Grow Your Own Penicillin

"GROW YOUR OWN PENICILLIN", Words Prescribed for a Healthy and Happy Spirit by Ellenor Eubanks Shepherd is a new and unique self-help spiritual approach to times of hurting, times of joy, times of questioning and times that deal with almost everything life throws your way. It is a collection of devotions, stories, and poems that grew almost entirely out of Shepherd's own experiences and can be read in increments or as a whole.

Why penicillin? Shepherd says,"I am notorious for never throwing anything away even though I am aware of the ugly mold attacking and taking over my cache of food . In defense , I say, "Penicillin is a good mold and has saved many lives . Hey, isn't that what happens in our lives? Sometimes the bad mold takes over ; sometimes we don't do what God says. He wants us to grow our own penicillin, with his help, of course .He wants us to learn to find our own good prescriptions that give us encouragement, courage, hope, joy, compassion, wisdom, strength, gratitude and all the things that make our lives healthy and well. Whether you need a devotion, wisdom for mental, physical, emotional ot spiritual issues, you will find appropriate and simplistically told stories with an Rx for a special prescription within the nine chapters.

Rx: Stories, Devotions, or Just Thinking
Rx: Life's Little Lessons
Rx: Laughter, the Catalyst that Jump-starts the Healing System
Rx: God's Amazing Creation
Rx: Learning to Live and Leave the Hurt Behind
Rx: Finding Our Own True Self
Rx: Rrelationships
Rx: Stories Which Touch My Soul
Rx: Are You Ready?

These next words are from the first chapter:
Rx: FOR RESTORED ENERGY MY BATHTUB RETREAT
A haven…a sanctuary…a rest stop…an oasis a place of solitude…a place to shed tears… an energizer…a place to wash away the tears.

When my children were small, the luxury of privacy was found only in my bathroom. Once the door was closed, they knew that the bath was off limits and dared not disturb Mom.
It continues to be my retreat even though my three sons have grown up and no longer live at home and my husband and I have been divorced for several years, and obvious quietness now pervades this entire space I call home.

Yet I still retreat to my bathtub, perhaps out of habit, and I like to think of it as one of those"holy ordinary" places that give meaning to my life. Whenever I crawl into my tub, a pen and pad are inevitably placed on a towel on the side of the tub just in case I am inspired with a special thought, idea, or revelation. This has happened more times than I can remember.
In this ordinary white, porcelain vessel, I have written a Christmas play, poetry, and parts of a book; read many novels; meditated; prayed;'given freedom to my thoughts; or just relaxed.
What is so special about this old white tub? At times it evokes such an outpouring of creativity that even I am surprised, while at other times, I am compelled to lower myself into the warm water in this quiet space and simply savor its restorative power.

I will find peace in my bathtub…a place where I am naked before God with all my imperfections, both physical and spiritual, without even a fig leaf…free to be me and free simply to be and feel His Presence.

In addition to most of the writings, selected scripture, significant sayings, and challenges for the readers to find their own lessons impact and enhance the messages.
So get busy and GROW YOUR OWN PENICILLIN.
And …if you should be allergic to penicillin, just find another good mold like I did
P.S. And don't forget to laugh along the way, especially at yourself!