Where has this Summer Gone?

Where in the world has summer gone??? It feels like yesterday that the garden was planted by my husband and son. Months since Vacation Bible School and my son gave his heart to Jesus. Months since I crocheted baby blankets. Months since making newborn hats to donate to our local hospital. Months since canning spaghetti sauce, salsa and corn. It feels like we should have months and months more of Summer-watching the flowers open, bees obtaining the precious pollen, and the hummingbirds gathering the nectar from the feeder, sitting on the porch swing watching the cars go by. Monday starts the first day of homeschool for my little one. He's so excited and I'm excited for him too. As I look around our Schoolroom/craft room there is so much more work to do to get this house in order. More than I can do in one evening with CRPS. I've surprised our little man with schoolroom purchases, posters and all the NEW items that say, SCHOOL IS HERE! As soon as I get the schoolroom ready I will post pictures. I want his first day to be the best day! I even have an idea for the first day of school picture-found on Pinterest. It's the cutest and will look GREAT hanging over his bed after the photo is taken and in the scrapbooks. I wish all moms and dads well with this new season and chapter. It's such a blessing to see our children growing up. At the same time I'm reminded of a movie quote from "FINDING NEVERLAND" by Johnny Depp, "Boys should never be made to go to bed because they always wake up one day older". Before we know it they are in college and moving on to marriage or careers. With this new month I plan to hug often, love more, and never waste a moment! He will leave home before I know it! Now I just need to get a scooter to go to the state fair! Bring on the Fair Food! To go to the Fall Festivals and getting out to watch the trees changing to other beautiful pallet of colors that God created. Take care and God Bless! Ren'ee

We Only Matter If...

There are many times when I don't feel like what I do is enough.  I feel as if I have to validate my actions every day.  I don't have to.  God knows that what I do is all I can do.  He also knows when to tell me I should do something.  This article speaks to my insecurities.  

We only matter if...

Somewhere along the line I think many of us buy into a lie that we only matter if … We only matter if we are strong or smart or attractive or whatever.

Wise words from Donald Miller in his new book Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy.

I knew I had to read the book when I read the entire title. 
I also knew I had to read it when one of my clients mentioned it to me. 

She said, “[Don] talks about all the ways we try and hide our shame. I really want to go where [God] is calling and know how He wants to use all the pain of my past for His glory in my current set of circumstances. Hopefully I’ll be brave enough…”

More wise words.

Why is it that most of us believe the lie that deep down we are not enough?

CLICK TO TWEET

That we only matter if we are braver, smarter, or … skinner?

Don writes, “Applause is a quick fix. And love is an acquired taste.”

What if whom or what we’re searching for requires work? Real work?

I don’t know about you but when I feel threatened or exhausted or confused, I almost always retreat. I sometimes view relationships as disposable or as a means to an end when things go south. In my fear or shame or selfishness I hide.

Don writes, “It was the idea I could see a person as disposable. I knew I’d have to know myself and be known. These weren’t only terrifying prospects, they were foreign. I didn’t know how to do either. And the stakes were high. I was going to have to either learn to be healthy or I’d spend the rest of my life pretending. It was either intimacy or public isolation.”

I remember making a very public transition from full time work to full time writing. It was exhausting. And lonely. I didn’t realize how un-healthy I was until Marc came into my life. I realized the applause I was seeking wasn’t what my heart longed for. It was never enough. I craved intimacy. I wanted to be loved and to love in return.

Don writes, “The downside of being a writer is you get plenty of time to overthink your life … I’d have to trust that my flaws were the ways through which I would receive grace. Grace only sticks to our imperfections. Those who can’t accept their imperfections can’t accept grace either.”

I love that. 
Grace only sticks to our imperfections. 
Don continues,

Am I willing to be hurt occasionally and turn the other cheek in order to have a long-term, healthy relationship?

If I’m honest, the answer isn’t always yes. Sometimes I need a cooling off period. Other times, I need to really look at my own face in the mirror, fix myself, and then go and sin no more (James 1:21-25).

Don had to come to the realization that his fiancé—now wife—wasn’t out to get him. I’ve also had to come to that own realization that trust is worth risking in relationships—even if that means getting hurt.

Question: What is holding you back from believing that you matter? Did it come from within or something someone said to you? Why?

I hope this helps someone.  We all matter.  God doesn't make mistakes.

Sincerely,

Renée M.

Spring Tea Party

I have to admit for the last 5 years I have watched Downton Abbey.  Through love and loves lost.  From Carson ringing the dong.  The death of Isis, the families beloved dog.  The possibility of rekindled love and the marriages of young lovers.  The quips between the Dowager Countess and her friend Isobel Crawley are a hoot.  I love the elegance of the upstairs dinners, parties, and the high and low teas.  How they had a servant below for pretty much everything-like cleaning up the shoes!  Can I get someone in my house to clean up the shoes?  (Oh right, that’s me with a washrag.)  I just love the idea of a period gone by where men were gentleman and women were ladies-no matter what your level in society was.  Perhaps someday our society can go back to that.  

So, much like the Crawley’s, this year, I decided to have a Spring Tea Party.  A time where we could get dressed up, wear pearls, and hats, drink tea like ladies and gobble down savory and yummy treats.

I invited family, friends and neighbors.  Even though some couldn't make it, the event couldn't have gone any better than if we were being served by Carson himself.  I did follow the old tradition of serving the tea to the guests.  I was nervously happy about that. 

We had so much fun.  We had scones, but I’m sure nothing like Ms. Patmore would have made, cucumber and cream chive finger sandwiches, chicken salad on croissants.  Yes I cheated.  Honestly, the correct dense bread was hidden from me.  Our desserts were yummy too:  Strawberries, lemon pound cake, strawberry shortcake cookies, almond cookies and carrot cake as the star of the desserts.  The teas ranged from English Earl Tea to fruit and peppermint teas.  It was so fun to try and smell all the different teas.  What a delight!  

I had the best couple of hours I have had in a while.  I even forgot about CRPS and Fibromyalgia for a bit.  The best part is EVERYONE DECIDED TO HAVE IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!!!  I was giddy. I have a full year to make it bigger and better!  Here are some pictures of the party.  

Decorating for me was just as much fun as having it, itself.  

Our very own chandelier ;-)

Spring Tulips and Bunnies

Rose Tealights

How I made it through decorating!

I wish for all of us to have a jolly time!

Sincerely,

Renée M.

Why do I hurt so badly this Morning?

Why do I hurt so badly this Morning?

I woke up at 6am today.  When I could finally get my senses about me, I realized I was having some of the worst pain I’ve had in a long time.  To describe it is more like Flu or Pneumonia aching x10 with lots and lots of stabbing pain.  I feel like the man on “Alien”.  You know the part where the alien rips through the man’s chest and abdomen?!  So, being me I went to a trusted CRPS website http://www.rsdhope.org/crps-or-fibromyalgia.html.  I found this article.  Since I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia the symptoms make sense.  They may make sense but I am still hurting very badly…between and 8 to a 9 on the pain scale.  I have had more than my fair share of pain.  All because my employer, Kars Auto Auction, wouldn’t salt the Employee parking lot.  I'm not bitter, but policies for Indiana's Workman's Compensation need changed for those people who will suffer a lifetime of chronic pain-worse than natural childbirth.

FIBROMYALGIA OR CRPS? I AM CONFUSED

In response to the question asking whether Fibromyalgia is similar to RSD / CRPS

We have supplied more detailed information below but let's get to some of the main points up front;

CRPS OR FIBRO? - Can the two diseases be confused? Can you have the two diseases at the same time? Yes and yes. As you can read by the descriptions below there are similarities in the symptoms but the causes are much different. There are also other differences such as; while Fibromyalgia can be quite painful there still exists no other chronic pain syndrome that touches RSD/CRPS in its intensity; Fibromyalgia can come and go into remission for weeks or months at a time while it is much more rare for that to happen for RSD/CRPS. There are others but you get the idea. They are still often confused in a diagnosis by some Doctors as many see so little of either. The other problem that occurs is that many RSD/CRPS patients develop Fibromyalgia and end up with both to some degree. There is even a theory being put forth that as the Fibro intensifies, the RSD lessens. There is a research underway to examine the mitochondrial DNA link on the maternal side of families where there are multiple instances of many of these diseases; RSD/CRPS, Fibromyalgia, MS, etc.

DIAGNOSIS - Diagnosis of fibromyalgia includes a history of at least three months of widespread pain, and pain in at least 11 of 18 tender-point sites. (below you will find an illustration of a body showing the various trigger points for Fibromyalgia)

DESCRIPTION - A strict definition of Fibromyalgia is "A common rheumatic syndrome indicating widespread pain in fibrous tissues, muscles, tendons, and other connective tissues, resulting in painful muscles without weakness. Fatigue is almost always present and can be extreme at times." The overwhelming characteristic of fibromyalgia is long-standing pain at defined tender points, which are not the same as trigger points. Tender points hurt only when pressed. Trigger points can be tender locally and lead to traveling or spreading pain. The soft-tissue pain is described as deep-aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning, and ranges from mild to severe. Fibromyalgia sufferers tend to waken with body aches and stiffness. Pain improves during the day and often increases again during the evening. Pain can increase with activity; cold, damp weather; anxiety; and stress.

SYMPTOMS - Most patients with fibromyalgia say that they ache all over. Their muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes the muscles twitch and at other times they burn. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, but it shows up in people of all ages. Pain - The pain of fibromyalgia has no boundaries. People describe the pain as deep muscular aching, burning, throbbing, shooting and stabbing. Quite often, the pain and stiffness are worse in the morning and you may hurt more in muscle groups that are used repetitively. Multiple Tender Areas - (muscle and joint pain) on the back of the neck, shoulders, sternum, lower back, hip, shin, elbows, knees. Chronic headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in about 50% of fibromyalgia patients and can pose as a major problem in coping for this patient group. Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and yet incapacitating in others. The fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel totally drained of energy. Many patients depict this situation by saying that they feel as though their arms and legs are tied to concrete blocks, and they have difficulty concentrating. Sleep Disturbances - Most fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder called the alpha-EEG anomaly. This condition was uncovered in a sleep lab with the aid of a machine which recorded the brain waves of patients during sleep. Researchers found that fibromyalgia syndrome patients could fall asleep without much trouble, but their deep level (or stage 4) sleep was constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity. The sleep pattern for clinically depressed patients is distinctly different from that found in FMS or CFS. Body Aches. Reduced Exercise Tolerance. Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas and nausea represent symptoms frequently found in roughly 40% to 70% of fibromyalgia patients. Chronic Facial Muscle Pain or Aching. Other Common Symptoms - Painful menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea), chest pain, morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations, muscle twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, frequent changes in eye prescription, dizziness, and impaired coordination can occur. Aggravating factors - Changes in weather, cold or drafty environments, hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression, anxiety and over-exertion can all contribute to symptom flare-ups.

ALTERNATIVE NAMES - Fibromyositis; Fibrositis; Myofasical Pain Syndrome.

There are also sections on; Causes, Incidence, and Risk Factors; Treatment; Prognosis; Sleep; Links; Articles, and more. Scattered throughout the website we also have many articles on this disease as so many RSD/CRPS patients also have Fibromyalgia. The key to diagnosis comes back to the Trigger Points explained above.

1) The information above was supplied by the American RSDHope organization. We are not medical professionals of any type. Always check with your Doctor before starting or stopping any medication or treatment regimen.

For more information on Fibromyalgia on our website click here!

copyright © 2014 American RSDHope

For those with one or both of these dreadful illnesses, make sure you find the medical help you need and don't let anyone tell you "the pain is in your head."  For those who feel alone, I have 2 CRPS groups on Facebook:  “Christians with CRPS” and “Hoosiers with CRPS”.  I will be creating a third group soon for CRPS and Fibromyalgia sufferers.  We need more support through the medical programs in Indiana and everywhere.  Please take the time to like my blog and leave a message.

Please take care and if you don't have CRPS but have a fall or accident, take Vitamin C as soon as possible!

Sincerely,

Renée M.

CRPS

CRPS

Do you have one of those memories etched in my memory that you will never forget?  Birth of a child?  Loss of a loved one?  Marrying your true love?  I have one memory that is forever burned in my mind.  Two years ago I fell on ice.  Yes, it’s not a monumental memory but because of my fall I, after much suffering, was diagnosed with Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS.  Often doctors call it CR(a)PS because that is what it is.  Below is one person’s account of CRPS.  She is a lovely person I’ve met through CRPS groups who tries to do good by helping others.  I hope you enjoy her perspective.

What is heck CRPS/RSD?

It is a chronic neurological syndrome that is characterized by a severe burning pain that is often described by patients as if someone poured lighter fluid on them and then lit it. They feel like they are on fire. Think about the worst sunburn that you have ever had and multiply that times one thousand. There are pathological changes in the bone and the skin, such as bone loss, and shiny, hairless reddish purple skin. Many RSD patients have excessive sweating all of the time. The tissues of the effective area(s) swell. Most have an extreme sensitivity to touch (Allodynia).  A light breeze can cause excruciating pain. Clothing on the affecting area(s) can be painful. This last symptom can also cause people with RSD to pull away from the ones that they love. Touch is a sign of friendship and love. Many people can’t understand why you are constantly pushing them away and asking them not to touch you no matter how many times you explain why!  Why, because to someone with RSD touch is extremely painful.

Anyone can get RSD. It is more prevalent in women than men and the number of pediatric cases is on the rise.  One of the biggest challenges that the RSD patient face, is the lack of proper understanding and education of pain in the medical community, the inability to get insurance companies to recognize and pay for a multidisciplinary treatment team and finally the loss of employment, social structure and family life that are all struggles the patient with CRPS may be faced with. One of our biggest battles is that of getting treatments covered by health insurance and Workman Compensation companies.
RSD is a malfunction of part of the nervous system that usually develops in response to a traumatic even such as an accident or medical procedure. A minor injury such as a sprain or a fall can also cause nerves to misfire sending constant pain signals to the brain.
Help us provide the financial assistance people with CRPS need to manage their pain.
Thank you!

Written by CRPSPIP @ http://www.gofundme.com/helpstopcrpspain

Sincerely,

Renée M.

Snow Day! & Be Like Jesus-Pray for Others

Snow Day! & Be Like Jesus-Pray for Others

I woke up today with the yard being bright and white as snow.  It reminds me of an old hymn we used to sing:

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! Precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Oh what a day it will be when we are all as white and clean as the snow out my back door that fills the room with it’s brightness!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Be Like Jesus–Pray for Others

When I get too wrapped up in my own problems, it’s a relief to pray for someone else. 

“You’re never more like Jesus than when you pray for others,” Max Lucado says in his new book Before Amen. When I read those words I thought, “Wow,” then paused and asked, “Do I really feel like Jesus when I pray for others?”

Of course it’s good to pray for others. If you’re known as a praying person, people will ask you to pray. 

I’ll scribble a name down on a Post It note or print out an email from someone who’s suffering from illness, loss, depression, financial troubles.

When I get too wrapped up in my own problems, it’s a relief to pray for someone else. 

Just logging on to OurPrayer and reading through a dozen requests is helpful. It gives me perspective.  “God,” I’ll pray, “you’ve really got to help this person because their needs are huge, so much bigger than my own.”

But how is this like Jesus? I tried to think of the times Jesus prayed for others.

The first occasion that came to mind was when He was on the cross, dying. Didn’t He pray for the criminal next to Him, saying, “I assure you that today you will be with Me in paradise?” (Luke23:43)

And I recalled in the Sermon on the Mount how He gives us that enormous challenge, not just to love our enemies but to “pray for those who harass you.” (Matthew 5:44) 

Wasn’t that exactly what He did when He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing?” (Luke 23:34) He was praying for His enemies. 

Or take the Lord’s Prayer. It’s not just “me, me, me”; it’s all “us, us, us.” It’s “Give us this day our daily bread…Forgive us...Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil…”  (Matthew 6: 9) To pray itis to pray for others.

He also prayed to heal others, like the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and touched His robe. “Daughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace,” He told her (Mark 5:34).

And then there is that extraordinary prayer He says in the Gospel of John that takes up all of chapter seven, one long prayer for His disciples and all who believe because of them, which would be us.

“I’m in them and You are in Me so that they will be made perfectly one,” He says. “Then the world will know that You sent Me and that You have loved them just as You loved Me.” (John 17:23)

It made me realize how prayer is at the heart of His ministry. I can’t preach like Jesus. I can’t heal like Him. I can’t teach like Him. But I can do this. I can pray for others.

By Rick Hamlin

OurPrayer.org daily email via Guidepost

Lord, please help me to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ who need your guidance.  Also help me to pray for those that don’t know you or have forgotten. 

I ask these things in your name,

Amen

Sincerely,

Renée M.

Valentines Day

Valentines Day

Can you believe how fast Valentine’s Day will be here?  I haven't decorated, bought any gifts, or made one single Valentine card.  I have however been crocheting what I think are the most beautiful infinity scarves that would be perfect for a Valentine Sweetie!  If you like any of them feel free to email me at:  LifesCreativeFlair at gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Renée M.

Welcome to Life's Creative Flair!

Welcome to the new look of my blog!  The first of the year always brings changes for me; not because it's the New Year but because as humans, change is inevitable.  It has been that way for me in so many ways these last couple of years.  If you don't already know me, I'm a mom, handicapped housewife, Learning Coach for my child's home education program, a CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome) and Fibromyalgia sufferer ( I like to think I'm more of a warrior).  I have a deep faith in Jesus Christ and to keep my mind occupied I like to be artistic and create!  That is me in a nutshell.  

I came up with Life's Creative Flair because life is what we make it.  One of my mentors told me, I never thought you would be capable of what you do.  When life gave you lemons, you made the best lemonade!  I felt so proud of what I had accomplished.  As life moves on, many lemons have fallen into my lap.  Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.  Just like the lippy guy in the movie Captain America "You don't know how to stay down do you?"  Rogers says getting back up, "I could do this all day".  I will always get back up.  I will always get back to being positive and through my faith I know one day I'll be made whole again.

In the coming days I plan on blogging about CRPS and Fibromyalgia, homeschooling, any favorite new recipes, tips, tricks and my Flair for all things Creative!

Thank you so much for deciding to take this journey with me. 

Sincerely,

Renée M.