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Thank You for Voting & Here’s The Winner of the Starbucks Gift Card!
Thank you everyone for voting in the Final Book Cover Poll- of the TOP 2 Designs for “Battle Forged & Battle Ready”! *Scroll down for the winner of the Starbucks drawing.* 85 Responses were recorded, and there was a *CLEAR* design that won! 🙌 Stay tuned for the winner because I’ll be revealing the winning design mid-July. Hop on my newsletter HERE to not miss finding out which design won and to receive content focused on empowering you in your battles! Thank you also for all your feedback and insight on the different covers. It was very valuable and helpful to hear from so many people’s perspectives. And now- for…
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Top 2 Final Book Cover Design Poll- for Amber J. Parker’s Book
This week of July 1st is the vote for the top 2 final designs on my book cover from last week’s poll! Make sure to read my words at the end of this article as well. There’s a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card for those who vote and are on my email newsletter. To be entered, read the directions. Last week I revealed the book title: “Battle Forged & Battle Ready”, and you voted on 8 designs. Thank you so much to everyone who voted on the designs and gave feedback. Your insight, opinions, and voting were extremely valuable. It was very close between both of these cover…
- Bible, Bible teaching, Choose Joy In the Midst, Faith, Life Battles, Life Storms, Lisa Harper, spiritual warfare, Truth
Meeting Lisa Harper & Stepping Out In Faith
The last 8 days have been hard and filled with spiritual attacks and difficulties. They have also had God’s gracious blessings and leading as well. Read more about both below. First, I want to share the ending… I was at a conference this week and was blessed to meet and talk with Lisa Harper. I even got a picture with her and got to give her my business card for Choose Joy In the Midst and speak on hard topics, to include my upcoming book. If you are not familiar— Lisa Harper is a strong believer in Jesus, a theologian, speaker, author, and she doesn’t take herself too seriously. She…
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Amber J. Parker’s Book Title Reveal & Book Design Poll- Vote Today!
Hi friends, my book title is: “Battle Forged & Battle Ready”. It is a book to help the primary caregiver of trauma & suicidality navigate the chaos and turmoil of mental health crisis so they can live with improved strength, hope, and resilience. It comes out of our own personal story of my caregiving for my husband through combat trauma and worsening mental crisis. We were in a fight for his life. This book is the one I wished I had back then, and so I am writing it for you, reader, as you fight your own battle for the life of your loved one. I’ve been busy working on…
- Anxiety, Bible, Caregiving, Coping strategies, Faith, Fear, Focusing on Truth, Overcome anxiety & worry, positive self-talk, Prayer, Pursuing health and wholeness, spirit of fear, Trauma
How to Deal With Fear and Anxiety Part 2- Focus on Powerful Truth
I learned how to do life with fear alongside.Not leading the way, not overtaking me… but fear in its’ proper place- as a tool to give information, and as an emotion to acknowledge. In caregiving for my child with a life-threatening diagnosis, I clung to the powerful truth found in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” I prayed it. I told God I didn’t want the spirit of fear and asked Him to help me have His power, His love, His sound mind. It wasn’t a one and done conversation. It was…
- Anxiety, Anxiety tips and tricks, Caregiving, Coping strategies, Fear, how to decrease fear, Medical diagnosis, Mental Health, PTSD, Pursuing health and wholeness, Trauma, Truth
How to Deal With Fear & Anxiety Part 1- Do Life With Fear Alongside
Fear and anxiety can be ever present with us, but I learned a powerful truth about fear as I walked thru caregiving for a life-threatening diagnosis for my child. I have a powerful truth for you to hold onto in the midst of difficulty and fear. Grab these 2 free powerful printables- just for you- 2 FREE 8.5 x 11 Printables- To Empower & Encourage You. You will also get on my email newsletter which you don’t want to miss. Stick around to see part 2 of Fear & Anxiety. I learned how to live life with fear alongside.And it was empowering & life-changing for me. “Live life with fear…
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New Life & Hope Springing Forth
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness & streams in the wasteland.“ (Isaiah 43:19, NIV). Friend—What new thing are you seeing spring up in your life? After the darkness, trials, adversity, and pain—Can you see any goodness in your life? The glimmer of new things springing forth. I journeyed through the lengthy darkness of night for so long & God finally brought forth newness and light. Hope. The working of redemption in my life. It is a continual work, the growing and bringing forth of newness in my life.The goodness in your life…
- Choose Joy In the Midst, Coping strategies, EMDR, Fight or Flight Response, Mental Health, Not Alone, PTSD, Pursuing health and wholeness, Stress response, therapy, Trauma
How Can You Decrease Your PTSD or Trauma Response? It is, in fact, Possible.
You Don’t Have to Be Stuck in Your PTSD or Trauma Response. There are ways to decrease and dial down the response in the moment friend. There is hope. The intensity of your responses to trauma can be dialed down. How? The first step is self-awareness. Being aware of what is occurring and what specific things trigger you. (A trigger is something associated with the trauma memory. A trigger is not something you choose, but something your amygdala has connected to the trauma. An object, a similar situation, a sound, a smell, etc.) I know it’s likely not something you want to think about or focus on because avoidance of…
- Choose Joy, Choose Joy In the Midst, Coping strategies, Fight or Flight Response, Mental Health, PTSD, Pursuing health and wholeness, Stress response, Trauma
Choose Joy In the Midst of PTSD & Trauma Responses
You may be wondering how on earth can both phrases “Choose Joy In the Midst” and “PTSD and Trauma Responses” be connected? I believe we *can* in fact find Joy and choose joy in the midst of very difficult trauma responses we face. We can choose joy and fight for goodness in our lives by pursuing healing and finding ways to positively cope and decrease our trauma responses. Read on, friend. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) can ensue from trauma and cause your body to go into a fight or flight response when switched on (or triggered) by something that reminds you of that traumatic event. ➡️ Triggers can be…
- Breathing technique, calming techniques, Coping strategies, Fight or Flight Response, Mental Health, PTSD, Pursuing health and wholeness, Stress response, Trauma
Use Breathing To Regulate Your Nervous System & Decrease Your Stress
Using our breath to help decrease our stress in the moment is incredibly helpful and important. Follow the prompts in this picture. Breathe in for a count of 3. Hold for 3. Breathe out for a count of 3. The breathing out slowly helps brings online the parasympathetic system (to rest & calm & settle the body & nervous system). This technique has a name called: Boxed breathing- a technique of breathing in for 3 seconds, holding for 3 seconds, and exhaling slowly for 3 seconds helps regulate anxiousness or triggered moments, stressful moments. You can do it multiple times as long as you don’t get lightheaded. I also strongly…