How to heal a hurting stomach

First of all, pray for healing. Friends who pray are pure gold. Friendship and prayer. God's will be done. Thank you for the positive vibes.
Second, take the morning off whatever you do. By the way, having worked from the age of 17 till now, minus a couple of years as a sahm, it is my firm belief that women should not work.Go to town. Have a creme brulee in the main square. Sip some water and a couple of Zantacs. Then leaf through a magazine you've never seen before. If it is good, then it's an extra bonus.

Then, although you just want to hide in bed and moan and fill your head your dark thoughts, pack your bags and follow some friends across half of the country (or the state, for that matter).
See deserted villages

and mighty mansions.

Then arrive to a small family hotel just before sunset and take a plunge.
Take the road the less travelled.
I am not totally pain free. I shall probably have to go and see the doctor one day soon. But prayer and friendship and emptying the mind of its worries and constant talk, does help. Thank you.

Links and friends

Hello,
Thank you for the comments to my post about the self-help fraud. It is a subject I feel passionately about because it played an important part to my own downfall. Thankfully Christ offered me His holy hand through you, my blogging friends, and with you I am finding my way, falling over, getting up, finding a new, authentic way of connecting with God, that I didn't think existed. Thank you God, Thank you my friends.

A blogging friend from my Happy Turtle blog, Melissa of The Inspired Room is hosting a Drive By Around the World. I have posted mine here, if you'd like to follow me on my way to work. At The Happy Turtle I have also posted this post about the work of Christian artist Walter Sallman. It was great to find out where those childhood favorites came from.

Melissa of Off the Wall has posted a Memphis drive by, but also a lovely post for her 5th wedding anniversary. She writes:"When God spoke of dying to ourselves, I believe he also meant that to be true in marriage. I don’t mean that we lose our identity and completely change the person we are, but we desire to always make our spouse feel honored, cherished, chased after, and loved above all others."

This very much ties with my self-help post. There is so much being said about how not to lose your identity in marriage etc. Again, the concept is not entirely wrong. I know, because I have lost mine. I have invented a new one for myself, and now I am trying to figure it out again. What is wrong is that we are not told that we may keep our precious selves, but actually get better , become a better person, if we let God choose for us a Christian partner, or if we ask for His help in creating a Christian family, as was, and is, my heart's desire.

Friends like these...

My two French friends, T and C have sent me their New Year's wishes. I did well not removing my New Year graphics yet!


This one is from T. I first met him and his now wife S on a trip to the South of Greece, some twenty years ago. (Gosh! Was it really that long ago?). Together they have showered me with their friendship and loyalty more than once in a difficult time of my life and C's. I am glad every time I hear from them! Happy New Year, to you and to P and A, and a big Thank You for your friendship.


And this one is from C.
She is more like a sister to me. She was my confidente in adolescence, a rock of faith that has supported me with her wisdom and compassion. I believe I brought a good dose of madness and several handfuls of the unexpected into her life. Mais elle ne m'en veut pas! I love you, C. You'll always be my best friend! Happy New Year to you and yours.