Make-a-change Monday~(((Hug))) your children

19 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Make
Miranda and Trevor (my 17 and 13 year old children) are working with Defenders for Children to help build a website for kids to go to for help if they are depressed, abused, angry, etc. 


It has opened my eyes and broken my heart.  G
The number of children in our country who are abused and neglected is staggering. 
God gave us children as a gift. They are to be cherished. 
Today’s make-a-change Monday is simple: 
(((Hug))) your children. 
Every single day. 
It’s that simple. 
From my heart, 
Celeste
Quote for thought: 
“God didn’t give us children to make us better parents;
He gave us children to make us better children.”
~Betsy Kenney
What kind of child are you today?
Filed Under: Family Focused, Make-a-change Mondays, Parenting Tips Tagged With: , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Maintaining a Healthy Body pH Could Save Your Life!

12 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Between my career as a pharmacist and the seven years I spent trying to fix myself, I learned a LOT about health and nutrition. 

One thing you can count on in the world of nutrition is everyone has an opinion and they believe their way is the best way. 
Through research and/or personal experience, I tried: 
•   Xango Juice
•   Barley Green
•   Juicing
•   The Hallelujah Diet (all raw food)
•   The 21-day Detox Diet
•   Juice Plus
•   Gluten Free Diet
•   Noni Juice
•   Adrenal Gland Support Therapy

…And that’s honestly just a few. I can’t even remember them all. 
It’s really so simple. 
God gave us everything we need when he provided fruits and vegetables for us to eat. We have to make everything so complicated! 
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the nutritional “bandwagons” I tried, but they are all very expensive, and really not necessary. There’s one trait they have in common: they all work to increase the overall pH of your body. 
Our bodies are at their healthiest when we maintain a pH above 7—an alkaline pH. Anything below 7 is acidic. Anything above 7 is alkaline. When we maintain an alkaline pH, we can fight disease, including cancer. 
Did you know that cancer is nothing but an overgrowth of abnormal cells in our body and we all battle cancer every day? Those if us never diagnosed with cancer just happen to be keeping those cells under control with our immune system and a pH that is alkaline. 
When my dad was diagnosed with stage 4-lung cancer, I tested this theory. My mom and I tested our pH and found our to be between 7.5 and 8. My dad’s pH was 3. Extremely acidic. Unfortunately, I didn’t have this knowledge early enough to try to save my dad, as his cancer was stage 4 when we discovered it. But God uses all things for good, and now I know.


Here’s a link explaining pH a little more and how to test your pH: Restoring pH Balance in the Body. It’s as easy as putting a little strip of paper on your tongue! Click here to order online or they are available at most health food stores (Whole Foods, Earth Fare, GNC)
So today’s “make a change” just might prevent you from ever having to battle cancer. And it’s so easy! 
Begin eating and drinking foods that will increase your body’s pH. There are plenty of options, some you already eat. Our challenge is to add one new item to your diet this week, and continue for weeks following. 
Here’s a list of foods provided by a great article: Alkaline Foods to Increase Your pH Level


Slightly Alkaline Foods
These foods are only slightly alkaline, and can be used when your pH is only slightly low:
* Peas
* Watermelons
* Apples
* Blueberries
* Pears
* Grapes
* Onions
* Bananas
* Raspberries
* Peaches
* Tomatoes
* Oranges
* Lemons
* Apricots
* Grapefruits
* Potatoes (sweet or white)
* Strawberries
* Tangerines
Medium Alkaline Foods
* Cherries
* Limes
* Green Beans
* Dried Dates
* Raisins
* Avocado
* Pineapple
* Cauliflower
* Mushrooms
* Rutabagas
* Radishes
* Cucumbers
* Green Soy Beans
* Brussels Sprouts
* Beets
High Alkaline Foods
These foods have the highest alkalinity you can find in natural food sources. They can be helpful if your pH level is extremely low. If it’s not very low, consider trying some of the lower alkaline foods first.
* Broccoli
* Cabbage
* Rhubarb
* Lima Beans
* Lettuce
* Sauerkraut
* Watercress
* Chard
* Dried Beans
* Carrots
* Dried Figs
* Celery
* Molasses
* Beet Greens
* Raw Spinach
Here are some ways to increase your pH in what you drink from the article, What Drink Will Increase the pH Level of My Body?

 

 

Lemon and Lime Juice

Although lemons and limes, like all all citrus fruits, are highly acidic, they are actually an alkalizing food. Water with lemon or lime added is one of the best drinks for raising your pH level. Many restaurants serve water with lemon. Even if you’re in a restaurant that doesn’t, you can usually request it. Another great thing about water with lemon or lime is that it does not matter if the water is from the tap or filtered.

 


Vegetable Juice

Vegetable juice is an ideal beverage for increasing your pH level. Any combination of vegetables will get the job done, with the exception of corn and olives. In addition to increasing your pH level, you will also be given your body a good dose of other powerful vitamins and nutrients.

Almond Milk

Almonds are one of the best foods for lowering your acid level, so it’s a good thing that almond milk has become increasingly popular and can be found in almost any grocery store. If you can’t find almond milk at your local grocery store, you can order it online. Almond milk tastes great by itself but it’s also good on cereal.

 


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/485450-what-drink-will-increase-the-ph-level-of-my-body/#ixzz1opIDyIhW

So keep it simple and listen to the instruction God gave us in our prescription verse and again in Genesis 9:3. 

…And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.


From my heart,

Celeste



If you’d like to read more about body pH, here’s the link to my Delicious Stack containing the articles mentioned above plus a few more: Maintaining a Healthy Body pH
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Chronic Illness, Eating to Live, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Physical Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Don’t Be a Sloth

5 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment

So let’s review. 


What small changes have you made so far this year? Are you sticking to them? Have you seen any result? 

Here are our “Make-a-Change Monday’s” so far: 


We’ve attempted to work on our physical body, our spiritual relationship with God, our home, and our relationships. It’s hard isn’t it? Even though these are very small changes, we must continue them to make a difference in our lives—to be able to look back at the end of this year and see a difference. 

Today I’m giving us a little break from new changes, and taking time to review how well we’ve done on the changes we’ve attempted thus far. 

My hubby can tell you I love to stay in my pajamas if I don’t have anywhere to be first thing. If my plans are to write, or any other work that requires my computer, it will be lunchtime and I’ll still be in my pj’s! He hates it, and honestly I do too. So why do I still do it? Could it be the “L” word? 

Look at today’s prescription verse. Let’s break it down: 

Do not be slothful…

Here’s what the dictionary has to say:

slothful |ˈslôθfəl; släθ-; ˈslōθ-|
adjective
lazy : fatigue made him slothful. (yep, there’s the “L” word)

fatigue made him slothful: lazy, idle, indolent, inactive, sluggish, apathetic, lethargic, listless, languid, torpid; archaic otiose.

Sometimes I feel like this is how I look in the mornings: 

Do not be slothful in zeal...

Here’s what the dictionary has to say about zeal: 
zeal |zēl|
noun
great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective : his zeal for privatization | Laura brought a missionary zeal to her work.
Ross’s zeal for football: passion, ardor, love, fervor, fire, avidity, devotion, enthusiasm, eagerness, keenness, appetite, relish, gusto, vig-or,energy,intensity; fanaticism. ANTONYMS apathy, indifference.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t typically have too much zeal while I’m still in my
pajamas. To feel zealous, I must act. 
Making “to do” lists of the things I want to accomplish does not get anything accomplished! 
Since November, I’ve been running. On day one, I started out running for 2 minutes, then walking for 3 minutes, for a total of 25 minutes. Today, I’m up to 30 minutes without walking. Do I look forward to running? No. I pretty much dread it…until I go put my workout clothes on, put my headphones on, and get outside. Then I’m motivated to accomplish something.
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit…
fervent |ˈfərvənt|
adjective
having or displaying a passionate intensity : a fervent disciple of tax reform.See note at eager .
• archaic hot, burning, or glowing.
a fervent prayer: impassioned, passionate, intense, vehement, ardent,sincere, fervid, heartfelt; enthusiastic, zealous, fanatical, hardcore,wholehearted, avid, eager, keen, committed, dedicated, devout; literaryperfervid. ANTONYMS apathetic.
Passion is the word I like to use for fervent. I had passion for a few things/people growing up, but God was not one of them. It wasn’t until I really got to know God that I loved Him enough to be passionate about Him. I wish I could say I just kept pursuing Him until I got Him, but it was His pursuing me that got my attention. 

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

serve |serv|
verb
1 perform duties or services for (another person or an organization):
    Malcolm has served the church very faithfully

they served their masters faithfully: work for, be in the service of, be employed by; obey.

Obey. That’s the difficult part of service, especially when it comes to serving God. Who
knows what he will ask? I have learned the hard way that obedience is the only way to go. 


We can only be truly happy when we live a life of obedience to Him. 

Anything we want to accomplish takes change. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I’m
amazed at the person I’ve become in the last year, and it’s been all about small changes. Yes,
I still battle with the whole pajama thing, but I’m getting there! 
So I guess it’s time to go get dressed…

From my heart, 

Celeste







Filed Under: How to be Happy, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Love One Another

27 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Since we made the change last week to start cleaning out the stuff we used to consider to be treasures, we will have time to lay up our treasures in Heaven. 

All my life I’ve been taught that earthly treasures mean nothing. “You can’t take it with you,” they said. 

It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle 
than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. 
(Mark 10:25 ESV)

I get it. “Stuff” means nothing. Worrying about our stuff keeps us from spending time on what’s truly important.

But what are our treasures in Heaven and how can we begin to put them in place?

Souls. Souls are our treasures.

God commands us to love one another, just as He has loved us. Love one another. 

That’s how we lay up our treasures in Heaven. Love. Share the love of Christ and make it so enchanting no one can resist. 


For every fifteen minutes you spend cleaning clutter, spend another fifteen sharing what Christ has done for you. 



From my heart,

Celeste
Filed Under: Living with Purpose, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~The Fifteen-Minute Clutter Cleanup

20 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment


Are you a pack rat? 
I am desperately trying to simplify my life. Learning NOT to be a pack rat is one major change I’m making, and it is not easy. 
For years I’ve read books on decorating, organizing, saving, displaying, etc. and there have been times I’ve spent more effort on moving around the “stuff” in my life than probably anything else. It’s ridiculous. It’s STUFF! 
So today’s “make a change” is short and sweet, and I’m working hard on this one myself. 
Choose one small space and spend 15 minutes cleaning out the clutter. You might choose one of these:

•   Your toothbrush drawer
•   The hot spot in the kitchen where everyone dumps things as they walk in the house
•   Your underwear drawer
•   A child’s toy box
•   Your nightstand
Now, as you go through items and deliberate what to do with them, ask yourself these questions:

•   Has it been a year since you last used/wore it?
•   Is it too big or small, or out of date? (Think of clothes and techy gadgets here)
•   Could it be easily replaced?
•   Do you spend more time moving it out of the way to get to something else than you do actually using it?
•   Do you have something similar that serves the same purpose? 

If you answered “yes” to those questions, let it go. 
Now if you’re like me, you’ll feel guilty about throwing these treasures away, so you end up spending even more time figuring out what to do with them. I’ve come up with a fairly easy solution that is working well for me. 
I went to TJ Maxx and bought some of their large, reusable shopping bags (only 99 cents and really cute) and I put two of them in each of the kid’s closets, my closet, and the laundry room. For each set of bags, one is for Good Will and the other is for consignment. 
Each time I do my fifteen-minute clutter cleanup, I have bags ready to deposit the items. When a bag is full, I take it to its destination, and then put my empty bag back in its place to fill again. 
•   No huge mess to “clean up” once I’ve “cleaned out” because I never do anything that takes more than 15 minutes. 
•   No truck full of stuff to ask my hubby to get rid of when he comes home from work. 
•   No procrastinating or dread of the huge clean out project looming over my head.
Just 15 minutes. Once a day, twice a week, whatever you can do. You won’t miss that small chunk of time, and a year from now, you’ll have lots of clean spots in our houses! 
The really cool thing is, once we can spend less time on this earthly “stuff” we accumulate so easily, we can spend more time on laying up our treasures in Heaven! (If you’re not sure exactly what those are, stay tuned. I’ll have a post on that one next Monday.)
Go do your 15-minute clutter cleanup now! 
From my heart, 
Celeste
P.S. Once you start this process, you will automatically think before you buy more “stuff.” Once you get the space clean, you won’t want to clutter it up again. 
P.P.S. For those of us who are really hardheaded, those hot spots may have to be cleaned up more than once.
P.P.P.S. A prayer over a husband and children may also be required if they are the clutter bugs! 

If you want lots of cleaning and organizing tips that make life easy, check out The FlyLady. I found her several years ago after reading her book, Sink Reflections, which is full of great tips to help you make those changes that stick!

If you want someone to walk you through a few weeks, my friend Tsh over at Simple Mom is doing Project Simplify for Spring. She has an easy plan she’ll walk you through!

Filed Under: Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Just Do It!

13 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment





Change. 


Why is it so hard? Why do we resist even when we know it’s for the best? 

In November of 2010, I decided I wanted to write a book. I suppose I could say God called me to write this particular book, since He gave me an overnight miracle and gave me a very specific testimony with a unique perspective as a pharmacist and a patient. If I’d had any idea what I was getting myself into, I never would have attempted it. Now, fifteen months later, I’m so excited about how far I’ve come in the process and how much I’ve learned. If you’d known me just eighteen months ago, you’d be just as amazed as my husband is! 


“Even the greatest of all journey’s begin with the first step.” I have no idea who said it, but I’ve heard it all my life. I didn’t truly understand it until now. 

It’s all about small changes. 

•   I joined the ranks of Facebook
•   I learned to blog
•   I learned to tweet
•   I went to a writer’s conference
•   I went to a speaker’s conference
•   I joined a writer’s group
•   I joined an online marketing group for writers
•   I submitted articles for publication
•   I’ve completed the outline for my book
•   I’ve written the first four chapters
•   I’ve sent the first chapter to be edited

Those are the things I’ve accomplished in these last fifteen months. Did I just decide to create a blog and sit down and do it one day? No. I had to join Google, join blogger, learn to navigate Word, learn to create links, manipulate photos, document resources, change font, create layers, upload templates, etc. It hasn’t been easy and I’ve probably lost a little hair in the process. But I decided to do it and I did, making one small change at a time. 

I had to make changes to become a writer. Today is about what you want to change. What is something that you’ve wanted or needed to do but haven’t? 

•   Reconnect with an estranged person from your past?
•   Begin an exercise program? 
•   Clean out your closet? Your whole house?
•   Cook tastier and healthier meals?
•   Make a quilt?
•   Paint your bedroom? 

Whatever it is, write it down. Then decide what tiny little step you can make toward your goal and just do it.

•   Find the phone number of the person you want to reconnect with
•   Go walk for thirty minutes
•   Clean out one drawer in your closet
•   Find one recipe online that you like and print a copy to take with you to the grocery store
•   Create a box to begin collecting scraps for your quilt
•   Go by a paint store and look at paint colors; make a list of the items you’ll need.

Goals can seem overwhelming. One small step at a time is within reach. Remember, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. He certainly can give us enough strength to clean out one drawer. Begin today with just one small change, then another, and another. Remember the Nike slogan “Just Do It?” You’ll be surprised where you’ll find yourself one year from now. 

What change do you need to make? Will you just do it?



From my heart,

Celeste


P.S. I’d love for you to briefly comment on my blog and share your small change. It will help keep you accountable and give me some inspiration! My closets are a mess…
Filed Under: Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes Tagged With: , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Post it!

6 February, 2012 by 7 Comments
New Year’s Day 2008~
This is it. This year is going to be the year. 
I’m going to read my Bible more and pray more.
 I want to be a better person. Closer to God. 
New Year’s Day 2009~ 
This is it. This year is going to be the year. 
I’m going to read my Bible more and pray more.
 I want to be a better person. Closer to God. 
New Year’s Day 2010~
This is it. This year is going to be the year. 
I’m going to read my Bible more and pray more.
 I want to be a better person. Closer to God. 
Are you getting the picture? Have you made similar promises to yourself and to God only to fall asleep while you’re praying on January 3rd? And sleeping too late to get up and get your Bible read before getting the kids up for school? 
I did this year after year after year. 
But then, on September 25, 2010, God revealed himself to me in a very real, miraculous way. He reached his loving arms down, gently scooped me up, and saved me from my pit of seizures, addiction, and depression. I now knew and loved Him in a way I never had before. I was smitten. 
From that moment on, I knew I could never live without Him. But I also knew that Satan would do everything he could to make me forget to pray. He would do everything he could to make me the estranged daughter of my Heavenly father. So I put the almighty post-it note to use. Not just the yellow ones, either. NEON colors. 
I placed them on:
•   My bathroom mirror
•   The dash of my car
•   My washer and dryer
•   Above the kitchen sink
•   On the refrigerator 
                         
…And simply wrote “God” on them. 
So, every time I put on makeup, drove my car, did laundry, washed dishes, or ate, I remembered to have a conversation with God. It’s been shown that if you do something for 15 days in a row, it becomes a habit. Once I did this for a few weeks, I no longer needed the post-it notes.
Now, with the post-it note in mind, go back and read the prescription verse for today. “Tie them on your finger, wear them on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house.” Who knew post-it notes were Biblical? 
So this week’s “make a change” is to improve your spiritual walk and your relationship with God—get to know your father as you never have before. And believe me, this one will change every single facet of your life. It has mine. 
From my heart,

Celeste
P.s. Don’t forget to keep doing last week’s change—keep drinking your water!
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life, The Power of Prayer, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Just drink water!

30 January, 2012 by 2 Comments

Since New Year’s Day, our local YMCA has been packed. No parking spaces, no machines available, and classes full. It’s January 30th. I give it two more weeks. 
We love to make big promises to ourselves and start fresh, but in reality, it’s impossible to make big changes all at once. When I began writing, if I’d realized all that was involved, I never would have started. I’ve learned little bits of information at a time, and looking back on the last year, I’m blown away at how much I know now about writing, blogging, publishing, etc. 
It’s all about small changes. Let new habits begin to infuse into your life a little at a time. So I’m officially declaring every Monday to be “Make a Change Monday” so we can begin to make changes in our lifestyles to be more productive, healthier, and happier. 
Join me in introducing these small changes into your life, and see where you are a year from now. I’d like to be thirty pounds lighter, much less in debt, and have a book at the publisher! But those goals are overwhelming all at once, so I’ll take one little step at a time. 
This week, every time you reach for something to drink, choose water. When God created earth, He gave us water to drink. If you really want your tea or soda, at least make yourself drink a 12oz glass of water first. Water can help with so many problems: It can decrease or eradicate a headache, it will keep you fuller so you don’t want to eat as much, and it’s free!
Remember, it’s all about small changes…
From my heart, 
Celeste
If you liked this post, you will also enjoy Small Beginnings & New Habits
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Chronic Illness, Eating to Live, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Physical Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , ,