3 Product Endorsements

Number 1
Do you suffer from eczema?
Are you tired of the itchy, cracking skin? 
Have you tried one cream, one lotion, one ointment after another only to realize that they don't do anything for your nagging skin ailment?

Well today I'm rejoicing.  I've discovered a cream that actually works.

See...I have eczema that only shows up on the first two fingers of my right hand.  It flares up, drives me crazy for weeks, goes away, flares up, drives me crazy, goes away, and on and on and on.

It's its worst in the winter with the cold, dry air and during cold and flu season when I'm washing my hands a lot. 

It starts out with tiny, itchy bumps between my fingers.  Those bumps turn into red, stinging cracks, those cracks break my skin.  Then every time I bend my fingers, the cracks get even worse and can bleed.  These symptoms are accompanied by a strong desire to scratch...and scratch...and scratch right through to the bone.  I've woken up in the middle of the night many times to discover that I've been scratching in my sleep. 

I've been fighting this current flare-up since the holidays. 

Last week I saw an ad in the Sunday paper for Neosporin Eczema Essentials.  I promptly cut out the coupon, drove directly to Wal-Mart, and bought some.

See?  It claims right there on the bottle to "restore visibly healthier skin in 3 days".  Hmmm.  We'll see.

Well I'm happy to say that after using the cream for one week, the only evidence of this recent eczema flare-up is a small scab on my big knuckle.  No cracks.  No itching.

Thank you Neosporin Eczema Essentials Daily Moisturizing Cream.


Number 2
Hey teachers!  Are you in the middle of that winter teaching funk?  Are you feeling blah, worn out, and under-appreciated?  Do you think Ryan Gosling is dreamy?

Then you've got to visit this blog!  I guess some teacher chick decided that Ryan Gosling pictures and encouraging comments go together. She's so right and I wish I'd thought of if first.  Here are just a couple of her post pictures.

She has dozens more.  Go check them out, fellow teachers.


Number 3
Do you ever look up at the night sky and wonder what you're looking at?  Try this app for your i-phone or i-pad.  It's called Star Walk and it's sooooo cool. 

Last Sunday night my sister and her son and I were noticing that the stars seemed unusually clear and bright.  We were trying to identify what was what so my nephew showed me his droid app.  I don't remember what the app was called, but I was enthralled and fascinated - by the view it gave me of the sky and by the technology that made it possible.  So I immediately found an app for my i-phone.  It's called Pocket Universe and it's good.  But then a few days later a friend mentioned Star Walk.  I got that app and I prefer it.  You simply hold your phone up to the sky and it identifies what's there - the stars and planets you can see and even the ones you can't see with the naked eye.  It even identifies where the satellites are.  Here's an example of what you might see:

When you point your phone down to the ground, it'll even show you what people on the other side of the world are seeing in the sky.  Amazing!

Looking at the sky in that way brings to mind the response God gave Job when Job questioned Him.

After four chapters of God reminding Job that He is God and Job is not, Job humbly replies.

 ² “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
³ You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know."

I can't wait for another clear, warm night so I can just lay down on the ground, point my phone up at the sky, and become "right-sized" in relation to my Creator.