A great article written by Bristol Palin.  Thought this was incredibly well-written.  I’m impressed.

A Gay Dance Partner? Sure!

Please enjoy this awesome post from my blogosphere friend Lolly of the Lolly’s Hope blog!

Walking on Cobblestones

In the session I attended at the IOCDF Conference hosted by Dr. Reid Wilson, The Art of Persuasion: Changing the OCD Mind, I learned a lot about how to handle my anxiety.  Please note, most of the information below, besides my reactions and opinions, are directly from Dr. Wilson’s presentation.

Walking on cobblestones.  Those who walk on cobblestone streets daily have better balance.  Their cardiovascular system is better and their physical and mental health is better.  Each step, continually, they make little adjustments.  Their cardiovascular system has to change the way it pumps blood and puts information into the bottom of your feet, which sends signals up to the vestibular network to improve balance.  Why, you may ask, is this a valid point when it comes to anxiety and OCD?  Well, the point is, be awkward and clumsy and uncertain.

Having OCD, we are always looking for certainty.  The natural world is NOT the paved street, it is the cobblestones.  Our brains have to deal with variability in environment, in movement, in life.

To read the rest, including real steps you can take, click here!

Yesterday, I wrote about how discouraged I was with writing.  My friend Addie, who blogs at How to Talk Evangelical and who was on the same writing retreat as I was, had a different experience.

Here’s the teaser:

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL WRITING RETREAT

First of all, forget your computer.

In your flurry to get the kids dressed and to the babysitter’s house, grab everything except for the gray laptop bag, weighted down with books and expectations and emails and power cords.

You’ll realize you’ve forgotten it about thirty minutes outside of Duluth, and there will be the inevitable pang. You’ll think of all you meant to do. All you could have gotten done.

You’re so used to its weight on your lap, to the feel of the keys underneath your fingers.

The other writers in the car will graciously offer to share theirs, but politely decline. This is how it’s supposed to go.

Wade slowly into the writing. Eat a fat sandwich of organic turkey and homemade bread from that little basement café you’ve always meant to try. Taste every single bite. Find a bench right by the water and watch the big ships come in for a while. At first, you’ll be so aware of everyone talking around you, but then, your heart will find its own quiet.

Click here to read the rest!

Check out this post over on Rachelle Gardner’s blog today:

The Writing Rules Are Just Tools.

Thoughts from my dear friend Elyse …

What are your questions about OCD?  What would you like to know?

I’m not a doctor, but I’ve lived it!

Thanks, everyone, for the support concerning my last post!  I was so encouraged to find that so many other OCs feel the same way!! 🙂

Caedmon’s Call lyrics from the song “Awake My Soul”:

I trust no other source or name
Nowhere else can I hide
This grace gives me fear,
and this grace draws me near
And all that it asks it provides

No one is good enough
To save himself
Awake my soul tonight
To boast nothing else

I wanted to take a time-out on this blog to give credit where credit is due for an amazing rescue from OCD: to Jesus Christ, my savior. OCD was an overwhelming enemy, far too much for me to ever conquer on my own, but my God was able to deliver me from its bondage. I boast in Christ alone.

Leave a comment: What has God rescued you from? What do you want to be rescued from?