The Prayer Thread
Hello 👋
Let me start by saying I know religion has played a negative role in some peoples lives. If thats you, this thread may not be a good fit for you, although you may want to involve yourself to explore your feelings a little more. I just ask that you do so respectfully - all are welcome.
I often notice comments around faith, God and prayers in the daily check ins, and I wonder if theres a need for a prayer thread where people can come together and seek comfort in a quiet corner of 7 cups. So here goes ...... a brand spanking new thread for all things prayer related.
I confess Im not the most devout of Christians, so please dont look to me to find the right words all the time. But if you just want to sit a while, connect with God, and share that need with another human being, Im here to sit with you. I hope others will add to this thread and it becomes a place for mutual support.
And as for other faiths, oh gosh. Im a complete ignoramus. But I hope this can be an inclusive and respectful thread, so please dont feel excluded, whatever your beliefs ❤️
🙏🙏🙏💧💧💧...
Hello again, all of you! Yesterday evening I was trying to explain to two of my friends what happened with my jaw and my guess as to why it happened. I think I did not explain well. Anyway, some last night (some) and now tonight, my jaw is deciding to hurt in a sort of ache type of hurt. This time it hurts both sides, and nearly the same spot, up near to my ears. It is very uncomfortable as I'm sure you can imagine. I am also realizing quickly how often I set my chin on my hand (hold up my head -rolls eyes at self-), which does take the pressure off my neck? but my chin is like directly! part of my jaw. Just not cool.
Also I am scheduled to have a sort of exploratory type of dentist appointment here in about two weeks. That is good because dentists deal with TMJ* a lot; I hope he may know how to help or perhaps 'just take ibuprofen' as I have been. But then that appointment IS two weeks from now, so hopefully the pain will go away again just by itself. In that case though, I need to be sure to remember to tell him what and how and when this lots of jaw pain was happening. All prayers, mailing of ice packs, lullabies to fall asleep, and 3 litters of puppies (feel better, even though smiling kinda hurts right now too) - any of these would be greatly appreciated! thank you, Platy
*TMJ TemporoMandibular Joint (disorder) - basically problems with the joint that is at/near your temples (near ears) and your mandible = jaw.
@cyanPlatypus6370
Hope your tmj is feeling better. I used to have very painful tmj. I learned some things that really helped. Maybe it might help?
The doctor alternated hot and cold on my head from the jaw to the back of the skull, like a warm wrap and then cold wrap. I cant remember how long. He said this resets the nerves and helps headaches. It seemed to work for me.
He also had me put tongue at roof of mouth behind top teeth, and massage the joint on both sides gently from the outside, along the chin, jaw and along the face, especially to the upper mandible. When i open and close, the middle is usually really super sore. Putting the tongue on the roof is said to relax the jaw.
with tongue on roof and mouth slightly open, he had me also move lower jaw very gently right and left, that usually caused tremors which showed that i had been clenching.
i also did some very slow motion very gentle opening and closing of jaw with tongue on roof (but not to thr point where the jaw clicks)... those exercises helped me.... also mind body work and meditation so i dont store stress in body helped...
my mouth guard really helped at night.
🙏🏼also sending prayers you feel better!
@Flowingstreams - Thank you, dear! I'm not sure if I was ever Dx with TMJ but sometimes it really hurts. I was never given exercises like this - I might try them 
My most recent dentist (and others I think) checked for TMJ and I asked for a tooth pillow nearly every time, even for 'just' a cleaning. A long time ago, my dentist told me to not chew gum, not eat 'tall' sandwiches (like sub sandwich - Subway!), and something about singing. Others too but that's what I remember. I was like yeah okay but I am a singer - like in high school at least I sang every day at school (1 + 1/2 hours of the day) and a lot in college too. Which I was totally NOT going to give up, like ever!
I especially like your idea of alternating hot / cold. The point of wrapping around the back of my head sounds interesting and may help even more than I'm guessing! But I'm not sure how to accomplish that. Hmm....
Blessings to you, dear. And thank you for your prayers!! 
Platy
@cyanPlatypus6370
You're so welcome. Hope some of those tools work! I think some memory is coming back! It was so long ago. The wrapping hot around to the back of the head covered up to the temple which is where the tension is if one clenches at night, all the way down to include the shoulders. The heat pack helped relax all the muscles involved in tensing and clenching. Im not so clear they held a cold pack. I think they used something called a spray and stretch. It chilled the head and was able to glide over areas on the head over hair and through the hair but would instantly dry. Also i would stretch the muscle taunt that was aching when it was cold application. So my exercise was to rest and relax with warmth for about 10-15 minutes and then do cold application as a spray and stretch until there was relief.
i was reading online that there are no tmj specialists as there is no degree... just a lot of people pretending to be... i think the doc i saw was both a dentist and a specialist in myofacial and oral functioning or some kind of oral surgeon. I think the doctor i saw happened to see a lot of jaw injuries. I can't quite remember. It all wasn't the fondest of memories, so i try not to go back and trigger myself--although the exercises definitely helped!
I'm not a doctor, just a normal regular person :) So please check with a professional.... in my experience...i think i remember the doctor said, if i put my tongue on the roof of my mouth where my teeth end (like saying tut) and relax my jaw, and try to move my jaw side to side and it quivers, it shows muscle weakness which suggests clenching and or bruxism at night. (Or maybe I ate too many jawbreakers, popcorn, unshelled nuts the day before!). The doctor also said that the soreness or tenderness of the muscle that is revealed in the space on the side of the face, created between the hinge of the upper and lower jaw when placing the tongue on roof of mouth by teeth and opening as widely as possible, (without letting jaw click), is another sign of clenching or grinding.
Hope you feel better soon! Thanks for sharing!
Ive been doing a lot of 12 step "let go let god".. and have worked on forgiving for many years on this piece and have given my sense of injustice to god and trust that god will make things right in the end.... It's actually really nice to be able To talk about it without the nervous system and ptsd going off....i still work on forgiving not because what the person did was okay, but because the saying goes.... resentment is like taking poison and wishing someone else to hurt... Turning it over to my higher power was critical. It's good when good things can come out of even painful events... like making lemonade with lemons..., thanks for helping me recreate some positive memories around this memory. and thanks for being a part of my healing and transformation ...and for sharing so that i could share too! 😊
@Flowingstreams - Awwh :) I feel honored to be able to help you in any way I can! And I agree, sometimes writing/typing things out is (or can be) at least as therapeutic for things in the past and how we'd like to remember them - as "regular" therapy, or even verbal expressions like with a friend.
I agree handing things (especially hurtful things or memories) over to God (higher power) is so very helpful! Mini-confession though? I am really good at taking back my memory or event, the things I give to God - like I think I have to worry or work on that thing some more. But, God as the higher power, is loving and He will give the thing back to me and then patiently wait for me to return it to Him again. We people-sheep ... I can't imagine how much God must smile down on us and shake his head. And yes indeed, I am super thankful that in His time, God will make all things right, will use every event, memory, etc to work toward His good, and for our good. (some of that Romans 8:28) Have a super night! and Wednesday!! ~ Platy
@cyanPlatypus6370
lol... me too... I often take things back too, before I realize it and then need to turn it over back to God. I actually have a God Box, where I turn over the things I can't emotionally handle and have no solution for. Amazing thing is everything that I ever handed over to my God box, has been anwered in ways miraculously... I could never have come up with the solutions myself. Some things I thought were impossible to solve and then 10 years later, I'll open the box, and realize it was already resolved....
Yes, I completely trust that God, creater, the universe will use all things for good... And some of Joseph too - For what men intended for evil, God will use for Good! :)
Praying along for you, me and everyone who wants a prayer on this thread :)
My little kid prayers for you all qho need them...
🙏🙏🙏
TX+
I have a few prayer requests - if possible.
1. My mental health is slowly deteriorating. I am a constant ball of stress nearly all of the time. My mother passed away in August and she was my best friend. I'm trying to find myself again after having such a caretaking role. I find myself extremely depressed with little to no motivation at all.
2. My long term relationship (~5 years) is hanging by a thread. My partner needs more than what I'm giving her currently, which is partially due to my depression I am in.
3. My father's health. He is a recovering alcoholic who is hospitalized currently.
A prayer to make all my hardships easy.
A prayer to give me patience with difficult people.
A prayer to hold my own integrity and know myself in the midst of chaos.
A prayer to not give the permission by handing my self-esteem and self-worth into the palms of strangers and close ones to chip away and consume.
A prayer to burn bright and only spread warmth.
A prayer to master my fire.
A prayer to forgive myself if I have not been my best towards myself first and to others.
A prayer to those who hurt me, I hope you're satisfied and I hope it comes round thrice as worse to you.
A prayer to always see the good in others, my intentions as intangible as they are have been always been the best and speaks in the way I talk, behave and am.
A prayer to help me find clarity for whatever lies ahead and to follow it with gusto.
@sensibleStrawberries9877
Now these are very powerful words indeed...
The little boy still prays for you🙏🙏🙏with water tears...
prayer request for neighbor who just came home, new dx bone cancer
@barncat
Ouch! Prayers indeed! <3 Platy
@cyanPlatypus6370- thank you- yesterday we "paraded" my 3 horses past their home- the children learning about horses helped - knowing the reason. It was precious- he saw us from his hospital bed and told his wife-"go get the camera".
@barncat
Wow! Just wanted to say thank you! That was super kind! And I am sure it made such a difference to your neighbor and your neighbors' kids. I remember once I couldn't get my son to stop crying. We were staying in the cabins a national park. My son just kept crying and crying... suddenly a wild critter looked in the window to try to figure out what was going on. My son stopped crying and ran to the window, completely enamored... He could never remember what he was so upset about... He only remembered being visited by a special wild friend.
Animals have such magical qualities. I bet that will be something, a special memory they will hold on to forever... Sometimes, for me, it's almost like a wink from the universe. We all ask for crazy things when desperate - any sign - I know i did.... What a blessing you and your horses were and are! Thank you for what you did!
@barncat - What a WONDERFUL idea! and for sure, grab the cameras! Did your horses smile nicely? :) Your SIC, Platy
@cyanPlatypus6370- we all posed in front of their B+B sign. hope to see the pix- with all the coronavirus worries it was good to get everyone out.
@barncat - I wish to fly ... or umm drive? to see you and all horses! If you're comfortable, I'd love to see a picture with the B+B pose :) LOL that sounds like a lot of fun. And yes, definitely good to get outside!! <3 Platy
@cyanPlatypus6370- will need to get more tech savy to post pictures. Now I am being reprimanded by some for working with children and my horses during the onset of the coronavirus. So far no documentated cases where I live. I had to weigh the benefit for someone who definately is terminal vs. possible "contamination" - keep this world scenario upmost in the prayer request.
For a drama free day
Pray for clarity, spaciousness, compassion and calm
Hi friends, I have two unspoken requests - which of course God knows. I don't feel quite comfortable in sharing them here in a big crowd (aka online) but perhaps in the future. (pre-) Thanks, Platy
