Update: How Braylon is doin’ with getting to sleep

I just wanted to give an update about Braylon & his issue with sleep and fear … we’ve been pretty consistent with playing some kind of music about God, as he goes to sleep. One of us will pray with him and I’ll usually sing, and if he ever gets scared, he’s learned to find one of his Bibles – one is from Papa Bruce & Gigi with funny illustrations, another is the Adventure Bible from our church. He’ll just lay down and read, with his music softly playing, and no lie, he has not had fear overtake him like it used to a 6-8 weeks ago, since this new routine started. He’ll ask to sleep w/us a few times a week, but The Lord has given him more confidence and assurance of his presence, and just…peace.

Way more often than not, he’ll simply fall asleep in his own bed now, after we pray w/him, sing, have music on, and leave a Bible by his bed for him. It may seem like a lot of measures to take, but it’s not hard, and it’s not even that time-consuming. The time we spend w/him before bed, doing all these lil things, is so been precious…even more so than I remember it being before his panic sessions started a few months ago.

I’m totally convinced that we have an enemy of our souls, that wants to attack us, (especially when we’re about to do something influential for the kingdom of God) and that will take flight along w/any of his spirits of fear, when we tell him to. But we must stand boldly in the authority Christ has given us. That fear Braylon used to feel powerless against, only comes around now & again…& never hangs out for long.

Thank you sincerely, to everyone who has stood in the gap for him, asked me about him, or sought the Lord on his behalf.  This has been a small spiritual battle that we’ve fought together, and we’ve have gained much ground. I’m learning more & more about the power of Jesus’ name. How evil has no choice but to leave and obey everything He says…and even obey everything we say, in His name.  It’s been amazing.

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Peace and Quiet at Walgreens

Our house is not that peaceful. Well, that’s not true – it’s peaceful… but quiet? That’s another story.

1 small home + zero carpet + 1 six-yr.old & 1 two- yr.old good insulation = l o u d , most of the time.

A few weeks ago i tried to nap my sickies away only to awake 10 minutes later to my son singing Daughtry like he was auditioning for AI, “and then I crashed into you, like a runaway train…“,  followed by angel pulling a heavy peice of decor down onto her shoulder and scream-crying. I’m just grabbing all pillows and covering my head with them. Oh, to get out of the house…by myself.  I love that! I need that.  Another day, I had the opp & I grabed it. Do you know what I did?  Drove to Walgreens, parked the car and… didn’t go in. I was sowalgreens exhausted from the day, that instead of shopping, it was more appealing to me to turn the car off, put the seat all the way down, grab angel’s soft little blankie from the backseat (& wrap it around my head and eyes like a turban), and go to sleep. I actually slept there, in the parking lot. Woke up feelin’ good too…good enough to trot on in to take advantage of some screaming make up deals. This is me with a thought bubble: “What are you starin’ at? Yeah, that was me in the white ScionXB; can’t a momma get some sleep!?!?”

It wasn’t a king size tempur pedic, but it was comfortable.

It wasn’t private, but it was dark.

It wasn’t home, but it was quiet…

…and some days, that’s all I need.

night terror

what are they? a night terror (pavor nocturnus) is a parasomnia sleep disorder characterized by extreme terror and a temporary inability to regain full consciousness. the subject wakes abruptly from deep slow-wave sleep, gasping, moaning or screaming. after the episode, the subject normally settles back to sleep without waking. a night terror can rarely be recalled.

they’re not nightmares. they’re not recalled dreams. they’re a controlling combo of anxiety, tension & fear, (usually of insects or other attacking things) lasting as short as 1 minute… up to 20. the lack of a dream itself leaves those awakened in a state of disorientation much more severe than that caused by a normal nightmare. amnesia can follow, leaving one unable to recall their name or location for a short time.

what happens? my husband (who gives permission to write this) has suffered from this sleep disorder for years. his terrors are based around snakes or suffocation. Continue reading

mid prayer distractions

last night i woke up @ 3am – i’ve been doing that lately – waking up 1-3 x’s/nt; maybe i’m just gettin’ older?!

i’ve been startin to pray more when i wake up & see it’s still the wee hours, at least til i fall back asleep. i figure i might as well do something useful, & we all need prayer but it is so hard for me to stay on track. maybe cause i’m so tired. i don’t get that distracted in my thoughts during the day. or maybe i do & thats why it helps me to speak my prayers {in the shower & car & such}. but like last night, i was immediately into a prayer for some friends who are struggling w/their $ & marriage…and then seriously, it wasn’t 10 seconds into it…& “…money…we get paid tomorrow….i need to get groceries… i’m out of milk…” & then “oh man, sorry Lord. i pray that we are somehow a light to them – that we have fun this weekend havin’ our kids play together @ the art festival in san gabriel park” “…tomorrow is braylon’s field day. i need to remember to get ready earlier & be there by 9…should i bring a sack lunch? what if angel is still sick…i should get out of bed & put a humidifier in her room…” “Lord, heal my baby girl!…”

anyway, the Lord sees my heart, so i think it’s ok to get distracted or fall asleep mid-prayer. i gotta go turn the tv off. i wonder what’s on dr. phil today. i think i’ll take a nap with braylon when he gets home, instead. he’ll be so tired after a hot field day…