The Migraine Miracle You’d Never Believe

Okay I’ll admit it, I’ve been slack keeping up with this blog. I had a few guest bloggers, but I didn’t feel like their content was always relative and it was starting to feel like someone else’s blog. Life has happened big time.

College graduation, engagement, daughter’s wedding, a son graduating and starting at Clemson, a middle schooler entering high school, and the biggest…I became and grandmother (La~la as I prefer. I’m not old enough to be “Grand” anything). I kept thinking I’d post about all of the events and share some pictures, but life just came too fast. If you follow me on Facebook though, I’m SURE you already know.

I honestly can’t promise how often I’ll get back to the blog, but since my blog was elected one of the top 25 migraine blogs of 2018, I though I’d better let you know about my newfound MIGRAINE MIRACLE!

If you know my story you know I had seizures for seven years (then God stepped in and knocked them right out of my life…or my head…however you want to look at it.) Migraines, however, I’ve fought since my first pregnancy.

I’ve been seeing a physician here in Greenville, SC who’s been treating the arthritis in my spine created from all of the falls I had when I was having seizures. He mentioned the injections in my neck may help with my migraines.

The next sentence he muttered softly while typing my chart was monumental. And weird. But I’m always up for trying something new as long as its safe.

There’s an over the counter cream for arthritis called “Zostrix-HP” cream. The generic,  capsaicin .075% cream (which is basically hot pepper cream), may have changed my life. Hopefully I’m not ahead of myself here, but I’ve been amazed. With the hot and humid true-to-South-Carolina weather we’ve had, I’ve been waking up with migraines daily (and who has time for that when there’s a new grandchild around ?!?!?)

The doctor told me to rub the capsaicin cream on the back of my neck and my shoulders before bed each night (and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly so you don’t do something stupid and rub your eyes with hot pepper…not that I learned the hard way or anything).

I’ve been using this cream now for three weeks, and NO MIGRAINES! In 2010 I had a God-given miracle which had absolutely no explanation except a miracle. Now, in this case, it’s a God-given scientific miracle. In case you’re interested in the “sciency” stuff, the capsaicin cream draws “substance-P” from your brain. Substance-P helps transport the chemicals to the brain’s pain receptors which leads to a headache. Less substance-P, less headache.

God either gave someone the idea to try this or it was an oops, but either way I’m thankful.

So there’s your migraine tip for today: Rub capsaicin 0.75% cream on your neck and shoulders, wash your hands, and see if it helps your migraine as much as mine. (Click here to tweet)

I pray that it does!

So there’s your migraine tip for today: Rub capsaicin 0.75% cream on your neck and shoulders, wash your hands, and see if it helps your migraine as much as it has mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS…If you try it and it helps, please leave me a comment below :o)

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Beyond the horizon

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Why God chooses to heal some people and not to heal others is always a heated question. Especially when it comes to children. No parent should ever have to watch a child die, yet it happens every day.

I always think of a quote by a friend of mine when considering the gifts of my children. “God doesn’t give us children to make us better parents, he gives us children to make us better children.”  He gives us our children on loan to raise until he’s ready to bring them home to Him. But death seems so final. As humans we think of everything as having a beginning and an end. God has no beginning or end, and our lives, regardless of how long they are lived on earth, have no ending. We are eternal beings. Since we can’t actually “see” eternity though, death feels final.

During the seven years I was sick with seizures, depression, and addiction, I was ready for The End. Obviously, God wasn’t finished with me yet. He chose to heal me. My healing…somehow…is part of his bigger plan. The death of a child is also…somehow…part of his bigger plan. Honestly, I don’t even feel equipped to write about a loss so horrific, and I pray it’s not part of any bigger plan in my life.

When God healed me, part of His healing was to give me an eternal perspective. Although I’d been taught that our life on earth is nothing but a drop in the bucket of time as compared to eternity, I never really got it until God reached His all knowing hand down to me and pulled me from my pit of despair. As a result, I’ve shared my story—every fun little detail—in order to further His kingdom. I’m thankful He chose to teach me through me and not through one of my children. In this case, though unbeknownst to them, my children work daily to  make me a better child of God! (You know how people tell you never to pray for patience because God might just give you something to strengthen yours?)

I’m currently reading thebook, “Fly a Little Higher” by Laura Sobiech. She lost her teenage son to osteosarcoma…a very difficult form of cancer to defeat. While being in a Christian writer’s group, I’ve met numerous women who’ve lost children. The word that comes to mind first is “brave.” To survive, to live, to move forward seems as if it would be impossible after the loss of a child. Yet God has given all of these women a supernatural strength to move forward, sharing their stories to give us a little glimpse of Heaven, as their children are all waiting there with open arms. In no pain. Happy. Wrapped in the warm, never-ending light of Jesus.

When I was approached to participate in this blog tour, I was hesitant, because I wasn’t sure I had time to get the book read. Then I learned I didn’t have to have it all read, Thomas Nelson just wanted blog posts on topics similar and then somehow linked to the book. But I got the book a few days ago and began reading.

It hits a little too close to home.

Zach, the 9th grader who learns he has osteosarcoma reminds me a bit too much of my own 9th grader, Trevor. They both just happen to love their friends, playing frisbee, and the guitar. Before Zach died, he was able to record a few songs he has written, one of which was an answer to his mom’s prayer—for Zach’s death to be for something big. One of the songs Zach recorded is called “Clouds” Though I haven’t had a chance to finish the book yet, I see where Laura is going, and God took me to a similar place during my illness. She says, “Hope is something much bigger than anything physical we may desire. It is about raising our eyes from a point on the horizon to the heavens and into eternity.” Oh, how I get that! I’ve written numerous blog posts about having an eternal perspective. Honestly, we will all die. It’s just a matter of when. So it’s eternity I look toward. I will live out this life on earth as best as possible, but eternity in Heaven is my final destination. I’m sure Zach waiting to see all the lives he has touched, guitar in hand.

Set your eyes beyond the horizon and aim to fly a little higher.

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I dare you to get through THIS VIDEO without tears…and with a little more hope.

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This post is part of the Fly a Little Higher Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of along with hundreds of bloggers raising awareness and giving hope to those with cancer. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!

Fly a Little Higher is written by Laura Sobiech, the mother of Zach Sobiech. Laura spent the last three years walking the road of cancer with her teenage son, Zach, and blogging about their battle with the disease. Zach wrote the song “Clouds” which hit #1 on iTunes the same week he passed away in May 2013.

Grab your copy HERE.

A new video with Zach’s family and friends has just been released if you’d like to see how they are doing a year later. Just click HERE.

Happy New Year Everybody!

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Graffiti Summer~Homeless, But Not Hopeless (Recognized by the next generation…)

 

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Last year my daughter, Miranda, created a promotional video to raise awareness for the Homeless in our area, and to make people aware of a fantastic mission we have here in the Greenville, SC area for the homeless.

She got much more than she bargained for.

Her initial thoughts were to go in, talk to some of the administrators (who turned out to be one person, Pastor Deb), and create a video of the center itself.

What she found was people. People just like her daddy, who’d ended up in situations beyond their control that landed them homeless. She saw the love of Christ through the ministry of Triune Mercy Center and saw how that love brings changes.

Forgiveness.

Hope.

Salvation.

I have been out of town so much this summer that I haven’t done well keeping up with Alene’s Graffiti study that she wrote with the homeless man (that was actually my intention when I started these posts) but from what I’ve seen it’s a great book that she actually cowrote with a homeless man, so I thought Miranda’s video might fit in well with the study. Be sure to check out Alene’s book: graffitibook

 

Hope you enjoy the video…listen especially to the music:

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Can You Ever Feel Normal After Narcotic Addiction?

crossRXfinalCome visit me over at Addiction Blog today.

Can you really ever feel normal after narcotic addiction?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The War on Drugs

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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 communist manifesto that discussed the best way to destroy America. From the inside-out. Look at the change in our values and laws over the last 50 years. Look at the infiltration of pornography on television and the internet. The availability of alcohol. The availability of drugs…prescriptions and the illegal ones. I can tell you if I know where to get marijuana, everyone does.

I didn’t know the boy who died of an overdose, but I don’t need to. All I need to know is that he was a son, brother, grandson, great-grandson, nephew, and friend. I pray that he also carried Jesus in his heart and is with him in Heaven right now. The alternative, though very real, is not one I like to think of.

Prescriptions drug overdoses are claiming more lives every day. People—often teenagers—taking them for recreational use have no idea what they can do to you. While their brain thinks it can handle the “high” dose, their lungs and heart cannot. In an instant, their life is over.

Parents are burying their children.

Friends are burying friends.

Brothers are burying brothers.

People who are addicted to prescription drugs as a result of medical reasons end up needing more and more to relieve their pain, withdrawals, or whatever the case may be. Again, their brain think the dose can is needed, but their  heart ceases to beat and their lungs cease to inhale.

Anyone abusing prescription pain medications—no matter what the reason—is fighting a battle in their mind. The classic battle between good and evil, Jesus and Satan. The battle being fought is both physical and spiritual To overcome addiction, I can tell you from experience physical assistance is just not enough. A divine intervention is needed.

A young girl, Ashley, who lost her battle to drugs wrote a poem describing life on drugs is like…the horror actually being offered to us when presented with the decision to use drugs. I took her poem, and added a “rebuttal,” if you will, to show the life than Jesus offers everyone. We must only accept.

Here’s the poem. Please read it slowly and share with anyone whom it might help. If you’d like to have a copy, you can upload a PDF version and print for free by clicking HERE.

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Thought #9: Leave the Past Behind You

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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 seen a family with a history of abuse that produces children who grow up to be abusive? And there are abused children who grow up and become advocates for other abused children to help stop the cycle.

When we receive Christ as our Savior, the Bible says we become “new.” The old us disappears. But does this mean we will never sin again? Unfortunately not. We live in a fallen world, and we face temptations and struggles every day. But the gift of Salvation allows those sins to be redeemed. Sometimes it takes a mistake to help understand exactly what the will of God is…

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)

The last thing in the world I want to dwell on is the mistakes I made when I ended up addicted to Lortab. I can replay the series of events with the migraines, seizures, and sinus surgery in my head over and over.  I can go back and think, “If only I’d done _____,” but that does no good. It happened, and praise God that time in my life is over.  I certainly don’t believe that God caused me to go through all of the things I did for seven years, but I do believe he allowed me to gain a new perspective so I can understand him better—so I could have a close relationship with him.

The past often brings shame, fear, resentment…all of those emotions you want to bury. Admitting addiction was the most shameful thing I’ve ever had to do. It was also the most  freeing thing I’ve ever done. Much to my surprise, other people were not shocked that I wasn’t perfect! (Imagine that!) And it was okay! It’s so much easier being exactly who you are… not some “made up” version of who you think people think you should be. (Did that make any sense?)

So learn from your past, but don’t let it define who you are…let it define who you are becoming. 

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Washington D.C.~In Honor of Our Veterans

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!

So, in an attempt to get used to this new process and give you guys something to look at (provided you haven’t forgotten about me by now 😉 I though I’d post some pictures of our trip to Washington DC. We made it just before Sandy hit the northeast. After five days in Washington DC with 115 eighth graders, we made it home at 1:00 a.m. on the Sunday morning that Sandy hit.

It was a whirlwind trip, leaving at 5:am on Tuesday morning and touring Washington DC from 7:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. every day through Friday, then hitting Kings Dominion on Saturday on our way home.

Although it was a busy trip, I left with a new appreciation for our veterans. Arlington Cemetery and the tomb of the unknown soldier left me speechless. And believe me, that’s hard to do.

Now that I think about it, I’m probably just still sleepy from the trip!

Okay, I’ll let the pictures upload while he preaches…

 

Now that I’ve heard the sermon for today I have to share a little more about my Washington trip.

We went to Union Station to let the kids shop, eat, and have a little free time. I was enjoying some free myself without kids, checkout out a menu and a much needed salad bar when a very tall man with a full beard, dressed in all black and somewhat intimidating approached me from behind and asked me point blank if I’d buy him dinner. I really don’t know why I was surprised. After all, we were in a train station in a big city, but I suppose I still had my Simpsonville brain on.

My first thought was I must have the word “sucker” written on my forehead. But thankfully, my Jesus eyes quickly shifted my paradigm.

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:40 Msg)

I don’t know this man’s story, and I only had a brief encounter with him. But I did buy him a good meal and have the brief opportunity to wish him good luck on his journey, but more than luck, God’s blessing. I shared with him Jeremiah 29:11:

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)

 I will never know what happened to this man, but thankfully, I planted a seed. I gave.
{The least of these~Jesus}
Btw, if you’re wondering, the sermon today was about the good samaritan.

Enjoy the pics! Wish we could have had an effect on the election while we were in Washington 🙁 Four more years. Sorry my friends. Keep praying for our country and our president—whether he’s the one you voted for or not.

 

 

The Trap of Addiction~Visit me today at www.addictionblog.org

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 pharmacist, and at the same time, share my experience of addiction as a Christian. As I stated in a recent blog post, I won’t be posting as often on here in order to writing on other sites and working on the book, but I’ll always let you know where I am!

From my heart,

Celeste

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

 

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

Patience…I’m learning WordPress

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 this site up to speed…

Blessings y’all!

From my heart,

Celeste

A Little Time for Learning and Celebrating

Okay my friends; I’m taking the advice of Matthew here…
I leave for the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference on Sunday. When I went last year, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. This year, I’m a little more prepared on what to expect, but I have my work cut out for me! 
This last year of blogging and writing has been a year of learning. I feel a little like I’ve gone back to college! Now if you know me, you know I can be impatient, and I know this is all on God’s time, but I really hope God thinks it’s time for me to take this writing thing to the next level! Like with an agent? Publisher? Contract? I’m thinking big, I know. But God does big things…when the time is right. 
So with that being said, I’m taking the next two weeks to soak in all I can learn at the writing conference so that I can produce exactly the product that God has purposed for me. 
As soon as I return from the conference (literally that same day), Miranda graduates from high school. So we shall be celebrating her walk across that stage! (If you only knew how glad we are she is getting to walk across that stage…)  Wow, I’m getting old! 
Anyway, I will be back with you on June 2nd with more {tips to a happier you} and {make a change Mondays} and whatever else comes to mind in between. 
Hope everyone has a great few weeks as we end this school year and begin summer! 
{Talk} to you soon! (((Hugs)))
From my heart, 
Celeste

My One Word



I’ve been enjoying reading about all of the New Year “stuff” this week. The trend this year seems to be steering away from resolutions and more toward focus. We shouldn’t make an over-the-top resolution and set ourselves up to fail. How many times have we done that

What I’ve seen much ado about this year is “One Word.” Everywhere I turn online I see someone talking about his or her word for 2012. Well, with my newfound passion for writing, I began my word search. 
But there are so many words! 

Determination…that’s a great one. I’m determined to run a 5k. I’m determined to get my rough draft finished before May. 
Perspective...another good one for me. It seems that all I’ve learned in the last year has changed my perspective on things. I have a much more eternal perspective these days. And when we look at things from a different perspective, we can learn so much. 
Purpose…2012 will be a year to begin to fulfill my purpose. Last year I found it, this year I’m starting to fulfill it. 
These were three of my top choices, but there is one word that keeps coming to mind no matter what. I spent seven years trying to “fix” myself. I learned I could not do it. Last year was a year full of learning new things…blogging, writing, publishing…to begin to fulfill my purpose. My mind as whirled and twirled as I’d think “what if” this or “what if” that. I’d question whether or not I was doing the right thing–making the right choice. At every turn, I was reminded that I am not in control. 
Yes, I know it’s the standard church answer, but for 2012, the first year I’ve chose a word, my word is…simply…“God.”
Have you chosen your one word for 2012? 
From my heart, 
Celeste
P.s. Click the following link and see what word others have chosen.  



         One Word 365

What if the Bible didn’t exist?



Mary and Joseph had some hard times to endure when she was pregnant. Here she was, probably 15 years old, betrothed to be married, and found out she was pregnant. She had to convince Joseph that an angel had come to her to tell her the Holy Spirit impregnated her!
Joseph, as you can well imagine, was having second thoughts about marrying Mary. An angel spoke to Joseph in a dream, and confirmed that Mary was indeed still a virgin. But do you think anyone else believed him? I’m sure he received quite a bit of ridicule for believing something that just could not be possible!
In thinking about the faith God expected of Mary and Joseph, I wondered how in the world they did it. They lived before the Bible was written. They didn’t have the well-known verse, With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God (Matthew 10:27). And then there’s Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Mary and Joseph had the wisdom of prophets and other witnesses for Christ, but no collective “backup” to refer to and rely on.
Even if we don’t read our Bible on a daily basis, we do rely on it. How different would our lives be if the Bible did not exist? The government can try to take God out of schools all they want to, but truthfully, our nation was built around the one, true God. Our pledge of allegiance says, “One nation, under God.”
I used to think the Bible was full of a bunch of old stories, and it is. But they are real stories, full of rises and falls of great and not-so-great men. Miracles. Plagues. Wars. Not so different from today. I’m trying to read the Bible with this thought at the forefront of my mind. What if King David were our president? What if Mary was your teenage daughter? Or Joseph your son? Would your tell your son to stay with and support his pregnant teenage girlfriend who claims she’s a virgin? Or would you think she’s crazy? I read these old, familiar stories and try to think how it would play out today. And they didn’t have the Bible as a foundation! Can you imagine the faith that Mary and Joseph had to have? 
How often are we presented with situations that require just as much faith? And aren’t we grateful for that book full of old stories that we can depend on? 
I have a new friend who is beginning a ministry called “Read the Book Ministries”, and I’m trying to take her advice and READ THE BOOK!
…With an open mind and heart. 

 From my heart, 

Celeste