gdp's Comments

Becky Castle Miller : One Word 2011: Reliance

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:18:10 +0000

I know. It's especially hard w/o outside support. It's not just the physical and internal struggles but society's stigma. One more thing to overcome that makes you stronger. And you WILL overcome this. What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Becky Castle Miller : One Word 2010: Drudgery

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:49:42 +0000

I haven't met any housekeeper that has had a perfect house. As you pointed out, it's the nature of the work. It's just never DONE. For us perfectionists, that is really, really hard. We like to do things when we're on top of our games -- where we CAN be on top of our games. A sentence will never really be perfect -- but it can pretty well be damn near it and there's a point where you can leave it be and not have to revise it EVERY SINGLE DAY. It's worse when somehow our husbands do have the concept of a perfect house. Maybe it's because they aren't home to see all the work that we do, despite it having to be done AGAIN by the time they get home. What I liked about working was the kudos. I've never had a boss that didn't praise me or promote me. I sometimes tell Micah he makes a terrible boss. :P I don't always mind "transcending" the drudgery of everyday life, but it I get dragged right back down if I feel criticized and not appreciated.

Becky Castle Miller : I'm A Marathoner!

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 01:37:50 +0000

I was never athletic, so I'll skip that question and hop on the most painful experiences bandwagon. 1.) Childbirth before I had the epidural, because I was just too tired to cope and it seemed never ending. I was crawling up the walls, begging for relief. 2.) It was a very long time ago, but I remember breaking my elbow hurt A LOT. 3.) Breaking my pinkies hurt a lot, too. (Separate experiences) 4.) Slicing my thumb while I was cutting a bagel. I didn't get stitches but it burned like heck. 5.) This might be a bit personal, but sometimes I get really bad tummy aches that don't resolve themselves, ifyouknowwhatImean. And, honestly, it is worse than a a migraine. 6.) When I had strep throat the last time. My throat was burning out of my neck! Okay, that's six. If I missed anything, I'm sure I blocked it out for a reason!

Becky Castle Miller : Eggnog Latte & Stroopwafel: Heel lekker!

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:35:07 +0000

Thank you for sharing stroopwafels with me and I think the poster is hilarious and understand my picture now. But if you MUST know, I didn't enjoy the built-in syrup flavor. I much prefer buttery or nutty snacks like Walkers shortbread or McVities. Or Madeline cakes. OMG, I LOVE Madeline cakes. I want my own pan. So I understand your want for a pezille iron.

Becky Castle Miller : Daniel's Story: Jasmine

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 01:26:48 +0000

Psalms 42 and 43 ...Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. ...Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. ...Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Becky Castle Miller : What Does Depression Look Like?

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 01:20:11 +0000

I'm so glad you made it out of h.s. alive! We both know that is not a light statement the way most people mean it.

Becky Castle Miller : Depression, Medication, & Interventions

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 01:12:19 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-kgeNYNFLY

Becky Castle Miller : Jen's Story: How to Save A Life

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 01:09:34 +0000

The basic answer to this question is, if you think you might need help, get it! I agree.

Becky Castle Miller : Evita's Story: The Gift of Grace

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 01:06:02 +0000

Yay! That is awesome news. Really hopeful. It is the same with colicky babies. As a new parent, you feel like this must be normal and you're being a big baby yourself and need to suck it up. Or like you are a complete and utter failure because you can't help your baby enough so he'll stop screaming for hours on end. Unfortunately, we were so alone in this stage. We had no time to each other, missed out on church because we were sleeping in and yet were lectured on getting out as new parents or hearing things about us (like we were paranoid about germs or something, which totally wasn't the case). No one really understood what we were going through, so that didn't help, either. FINALLY, Elijah got diagnosed at the pediatrician and I heard a mom's story at breastfeeding support group. So, if your baby cries all the time and you are feeding him and holding him and changing your diet to ease gas and bathing him and swaddling him, etc. and HE is still miserable, this also isn't normal. You are a good parent. Take heart for it will pass. And if you have someone to help you, take advantage of it! It could save your sanity, your marriage AND your other relationships.

Becky Castle Miller : Jen's Story: How to Save A Life

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 17:40:05 +0000

I agree, she is amazing. This made me tear up.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Wondering if you could get out of the way if a stereo speaker fell from the ceiling at church.

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 01:25:17 +0000

Glad I'm not the only one! At the church I attended for 5 years, I stared at a water stain behind the cross hanging above the baptismal and wondered about it and the best way to paint it.

Becky Castle Miller : Depression, Medication, & Interventions

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 01:11:15 +0000

Sometimes standing firm means you need to declare your stance. I'm proud of you, Becky! Yes, sometimes, natural cures work. In the case of me in high school, I just needed to de-stress so the cortisone wasn't competing with the serotonin. And get more sleep! But I'm really glad I took medication for my PPD. I'm also glad, in retrospect, I had the epidural when cortisone was blocking oxytocin. Just being relaxed helped; I'm still not sure I even needed the Pitocin. I'm glad you took the advice of your care providers, too. They know you well and seem caring and well-rounded. Besides, the proof is in the pudding, isn't it?

Becky Castle Miller : What Does Depression Look Like?

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:41:35 +0000

Actually, my Avo died the day after we got home and planned to visit her with Elijah. It was still heartbreaking, though. :( Not knowing where we were going to live was probably the scariest thing; the day I went into labor was the day our new apartment was rented out from under us. The couple we were signing our lease over to graciously let us hold onto the lease! You're welcome. Thanks for going first. :) And anytime you want to talk about it or know more about my situation, I'm here. :)

Becky Castle Miller : What Does Depression Look Like?

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 03:40:26 +0000

I know first-hand post-postpartum depression is no joke. The days surrounding Elijah's birth were extremely difficult circumstantially and the birth did not go the way I wanted it to, but my tears seemed to come of their own accord. The day after Elijah was born, I asked the nurse if it was normal to cry for no apparent reason. She said, yes, my body is striving to keep up with the changing hormone levels. Okay, I thought, I can take a few rounds of this. The baby blues is normal and PPD usually isn't diagnosed until 10 weeks after delivery. However, after serious symptoms showed up, everyone agreed -- I needed medication to help me. It was such a relief knowing I would be feeling better soon, even though I still cried at the same time every day and unwelcome thoughts popped into my head. It seemed to take awhile but it did get better! Since my doctor knew I was also dealing with issues, he recommended a counselor. She asked questions about being a new parent and how my husband was helping and how we were adjusting as a family. Then she listened and re-verbalized what I had said. Every time she did that, a light bulb went off in my head. She also shared some helpful statistics, research, observations and treatments and advice. But mostly she just listened and sympathized and asked follow-up questions. I had a few pairs of extra hands ready and willing to change diapers and run errands, but, emotionally, I was a little beyond the help of my support team. They didn't know what to do/say except ask how I was, but they still gave me another reason to fight - I knew they cared. Thankfully, some circumstantial issues were resolved. We fortunately held onto our lease so that we weren't stuck when the apartment we were panning on moving into was rented out from under us and stayed with my parents for a year after that and finally found a landlord willing to rent to families with children! And I caught up on the rest from the exhausting days of apartment hunting, apartment showing and apartment cleaning as well as a 17-hour labor on 1 hour of sleep. I came to terms with how the labor went. But the fact that some issues are still unresolved (I will always regret watching the Happening, about suicide, for crying out loud; I don't know how I can not hurt anyone's feelings if I decide to do things the same way the second time I go into labor; and I'll always wish my Avo had seen Elijah and that she was still around to hold the extended family together.) and I am not falling to pieces and dealing normally, I think is testament to the effectiveness of the medication combined with counseling. I wish teen depression was recognized as well as PPD! When I was depressed as a teen, people kept telling me that life has it's ups and downs, why couldn't I just pull it together and move on like everyone else? It's not the end of the world if I make a mistake...I was too focused on myself and I'm a miserable human being, of course that's going to make me depressed...I didn't have the joy of the Lord so I didn't love Him and I despaired and was in sin! Suicide is a sin! ...Happiness is a choice; I was choosing to wallow in self-pity...Even then I knew I was depressed because I was too stressed. I had way too much pressure on me. I just didn't know how to speak up. When I graduated high school and was in charge of my own schedule, it lifted and I learned how to cope with life the way a healthy person is able. Thankfully, when I had PPD, I put aside all those negative voices telling me I just needed to suck it up. THERE WAS TOO MUCH ON THE LINE. And I really loved my son and wanted to be there for him and find my mothering instincts for him. I am SO GLAD you took the first step and challenged others in getting rid of the stigma of depression. It is REAL. And you can't talk yourself or someone out of it or pretend it away.

How-To Hospitality : Student of Hospitality

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:03:44 +0000

I'm just going to assume you both said "I love you." J/K I didn't realize you also visited college friends. What brings them to Germany?

Becky Castle Miller : You Can't Cram for A Marathon

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:02:37 +0000

You were great! For the record, Becky finished UNDER 4:20. Great analogy, too. If only methodology worked so well, eh? But sounds like even in running, you have to figure certain things out for yourself. I am glad I have a friend like you to encourage me in that endeavor, the way your marathoner friends encourage you in running.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Loving or hating Glee.

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:28:39 +0000

I agree. That show was my one exception, too. Empowerment? More like EWerment.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Loving or hating Glee.

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:27:50 +0000

Call me crazy but I love themed shows (from a literary standpoint, theme is good) and I love Glee! Last week's episode represented most arguments, opinions and stages of spiritual journeys. Though the flying spaghetti monster argument (intended to protest Creationism in schools) was misused.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Fall retreats.

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 03:33:37 +0000

Girls breaking out in song, everyone being yelled at for forgetting your Bible ("YOU REMEMBERED YOUR TOOTHBRUSH! How could you FORGET YOUR BIBLE?!) and knowing it isn't you and looking around and counting the Bibles you see, forgetting to pack your toothbrush or other items and sharing (EW!), girls taking 100 showers a day so they can smell like Bath and Body Works every time that guy with the guitar comes near them, scandals about girls not wearing t-shirts in the pool, envying the youth group with the cooler youth pastor or who got the newer side of the building...Oh, man. Lots of memories.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : #137. Holding retreats at locations that could double as horror movies.

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 03:24:43 +0000

This is hilarious! I just snorted something out of my nose (I'm not telling you what.) Not to be a killjoy, but I think the title of this post should be "#137. Holding retreats at locations that could double as horror movie sets." Although I still see your point.