Getting the word out about Massage Envy

Massage Envy is coming to The Greene, in Beavercreek, Ohio. This may sound like great news, but I would like to give you some education about what I have been told by people who worked at Massage Envy and people who have had appointments there.

First, Massage Envy requires a membership from you. I know that personally I don't like having to buy packages up front and pre-pay for things I haven't experienced yet. I don't like membership fees and not knowing where that money is going.

Second, Massage Envy only gives you a 50 minutes massage. You have to schedule for an hour, but you only get 50 minutes. The other ten minutes is for undressing and redressing and an introduction.

Third, Massage Envy overworks thier employees. From the former employees I have spoken with, Massage Envy required them to work 10-14 hour days with no break between clients. That is 10-14 massages in a day!! Imagine doing that kind of work and still feeling good at the last 2 clients of the day. You don't get the same energy or good mood from your therapist if they are completely worn out. And now multiply that by 5-7 days a week. Makes for one sore, tired, gloomy person working on you.

Fourth, Massage Envy doesn't pay thier therapists very well. They charge an average price of $40 for an hour (remember you are only getting 50 minutes of that hour). Thier therapist makes a tiny fraction of that price for themselves, and they are encouraged to refuse tips.

Fifth, Massage Envy drives the market down for other massage therapists in the area. You have seen what happens to the small business grocer when Wal-Mart moves into town. That is the same thing that happens to small business massage when Massage Envy moves into town. It looks great at first, cheap prices and you can get an appointment at almost any time you want. Here are a few things that causes:
1) Massage Therapist paying rent, paying for insurance, paying for thier continuing education requirements charge a standard fee most of the time, that fee right now is right around $60 for an hour. Some are more some are less, but that's the average.
2) You may get an appointment any time you want, but you probably won't get the same person twice. So you have to put your trust in a stranger every time, you never get someone that learns your body and your needs and caters to them.
3) If you aren't happy, you are stuck with the package you had to buy at the beginning, and they don't do specials or many discounts.

Sixth, Massage Envy doesn't usually take any kind of Medical History or keep detailed notes of what they did for you at each session. When I sit down with you for your first appointment I allow a half hour free of charge to take a detailed medical history, to see what your body needs and make sure it is safe to work on you and what work is safe and what isn't. I find out what kind of pressure you like and if I can use other tools and techniques catering your massage to you specifically. I even take blood pressure if needed to ensure you are safe in my hands.

I could go on with other reasons, but I think you see the point. I am not calling for an all out boycott and I am not saying the therapists are the reason Massage Envy isn't a good idea, many good therapists get stuck in the Massage Envy scenario. There are also many people there that only know how to do Swedish Massage, they don't know any other techniques or modalities or use of any tools to enhance the massage to your needs. They know how to "relax" you and how to put lotion on you, and that is it. Many chiropractors and doctors will not send thier patients to Massage Envy.

Please take these thoughts into consideration when you are looking into the new flashy Massage Envy in your area.

My Bliss for Today

Clear your mind as you read this entry, and imagine everything...


Walking in from outside the smell of warm chocolate and caramel gently tickles your nose and rumbles your stomach. The cold air from outside loses its chill at the thought of the warm caramel brownies now cooling on the stove. The dishes are done and drying on the counter, the cupboards are neat with rows and stacks of dishes and glassware all waiting for the next use. The leftovers are stacked neatly in the refrigerator in thier little matching containers with blue lids. The table is clear of dishes and glasses and waiting for you to sit down to enjoy one of the brownies with a glass of milk once they cool after a few minutes. AAAHHHHH, relaxation.

Myrtle

In doing the study on Esther, we learned that one of the translsations of the name Esther is "Myrtle". I was at work this past week and talked about Myrtle and someone mentioned that we sometimes get Myrtle in, I had no idea what Myrtle was, so I was ecstatic when our delivery that same day had some in it! I picked up some other flowers to go with it and made the arrangment below. The second photo is the actual Myrtle, the green leafy peices of a bush.

You can ignore the bare bones simpleness of the arrangment, I am not a professional, I just work as a clerk at the florist. But I chose purple and gold themes for this arrangment because Esther was a queen, and a good one at that! This arrangment is to symbolize Queen Esther.

The Myrtle smells kind of like a spice, almost like rosemary, it is a pleasant aroma, which makes me think that a pleasant aroma of the Lord floated off of Queen Esther, the Bible tells us everyone around loved being in her presence.

I hope you enjoy some of my musings on Esther, I am learing so much through the study and I feel like passing some of this knowledge on to you....

Pat Robertson Comments on Haiti and a Prayer for Haiti

I want to be the person that denounces what Pat Robertson said on his show, The 700 Club, I am a Christian and I think what he said was absolutely wrong. You can google it if you don't know what I am talking about, but he said that the Haitians brought the Earthquake on themselves based on a myth about them selling their soles to the devil, which is wrong on too many accounts to list.

The fact that this "reverend" has said so many things like this and that he acts like he sees things when he is praying is at the top of my list for blasphemy. He makes Christians look like people full of hate and pious behavior, which I was raised and educated against. As a christian we are to love people and pray for them, even if we don't like them or they are bad. There have been plenty of times someone has wronged me or been a bad person, and the human nature that rules most of my life made me want to say really hateful and mean things and do hateful things, but instead I put it aside and prayed for them, and believe me it is harder to pray for them than to do anything else, but it feels good when you realize you acted as Christ teaches instead of giving in to the devil!

Pat Robertson gives Christians a negative light, and I think as a Family of Christ it is time we get him off of his pedestal, I honestly think th eentire show, The 700 Club, could be done away with because many on that show cast a negative light on Christianity and take in a lot of money to better themselves and thier "show". I have watched it a few times, and I know a few people that watch it so they can say they went to church. If that is the "church" you are getting it isn't worth your time, take the plunge and go to church in a building.

I have prayed for the people that watch Pat Robertson's show, and I have prayed for Mr. Pat Robertson as I will do again right now, you can pray with me if you like,
Dear Lord, I pray that you will keep the Haitians and all the relief workers there in your hands of protection and love. I pray you will get the rest of the living buried out of thier piles quikly and allow them to yell out with energy You give them until someone hears them. I pray for all the people who are missing loved ones and who have lost loved ones, that you would give them peace and show them you have not forgotten them. I also pray for the hearts of those who have given of thier money and thier time to this cause, I thank you for them and thier willingness to help out. I pray that you would bind the devil in this time in this situation, keeping the looters and gangs in check and helping to keep the tensions low. I pray for all the injured that are trying to get medical attention, that you would allow the countries and militaries from around the world to get there in time to offer the medical assistance needed. And finally Lord, I pray for Mr. Pat Robertson, that you would open his eyes and his heart to Your true calling and Your message and that he would make You the center instead of himself. I pray You would reveal yourself in a big way with him and lead him to walk in Your path and not his own. Please receive all the glory and exhaltation from everything You do and all you are working in this day Lord! Thank you for all You give and all You take away, it is in your name I pray these words Father, Amen.

What is Massage For?

Yea, I know you were wondering when massage would come into this blog, since it is massaging the soul, etc. I know. Now is the time.

I just became licensed in Ohio for massage therapy, so I am now officially an L.M.T, Licensed Massage Therapist!!! Yeah! Which means now I feel more comfortable talking about massage on this blog.

What is Massage For? Millions of things. If you thought it was just for relaxation, I can assure you, there is a huge treat out there for you to grasp. Massage can be a means of pain management, arthritis treatment, diabetic aid for circulation and nutrition, blood pressure assistance, helping the loved ones we have that are passing into the next phases of eternity to get there more gracefully, helping those losing someone to handle the physical side of greif and loss more easily, relieving stress and tension, removing fluid and stiffness from joints, releasing the muscles that cause TMJ disorder, releiving tension from repetitive injuries, getting warmed up and loose before sporting events, lengthening and stretching for dance and sports and yoga, prenatal aid and newborn aid, aligning the spine and cranial bones for sinus pressure and other problems, quieting the body to remove some congestion that causes migraines, helping chiropractics work better and more effectively and comfortably. As you can see this is a long list and I have just hit the tip of the iceberg. If you have questions send them to me, I would love to help you understand more about massage!!

Esther with Beth Moore

I am in the second section of the Bible Study from Beth Moore about Esther, and I am already learning so much about myself and My Lord! I love this study because I don't think any woman can fully understand womanhood, at any age, fully. Being a woman is hard, I am not saying being a man is easy, but I don't know anything about being a man, so I can speak experientially ( I think that is a word!) on how hard it is to be a woman. In fact, that is the title of the study, It's Tough Being a Woman.

I don't know if anyone reads this blog, but if you do please share with me what being a woman means to you. Whether you are a young woman, a single woman, and older wiser woman, a middle aged woman, a woman with a husband and 14 kids, or any other kind of woman, tell me what it means to you to be a woman.

There are as many women as there are types of jeans in this world, they all fit into different categories and styles and positions and purposes. But one thing is true about every woman, and this is something you can be sure of and take to the banks ladies:

"For I know the thoughts I have toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 words of God our Father in heaven, NKJV

You can be sure, God made you a woman and not a man on purpose and you will fulfill that purpose when you follow after Him and seek His will and great purpose for your life!

SMILE, Your life was made for a reason!!

Most Fragrant Rose

I am not a huge fan of purple, or purple roses for that matter. But this one caught my eye. I recently started working at a small florist and we get all kinds of things in, while scanning the buckets of another local florist I saw these, but thought nothing of them. When I paid for my purchases the sales person pulled the rose pictured out of a bucket and said I had to smell it. I did and I was shocked. Normally roses have a very faint smell, almost undetectable, but these smell like the strongest Rose Water Perfume that ever graced your nostrils.

I have also been told recently that of all the roses to have a perfume about them, lavender roses are usually the most fragrant. The smell of flowers is fading due to the way we grow them these days, but if you find a good one, grab it up, it will be worth it. The smell of this Allure rose in my living room graces me every time I come home.

Tiny Touches for Togetherness

As some of you have seen I made curtains from bed sheets for my living room. I have now made them for my bedroom! I also used the sheets to make wall hangings and a monogrammed pillow case for my bed. I found some complimentary fabric for the top of the dresser and some wall hangings as well. Take a look!!


These are the curtains, made from King Size bed sheets, I finished some edges after cutting them in half and putting a hem in the bottom and used hoops with clips to hang them on the curtain rod. (ignore the air conditioner, I live in an apartment)


These wall hanging are peices of material from the curtains and the dresser scarf, I framed them and on the two small ones I used
Wallies brand adhesive wall decor on top and then hung them over the closet, which is straight across from the bed, so you see these when sitting on the bed.


The dresser scarf is a peice of twoille fabric that is in contrast to the walls and the curtains, it has a cream background with light green flowers. It is simply folded nicely and placed over the top and sides of the dresser to add dimension to the room.


And here is the bed, with the monogrammed pillow case. I took some of the left over material from the curtains and folded it in half and stitched up the sides, leaving the already finished edges open at the top, then took yellow paint and painted the "F" in the center, after that dried I took pearl colored fabric paint and went over the yellow, making it a creamy yellow color with pearl accent and stand out on the material. Pulling the colors in from the rest of the room.

It doesn't take a huge amount of money or know how to give your home a unique and very personal touch. Use your imagination!

Keeping Good Things Good

Do you have a Bible that you love, or a favorite hard back book that you love and want to keep safe and sound? Maybe you love to read and always have a hard cover book under your arm or in your bag when you are out and about, but they get banged up in the shuffle of life.

I have a Bible that needed a cover, but I wanted something that shouted ME! I love uniqueness, in case you hadn't notices that about my blog already, and I had some quilted material left from a sewing project that I loved. So I put two and two together and came up with the following:


If you would like to sew a simple Book/Bible cover yourself just follow these steps!

1) lay the book on the material the way you want it to be showing (lay the covers of the book on the wrong sides of material)
2)fold material over edges to the desired covering amount, I like to have deeper pockets so the book won't slip out when it is opened.
3) Cut the material so you have 1/2 inch on either end extra for turning under for finished edge.
4) Cut material so you have 1/2 inch extra on top and bottom for turning uner. NOTE: you want to have a 1/16 inch on the top and bottom wiggle room for the book.
5) sew all raw edges at your 1/2 inch margin to give a crisp appearance.
6) Fold sides in to desired depth again and pin in place.
7) Stitch along the very edge of your top and bottom of pocket to make the pocket. Be careful not to sew across the open edge of the pocket, otherwise your book will not slide in.
8) snip all loose threads and slide your book/Bible in, see how it looks!

You could add handles or buttons or any fun details you want!

Wealth and Glory

It's Beautiful!! Have you ever walked into a mansion and been taken aback by the opulance and wealth surrounding you? The Palace at Versaille is the picture that comes to mind when I think of glamorous wealth. I have cleaned houses that are mansions, with many many rooms and tables set all the time with a gorgeous crystal and china setting. The glittering chandeliers and grand staircases.

But the people that lived in that palace, did not get to take the gold and glitter with them when they died. Glory belongs to God. As I read Esther 1 I was in awe of the blue and white and purple of the Garden that Xerxes held a banquet in; the gold goblets that his guests were drinking out of, all of the made one-of-a-kind; the floors made of mother of peal and a few other glamorous stones and things used to pave the ground of the garden. But Xerxes didn't understand that all the things he had, all the lands he took over didn't mean a thing, he would be the same as the beasts of the earth when he died, the only thing known to him being his body. Psalms tells us this, and we should each remember it. You work hard for your money, but in the end it is not yours to be proud of, it belongs to God and the glory that money brings belongs to Him as well.

New Year's Resolutions...Yep

I haven't done resolutions in a few years, not keeping them seemed like a good reason not to make them. So this year, after a stirring message and challenge from my pastor yesterday, I made up a list.

Getting Up Everyday at an earlier time
Have more patience with people that are difficult
Spend More time daily in God's Word
Get more involved in my church
Keep my Body in check, God gave it to me to use for Him, it should be usable

I am sure more will come up, but for now that is my list. Feel free to check in with me and see how they are going. I hope God shows you what areas you can focus on too. Resolutions don't have to be improving on something, or losing or giving up something, just changeing something. Dictionary.com tells us resolution is:

> a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
>the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc

You can do this, God doesn't lay things on our hearts that we can't do!