This spring, my new book will arrive in bookstores and readers’ hands!

Don’t Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough is for anyone who feels unsettled, even panicky, today, whether because of illness or personal turmoil or because of events moving and shaping our world. It contains practical advice on ways to help ourselves lessen stress, and very faith-filled examples of people who’ve overcome tremendous crises with grace, strength, and insight for us all.

The book is an extension of how I believe we can take off victimhood and put on a resilient, deep-rooted sense of being calm even when other things in our lives are roiling the proverbial (and actual) waters. And I was thinking of it this week, as I had a tough couple of medical appointments, where keeping calm was important to a good outcome.

As many of you who live with ongoing health issues can appreciate, often, we have to give blood. But as we move through the days and years, we might begin to feel as if we’re pincushions. And it might become more difficult for phlebotomists to get blood from over-worked veins. This is the case with me, and this week, even my “good” arm was having a very “bad time.” It took two trips, three different blood-getters, and five sticks to finally get what was needed. As I type this, my arms are still sore, somewhat bruised, and I’m praying that the tests won’t lead to the need for more sticks anytime soon.

Throughout this most recent ordeal, I relied on techniques I outline in Don’t Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough.  The last (and successful) phlebotomist remarked that despite the difficulties and pain, I’d remained calm throughout. This definitely aided in eventual success, and it’s a lesson I’ll take well into this New Year.

There’s more I can say about the book – and I will in coming blogs. Yes, it’s a tough world today, and it’s even tougher to live in it with serious health issues. But, we need not panic; God is on our side, and we have wonderful tools within us to help us be and keep calm.

Joy and peace,

Maureen