One of our pleasures is sharing in the accomplishments of our program participants. J.L. Sharp finds writing both a catharsis and a joy. "Many people search earnestly for their place in the world and their purpose in life. This journey can evoke a myriad of emotions. (My) poetry explores the delights of children, love and faith. It also captures the unease of bewilderment, anxiety, and loss. Whether you have stared out a window at the night sky or found a place that feels like a home for your soul, this book is for you. Eva Dimel

"My storms become showers, with God's strength and power." If anyone is interested in getting a book, they can contact Eva at: Edime19775@aol.com

Dear Carolyn,

I talked to you on the phone asking how to soothe my broken, achy, severely stressed nerves. (After our talk I did some research) and figured it out the very same day and night and have been practicing ever since. I even went to work part-time and am doing well. I also talked to my family doctor and he advised me on some good vitamins. This is my new understanding of how to soothe tight, agitated, sick nerves.

With normal nervous reactions, when the danger is over the breathing muscles automatically go back to normal and the stressed muscles relax and rest. With abnormal nervous reactions, I had my muscles so wound up and tense when there was no danger, that when real danger passed my muscles and nerves were so tight and sensitized already that normal relax would not come back because the muscles and nerves have been so tight and so tense for so long.

I didn't understand this was caused from the way I thought all my life, so after a while I thought this was organic or physical problems and the doctor couldn't find anything wrong. I couldn't' believe this was true. The doctor must have missed something because the body symptoms wouldn't go away. So I became blindly afraid of my body symptoms and this kept me on chronic tense alert. On my worst days or nights I would go to bed and my muscles and nerves were so tight and knotted that I thought I would never fall asleep and rest and yet I had to face tomorrow's obligations.

Now when I go to bed or anytime for that matter, I taught myself a technique I call "extreme stretching" from the inside out. At first I called it "extreme relaxation" but before relaxation you have to do extreme stretching. When I go to bed this in itself creates some relaxation. I concentrate on the area at the top of the lungs and the bottom of my throat where the hollow of my neck is.

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