I listened to this podcast today, by one of my favorite speakers, and I hope that it brings as much peace to you as it has for me.
Podcast Link: A Biblical Approach to Anxiety- Alistair Begg
Under his feathers (Psalm 91:4), Meg
Monday, March 28, 2011
Hope- Emily Dickinson
Hope
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
-Emily Dickinson
Often it feels as though my hope has flown as far away as the east is from the west, but I have found that if I sit still long enough I can start to hear an ever so faint tune being sung deep inside my heart. Sometimes it is the echo of a song from long ago, and other times it is a brand new serenade. When hope perches in our heart it is there to stay, as long as we desire to hear it’s melody. It is up to us whether or not we choose to sing along in harmony and set our hope free to soar within our heart; or we can stuff the melodic notes within the broken pieces of our cage like heart, and miss the gift that can sing healing and peace into our life.
I am learning how to tenderly care for the fragile wings of my hope, and I know one day it will soar strong and able on the wind once more.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Go Raw Bars
I LOVE these raw bars. They are so full of wonderful raw seeds that you can actually sprout a whole bar and watch it come to life. It really goes to show what your body is getting when you eat raw/living food. Check out Go Raw website: http://www.goraw.com for their video and yummy goodies. You can also buy many of their products on Amazon. Picture from Ani Phyo blog: http://aniphyo.com/blog/anis-expo-west-2011-vitamix-more-raw-food-and-friends/
Saturday, March 26, 2011
No Matter What, Always Be Encouraged
I found a great raw food blog today and wanted to share it with you. Check out the link below to Raw Food Nation, and today's post on being encouraged.
Link to: No Matter What, Always Be Encouraged
-Meg
Link to: No Matter What, Always Be Encouraged
-Meg
Friday, March 25, 2011
A Seed's Sorrow
Resting in a little paper packet there is a small seed that has a great potential to grow into something beautiful.
The packet’s job is to protect the seed until the appropriate season arrives and the farmer has readied the field for planting. The seed has spent quite some time with his fellow friends and one day the little seed is poured into the hands of the one who knows just where to place it. This is a terrifying change for the little seed because it is now removed from the comfort it has always known. The farmer places the seed onto the ground and to its horror it is pushed deep into the dirt. Suddenly the seed is drowning in water and unable to breath in the dark earth. Life as far as the seed has known it is over. Days come and go and each one that passes sends the seed deeper into the earth. Despair takes root in the little seed as it starts to feel its outer shell cracking. It wonders how there is any life left inside its little seed heart. Then suddenly one day the seed feels a change taking place inside. As each day passes there are new changes and it feels a stirring inside. The seed begins to grow strong in the ground until one day there is a beam of light that reaches into the ground. As more days go by the seed continues to grow stronger and taller, until one day it has the strength to shoot out of the darkness in the ground and it raises its face to the radiant sun. Life as this little seed knew it was most definitely changed forever. If it weren’t for the farmer, who knew exactly when to plant the seed and how to prepare the field, then the little seed would never have blossomed into all it was intended to be from the very beginning. The seed’s darkest hour in the earth had readied it for the deepest joy it had ever felt.
I was inspired to write this after hearing a more simplified version from a speaker a few weeks ago. The analogy really stuck with me as I began to think about how much I sympathize with this little seed! When I began to go further into the analogy I started to realize that my fears, emotional pain, despair, and tears; from the loss and anxiety, are just like those of the seed. What I have to stop and ask myself daily is if I trust God enough with where he has “planted” me, and how long he allows me to be buried in the darkness. Am I willing to let him tend to me until the right season arrives for me to bloom into my fill potential? Will I fret in despair as I sit in the ground, or will I rest in peace with the knowledge that he has a perfect plan for me to bloom more beautifully than I could ever imagine?
There are days that are harder than others to have a trusting heart that’s full of peace, but I have felt the beams of sunshine reach deep into the ground to encourage my growth…and I know it will one day fully shine upon my face with radiant warmth
The packet’s job is to protect the seed until the appropriate season arrives and the farmer has readied the field for planting. The seed has spent quite some time with his fellow friends and one day the little seed is poured into the hands of the one who knows just where to place it. This is a terrifying change for the little seed because it is now removed from the comfort it has always known. The farmer places the seed onto the ground and to its horror it is pushed deep into the dirt. Suddenly the seed is drowning in water and unable to breath in the dark earth. Life as far as the seed has known it is over. Days come and go and each one that passes sends the seed deeper into the earth. Despair takes root in the little seed as it starts to feel its outer shell cracking. It wonders how there is any life left inside its little seed heart. Then suddenly one day the seed feels a change taking place inside. As each day passes there are new changes and it feels a stirring inside. The seed begins to grow strong in the ground until one day there is a beam of light that reaches into the ground. As more days go by the seed continues to grow stronger and taller, until one day it has the strength to shoot out of the darkness in the ground and it raises its face to the radiant sun. Life as this little seed knew it was most definitely changed forever. If it weren’t for the farmer, who knew exactly when to plant the seed and how to prepare the field, then the little seed would never have blossomed into all it was intended to be from the very beginning. The seed’s darkest hour in the earth had readied it for the deepest joy it had ever felt.
I was inspired to write this after hearing a more simplified version from a speaker a few weeks ago. The analogy really stuck with me as I began to think about how much I sympathize with this little seed! When I began to go further into the analogy I started to realize that my fears, emotional pain, despair, and tears; from the loss and anxiety, are just like those of the seed. What I have to stop and ask myself daily is if I trust God enough with where he has “planted” me, and how long he allows me to be buried in the darkness. Am I willing to let him tend to me until the right season arrives for me to bloom into my fill potential? Will I fret in despair as I sit in the ground, or will I rest in peace with the knowledge that he has a perfect plan for me to bloom more beautifully than I could ever imagine?
There are days that are harder than others to have a trusting heart that’s full of peace, but I have felt the beams of sunshine reach deep into the ground to encourage my growth…and I know it will one day fully shine upon my face with radiant warmth
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Watered Sprout
I started The Watered Sprout blog as a result of many hours of research and trying to learn how to deal with chronic anxiety, panic attacks, and being diagnosed with PTSD. On September 10th 2009 I received a phone call informing me that my soon to be fiancé had been killed in action while serving his first tour in Afghanistan. The rollercoaster of pain and emotions since that moment have been more difficult than I could possibly begin to express into words; though I will try my best to share my heart through this blog. In the following months, after losing Tyler, I also had to learn to deal with hurtful relationships and various trials that came my way. Little did I know that during all this emotional pain, my body had begun a treacherous journey headed straight toward a pit of anxiety and mild depression.
I have always preferred taking a organic and homeopathic approach to healing my body, so it was naturally my first line of defense as my body became run down and weary, as a result of the anxiety and going through grieving. I was unaware of any issues until I was taken completely by surprise one day when I suddenly became short of breath, with shaky hands, and felt as though I was going to faint while I was running an errand. I remember the wave of panic as I quickly left everything in the store and hurried out to my car. I had no idea what was happening, or why it had come on so sudden. After a few more “episodes”, and trying to figure things out on my own, I was desperate for answers and made an appointment with a doctor. They ran every test under the sun for the symptoms I was experiencing, and then promptly told me that I had anxiety and most definitely post traumatic stress; as a result of the loss I had gone through almost a year earlier. After I was adamant that I didn’t want any addictive or strong drugs, I was given two prescriptions to help me sleep and slightly knock the edge off that panic attacks for a short time. I walked away from the doctor office that day completely discouraged and overwhelmed that I had just gone through the time and money (without having insurance), just to find out that ugly culprit of my "normal" days was anxiety and PTSD. I was of course happy to hear it wasn’t something more serious that was wrong, but I was overwhelmed just the same.
Since that appointment, in September 2010, I have continued to battle the ugly dragon of anxiety. After taking the prescriptions for 6 months, and not feeling much of result, I decided to wean myself off of them and rely on natural remedies. The Watered Sprout is all about my journey to restore my body, as well as my heart and soul, through eating raw foods, juicing, using homeopathic remedies, pouring encouragement into my thoughts, working out, and clinging to my faith.
Through the past year I have spent countless hours on-line searching for any advice I could get on dealing with loss and anxiety. I have searched for the perfect relaxing yoga workout, or music, to help me breath; as well as quotes and scripture that would encourage my broken heart. I have also hidden my nose in countless 'uncookbooks' looking for organic and raw recipes that could help restore balance and health to my body. As I have invested all this time I have so wished that there could be one place where I could find all the information I have been desperate to find. The Watered Sprout Blog is my attempt to put all of my gathered information together as a gift for you :o). If you are desperate to tend to that little sprout of hope in your heart, that is aching to be watered with encouragement, then this is for you!
My desire is that this blog is a place where you can find all the 'sunshine' and 'water' (encouragement, workouts, recipes, quotes, and more) that your heart's little 'sprout' of hope needs!
Your Friend
-Meg
I have always preferred taking a organic and homeopathic approach to healing my body, so it was naturally my first line of defense as my body became run down and weary, as a result of the anxiety and going through grieving. I was unaware of any issues until I was taken completely by surprise one day when I suddenly became short of breath, with shaky hands, and felt as though I was going to faint while I was running an errand. I remember the wave of panic as I quickly left everything in the store and hurried out to my car. I had no idea what was happening, or why it had come on so sudden. After a few more “episodes”, and trying to figure things out on my own, I was desperate for answers and made an appointment with a doctor. They ran every test under the sun for the symptoms I was experiencing, and then promptly told me that I had anxiety and most definitely post traumatic stress; as a result of the loss I had gone through almost a year earlier. After I was adamant that I didn’t want any addictive or strong drugs, I was given two prescriptions to help me sleep and slightly knock the edge off that panic attacks for a short time. I walked away from the doctor office that day completely discouraged and overwhelmed that I had just gone through the time and money (without having insurance), just to find out that ugly culprit of my "normal" days was anxiety and PTSD. I was of course happy to hear it wasn’t something more serious that was wrong, but I was overwhelmed just the same.
Since that appointment, in September 2010, I have continued to battle the ugly dragon of anxiety. After taking the prescriptions for 6 months, and not feeling much of result, I decided to wean myself off of them and rely on natural remedies. The Watered Sprout is all about my journey to restore my body, as well as my heart and soul, through eating raw foods, juicing, using homeopathic remedies, pouring encouragement into my thoughts, working out, and clinging to my faith.
Through the past year I have spent countless hours on-line searching for any advice I could get on dealing with loss and anxiety. I have searched for the perfect relaxing yoga workout, or music, to help me breath; as well as quotes and scripture that would encourage my broken heart. I have also hidden my nose in countless 'uncookbooks' looking for organic and raw recipes that could help restore balance and health to my body. As I have invested all this time I have so wished that there could be one place where I could find all the information I have been desperate to find. The Watered Sprout Blog is my attempt to put all of my gathered information together as a gift for you :o). If you are desperate to tend to that little sprout of hope in your heart, that is aching to be watered with encouragement, then this is for you!
My desire is that this blog is a place where you can find all the 'sunshine' and 'water' (encouragement, workouts, recipes, quotes, and more) that your heart's little 'sprout' of hope needs!
Your Friend
-Meg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)