Summertime can have a heated effect on tempers individual and collective. As temperatures rise, so, too, can impatience, irritation, intolerance, and mayhem. A kind of "mad-ness" may ensue, where otherwise docile personalities turn prickly -- and frustration can color even the simplest of human interactions.
Especially for those in constant pain, summer can be particularly frustrating because, while it may seem as if the world around is enjoying the "hazy, lazy, crazy" days of summer, we are still tied to harsh, unrelenting, activity-stopping pain. And, as we allow jealousy to grow within us, we further distance ourselves from others, whom we love, and God, whom we need most.
One of the most wonderful things about summer is the relaxation it can inspire. One of the most wonderful things about being a spirit-filled patient is the awareness that God's mercy is ready and available, to comfort us at all times.
There can be no relaxation if we allow summer's heat to dig deep within us and stir up trouble.
There can be no sense of calm in the midst of pain if we allow our heated feelings to put up a wall between ourselves and God's comforting mercy and love.
So, as we navigate the hot, humid days of July, let us "be cool and stay cool," and look for ways to find relief and calm. Let's breathe deeply. Go easy on ourselves. Take each day, each step, one by precious one. And allow God's mercy and love to kindle another kind of heat -- a fervent desire to live out our witness however, wherever, and whenever we can.
Have a blessed month of July,
Amen!
Maureen
New copies of "Peace in the Storm" are now available at www.amazon.com and www.christianbook.com. More should be reaching www.parable.com and www.barnesandnoble.com soon. If you have trouble finding copies, please email me. Thank you!
My television interview on "The Word in the World" will air on Wednesday, July 9, on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) at 8:30 a.m. Pacific. It will also air on TCC (The Church Channel), and other cable channels, as well as on all U.S. military bases and ships around the world. Check your local listings for details/times -- and/or view the program online at www.wordnet.tv. I look forward to hearing from you with your comments!
I'm honored and delighted to say that "Peace in the Storm" has been picked up by Global Ministries (www.new.gbgm-umc.org). What a wonderful way to bring "Peace" to more places where, I pray, it can be of service!
A new article just went up on the Beliefnet.com homepage (www.beliefnet.com). The article is: "Ten Ways to Energize Your Prayer Life" -- just in time for spring!
Two other articles continue to be posted on Beliefnet.com. The addresses are:
www.beliefnet.com/gallery/chronicpaintools.html
and
www.beliefnet.com/gallery/makeyourhomeprayer-friendly.html
I'm thrilled to announce that the second edition of my book, "THE FIRST YEAR: HYPOTHYROIDISM" will be available any day now!!! Advance orders may be placed with Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. I'll post updates on interviews and other book promos on this site as the info becomes available.
The interview I did on blogtalkradio at the end of June 2007 is archived on: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=29936
It was a wonderful experience, and the questions were some of the most enjoyable to answer that I've had. Hope you can check it out!
The segment featuring me on the Hallmark Channel's show "New Morning" was repeated in March. Both airings are now posted for viewing at www.newmorningtv.tv. When you go to that site, click on "Past Shows," then go to "February 2007" or "March 2007." Specific air dates are February 5, 2007, and March 1, 2007.
The Lupus Foundation of America has granted its Seal of Approval to PEACE IN THE STORM! The announcement is included in the summer 2006 issue of the LFA's magazine, Lupus Now. Copies are available at www.lupus.org, or www.lupusnow.org.
Several new venues have decided to carry PEACE IN THE STORM -- very exciting news! These include:
1) Valley Book & Bible Stores -- three locations:
6502 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91401
20936 Roscoe Blvd, Canoga Park, CA 91304
215 E Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
2) Crystal Cathedral Gift Store, Garden Grove, CA.
3) Parable Books website: www.parable.com
4) Cokesbury online bookseller: www.cokesbury.com
5) JUST ADDED: www.providentbookstores.com
If you have purchased PEACE IN THE STORM, I appreciate hearing from you -- and welcome you to leave your thoughts in the customer comment area of any of the on-line retailers carrying the book. These include: amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and christianbook.com
Thank you!
In my bi-weekly column, "Living Well," I explore topics related to spirituality and health -- all designed to encourage readers to take charge of as much of their health as they can and deepen their spiritual lives, too. Columns are posted on Catholic News Service's subscriber page and have so far been picked up by newspapers in Brooklyn, St. Paul/Minneapolis, Nashville, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida, and Australia (to name a few). If your diocesan publication doesn't run "Living Well," encourage them to do so -- and let me know what you think!
The folks at beliefnet.com have asked to excerpt some of the prayers from PEACE IN THE STORM for their section on prayer. Beliefnet.com is a very interesting site devoted to introducing people to all faiths, as well as providing spiritual support to the faiths' followers.
The first few prayers are posted now at:
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3405
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3407
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3408
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3409
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3410
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3411
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3412
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3413
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3414
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3415
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3416
http://www.beliefnet.com/prayeroftheday/prayer_one.asp?pid=3417
Other prayers will follow!
Tu companero catolico, a nationally syndicated Catholic radio program, did an interview with me in Spanish a few months ago -- and it aired in late October! The link to the program is on my website; you can listen on the web. (I apologize for the lack of accents in my Spanish here -- I'm just figuring out a new keyboard and hope to add them soon!)
Let me know what you think! Gracias.
Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system turns on its own organs and tissues. It is much like being allergic to oneself.
The diagnosis of lupus is complicated, and involves a comprehensive physical and hemotological examination of the patient, as well as an extensive look at a patient's past medical history. The American College of Rheumatology has established a list of criterion, and a patient needs to fulfill several of the criterion in order to be diagnosed with lupus.
Because there is no one "lupus test," or easy way to diagnose the disease, patients often go years between flares and before they are diagnosed. Lupus patients with internal manifestations of the disease often look very healthy, and can be subject to discrimination on that basis.
There are no definitive numbers of how many people in the United States actually have lupus, but recent studies indicate that there might be as many as 1.5 to 2 million women, men and children with the disease in the U.S. Lupus can strike at any age, but most of the diagnoses are made to women in their childbearing years.
Lupus symptoms can vary from fevers, joint pain, extreme fatigue, brain fog, and photosensitivity to kidney, lung, heart, and central nervous system involvement. There is not cure for lupus; doctors try to treat the symptoms with various medications, some of which have short- and long-term side effects that can also be debilitating. Disease progression and severity are different in each patient; approximately 50 percent of lupus patients will have major organ involvement. Each year, lupus patients die from the disease or from complications such as infection or cardiovascular involvement.
The psychological toll of life with lupus is immense. Because of its unpredictability, the hopes and dreams of many lupus patients are shattered, and their personal relationships, career aspirations, and spiritual wellbeing can be severely eroded, if not destroyed. The divorce rate among lupus patients is above the national average, and many lupus patients are, at one time or another during the course of the disease, treated for depression and anxiety. Lupus patients must avoid exposure to sunlight, so even normal daily activities can be impacted and in some cases done away with completely. Outdoor sports, trips to the beach, hikes, and even shopping expeditions are all questionable at best. We sometimes feel like moles!
But although lupus patients must live with lifelong, daunting physical and emotional challenges, many are very resilient and develop coping skills within the parameters of their disease involvement. Lupus patients can be everyone's heroines and heroes!
There is a great need for more research into the causes of and treatments for lupus. There is also a huge need for more public awareness of the disease, both because it will enable people to be diagnosed more rapidly and because it will help others understand what lupus patients struggle with on a daily basis.
For further information, please see my book, TAKING CHARGE OF LUPUS: HOW TO MANAGE THE DISEASE AND MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR LIFE, and Dr. Daniel Wallace's book THE LUPUS BOOK. Also, contact the Lupus Foundation of America: www.lupus.org
Thank you!
