{"id":1725,"date":"2015-07-14T08:06:54","date_gmt":"2015-07-14T08:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=1725"},"modified":"2015-07-12T20:15:35","modified_gmt":"2015-07-12T20:15:35","slug":"tlc-tueday-keeping-it-all-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2015\/07\/tlc-tueday-keeping-it-all-together.html","title":{"rendered":"TLC Tueday: Keeping It All Together"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image<\/a>
Image courtesy of SimonHowden\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sometimes, you just want to cry. But, the particular moment might not be the best. Perhaps your children need you, or your spouse is dealing with a difficult problem of his or her own. Maybe you’re at work, and the environment leaves you exposed and feeling terribly vulnerable. Or, maybe you’re driving, cooking, cleaning, or shopping – and you don’t think you can let go of your grief just then…but you oh, so very much, want to.<\/p>\n

Our inner strength is one of our finest assets. It enables us to face the terrible health and other challenges that pepper our lives with courage and move along even as we carry our burdens. But, we need not equate “inner strength” with “I cannot cry.” In fact, tears are a gift from God, and one of the blessings that allows us to express the inexpressible, bear the unbearable.<\/p>\n

If today you feel a need to cry, know that it is all right. Moreover, you are not alone. Many of us at this very moment also feel like crying. As you assure yourself, find a way that you can step back from where you are, even for a few moments. Go to a safe, quiet, alone place. Allow God to wrap His arms around you. Allow tears to flow – cleansing you. Then, dry your eyes and move back into your world, allowing yourself to feel renewal and not embarrassment.<\/p>\n

It’s all right – God loves you so very much!<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes, you just want to cry. But, the particular moment might not be the best. Perhaps your children need you, or your spouse is dealing with a difficult problem of his or her own. Maybe you’re at work, and the environment leaves you exposed and feeling terribly vulnerable. 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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. Through the blog, she hopes to bring issues of health, wellness, and spirit into focus and, especially, inspire others that, no matter what health challenges, illness, or hardships they endure, each person can find a good way to realize the wonderful potential God has placed within each heart and soul.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.maureenpratt.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/author\/mpratt"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/548"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1725"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1726,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1725\/revisions\/1726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}