by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 29, 2022 | About Summer, Chronic Illness, Opinions, Wellness
I can’t say I wasn’t just a little nervous yesterday about meeting my new neurologist but I can tell you after meeting Dr. Kathleen Parks at PeaceHealth in Vancouver, I love my new neurologist! You might recall from my posts: Medical Issues and I Believe in Miracles where I spoke about my terrible experiences with my first neurologist where I felt bullied and definitely not heard. That is not the case with Dr. Parks. She not only asked me questions, she let me answer them. She examined me, she touched me, watched me walk and gave great feedback.
She had read my chart and was prepared for me. She agreed that I have probably had migraines for most of my life. She heard me that I was seeing success with my current medications. She appreciated that I still have headaches but they are manageable. When she asked me about the Trigeminal Neuralgia symptoms I told her I was having a flair now, that flossing and brushing my teeth was very painful, sometimes eating and drinking was painful but most of my episodes were only 1-3 seconds since I had been on the medications for my migraines. She let me know that I would have to be medicated all the time for this and since one of the meds we are currently using to treat my migraines is an anti-convulsant and I am not taking the highest dose, she wanted to try to raise the dose a bit to see if that helps with my daily headaches and helps control the face pain too. I agreed that was a good idea.
Although my episodes are getting longer; I had one that as 5 seconds long while flossing my teeth today, I am going to wait to start adjusting my meds until Sunday because it is easier for me to remember when I made a change if I do it when I refill our pill sorters. Lucky for me, I am not driving right now and I don’t floss my teeth when I am driving anyway. LOL! That was my main concern because when the episodes are worse, I don’t see how I could drive because the pain is so excruciating I would not want to cause a car accident.
I am so thankful that my sister, Jamie Holloway, encouraged me to fight for me. I knew from my first meeting with my first neurologist that it wasn’t a good fit but I gave him the benefit of the doubt because people have bad days and maybe it would get better as we got to know each other, but it did not get better so I had to advocate for myself. Now I have a neurologist that I can tell cares about me and wants to help me have a better quality of life.
I am so thankful that I had a day with Karen too! Her new position as the Safety and Sanitation Officer at Safeway is really making her happy. It is the perfect job for her nervous energy and she gets to interact with every department which works well with her desire to be nosey and helpful too. Plus it is a job that can be done every day so it was helpful to us that she was able to get the day off yesterday and make it up on Saturday. We had a nice time driving to Vancouver and back and even got to take a family nap together which Xavier, our cat loved. I heard him purring as his Mama joined us.
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 22, 2022 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions
We Are Not Like Them is a novel written by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza. Like the writers, the main characters are women, one black and one white. Riley and Jenny have been friends since they were little girls. Jenny’s single mom was a free spirit who often enjoyed leaving Jenny with Riley’s family while she went on adventures. She knew they were good people and Jenny felt like she was part of their family, even though her skin was white and her hair was smooth and blonde.
The story begins as they are adults well beyond those more simple times. Riley is a news broadcaster and Jen is the wife of a police officer that has just shot a 14-year-old black boy. Jen’s husband, Kevin, is not a bad man or a bad cop, but in a split second, his training to support this partner has led him to a transitional moment that is causing their whole world to shake.
There are many things about racism and prejudice that can’t be put into words but you can feel them if you listen. I felt it in this book and I have felt it while walking beside my wife for the last 8 years. We can hear some of those things in a poem from chapter 7, in the book, that was shared at the funeral of Justin, by Justin, the boy killed at the beginning of the book:
What do you see when you see me?
Have you made up your mind about who I can be?
You could get to know me if you tried
You could see what I’m like inside
I am made of blood, bones, and muscles too.
So how can you say I am less than you?
I have so many dreams, even at my age.
Let me be free, don’t put me in a cage.
Watch what I can do.
In the book, Riley gets the chance to cover some of the story and interview the grieving mother. As great as this is for her career it really stretches her relationship with Jen as they are forced to look at issues they have never talked about before. Will their love and history be enough to carry them through this time?
“When I think of Kevin pulling that trigger…” She stops and shakes her head. “But I also believe that he gets a chance to explain himself, Jenny too. But things have always happened in the world, especially to our folks, but we can’t shut down every time they do. No choice but to keep pushing forward. It’s the same for you and Jenny — you gotta talk to see where you go from here.” Sandra Wilson, Riley’s mother, chapter 9.
I got this book from my sister, Jamie Holloway, you can read her review at JamieChasesButterflies.com.
We Are Not Like Them has come to me at a time when I am trying to come to peace with things I haven’t put words to in my life, but need to, like racism which I never had to worry about when I was a single white woman. I am well aware of prejudice as a woman with mental and physical chronic illness who is poor, fat and queer but I couldn’t understand my wife’s poor luck until I came to terms with the fact that racism is real but not something she wastes time worrying about. I admire Karen G Clemenson for that. Her strength is so much like Riley’s mother. Karen never lets anything keep her down. She takes the loss and keeps moving forward. So that is what we do.
…with that said, I think you should read this book. Your viewpoint will be totally different than mine and I would love to hear what you think!
Buy your own copy of We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza on Amazon…
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 18, 2022 | Book & Product Reviews, Education, Opinions
“I learned a strange thing — that in a jumble of unintelligible talk the word “nigger” leaps out with electric clarity. You always hear it and always it stings. And always it casts the person using it into a category of brute, ignorance.” John Howard Griffin, Black Like Me, November 8 excerpt
I recently re-read this powerful book entitled Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin. I remember reading it in high school, back in the early 90’s but really all I remembered was that he was a white man, a journalist, and he had chemically darkened his skin with the help of a dermatologist in order to experience the life of a black man. Every other detail was brand new to me and I have to say reading this book has shaken me to my very core as a white woman, as a United States citizen and as a spouse to a mulatto woman, born in 1965, in North Carolina.
“Walking along Dryades, through the ghetto, I realized that every informed man with whom I had spoken, in the intimate freedom of colored bond, had acknowledged a double problem for the Negro. First, the discrimination against him. Second, and almost more grievous, his discrimination against himself; his contempt for the blackness that he associates with his suffering; his willingness to sabotage his fellow Negroes because they are part of the blackness he has found so painful.” John Howard Griffin, Black Like Me, November 10-12 excerpt
Just as the SS encouraged other Jewish prisoners to abuse and take ownership over other Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust, some white people encouraged black people to abuse each other and most of the rest of the white people stood by and let it happen. I have often read about black culture, slave culture. I know it was common for slaves to abuse their children bitterly because they felt it was better that they beat their children then the master do it. In many families this is still in place, this post slavery trauma response that hasn’t been altered by time because of lots of reasons, all individual to each family. And not just because of lack of education or change in some black families but the lack of education and change in some white families; the existence of white supremacy that is so accepted that we don’t realize it is there.
In his November 14 excerpt, Griffin travels to Mississippi, against the advice of his new friends who have been very helpful to his change over to his new life. Recently the FBI had delivered evidence that proved a black man had been kidnapped and lynched in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, yet the Pearl River County Grand Jury failed to return any indictments or even consider the provided information.
Although Griffin found it relatively pleasant in New Orleans, at the train/bus station, his experience was one of pure hatred. The woman who sold his ticket to him, almost would not. She gave him the “hate stare” and when she did finally change his $10 bill, she threw his change and ticket at him, instead of handing it to him or placing it on the counter. Although the depot was large and empty, except for a porter and one white man, that man also gave him the “hate stare” making it obvious he was not welcome. The porter, who was black, showed him to the crowded, COLORED CAFE located behind the depot.
While traveling into Mississippi the black people seemed to become more caring, as if they were a buffer for the hatred from the white folks, this was a common occurrence everywhere Griffin went. When the bus would stop, the driver would allow the white people off but not the black people for bathroom breaks. Griffen noted that farm animals are given more grace. As they came closer to Hattiesburg, a woman was happy to warn Griffen to never look at a white woman, “look at the ground or to the side.” He wasn’t even to look at a picture of a woman at the movie theater or in a magazine.
Another black man advised him of a safe place to stay and offered to check in with him in the morning. Griffen was impressed by his kindness but he was scared. He was intimidated by the white boys driving by and yelling at him and other people on the street. The squalor of the room, the fear he felt, it was so great that he felt he couldn’t even write a letter to his white wife and this led him to reach out to a journalist friend that lived in the area that he thought might take him in.
The journalist was glad to have him. His viewpoint in his writings left he and his family isolated and he enjoyed having Griffen help him with his writing, but Griffen could not rest there, and he couldn’t do what he set out to do there. Before his friend brought him back to New Orleans, they visited Dillard University (November 16). As kind as his friend was to him, he was different around “real” black people: “Did you ever see such a damn beautiful campus for a bunch of niggers? They’re getting uppityer and uppiter.” This viewpoint was shockingly different from the abolitionist and advocate he portrayed in his work and personal life, working for equal voting rights.
This way of making an exception for a black person you know but not the entire race is another way that prejudice can hide in plain sight and I think it still thrives today. I believe fear comes in all colors and if we aren’t willing to look at it and call it what it is, we will never become enlightened.We will remain afraid, small and unable to change.
“The whites frequently walk into colored restrooms, Scotch-tape these notices to the wall. This man offered his services free to any Negro woman over 20, offered to pay, on an ascending scale, from $2 for a nineteen-year-old girl, up to $7.50 for a fourteen-year-old and more for perversion dates. He gave a contact point for later in the evening and urged any Negro man who wanted to earn $5 for himself to find him a date within this price category…To the Negro who sees the element of the white man’s nature — and he sees it much more often than any other — the white man’s comments about the Negro’s alleged “immorality” rings maidenly hollow.” John Howard Griffin, Black Like Me, November 16 excerpt
Believe it or not, this is not the most deplorable example of degrading actions that white men portrayed against black men and women, yet it explains how a black women could feel she is only worthy as a sex object and how men are supposed to use and abuse that part of her, instead of honoring and respecting her. I know that so many people have grown beyond this. I do know that 1960 happened 62 years ago and I see a lot of growth that I am thankful for but I also see where we haven’t changed too. Areas were poverty and crime prevail women and men still violate and dishonor each other every day. It is like the self-hatred has been passed down through generations and gotten stronger.
As Griffen traveled through the South, he often hitchhiked. This was common during this time and he was most often picked up by white men who wanted to fill their sexual deviant minds with questions they thought were acceptable to ask this man because he was black or COLORED as was the term used at the time. One young college man was surprised that Griffen could tell him that black people were parents just like white people and they wanted their children to grow up healthy and remain virgins as long as possible just like white parents. It impressed him, but not enough to stop him from asking Griffen to show himself to him. Another man became violent and threatened to kill him when Griffen would not answer his vile questions.
Money was another way that black people were controlled. Gas taxes paid by all were used to maintain beaches black people were not allowed to use. Stores would offer credit to black families, yet it seemed like fees were always added so that they could never be paid off so the families were always so poor they could barely afford to improve their homes or clothe their children.
One man that picked up Griffen, brought him home with him, he was positive that there was nowhere safe for him to stay for the night. He let him know that he only had 2 bedrooms and 6 children but he could have the floor and it was clean. Griffen had bought a loaf of bread and a few candy bars before he was picked up. When they reached the man’s home Griffen met the man’s wife and children. She was happy to meet him and happy all her children were healthy, she mentioned that many families had children that were blind or maimed in some way, Her husband was a little embarrassed in his meager home and plain dinner of beans with no meat but Griffen praised his beautiful and obviously healthy children until the father beamed. He offered the bread and they enjoyed a feast. They sliced up the candy bars for dessert and were thankful. This experience really made Griffen appreciate how hard this man worked for his family.
Within a week Griffen could no longer handle being black all the time and stopped taking the medication that was keeping him dark. He applied a dye to his skin when he was prepared to enter society as a black man that would wash off when he had had enough. So much of society was shut off to him as a black man. He spent most of his time walking, worrying about what bench or park he could sit in, what bathroom he could use, what fountain he could drink from, if there was a colored cafe nearby where he could get a bite to eat. All of these things were few and far between. In more religious areas, whites were sometimes more gentle but there was always a line that Griffen had to be aware of in order to keep the peace. There were no jobs he could have. They were either taken or being weeded out by communities that were purposely making it impossible for black people to survive there before the equality laws were passed. White men said these things to him like they were telling him the prices of a bushel of apples.
When Griffen returned home, he was overjoyed to see his wife and 3 children but even his publisher offered him an out. He did not have to publish anything about his adventure. But Griffen was committed to sharing what he had learned. With that came what he was expecting. Hatred. Threats. Quiet gratitude. In the end his family and his parents had to move from their Texas home to New Mexico to be free from the violent calls and threats but Griffen remained faithful to his truth and he had gained respect from many people of all colors.
In no way have I shared the entire story. I think you should read this book. I think you will absorb it differently than I did. I am very glad I walked into Storyboard Delights on Karen’s arm last month and found it on the used book shelf. This book has helped me understand a few things about my wife, things that I always loved but made me really respect her even more for, about the way she responds to people. Her humility and servant attitude are skin deep and I know that some of it is learned behavior from being a mixed girl child of the south. Not just black, not just white, not just Native American…with those freckles and too much pride. I know she has lived through trauma and when she is too tired to hide it, I meet a girl that has been hurt. I have a friend that moved to Arkansas and she often tells me I should move there and how much I would love it. I don’t think I would, but more importantly, and I finally told her this: my wife is a mulatto female that worked really hard to leave the south, and although I would like to visit, I don’t ever see us moving there. I think she finally understood.
I live in a town that is 87% white. In Longview, Washington 10% of the population is mixed and all other races are less than 2%. I have been thinking about this for a few days. Actually I have been thinking about this off and on for quite some time because my wife has eluded to it a couple times. I have come to the conclusion that there are lots of reasons people of color would move here. I am glad they did. When I was growing up here, I bet Longview was more like 97% white and I enjoy seeing the diversity. I like seeing change. I made a comment that I don’t care what color a person is, but it is more than that. it isn’t that I don’t care about a person’s color, because what I care about is the person’s heart. I love to learn about their culture, beliefs and who they are. I do think dark skin is more beautiful than white skin but my wife says that is just a preference…I think she is correct.
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin showed me that there were many types of people: hateful people, enlightened people, and complacent people and they come in all colors. I don’t care what color you are, what I really care about is how open you are to becoming enlightened; letting go of fear and embracing love, peace and freedom. I am not perfect. I can say I probably have a mix of all three characteristics in me, but I hope I am more enlightened than I used to be. I do know that next time someone asks me if I am prejudiced, instead of being defensive or fighting with them, I am willing to saying, “Let me consider that. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.”
Buy your own copy of Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin on Amazon
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 16, 2022 | Book & Product Reviews
“You fix your world by fixing yourself first.” Laurie Ruettmann, Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career, 2021
So I won this book as a giveaway on Goodreads and I picked it with my wife, Karen G Clemenson, in mind, over a year ago. It has sat waiting to be read and finally I decided that someone needed to read it and it was going to be me and you know what? I really liked it. I felt like, even if you weren’t interested in working for a corporation, owing a business or evening working outside the home, you could take away useful information to bring more balance to your life. Who doesn’t want more balance and peace in their life?
“Change begins by asking hard questions about your motivation, beliefs, desires, abilities, and limitations. Why do you make the choices you make? What are your values? How can you fix the fixable and let the rest go? What else or who else are you ignoring at the expense of work?
Nobody can answer these questions for you, you probably can’t answer them alone.” Laurie Ruettmann, Betting on You
Putting Yourself First Looks Like:
- Not going to early morning meetings so you can take your kids to school.
- Getting a personal trainer and gym membership.
- Seeing a nutritionalist to learn mindfulness about eating habits.
- Doing small changes to see what works to make you happy.
- Getting more sleep and taking time off when needed.
- Prioritizing self-care.
The statements we make about ourself help others make a reasonable judgement about us, but we are more than our occupation. Many people hide their trauma and abuse behind their work, but you can’t find true fulfillment until you can find healing in your personal life.
Work provides a means to provide but we must also focus on what makes us who we are; what makes us happy, like hobbies, relationships, community and self-care. One way to do this is to create a feeling of professional detachment — staying committed to your job and doing good work but redefining the role so it is not your sole identity.
“Work improves when everybody on a team aligns around a shared set of expectations but remains brave and courageous enough to challenge the status quo as necessary.” Laurie Ruettmann, Betting on You
How to Start a Successful Business/Personal Strategy:
- Realize everything that can go wrong and make an action plan to answer all of those scenarios.
- Visualize what you want.
- Talk to people that do what you wan to to do.
- Work on your self-care.
Harvard Business Review found that employees that learn at work experience less anxiety and stress. This makes a lot of sense to me. I am much happier when I am learning. That is why I love reading and sharing what I learn with you.
Most people cannot afford to just go job hunting and not worry about keeping the one they currently have. The bills must be paid. One thing to remember is that, even if you feel your current working experience has been abusive and taken your soul to the depths of hell, complaining is not going to make it better for you. Longview, Washington is not the only small town and in the business world, every city can seem small. Your current job has allowed you to pay the bills that are currently being paid and you have learned a few things. Even if all you can think about is that you want a new opportunity it won’t help you to sabotage yourself by bad-mouthing your co-workers and boss to anyone who will listen. Trust me your boss hearing every gripe you have about them will not help them tell your next potential boss good things about you when they check references…
How to Look for a New Job While Staying Employed:
- Use personal wifi or anywhere else but work wifi to search for job contacts.
- Make a list of dream companies you want to work for.
- Read company reviews on Yelp, Google Reviews, Trust Pilot and Angie’s List. Use LinkedIn’s search bar to find mentions. Look for ex-employee’s blogs.
- Make contact with anyone you might have met anywhere that works for these complains via phone or personal email.
- Be upbeat and positive and ask open-ended questions.
- If you feel confident in your contact ask them how to apply for a job with discretion. You might even ask for someone you can talk to confidentially.
- If you don’t know anyone that can help you get connected to your dream company you will have to apply online like most people.
- Always stay positive about your current job and boss because chances are word will get to them.
- If your current boss questions you let them know you are still committed to your job, you were just curious about the market.
“…’always be living.’ Go out on a limb, try to learn (at least a little) each day, and always grow from your mistakes. Manage your money, be an advocate for yourself and master the ins and outs of being rejected.” Laurie Ruettmann, Betting on You
Putting yourself first when you are miserable at work doesn’t mean quitting unless you can afford that and most people can’t, financially or professionally. Putting yourself first means listening to yourself and learning why things are going wrong and creating a strategy that answers your professional, personal, financial and emotional needs.
If You Feel Stressed at Work:
- Work fewer hours.
- Learn to say no. Set boundaries and schedule times for administrative, creative, and project work and downtime to rest your brain.
- Get up and go outside for lunch.
- Leave work early and exercise.
- Get more sleep.
- Make sure to get your finances in line and save.
- Go to therapy.
- Quit complaining.
When You Resign from a Job:
- Keep your letter short and sweet. Leave out the 13 reasons you hate your job. Tell them you are leaving and the preferred end date.
- Don’t plan your going away party — but if you do make sure to invite EVERYONE, including your boss.
- Be available for an exit interview — Stay positive.
- Avoid gossip — You found a job with broader possibilities. Leave it at that.
- Refer good candidates to your current company until you leave.
“No journey is easy, no path to success is straight forward, and no life exists without heartache and pain. But your job shouldn’t impede your quality of life, either. So, if you hate work and complain about how its broken, ask yourself, ‘What have I done today to put myself first and finally take control of my career?’” Laurie Ruettmann, Betting on You
You deserve to be happy and feel satisfaction in your life. Many of these helpful hints can translate to working at home too. Stay at home parents and homebound people need time to workout, be creative and pamper themselves too. I really feel like a got reminded of a few things I could do to add more balance in my life and make myself more important while feeling more successful by reading this book. Laurie is an accomplished writer and her writing is easy to read, the chapters are short so you can read quickly between tasks, if you don’t have a lot of time to read and the tempo is upbeat and positive. I highly recommend this book and I am happy I read it.
>>Buy your own copy of Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career by Laurie Ruettmann on Amazon
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Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | May 25, 2022 | Book & Product Reviews, Education, Opinions
I bought A Return to Love back when Marianne Williamson was running for president in 2020 but I didn’t get around to reading it until now. I actually think I wasn’t ready to read it until this time in my life and I am really glad I was able to absorb it in this time where I am better able, and trying to forgive more, putting effort into unlearning fear, and learning to love better. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it to a mature reader and a mature Christian or person who is comfortable in their beliefs.
The book I have is actually two books in one: A Return to Love and The Gift of Change, both by Marianne Williamson. There was so much to absorb in A Return to Love that I chose to do two different book reviews. I haven’t read the second book yet but I will do a separate book review for The Gift of Change when I have completed reading that book.
Marianne begins A Return to Love by explaining that she was raised in a Jewish home and has studied many religions. She also set aside her beliefs for some time and now is a Christian. Although her writing leaves room for any higher power, she refers openly to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as her belief system and some people might be offended by this.
“The spiritual journey is the relinquishment — or unlearning of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts. Love is the essential existential fact. It is our ultimate reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
Commonly throughout the book Marianne writes that people undervalue what we know to be true in our hearts and overvalue the things our physical senses can see. We do this because love is hard to see because love is an energy that is experienced through kindness, giving, mercy, compassion, peace, joy, acceptance, non-judgement, joining and intimacy. Fear is the opposite of love and gives a false testimony to the meaningless of love. Fear looks like anger, abuse, disease, pain, greed, addiction, selfishness, obsession, corruption, violence and war. Love is threatening to our ego because it is simple.
Concepts Discussed in this Book:
- Love is the only reality.
- Fear is the opposite of love.
- Fear is an alternative reality.…no wonder we all feel crazy…
- Forgiveness transforms fear to love.
- Ego wants to judge.
- Holy Spirit wants to accept people as they are and provides room for compassion.
“The places in our personality where we tend to deviate from love are not our faults, but our wounds.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
“Forgiveness is the choice to see people as they are now. When we are angry at people, we are angry because of something they said or did before this moment. But what people said or did is not who they are. Relationships are reborn as we let go of the perceptions of our brother’s pasts. ‘By bringing the past into the present, we create a future just like the past.’ By letting the past go, we make room for miracles.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
All negativity comes from fear. Anger, rudeness, manipulation, cruelty all comes from fear. Forgiveness transforms them all. Pain doesn’t come from the love we don’t give others but from the love we choose not to give. So the answer is to ask the Holy Spirit to change our perspective and help us forgive. When we close our heart in response to other people’s choices we hurt ourself but when we remain able to give love we see a miracle.
According to A Return to Love and my personal experience, the world has taught us to fear. This is unnatural to humans because we were created in God’s image and love is the only real emotion. This is what we have to return to — to live in love and let go of fear. When we are feeling angry or annoyed with people we can confess this to the Holy Spirit, who wants to help us, and we will see the help we need, whether it is more compassion or forgiveness, or whatever is needed in the moment.
Steps to Process Change:
- See my dysfunctional patterns
- Confess and ask God to take them
- Commit to change
“Personal growth can be painful because it can make us feel ashamed and humiliated to face our own darkness. But the goal of personal growth is the journey from dark emotional patterns that cause us pain to those that create peace.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
When someone hurts use we can blow up at them or we can forgive them. Here is a helpful prayer to repeat until you are not longer angry:
“I forgive you _________________, and I release you to the Holy Spirit.”
This is a simple and very powerful prayer because it acknowledges that you know that God loves you and this person and wants the best for both of you. It also proclaims your trust in the Holy Spirit. I have tried this prayer out on many people and even with forgiving myself with some pretty powerful responses.
“…there is nothing we have been through or seen, or done, that cannot be used to make our lives more valuable now. We can grow from any experience, and we can transcend any experience. This kind of talk is blasphemy to the ego, which respects pain, glorifies pain, worships pain, and creates pain. Pain is its centerpiece. It sees forgiveness as its enemy.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
Our only real pleasure will come when we do what God created us to do. We must ask Him to help us be an instrument of His peace and use the abilities He gave us to spread love.
“…as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
Trusting God is like trusting gravity. 2 points to remember:
- God’s plan works
- Mine doesn’t
“It is our humility, our desire to be of service, that makes us stars. Not our arrogance.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
We can only receive God’s plan. If we add anything to it we take away the little that was asked of us. We are only to align ourself with God’s plan. He will make it happen. This is a very anti-world mindset. But it can be done.
“Dear God, I surrender this situation to you. May it be used for your purposes. I ask only that my heart be open to give love and to receive love. May all the results unfold according to Your will. Amen.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love
Another important concept that is talked about in A Return to Love are that we are interrelated but we have forgotten that because our ego supports a mentality where instead of “we” we talk about “my career”, “my money” or “my life.” But we are not separate. This falsely created separateness leads us to mistake where we put our devotion — our stuff instead of our love, relationships and our higher power.
We hear people say to us to feel our feelings, which is important, but they are usually referring to fear, pain, shame, all the negative emotions, but we also need to feel all the positive ones too: love, satisfaction, joy… The ego does not like positive thoughts and works against them but our natural inheritance is to enjoy the good in our lives, especially if it is small. There is nothing wrong with being too happy.
Love is not just sentimental mush on a greeting card. It is a practiced discipline of defying our ego’s voice. It is relying on the Holy Spirit and focusing on the our capacity to love by training our minds to the habits of loving.
Today’s goal is peace. I should have that tattooed somewhere.
Buy your own copy of A Return to Love and The Gift of Change by Marianne Williamson on Amazon
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | May 11, 2022 | Book & Product Reviews
I have been sick for a long time. I have many chronic illnesses but the one I am praising God for letting me know about is migraines because since I have been treating them, I have got the gift of being able to read back. In the past month I have read 4 books and I am so excited that I finally got to read this book, which was a gift from my friend Sarah. Traveling Light discovers truths shown to us in the 23rd Psalm. I have read more than one book that talks about this Psalm, written by King David, but I really enjoyed this one. Max Lucado took it slow and broke each part of the Psalm down really well.
Along the way, I was reminded of important lessons, but first I want to take a moment and share the 23rd Psalm:
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever. (New King James Version)
In this beautiful Psalm, King David tells us who God is, He is our protector and provider, He wants the best for us, He makes plans for us, He is our Healer, and He has chosen us because that is who He is. He knows we will go through terrifying things but He is always with us because He never leaves us. He is our comforter. He blesses us regardless of others. He protects us from injury to our soul. He gives us everything we need right now. He lets us know we are His.
“God is Yahweh — an unchanging God, an uncaused God, and an ungoverned God.” Max Lucado, Traveling Light.
God is who I have always needed because He is the only constant that doesn’t change. Nobody else was able to give that to me, no matter how hard they tried because the earth is unstable, people are messy and life happens — but God who doesn’t have a body can be ever present and has always been present and will always be present was always there to protect and provide the help I needed. I knew that from the moment I met him when I was 5 years old, in my back yard. I was all alone and then I knew I wasn’t alone and I never was again. Was our relationship perfect? No, because I had and have a lot of unlearning to do, but it was and is constant.
“Unfortunately, sheep cannot find safe pasture, nor can they spray insecticide, deal with the frictions, or find food. They need help. They need a shepherd to ‘lead them’ and help them ‘lie down in green pastures.’ Without a shepherd they can’t rest. Without a shepherd, neither can we.” Max Lucado, Traveling Light.
Sheep are stupid and incapable of caring for or protecting themselves. I would never want to be a sheep on earth because I might get a bad or careless shepherd but God is an ever-loving God that never gets tired; with Him as my Shepherd I am proud to be His sheep. He will never lead me in the wrong direction, even when I thought I was hearing Him, but it was actually me, He still made a way to bless me and Himself, because He is a loving Shepherd and Father.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at the appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
I love this verse. It really spoke to me. I have probably read it before but I missed it. But I got it this time. We are so worried about how things look. We are so worried about what other’s think about us. You know what? It only matters what God our Shepherd thinks and He knows how to look at our hearts, where He can see everything: the why’s, how’s, when’s…
All of this worry leads to anxiety and anxiety splits our energy between today’s priorities and tomorrow’s problems. The result is half-minded living.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Matthew 6:34
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
It is a waste of time to look to the distant future because God promised a lamp unto our feet, not a crystal ball into the future. We do not need to know the future. We need to trust that God will lead us and provide the grace we need, as we need it. Our shepherd knows what bogs us down and makes us feel lost but He also restores our soul so we can find relief and freedom from stress and anxiety.
While I read this book, I realized I have trapped myself, waiting for something to change in my circumstances for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, God has still been there and protected me, healed me, taught me and loved me, but I let myself feel stuck. Maybe that was part of His plan too. Sometimes God has been known to to shut people down so He can do things in the background…But I am excited to say, “Thank You,” to Him because my circumstance have been exactly what I needed and still are until He decides it is time to tell me to take the next step.
I want to say Thank you to Sarah for this book and if you get the chance to read it, I hope you enjoy Traveling Light as much as I did.
If you want to get your own copy buy Traveling Light by Max Lucado on Amazon.
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | May 10, 2022 | About Summer, Chronic Illness, Education, Fuel Your Wellness, Wellness
Note: The article was originally by Summer D Clemenson and posted on WellnessWorksNW.com
I am always amazed to hear of a person that is ashamed of their illness, especially mental illness. The stigma of chronic illness is almost as debilitating as the actual illness, in my opinion, but it doesn’t have to be. I am often told that I am amazingly transparent and for some people that is scary as hell and for others, that is refreshing. I come from people that are super private about medical histories and this is not good. We should not be afraid to talk about these things. In fact I would like to encourage you to face the illness so you can enjoy the healing. (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 23, 2022 | Book & Product Reviews, Life, Opinions, Wellness
Love Does is the name of the latest book I read by author, Bob Goff. “That’s one of the things about love. It doesn’t recognize boundaries and never obeys the rules we try to give it,” wrote Goff. All 224 pages of this bright blue book with colorful balloons that don the cover, I think to help us remember to allow some adventure into our every day lives, Bob tells story after story that are meant to remind us that Love Does.
“I think every day God sends us an invitation to live and sometimes we forget to show up or get head-faked into thinking we haven’t really been invited. But you see, we have been invited — every day, all over again.” Bob Goff
Bob is a Christian but he isn’t like a lot of the Christians I have met. He is very laid back. He is very relational. In fact that is his entire motivation, even referring to some of his experiences at bible studies as feeling more like stalking Jesus than getting to know Him. Bob wasn’t trying to put down people who study their bibles he just felt like there had to be more to his relationship than just memorizing words. He wanted to find out how to relate the words to how he lives his life.
“What if we were just to do awesome, incredible stuff together while we’re here on earth and the fact that only He knew would be enough? If we did that, we wouldn’t get confused about who was really making things happen.” Bob Goff
This book reads like a familiar old friend; sometimes it even feels like a safe hug. Bob Goff has not lost his child-likeness and it is refreshing. I can feel it in my heart that he loves freely, like my wife, Karen, so he must be a kindred spirit. It took me a week to read, only because I was too sick to hold the book up for 3 days. As I read this book it felt like parts of me were being dusted off.
Bob reminded me that the religious people don’t get to pick who goes to heaven, God does. It is my job just to love. I don’t have to worry about anything else. I worry a lot. I needed the reminder.
I think about experiences I have had a churches, even experiences I have had at my own hand in where I tried to “overcome satan” for lack of a better term. I always felt slimed later. It wasn’t for me. I am an encourager. I am not a fighter. I love that Bob refuses to capitalize the first letter of his name. We really do give that guy too much attention…I think I learned a lot about who I am in Bob’s few lines about his approach to this fallen angel, who isn’t sorry and never will be:
“When I think about satan, my thoughts go to how Jesus interacted with him in the desert. Jesus spoke with him in just a few seconds and then sent him away…” Bob Goff
Reading good books is a great part of wellness because it helps us see new ways to live. My therapist suggested this book to me over a year ago and I have had it for about that amount of time. I am so glad I took the time to buy it and read it. I needed to hear positive stories from a person that is easy to respect and like. I highly recommend this book to anyone, even if you are not a believer because the book isn’t really about Jesus, although it does talk about Him, it is about the adventures that Bob takes from his childhood through his adulthood and how those adventures and being open to some whimsy can lead to more adventures and places you never thought you would go. Even if that is just into relationships that are more fulfilling than sitting alone.
Buy your own copy of Love Does by Bob Goff on Amazon.com
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 14, 2022 | About Summer, Chronic Illness, Life
I hear a child having a meltdown in the hallway and I want to cry with her. Children should never have to live in a hotel. It is not fun living in a hotel. At all… As thankful as I am that we have survived here over 2 years, spending every penny we have to get by, and try to establish credit, and fix our credit, and wait on programs that promised to help us, and did but had barriers that stopped us from our goal of normalcy, of freedom, of doing more than surviving, but having space to move and create, and be able to invite people over…I guess that was the upside of this pandemic. We weren’t supposed to do invite people over so we learned how to Zoom…
I look forward to playing a board game with someone. Karen doesn’t have the attention span for that…I look forward to having a kitchen that isn’t also my desk or the bathroom counter. I look forward to having my yarn at my fingertips to make whatever… I want a patio or yard to grow tomatoes for Karen and strawberries for me. I would love a workspace that doubled as a guest room but I could work at a dining room table…I miss having a table! I miss my balance ball!!! I miss a couch to cuddle with My Love while we watch movies and eat popcorn I made not in the microwave….
I have an amazing blessed life. There are people that have so much less than I do and even people with so much more who are miserable. I know God has carried us and taught us much during our almost 8 years of marriage. I know we are getting closer. Today we got a number we have been waiting a few years for…this number should be a huge blessing and this time we are ready for it. We have grown so much that this time we know we won’t blow it. We have blown it a few times before. Bad habits and bad mental health can really take you bad places but we are prepared and have an action plan.
The big picture seems like it is coming into focus and for that I am thankful. You can’t even imagine!!!!!
I posted about flashbacks last week. Flashbacks aren’t just thoughts, they are all the feelings too. It’s almost like you are there again. On top of that, I had no time to deal with myself because I had to be in Vancouver for an MRI. We did stop at Jamie’s to give her her birthday present early which did help me feel more grounded.
The MRI was supposed to be an open one because I am claustrophobic but when I got there, I found we had missed their calls to reschedule so they squeezed me into a regular MRI, literally. It was terrifying.
They handed me a ball I could squeeze if I needed them to stop but the mindful part of me knew that would only mean they would have to start over so I focused as much as I could on my breathing in order to not hyperventilate. As I got better I was able to practice pursed lip breathing which is very helpful. I had my eyes closed because when I opened them my heart would race because I felt like I was in a coffin. After awhile I started seeing flower shapes. It may have been my imagination but maybe it was God helping me. They keep the room freezing, it is supposed to be helpful but when you have arthritis it is just painful. Halfway through, I hurt from head to toe.
When it was over I was so ready to leave! Karen brought me home and I went to bed. We agreed I had not advocated very well for myself in scheduling a mammogram for the next day so Karen called that morning and rescheduled for a few weeks after my next surgery…which is coming up soon.
I shared my flashbacks with my therapist. She agreed that we should talk in more detail about this family member and their actions and what I want to do with these memories. I talk with her again in a week and a half. I don’t have this family member in my life anymore. I know they have their own trauma experiences and issues. I am not angry anymore but I don’t trust them and I don’t feel safe around them, emotionally, so relationship is not an option, even though they have made it clear they don’t want a relationship. I need the memories to not have power anymore.
These memories are potentially fatal if I had not got away. I visualized that I had been brave enough to face them and realized 1 of 2 things would have happened: 1) they would have potentially killed me or 2) they would have broken. I didn’t let them catch me any of the times they threatened me and they calmed down and we went on with life. Our parents did not have the tools to change the situation. Because they didn’t catch me we don’t know what would’ve happened. If they would have been broken their behavior may have become worse in other ways; because they cannot kill me now the only part of me that can die is the part of me that is scared of them and I might as well work on a few other people I am scared of that I don’t have relationship with anymore, at this time, as well.
I have had a lot of fear in my life. I think I am ready to let some of it go because I am also very brave, in spite of my fears.
Like this surgery coming up… I didn’t know what to expect before. Ignorance was bliss. But I am no longer ignorant. I am a little scared. I don’t like pain. This winter has been hard and emotionally I feel raw and unprepared for much of anything.
I am being really honest here but I also know that my wife really loves me in a way that makes me feel heard and respected and there are people that pray for me that I don’t even know and God is good always and He has given me dreams to strive for and I will keep trying.
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | May 29, 2021 | Book & Product Reviews, Life, Opinions
I read this book yesterday. It only has 64 pages so I drank two cups of green tea with honey, from my friend Heike, to help with my allergies and digested the words in this book.
The depth of the belief in God, or the Great Mystery, as their Higher Power, is enough to leave me speechless and a little envious. The things taken from the Native Americans and added to or adulterated by white man, are too great to fathom and I shed a few tears and asked God to forgive my ancestors. But the loss white people have, and still may cause the people who were here before anyone else for centuries, is not the greatest knowledge I gleaned from this book.
The reverence the Americans spoken of in this book, toward their Creator is mind blowing. The respect for life, ALL LIFE, before they were affected by alcohol and self centered concepts is astounding! Not just humans, animals and our earth, but everything because they believe that the spirit of God is in everything the Creator made and is alive and worthy of respect. Quiet praise is constant toward the Great Mystery.
Last night I regurgitated some of the beliefs and customs of these peaceful people over and over to Karen. We enjoyed talking about these things and even debated about government influences in the world in response to the information shared.
Today as I put together a meat loaf it occurred to me to thank God for the animals who died for our dinner tonight. Then I was thanking God and asking blessing for all the hands that had a job in growing the produce, processing the seasonings, herbs and condiments…and then the people who created the dishes I used, the tools and appliances I have and home I live in, the clothes I wear and the linens we have, the drivers, the clerks and so on.
We are such a blessed people. History cannot be undone or erased but it can be a tool to bring us to repentance and change in ourself. I have no power to change anyone but I can look honestly at myself and bring the less than perfect parts of me before God, or whatever you call your Higher Power, and make a plan to change: the way I think, speak, live and honor all that My God has let me have in order to bring Him glory.
I can only judge myself and blame myself for the behaviors I have let myself act out, but since restoration is His goal in His great love, Jesus has paid for any blame and I am grateful. I am not perfect, but I am going to keep looking inside myself for anything that does not bring Jesus glory and acknowledge His grace and His newness in me as I try to let go of bad habits that hurt His creation and make Him smaller than He actually is in my life.
If you take anything from this writing, please know that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. If you feel defensive, repent and ask your Higher Power to show you how to be better. This message is not meant to make anyone feel bad or guilty but ask you to look to Your Creator and ask how you can be better from this moment forward.
I do not believe in a fire and brimstone god or one who wants me to feel guilt and shame because that is not what Jesus taught. I believe in The Lord that is happy to have made me, live for me, die for me, return to life and show me how to live in peace and love with Him.
With all my heart: God loves you and is happy He made you, no matter who you are, what you have done or what has been done to you and He is the God of reconciliation. Be blessed!
If you want to purchase this book, I bought my copy of The Soul of the Indian by Charles Alexander (Ohiyesa) Eastman on Amazon.
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
by Summer D Clemenson | Jan 7, 2021 | Fuel Your Wellness
Hashimoto’s Disease is an autoimmune disorder where your immune system creates antibodies that damage your thyroid gland. The inflammation that is caused is called chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and often leads to a person having an under-active thyroid gland. Often it is hard to notice the symptoms of Hashimoto’s Disease until there is more severe damage to the thyroid.
Our thyroid gland is located at the base our neck, in the front of our throat. It is about 2 inches long and has a butterfly-shape. This organ is part of our endocrine system. Its job is to make, store and release hormones that affect many parts of our body. (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | Nov 3, 2020 | Food, Fuel Your Wellness
The other day I was really not feeling well. That is normal when you live with chronic illness, but that day it was worse. I felt like I was floating through the day in slow motion. It would have been a perfect reason to decide to pick up a cheep dinner. Karen always loves it when I suggest burgers for dinner… 🙂 Today was a Soup for Dinner day! But as I thought about it, I realized I just needed to handle this day better, even if was slower than usual. Crockpots, slow cookers, and instant pots really can make a slow day a success if you think about it and I decided to get mine out and see what was in the fridge. (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 23, 2020 | Education, Fuel Your Wellness, Wellness
We hear the word mindful so often, it is almost a constant reminder, but what is Mindfulness? Being mindful is a verb that describes a practice of paying attention to what is happening now. Being mindful is something that is naturally part of ourselves, whether we choose to cultivate it or not. What we are doing, what we are feeling and what we are thinking are all parts of practicing mindfulness. This practice is best learned during active, daily practice. When we observe our thoughts, feelings and actions we are learning about ourselves without judging why we think, feel or do things the way we do them. What we observe is neither good or bad in the moment, this observation is meant to teach us what we do and how we do it as we respond to the things we can’t control, like the weather, other people’s behaviors or any other factor that we can only respond to. (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 16, 2020 | Fuel Your Wellness
Hi Everyone! I wanted to share with you are product I found while
Karen and I were waiting in line at Walmart. I try hard to not notice all the odds and ends and treats while we are waiting, but I was hungry and I was eye-balling the end-cap with the
jerky on it and was surprised to see a jerky made of
turkey. Now, I have tried turkey jerkies before, and I didn’t like them, but I felt drawn to at least read the label. I am an avid label-reader…and at least it is better than reading the tabloids.
I am picky about my turkey and what had my attention is something I had never seen on other turkey jerkies…herbs. Turkey can be so boring without them. I don’t like my turkey sweet so the flavors I had seen in the past did not entice me. I liked the package. It was attractive, I liked the colors they had used; I like colors and I like white space. It said all the right things: 11 g of protein, no preservatives, no added MSG, no added nitrates all this made me turn it over and check out the sodium levels. This is the catch. Generally there is tons of sugar and salt in jerky but this one blew my mind! When I saw 290 mg of sodium and 5 g of sugars and then the price was less than $3…I thought I am going to give this a try. If I don’t like it, I am only out $3.
(more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | Sep 9, 2020 | Fuel Your Wellness
The other day I tried a Shanti Bar. I am not a fan of meal replacement bars, in general. Most of them taste like cardboard and many of them have soy in them, which makes them taste like chalk, but it also makes me sick. Some of them have tons of sugar in them too. I don’t tend to think about grabbing a bar on the go because if I don’t like it, why would I eat it?
However, I may have found a bar I could imagine eating again. It came from a friend and I felt compelled to give it a try since it didn’t include soy. I held my breath for my first bite, but was pleasantly surprised. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was not like a treat but it was tasty. In reality if it tastes like a treat, I might be compelled to eat too much of them at one time, so this is a good thing. It does taste healthy. It does smell healthy. According to the nutrition facts, it is healthy. Which makes it a good option for throwing in your bag as you run out the door or even to take when you go for a hike or to eat after a workout.
(more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | Aug 17, 2020 | Essential Oils
Since 2011 I have been using Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils® alongside traditional Western Medicine to maintain a healthy body, elevate my mood & clear my thoughts.
I believe that some people require medications to be well, but for minor & occasional use, oils can help you feel better in your mind and body. I recommend that if you choose to use Essential Oils that you only choose Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils® that have been presented in their purest form.
Why do I think this is so important? Because you get what you pay for. I am not willing to say that dōTERRA is the only high quality brand available, but I do know that I have tried cheaper oils that you can find in any store and they are just not the same; dōTERRA Essential Oils smell so much better and they do not have cheep fillers. dōTERRA utilizes the highest quality ingredients they can find. They require 50 more purity tests than the law requires. This company also does not have any shareholders to impress because they are privately owned. That says a lot to me. (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | Jul 10, 2020 | Fuel Your Wellness, Wellness
Our bodies require a lot of planning towards success in order to create the quality of life we want. Our personal wellness includes many aspects that come together to equal our overall health and satisfaction. A Wellness Plan is a cohesive proposal for the goals we want to achieve and how we intend to reach those goals. A Wellness Plan is dynamic and very personal to each person.
Why Do You Need a Wellness Plan?
Creating a Wellness Plan helps to define goals that will help you reach and maintain your balance between personal and work responsibilities. Many times we have trouble putting our own needs above others because as a society, often times, we do not put value in our own self-care, however when we put a focus on our personal, physical and mental well-being we create positive emotions and energy. Positive emotions and energy impact how we interact with society, our family and friend relationships, our work, our financial well-being, community presence and influence, and the quality of life after we stop working. (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | May 26, 2020 | Fuel Your Wellness
In this day and age we hear a lot about gluten. I have heard many people that make jokes about people who eat gluten-free, like they are just trying to be special. However 1 in 100 people, around the world has Celiac Disease, many of which do not know they have it, or that long-term health complications may be in their future. There are some people who’s bodies are unable to digest or break down gluten. This is called gluten intolerance and the level of sensitivity varies between people. But there is a difference between gluten intolerance and people who have Celiac Disease. (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | May 19, 2020 | Fuel Your Wellness
May is Mental Heath Month. Since 1949 many mental health organizations have observed this month as a time to use media, local events and screenings to educate people about mental health. 1 in 5 people will experience mental illness in their lifetime so it is important for us all to be supportive of each other and those we love. This year’s theme is Tools 2 Thrive.
There are many interesting tools and links on the Mental Health America Website
This year, Jamie decided that I would be challenged with writing about Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) because she likes to stretch me…and I have GAD…in fact at one time or another my many therapists have considered all, but 1 of the following types of anxiety disorders for me…So far they have decided I have 3 out of 5 of them…but we are going to focus on just one today… (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | May 15, 2020 | Food, Fuel Your Wellness
Karen loves eggs! She can eat them all day long and never get sick of them. She doesn’t care how they are prepared. She doesn’t care what time of day it is. She will always enjoy an egg or two. To be honest, they are an inexpensive way to get a little protein in, so I don’t mind that she enjoys them so much.
I have to be honest here. I am not a morning person. If you ever see me in the morning (which can be any time before 2 pm) and I look like I am enjoying myself, I could be giving you a good performance. That said, it works best for my family if I find ways to have food in the fridge for Karen, who tends to get grumpy when she is hungry. (more…)
by Summer D Clemenson | May 6, 2020 | Education, Fuel Your Wellness, Wellness
There are really no cons when we are considering Workplace Wellness Plans. There is something special that is created when ‘I’ becomes ‘we.’ Companies that foster their employee’s wellness can creatively encourage healthy competition among their staff and not only see better health in their workforce but create a workplace where people work together. At Rightline Equipment in Rainier, Oregon they often have wellness contests, like weight loss contests. This encourages employees to eat healthier and work together to implement healthy habits among themselves and while they do this they support each other to reach their personal goals. This not only leads people to change their lifestyle but they get sick less often and miss less work time. (more…)
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