Facing Monsters Under Our Beds, In Our Closets, and in Our Dreams

I've been revisiting the old fear monsters lately. I didn't want to; they just sort of crept up on me.

I’ve wrestled with different types of fear my entire life. My parents separated when I was six. I had nightmares until I was in college related to the fear that many kids believe, and that’s that they are somehow responsible for the break up of their parents. Not true, yet many kids feel or have felt this way.

I was very sick and hospitalized when I was in second grade. In 1963 children were on wards and in beds next to each other, (at least it was my experience). The children on either side of me died. I became afraid of death. My brother died when he was 27 years old and I was 29. I became even more afraid of death.

I experienced a lot of other reasons to fear in my lifetime: car accidents, my own children’s illnesses, the death of friends, the death of other family members. The list goes on and on. I’m 56 now and I’m not afraid most of the time. Do I occasionally let my fears slip in? Yes. One of those fears is sometimes related to my writing. Jody Hedlund posted a blog recently that addressed those issues here. As Jody mentions it's important not to let our fears paralyze us, push through it. One of my favorite writers in the general market is Laura Kinsale who experienced the full out anxiety that can attack those of us who write. She shares a snippet of this experience on her website where she talks about the Renegade Muse.

I’m not able to banish my fears completely, but I finally figured out that no matter how hard I try, in my human strength, I cannot keep bad things at bay. Sometimes it helps to remember good advice such as Overcoming Fear of Failure. I don’t have control. God does. All I can do is the best I can do, trust God for the rest, and remember the mustard seed.

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20 NIV

So have faith, not fear. Peace, not fear. Trust, not fear. Hope, not fear.


In my counseling Bible, The Bible for Hope, NKJV, the introduction to Numbers talks about fear. The first paragraph states, “Fear can immobilize. Fearful people often do not think straight and run off in the wrong direction to escape the source of their fear. The world can be quite scary, and at times, Christians will become afraid. On those occasions, they can either run away from God, thinking that he cannot handle their fears, or they can run to God for protection.”

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJV). 2 Timothy 1:7

Question: What are you afraid of? How do you cope with your monsters?
 
 

All photos courtesy of photobucket.

The Perfect Recipe

When you write books lots of people will ask you where you get your ideas? I get them from everywhere, but I guess I could equate it to those who can really cook a great meal. Some writers might use recipes and some don't. As a writer I would say I use a type of recipe conjured up by the seat of my pants. For instance 2 cups of characters, + 1 cup of plot = brilliant story. Okay, so it's a little more complicated than that. So you add a 3 tablespoons of setting, a dash of romance, and hmm lets see, a quart of dialogue. Yep, at least a quart. This is getting complicated isn't it? And you know what? It is! I can't just throw a bunch of ingredients in a bowl and blend and expect the recipe to come out perfect. Maybe those plotters can get pretty close but they might miss that dash of cinnamon along the way if they get to orderly about the recipe.

I've had to study the craft of writing for years and prepare much like a Top Chef Master. Everything is in the kitchen and I set forth with my special recipe to prepare. Sometimes the story bakes up well the first time around but most of the time the story needs an extra pint of setting, a heaping teaspoon of passion, and a hefty cup of adventure.

Maybe the ideas we bring to the recipe are half the battle. If we are pulling from the wrong place or not thinking enough about what we really want to bake we may end up disappointed. So back to the kitchen. What is it that you want to cook? Are you looking in the right place for your ideas? Is there a right place? What's the secret in your recipe?

Mental Wellness Isn't Just For Writers

IF taking care of yourself usually shows up on the bottom of your to be done list it’s time to make a change. Women especially are at risk for depression because we tend to be the first line of defense in our families to take care of others and not us. As a Licensed Independent Social Worker counseling nursing students, I deal with mental health issues every day at work. But what many of us don’t think of until we get depressed or suffer from anxiety is what mental health looks like? What is a definition of mental health as opposed to mental illness?
One definition of mental health is:

–noun

1. psychological well-being and satisfactory adjustment to society and to the ordinary demands of life.

________________________________________

Origin:
1825–35
Dictionary.com Unabridged

My definition of Mental Health is the absence of disease and the enjoyment of life. I like to say the absence of dis-ease. Just like any other part of the human body the human mind can have illnesses. You can read up on all of these problems at the National Alliance on Mental Illness You can help stamp out the stigma against those with mental illness just by becoming informed and sharing your knowledge. I think Jesus demonstrated the objective of mental health when HE said: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 NIV

There are many ways to relieve stress in our lives (my top pick is massage, bet you couldn't guess). I think other effective strategies are 1) Talking about your problems with someone you trust, 2) Pray and seek God’s wisdom for your particular concerns, 3) Set healthy boundaries, in other words, learn to say no. Resource: Boundaries (When to Say YES When to Say NO To Take Control of Your Life) Dr. Henry Cloud, and Dr. John Townsend, and 4)Exercise that releases endorphins and helps you feel better.



One of the biggest mental health disorders that we all know something about and many writers suffer from is depression. Did you know that Sir Winston Churchill suffered from depression; he called it his Black Dog. http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

British folklore talks about a ghostly black dog that has large glowing eyes. This made me wonder if that was the thought behind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s, The Hound of the Baskervilles. I have not researched that idea but made a quick run of the question on the internet and found not surprisingly that Conan Doyle did suffer depression after his wife and several other family members died.

There are many mysteries yet to be solved regarding the human body. The health of the spirit is also related to the health of the brain. Please remember that the brain is part of the body and those who suffer with any type of mental illness are due the same respect as anyone else who has cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, etc.. It’s just different. Taking care of you means taking care of your brain, too. How are you going to take care of you and your brain health this summer? I know that I'll be walking.

Why not search for a new scripture and use it to guide your wellness needs?

If mental wellness was a color, what color would your choose?

MY VACATION AND BLOG SITES I'LL BE VISITING

Friday was my last day of work from my day job for eight weeks. I work in a college and it's a wonderful perk to have time off in the summer. I'm taking a week off from blogging on this site because I'm taking a much needed vacation and visiting friends in Atlanta.  When I return home I'll be in full out writing mode. I'll spend this break time separating one job from the other and trying to get some perspective on the creative work that needs to be done. Now, that being said I'm being interviewed on two blogs Monday - Wednesday. :) You can find me Monday at Janalyn Voigt's Blog, Novel Books. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday you can find me over at Favorite PASTimes. I'll be on vacation but I'll be checking in so please come visit these blog sites if you have time. And then when I get home I'll be blogging at Just The Write Charisma on May 30th. If you'd like to check out the reviews that have been coming in for my novel just click here.

Are you taking a vacation this summer? If you are where are you going? Do you have a favorite destination? Or do you enjoy staying home and doing whatever you like without having to travel?

                                                                                                                    

Rachelle Gardner's Triple Post for Blog Pick Friday

                                                                     

Difficult Conversations Part I
"This Book Isn't Going to Work."

Difficult Conversations Part 2
 "I Shopped It Till I Dropped, But Nobody's Buying."

Difficult Conversations Part 3
"Don't Take This Personally-But It's Personal."

If you want to hear about all the different difficult conversations that agents might have with there authors then Rachelle Gardner's blog was the place to be this week. If you happen to be visiting here just click one of the above links and zoom over to Rants and Ramblings. Don't you love that picture from Part One? Who hasn't felt like that on some occasion?

Have a great weekend and may it be free of difficult conversations. :)

Archaeologists Unearth Skeletons at Old Bethlehem (Bedlam) Hospital

I've been employed as a social worker for thirty years. I've worked in the mental health and medical fields for all of that time. If you read my books you'll find an interesting psychology thread. I'm currently revising my second book which will take you into Bedlam in the year 1818. When I saw this article Archaeology Find I was both fascinated and horrified. Then I became more fascinated when I realized this was really an old burial ground. Still it's hard to know what actually happened until more information comes to light.

"It's interesting on the archaeological side because the 16th century is a time of immense poverty really in the outer areas of the city of London. Sites of this type haven't always been fully investigated," Carver said.

In the picture with the article it appears to be more of a mass grave. I can't help but wonder if this was used for the patients who died, or perhaps bodies from an epidemic like the plague. The The Great Fire of London occurred in 1666 so I wonder how that may have effected this grave site. About ten years later Bethlehem hospital moved to Moorfields. It's moved twice since that time and still provides help for those who suffer from mental illness.

This blog post from one of my favorite sites sheds more light on what is being reported. Bethlem in the News

Many people don't know that Bethlehem Hospital, also known at Bethlem and Bedlam opened it's doors to the mentally ill in the 14th century.

What intrigues you about this history?