen to this song by Francesca Battistelli and imagine these words are being spoken by you, the mother of {Read More}
I’m sleepy. It’s a little after 8:00 a.m. and I’m sitting at church before the early service while Trevor is in band practice. If you know me, you know I’d rather be home in my bed planning to come to the 11:0o service. I’m trying to get used to my new WordPress blog. I could post so quickly on blogger, but this is taking a bit longer to learn, and life is super busy right now. My brain is tired! {Read More}
Drug addiction…pure joy? Hardly. Drug addiction often seems impossible to overcome. It cannot be done alone, yet it’s deemed so shameful it’s difficult to share with anyone to get help. So many people attempt to overcome it alone, which Satan just loves. Because the brain is affected so specifically in drug addiction, going it alone just gives Satan a welcome invitation to set up residence in your brain. He will justify all of the wrong decisions you make. Loneliness is {Read More}
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 {Read More}
Drugs do not discriminate when choosing their prey. Living in a society so dependent on pharmaceuticals, it’s easy to fall into Satan’s trap of addiction. Our human nature desires immediate gratification, which is one of the most powerful tools Satan uses. I’m super excited today to have an article over at Addiction Blog today. Addiction Blog is a resource for all types of addiction, but is almost exclusively educational. I’ve been given the opportunity to share my knowledge as a {Read More}
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 {Read More}
Patience. Not my strongest virtue. I’ve decided to switch from blogger to wordpress, and the learning curve is huge! So I’ll be exercising my patience and yours as I rebuild this website…and during such a busy time of my life! I will not give up. I will not give up. I will not give up. There. First wordpress post complete. Time to hit “publish” and see how it looks! I’m sure I have a long way to go to get {Read More}
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 {Read More}
Whenever I yell through the house to the kids, their first response is “Hold on.” It doesn’t matter why I’m calling them—to come down for supper, finish a chore, or eat a hot fudge sunday, the response is still the same. “Hold ooonnnnn!” As a parent, it drives me crazy. When I call them, I want and expect them to come. As children of God, how often do we put him on hold? God, let me just get through these {Read More}
Our marriage verse. Our life verse. Has it always been easy? No. Have we served none the less? Yes. When I ponder our lives and see where we are now, the choice was always clear. We will serve the Lord. And he has rewarded us abundantly. Enjoy a little beachy goodness from our vacation The fancy… and the fun… Hope you enjoyed the… From my heart, Celeste
Don’t you just love this verse? Current application for me: V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N We are immersing ourselves in white sugary beaches and tantalizing blue water. (View from our balcony) Rest for a while, he says. Vacations of my past were filled with the stress and anxiety of addiction, migraine headaches and seizures. Especially at the beach. The glaring sun and blistering heat set up perfect conditions. Those vacations were anything but restful—only stressful and guilt-ridden. My family suffered the consequences of my {Read More}
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… {Read More}
I’m a “want-it-right-now” kinda girl. Patience is not one of my virtues. Obviously over the seven years I was sick, God was well aware of my lack of patience and was trying to teach me a thing or two. And I’ve learned my lesson. The hard way. Making changes that produce great results don’t come easy. No matter how many times I throw away all the junk in my pantry promising myself that I will feed me and my family {Read More}
I wanted to share this poem again today. This poem has been a very popular blog post for me, and I didn’t know who wrote it until today. From what I’ve found, a 21-year old woman wrote it by the name of Ashley Van Davis who lost her life to crystal meth. It was found in the top drawer of her dresser after she died. She may have written it about crystal meth, but it applies to any addictive substance. {Read More}
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 {Read More}
To keep your marriage brimming, With love in the loving cup, Whenever you’re wrong, admit it, Whenever you’re right, shut up. ~Ogden Nash, Marriage Lines: Notes of a Student Husband Such a simple poem, but so hard to do! No one can get under our skin quite like the one we live with every day, wake up with every morning, go to bed with every night, pay bills with…you know. And Satan loves to keep us too busy to really {Read More}
Here are a few things I know about taste and mood: It makes us happy to eat something sweet…a comfort food. If we eat a healthy diet, we feel better and are therefore happier. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. We feel happier—more satisfied—when our stomachs are full. And last but not least… Food is often about relationships. Relationships between us and God, us and friends, and us and our own soul. There have been tons of {Read More}
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 {Read More}
Oh how I wish I could find more time to write. My brain seems to overflow with ideas, none of which come to fruition on paper. And today’s topic—I’ll be honest—is not terribly exciting, but is very important. One that I’ve done more than my share of research on over the years. Finding a prescription verse for today’s topic was a little tough. I don’t think the Bible actually addresses putting preservatives in our food. I could go back to {Read More}
I’m back to my posts on how we can use the five senses God gave us to fight depression and made us happier. Today it’s the power of touch. The touch of Jesus is illustrated through story after story in the Bible. The story from the prescriptions verse above where he touched the leper and healed him. The story of Peter when he stepped out of the boat to walk on water. When he took his eyes off Jesus, he {Read More}
I’m beginning to think I’ve never placed enough value on actually counting my blessings. I know I’m blessed. I’ve had a very comfortable life overall—yes I struggled for those awful seven years, but I now see that as a blessing too! It’s the small blessings in the every day that I take for granted. The prescription verse today tells us whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father. I’ve had some gentle reminders lately that {Read More}
David and I have been in Chicago this week at a training seminar for a home health care franchise we are purchasing in South Carolina. My brain is drained and we’ve had very little sleep. As I was in the seminar this morning, I was thinking, “When am I going to get my blog post done for tomorrow?” (You know the perfectionist in me can’t leave you without a {tips to a happier you} post for Saturday). As we were looking {Read More}
I am so blessed to have great kids—all three of them. But I often have people ask, “What in the world did you do to have such a great teenager?” She has her values in place, she is a leader rather than a follower, and she loves Jesus. Now is she a slob? Yes. Do I have to stay on her all the time to get her chores done? Yes. Could she screw up at any given moment? Yes. But {Read More}
I’ve written a few blog posts recently about freedom. With Memorial Day just behind us and July 4th ahead, we see much in the news about the freedom of our country. I’m thankful every day for the soldiers who fight for our country’s freedom. But for each of us personally, what good is the freedom of our country if we aren’t free within ourselves? Freedom is a big word. Personal freedom is like a hot air balloon. There are so {Read More}
As a pharmacist who became the patient for seven years, I gained quite the understanding on depression. If you’ve never experienced it, I’m rejoicing with you! It’s not a place you want to go. If you have experienced it…well, I’m right there with you. In the gloomy pit of despair and hopelessness that is depression, desperation is born. The desire to be out of that pit is overwhelming. We will do anything to get out. Prozac, one of the most {Read More}
Have you ever heard God speak? If God called you on the phone, would you recognize his voice? I remember as a teenager trying to figure out if God was telling me to do something, or if it was just made up in my head. It can be very confusing to know God’s voice as opposed to the “voices in your head” if you don’t talk to him—and listen to him—enough. Many people ask, “Why pray if God already know {Read More}
What does the word “freedom” mean to you? You’ve just been released from prison? You are finally out of that abusive relationship you’d been in? You are free from the bonds of an addiction? You’ve finally paid off those student loans from school? You finally got out of your three year old daughter’s room that she locked you in with the lock you put on {Read More}
I love the convenience of the grocery store. One stop shopping, everything in one place. I try to buy organic when I can, shopping at Whole Foods or Earth Fare, but I do my share of Wal-Mart shopping as well. Well, my family and I went on a “Farm Tour” this weekend. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. Here in the Upstate, there are about 30 farms within easy driving distance that all participated in a tour to make {Read More}
There really is an app for everything. My kids were playing with my phone the other day asking me things like, “Do you know what Astrophobia is? Or what about Didaskaleinophobia? Katasaridaphobia?” They found an app that listed all known phobias. A smorgasbord of all of the crazy—and not so crazy—things people are afraid of. Did you know there are over 500 identified and named phobias? Here’s a small sample: Astrophobia- Fear of stars or celestial space. Katsaridaphobia- Fear of cockroaches {Read More}
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 {Read More}
During the process of writing my “Tips to a Happier You” series, I’ve thought about how I felt in the midst of my depression. Would I have been receptive to small, practical tips to help my depression? I can tell you the answer is no. There are just some lessons we have to learn the hard way. If I could have put some of these things into practice, I’m sure I would not have had to endure the hell I {Read More}
If you follow my blog, you know I haven’t been posting as much recently. I’m getting serious about my book, which I’ve been devoting more time to, so today I’m giving you an excerpt. If there were one part of my story I could forget, the narcotic addiction would be it. It took me a long time to include this in my book, but God has called me to be transparent. I love the verse I chose for today’s prescription. {Read More}
Be Encouraged and Inspired at this Free Online Christian Conference: Are you free in Christ, or do you find yourself bound by your circumstances, sins, or even your past? If your answer was one of the latter, you need to know that you are not alone. So many Christians today don’t feel like they are truly free. We feel like there is no way to move forward because of where we are or where we’ve been, and {Read More}
This time of year brings so much of everything, and for many it means busy, busier, and busiest. That’s sure what it means for me. So earlier this week when I ended up waiting two hours for a doctor’s appointment, I was a little frustrated. It just so happened that I had a book in my purse I’d won in a drawing, Eden Derailed, so I pulled it out to read. Well, the Mars and Venus authors have nothing on {Read More}
Parenting. Whew! It’s a hard job these days! As if it’s not hard enough worrying about helping them with the basics like homework, friends, and dating, now we have to worry about the drugs that are rampant in our society today. Many people don’t realize how dangerous drugs are. These drugs are deadly–Crack, cocaine, Oxycontin, heroin, and now bath salts! Some of these drugs are addictive the very first time they are used, and then it may be too late. {Read More}
Have you ever seen a house that was taken over by stray cats? It all starts with just one stray cat. You feed it. It has kittens. You feed them. They have kittens, and so on and so on and so on. You end up with around 50 cats living in, under, and around your house, waiting to be fed. You get more food because you are feeding more cats. It becomes an out of control situation. What {Read More}
Do you find yourself on a wild goose chase when you develop some sort of symptom you cannot figure out? That chase can lead to many painful years of you get trapped in it. I believe it’s time to take our health into our own hands (which are in God’s hands) to get the best possible care in medicine today. Creation: God created the heavens and the earth…light and dark, water and land, fish and birds, {Read More}
We have always heard God referred to as “father,” but how often do we really think of him as our father? Our daddy? It’s hard because he is not tangible. We cannot touch or hug him. But when he created us, he gave us the ability to have faith. We just have to tap into it. With faith, we can use our imagination to imagine him sitting on the sofa with us talking; sitting at the kitchen {Read More}
Two years ago, I attended a “Women of Faith” conference, and was very intrigued by one of the speakers. Her name is Ashley Smith. A few years ago in Atlanta, she was instantly place in the spotlight as she was abducted and held hostage by Brian Nichols, a convicted killer. Her book, “Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero,” was an amazing account of every thought and action that took place during the seven hours she was {Read More}
I received the following email today from my stepdad containing the answer to universal question we all ask: “What is our purpose?” On August 10th, I posted “In Sickness and in Health” with this same prescription, and this interview with Rick Warren is right along those same lines. Enjoy! You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having ‘wealth’ from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview {Read More}
I had a bible study to go to one night, and I left a few chores to be done while I was gone. One of which was to put away the monster size pack of toilet paper rolls from Sam’s. I was gone for three or so hours, and I was amazed to come home to see that the pack of TP was actually gone from the place I left it, and nowhere to be found. Visit inside my brain….”They {Read More}
We battle bullying as kids and teens, but as adults, I hope that we are past that stage, but how often do we judge someone without really knowing them, or avoid talking to them because of the way they look? Jesus says, whatever you do for the least of these, you do also to me. Yes, we need to have compassion for the poor, feed the hungry, help in times of crisis, etc., but I don’t think that’s all Jesus meant {Read More}
Be honest. Did the title make you want to read this? I’m sure this one will catch my hubby’s eye…and I can’t get him to read hardly anything I write! It’s not very long, but you have to read to the end to get the title… If you have read my recent posts, you know my hubby and I just celebrated our 22nd anniversary. See my posts titled, “Its time for….” and “Do you get it?” to be up to {Read More}
Okay my friends, with 17, 12, and 8-year-old children, we seem to be in all stages of “development” these days! Lots of interesting discussions in our house lately. The subject of “the birds and the bees” is never an easy one to discuss with your children, but it is necessary that we do. I promise they are getting the information somewhere, so if you want to be the one to teach them, you’d better be aware of the information they {Read More}
Hey guys! If you read my last post, you know I’m out of town and I didn’t think I’d have time to post, but I failed to take into the account the twelve hour drive…yes TWELVE HOUR DRIVE…to New Jersey. So I’ve had time to do a little thinking! Not to mention that we are in the car with a reformed presbyterian…the debates are getting heated! I recently read a book called, “My Time in Heaven” by Richard Sigmund, in {Read More}
A time to go back to school shopping, and a time to get my child enrolled into a school he was just accepted to Friday. A time to wash and pack, and a time to go out of town for my 22nd anniversary. Yay! A time to get up really early to help out a friend, and a time to come home and take a nap (I wish) so I have enough energy for the evening. A time to have {Read More}
Now I have read this verse before I’m sure, but never has it jumped out at me as it did today when I was reading. Not only is God telling us that his word is all we need for our soul and spirit, but our joints? marrow? thoughts? heart? I looked up a commentary on this verse, and basically it’s pointing out that if we know the word of God, we have no excuses. God is able to search out {Read More}
What if everyone could read your mind? Your boss is giving you specific instructions on how to handle a delicate matter at work, and all you can think about is that piece of spinach caught in his teeth. Your friend is pouring out her heart to you…again…and all you can think about is “what stupid mess has she gotten herself into this time?” It would be quite difficult to keep a job or maintain a friendship, wouldn’t it? We’ve all {Read More}
Have I told you lately how incredible it is to be made brand new in Christ? Well, until September 25th, 2010, I really had no idea. I was saved when I was seven years old, and I did all the things that a good lil’ southern baptist girl should do (or shouldn’t do), but I just didn’t get it. The weird thing is, though, that because I didn’t get it, I didn’t know I didn’t get it. Get it? I {Read More}
Bear with me here guys, this is a long post, and this comes from years of being a pharmacist and the personal experience of being a patient…but for anyone on an antidepressant or other “brain” drug, you need to read this: Your Brain on Drugs…no, I won’t be showing you a picture of a fried egg, though I must say it’s a great analogy! We know street drugs fry your brain, that’s a no-brainer! (Sorry =o) I’m talking about prescription {Read More}
I chatted with someone today that prompted me to repost this blog from my old site…I realize it’s a little off my current topic, but nevertheless… Parenting is a tricky business, and our society doesn’t make it any easier. A few months ago, driving down the road, the innocent voice of my Marlee-girl springs from nowhere, “What is sex?” Now, I knew it was an inevitable question because I have a 17 year old as well. No matter how hard {Read More}
Hmmm. What does it take to truly feel clean…to be clean? I’m so glad God made a way to cleanse us from our sins so we don’t have to go through this! If he hadn’t, and wickedness was in the form of hair chemicals, it might look something like this video: {Read More}
Taking a small prescription break today…maybe I’ll start Funny Fridays? Gotta lighten things up every once in awhile! Here’s your Funny Friday story for today… All of my kids love for me and David to tell them funny things that happened while we were growing up. They LOVE to hear the funny–and stupid–things we did. Oh how I wish I remembered them all! So my kids will have stories to tell their kids, I keep a journal for each of {Read More}
When God created the earth, it was good. So when he created man, we had everything we would ever need. Between the resources he gave us and the brain he equipped us with, mankind was all set. Until… Sin. Everything on this earth was created from, well, this earth. We started out with what God gave us, and that is all we have ever had. All resources we have ever needed were given to us when God created this earth. {Read More}
What does the word “freedom” mean to you? You’ve just been released from prison? You are finally out of that abusive relationship you’d been in? You are free from the bonds of an addiction? You’ve finally paid off those student loans from school? You finally got out of your three year old daughter’s room that she locked you in with the lock you put on the door to {Read More}
In this small, obscure book tucked neatly at the end of the Old Testament, the prophet Zechariah has been sent an angel from God to help him understand the visions he’s been having. Zerubbabel is the governor of Judah and in charge of the daunting task of rebuilding the temple. The vision given to Zechariah was a message to Zerubbabel to encourage him. Through Zechariah’s vision, God is telling Zerubbabel the task will seem huge, and he may think the {Read More}
One God, One Hope, One Choice…It’s that simple. Now when you read this statement, you might think, “what does she mean it is that simple?” Believe me, when I was in my state of depression, I would not have thought so either. When I felt like I would rather chop my head off that have my migraine continue, nothing was simple. My well-meaning, glass-always-overflowing teenager would say, “think about it this way, it’s better than if you were in a {Read More}
Life is Good Eternity is Better This passage in John 14 is a favorite of many. I consider it the comfort chapter in the Bible. Jesus knew that his time on earth was coming to and end, and he wanted to reassure his disciples everything would be okay and he had it under control. Oh how I have clung to these verses for the last seven years. I claimed this verse over and over in my head, but I could {Read More}
Housework. Laundry. Dishes. “UUUGGGGHHHH” (as Charlie Brown would say). I go from one task to the next, room to room to room, putting up, washing, repairing, scrubbing, etc. When I have all of these tasks on my mind that I need to accomplish, I think by brain goes into “shutdown” mode. I will be in the kitchen doing dishes, when I suddenly remember my favorite jeans need to be washed for tomorrow. I go to my closet to get my {Read More}
(Click my photo to connect with me on Facebook) As a mom and wife, I'm blessed beyond measure. As a Christian, I suffered through a seven-year season of illness, depression, and addiction to find redemption and purpose through Jesus. As a Pharmacist, I filled prescriptions for fourteen years before becoming the patient and learning to walk in some pretty uncomfortable shoes. Unfortunately, wisdom comes with age and experience. Here at Celestial Prescriptions I lay it all out. God has called me to be transparent. It's my prayer that some of the wisdom I gained through painful learning experiences I can share with you here.
I’m linking up with Holly Gerth at God-Sized Dreams today and this prompt really whalloped me over the head, so I decided to make it today’s prescription. Could someone maybe have shared that little tidbit of information with me 10 years ago when I had my first grand-mal seizure? I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. I was too wrapped up in my own little pity party to hear what anyone else was trying to tell me…including God. When I {Read More}
I don’t normally do author interviews on my blog, but this is one Author that had to be recognized. This is an interview with the author of THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK EVER WRITTEN. Click here to tweet Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I am the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. I do not faint or grow weary; My understanding is unsearchable. (Isiah 40:28) I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is {Read More}
One of the first non-fiction books I ever read was The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. I was in my first year of college at Clemson University, and I was hopelessly homesick. My mom put everything into my hands she could to help me through that first semester at Clemson, and that book was part of the package. It’s a shame wisdom comes with age, but I’m sure it’s all part of God’s plan. That’s one of those {Read More}
As we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent, anticipating the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I’ve been trying to imagine the birth of Jesus from different perspectives. We read the Christmas story year after year, but we are always spectators, watching from a distance. What would it be like to be the one chosen to give birth to Jesus? Listen to this song by Francesca Battistelli and imagine these words are being spoken by you, the mother of {Read More}
I’m sleepy. It’s a little after 8:00 a.m. and I’m sitting at church before the early service while Trevor is in band practice. If you know me, you know I’d rather be home in my bed planning to come to the 11:0o service. I’m trying to get used to my new WordPress blog. I could post so quickly on blogger, but this is taking a bit longer to learn, and life is super busy right now. My brain is tired! {Read More}
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