Joy in the Morning

Taking it One Day at a Time

2012-03-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

When I last spoke with my Lyme doctor, she wanted me to have my Safety Labs repeated; which I had them repeated last Friday, the 9th. My liver enzymes were elevated & my white blood count was low. I was supposed to re-start antibiotics this past Monday, but she wants me to wait another week before doing so.

In the mean time, she started me on 4 more supplements: Zinc, NAC, & the shark liver oil & lithium orotate will be here this week. I will have my Safety Labs repeated again this Friday, the 16th & depending on the results, I will either re-start my antibiotics for 2 weeks this Monday or if the reuslts are the same, she wants me to take the shark liver oil & zinc a few weeks before re-starting the antibiotics. I hope I can re-start them soon; it's hard to go through & deal with, but it will be a step closer to getting better! :)

In addition, my Lyme doctor is concerned I am experiencing symptoms of Dysautonomia. Therefore, she wants me to see a cardiologist, whom I see this Friday the 16th. My body is not regulating my body temperature properly--I am either extremely cold or extremely hot--most of the time I am extremely hot, & it is hard to cool my body down. I also have continuous light-headedness & cannot stand for longer than a few minutes without getting dizzy. There is also some nausea. I hope the cardiologist is able to help me in this area because it is very hard to deal with on a daily basis, epsecially while trying to take care of my lil' man. :)

So, that's pretty much what is going on over the past week or so. I did get to go in Walmart this past Sunday, the 11th, for a short while with Tim & Bailey. I had to sit up front while they checked out, but I was at least able to go in & slowly look at the Easter stuff :) And Monday I was able to fold a whole load of laundry & put it away; I had to do it slowly & I became Really hot, but was able to successfully get it done :) So, it's baby steps, but I hope I will soon have more strength & energy to be the Christian, wife, and mother God has created & saved me to be! :~)

3rd Visit with my Lyme Doc

2012-02-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

I am a few days late, but I spoke with my Lyme doctor on the phone, Friday, the 24th, for our 3rd visit. We spoke for close to an hour. She decided that the treatment plan I initially started with (3 weeks on antibiotics, 1 off, 3 weeks on), was too much for me. She said my body is overwhelmed and is not 'dying off' nor detoxing well; that it was just too much for my body to handle. The muscle weakness has gotten worse, the brain fog is Horrible!, I have a hard time being around people because it is hard to express myself through words, & I am super sensitive to sound, light, and heat, which is also making it difficult to be around people & go about my day. So, I have just been in the house with my precious son, taking it one day at a time.

My doctor made some adjustments to my treatment plan. I will still be on the same antibiotics and same doses, but I am currently taking 2 weeks off of antibiotics, then in 2 weeks, on March 12th, I will take them for 2 weeks, then be off 2 more---so in 6 weeks, I will speak with my doctor again, hoping to tell her I am doing a little better. :~)

I Really hope this helps, because she said with her having her own clinic and it just being her, she can only handle simple cases; that if I do not get better the way she hopes, she will not be able to handle my case, & that I may have to go to Dr. Jemsek in Washington D.C. I hope it does not get to that point; for one, I want to get better, but also it would be hard to travel to him, physically, mentally, & financially.

So, I hope & pray spreading the antibiotics out & giving my body more of a break will help me. Even if it takes longer to get better this way, I am okay with that, because it is important I am able to daily cope with it better; if not, my body will not heal itself.

That's where I'm at right now...still taking it one day at a time. God is gently teaching me to submit to the way things are right now, & be okay with the fact that I indeed do have to take it one day at a time. This is hard to go through; physically, mentally, & emotionally it is taking a toll on my whole entire body, but as I wake up each day, I need to choose to live that given day to its fullest & choose to have a positive attitude; that is what I am daily striving to do, & through it, I hope & pray that God uses me, ultimately that He would receive All the Glory! :~)

"You won't become the person you were created to be if you do not spend time with the One who created you."

A Sweet Kiss on the Cheek from God

2012-02-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

...I can't do much right now, but as I took Coby out to go potty, I looked up at the beautiful baby blue sky with a few thin, beautiful clouds--I thought, wow!, God, Your Creation is So beautiful!---after thinking this for a Brief moment, a huge eagle flew gently, right over our house, in perfect view where I could see him...it was like a sweet kiss on the cheek from God, reminding me of Isaiah 40: 28-31...

"28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint."

God is So amazing!, this was such a refreshing moment b/c I feel Horrible today from dealing with Lyme--I do hope my current circumstances are temporary, but right now I do not know that for sure, but will drive myself Crazy if I continue to dwell on the "what if's" or wondering what the next few weeks/months are going to look like for me physically, mentally, & emotionally...

....I don't know, so all I can do is live for today & hold on to the promises of God, from His Word, particularly this passage as He gently reminded me today & trust in Him; the God who created the universe---to Him, healing me is a piece of cake; why do I have such little faith?, on the surface I believe He can heal me, but deep down, do I Truly believe?......

"Thank you Jesus, for reminding me today that my current circumstances are not about me, but ALL about You!, I can't do that much physically & mentally right now, & in my flesh, it is Extremely difficult!, & mentally it is So hard to focus right now, I am So sensitive to sound, but Lord, quiet everything around me, please intervene & if I can't focus on anything else but You, make that happen Lord; to focus on You; Your Power, Your Sovereignty, Your Grace, Your Sufficiency....to focus on the Cross, & to focus on vs. 31; as I wait for your return Jesus, use me, renew my strength, daily Lord.....be my strength....."

(this is the last week of my 2nd round of antibiotics....2 rounds down, around 8 or 9, at least, to go....)

My 2nd Week of my 2nd Round of Lyme Treatment

2012-02-15T11:14:00.001-08:00

So, it's my 2nd week of my 2nd 'round' of Lyme treatment. Overall, I am doing okay, but I do struggle daily. My body feels as if I have the flu but times ten; it's Extremely weak!, & the worst part right now is the brain fog--it is Horrible!!, it's very difficult to be around people because I have an extremely Hard time focusing on what they tell me & as I talk, I often lose my track of thought--it goes completely blank as if my brain freezes, & I also am Very forgetful lately; overall it's just like my head is Extremely foggy & heavy--hard to describe--but I strive daily to push through & make the most of everyday. :)

This is going to be a long journey, Lyme will always be in the background, for the rest of my life, so I have to choose to take it one day at a time, daily striving to choose to have a positive outlook on life, even though it is hard many days, in my present circumstances, but is definitely possible as I daily turn to God to be my strength. (Phil 4:10-13)

I am not feeling well today, so could not post much; celebrating Valentine's Day yesterday, wore me out--so I just have to take it one day at a time: do things if I can, if not then I have to rest.....But I do want to post the lyrics of this song& a link to it; God has encouraged me so much through this song!, especially the first verse; the words just say it all--I praise Him that He does hold my every moment, He is Sovereign & is in control, my faith is in Him every step of the way; He is my Healer!! :)

"Healer" by Kari Jobe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzejd6r9DwE&feature=related

VERSE:
You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
and heal all my disease

PRE-CHORUS:
I trust in You
I trust in You

CHORUS:
I believe You're my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe
I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus, You're all I need

VERSE:
You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
and heal all my disease

PRE-CHORUS:
I trust in You
Lord, I trust in You

CHORUS:
I believe You're my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe
I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus, You're all I need

BRIDGE:
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

CHORUS:
I believe You're my healer
I believe You are all I need
Oh yes You are, yes You are
I believe You're my portion
Lord, I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need
More than enough for me,
Jesus You're all I need
More than enough for me,
Jesus You're all I need

ENDING:
You're my Healer, my Healer

Hello Infrared Sauna...Bye Bye Toxins

2012-02-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Wow!, my experience today in an infrared sauna for the first time was amazing!!, It was So relaxing & So rejuvenating!! I wanted to take it home with me :)

I have been told and am learning that taking the antibiotics are only half of what it is going to take for me to get better. The antibiotics kill the bacteria in my body, but those toxins have to come out of my body to get better. One of the best ways is through sweating. My body is Too weak to work out & break a sweat, so being in an infrared sauna is one of the best ways to remove toxins, in my opinion.

It would be So awesome to be able to get in it everyday; it would probably make me feel so much better & possibly be able to heal quicker. I told my hubby that if we got one, it could be my birthday, anniversary, & Christmas present for the next 2 years or more! :~) I actually have seen a few on Craigslist--going to look more into it!.....This pic was how refreshed I looked afterward....Ahhhhh :)

So, today is a cloudy day---looking forward to eating breakfast for supper and relaxing with my awesome hubby & adorable son! :)

Monday, I start my second 3-week round of antibiotics, so we will see how it goes. I am a little nervous, but just taking it one day at a time.

The first 2 weeks were not too bad, but these past 2 weeks have been Ra-ough!, my body has been Extremely weak & it feels like Jello--it's like I am a car on "E", my body just won't go many days---the bad days are definitely outweighing the good days----

BUT, I am daily Striving to not let it get me down, with the help of my Encouraging husband!, God is Sovereign; He is my Creator, He knew every detail of me before I was even conceived (Psalm 139). He knew long before I ever knew, that I would experience this, in this season of my life. As I go through this, I want to strive to daily remind myself of this profound truth & to daily try to look at the big picture; this life is So temporary, I need to make the most of everyday, even if I am at home & have to lay down most of the time; I can still praise God through it!, As I rest I can be still before Him (Psalm 46:10), praise Him through music, and pray without ceasing for my loved ones.

In addition, I can praise Him in how we raise Bailey; in how my time is with Bailey during the day before DaDa gets home. God has utterly amazed me with the child he has so graciously blessed us with. Bailey is so easy-going, gentle, patient, and is So helpful. He is my little sidekick :~) He keeps me company during this time and I thank Jesus for that!, Right now I am not able to run around with him or take him for a walk and do things with him that take more energy, but I Can do the smaller things, and I need to be ok with that....Bailey is :~)

Last Day of My 1st 'Round' of Antibiotics

2012-01-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 27th, 2012:

So, this is the Last day of my First 'round' of antibiotics. The plan is to be on antibiotics for 3 weeks, off a week, on for 3 weeks, off a week, etc. for like 9 months of longer, depending on how I progress.

The first 2 weeks, my Lyme doctor had me only on half the doses of the antibiotics to ease me into it, but this week she doubled the dose to where the dose will remain. It's been a doozy of a week! My symptoms have definitely been worse--that's bitter-sweet because it's unfortunate to feel this way & have to rest all the time (even though I believe this is a season of my life where God wants me to rest, be still before Him & pray), but at the same time it means the abx's are working, which I am SO thankful for!, so it's worth the weakness, pain, stiffness, brain fogginess, & just overall Extreme fatigue from head to toe.

During the week I take 3 abx's on Monday, Wednesday & Friday, but at the end of a round, I take a very intense abx, which I took for the first time yesterday and am taking it today. Wow!, it has made me Alot worse!!, the whole right side of my body is So weak, yet in pain at the same time. But yet again, I am SO thrilled that it's working, to where it is totally bearable, even though I feel miserable.

The Hardest part is that, in my mind, I feel like myself. I still joke & cut up & am regular 'ole Heather, but my body just will not allow me to do things. It's pretty frustrating because my mind and body are not on the same page. On the outside, I look completely fine, but on the inside I feel horrible. Not to complain, that's just the way it is.

BUT, after stating all this I am SO grateful to the Lord for leading me to my Lyme doctor and for having me on this path of healing. Yes, it's hard & is going to be a long year, but I am SO thankful these abx are working!, I praise Jesus for that!!

Some days, especially on my worse days, my mind wanders. When my mind wanders to worry & fear of the unknown & what lies ahead over the next year or longer--I start to wonder if I am truly going to be completely better within a year or so, or if maybe not, if maybe it will take 2 or 3 years, & I wonder when & if we'll be able to have a 2nd child, will Bailey have to see me take medicine & lay down to rest everyday for a long time?....and all those things like that is where my mind goes to....

Well yesterday as my mind started to wander, God gently led me to 1 Peter 5:6-11. This passage is So encouraging! (I have posted it below) In verse 7, it encourages us to cast ALL our anxieties on Him because He cares for us. But in verse 6, it tells us that, in doing this, it takes humility. Humility is hard to do when our selfish pride gets in the way; which my pride Often gets in the way!, but boy, as we just humble ourselves before the Lord, it is Beautiful what He can & will do in & through us & how He will give us a Whole new perspective on our current circumstances, but also on life in general; how this life, here on earth, is SO temporary!, & our circumstances are temporary, they are not eternal....and how this life is not about us, but All about Him & bringing Him Glory!

So, through this journey, I just want to take it One day at a time, striving to live each day to its fullest & strive to not think about the next day or days ahead--it's really a waste of time to do so, & it just gets in the way of what God can do on each single day :~)

A song that is encouraging is "Live for Today" by Natalie Grant...this song encourages me to live out what I described above :~) Here is the link if you would like to listen to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuG0L37zulg

1 Peter 5:6-11
6 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting ALL your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

I Have to Learn to Not Over Do it!!

2012-01-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

So this is my 2nd week of antibiotics. These first two weeks, she started me on half the dose I should be taking to start off gently; which I have done okay, but have definitely had some rough days, especially when I over do it. I do not mean to, I just try to go and do a few things, but then my body just won't go anymore, which is what happened today.

I had my 2nd eye appointment today, the first one being in 8th grade :~) My eyes have been fine up until this past year & have gotten Alot worse over the past two months or so. But I do have a stigmatism--my new, wonderful eye doctor, which I highly recommend to anyone, Dr. Burt at Palmetto Eye here in Rock Hill, said that is what is causing my blurry & double vision, and this is not related to Lyme, but the weakness/tiredness in my eyes is definitely related to me having Lyme disease. So, I do have to get glasses, but I am kind of excited about it because they make some cute ones these days :~) hehe

But yea, I just went to my eye appointment & to Walmart just to grab a few things, and by the time I got Bailey from my mama's & got him down for a nap, it felt as if my body had an on/off switch and like someone had switched it to off.

So, God is really teaching me that I just need to realize that during this "night" (as in the theme of my blog), during this season of life, I have to just slow down & rest, rest, rest. And, He has really been revealing to me here lately that during the times of rest to just be still before him (Psalm 46:10) & to pray, to just be in a constant state of prayer. I have yet to be obedient to this tug on my heart, but He's definitely tugging & waiting on my obedience.

I want to wake up each day talking to God & just leaving the conversation open all day & not say Amen til I lay my head on my pillow :~)

So, yea, this is going to be a long 9 month or longer journey & I am one to constantly want to be on the go, but God is teaching me that I just Have to rest; I do not have a choice at this point. And I know that is for a reason. God has and is and will do mighty things through this, I know it! It is exciting to see Him daily at work & I look forward to what He is going to do through this; I praise Him for what He already has done through this--every single detail He's worked out to make this treatment plan happen, the people He's placed in my life as a result of having Lyme, & just for the daily deepening of peace He gives me even on my very worst of days! :)

Ultimately, what is most important is Him receving All the Glory, so I hope & pray that He is in every single way, and that He would use me in the lives of others, to encourage them...that is my hope & my desire! :~)

So, next week is Week 3 of antibiotics; she is doubling the doses of all of my antibiotics, which is the dose I should be at--we will see how that goes--as you think of our family, please pray!, pray that my body will respond well & pray that God will heal my body through this long treatment plan---whether He heals me in two weeks, two months, or two years, or even if it's not here on earth, I know He has promised relief, which is what my whole blog is focused on, Joy in the Morning.

I can't wait for that relief, but if I spend every single day anticipating it, then I could really be missing out on what God may be trying to teach me or do through me for His Glory.

I'm actually thankful for this suffering, even though it could be So much worse, because it daily reminds me of my sin & that there are diseases as a result of a fallen world, of our sin--and this daily reminds me of my Desperate, desperate need for Jesus!, I cannot do Anything without Him!, I praise Him for the Cross & for dying for you, for me; that He bore our sin, so that we may receive His rightesouness.....o' the Gospel is So beautful & So powerful & I praise Him for it! :~)

Week One Down, maybe 50 or so to go....

2012-01-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

Week one of intense antibiotics down, only 50 or so more weeks to go :~)

Praise to Jesus that I am actually doing pretty well. This is the last day of my first week; I take the supplements everyday, but the antibiotics only on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday. Thankfully, the supplements, meds, & Gluten free diet are really helping with energy, sleep, anxiety, & so thankful they are helping with the nausea; the nausea is getting a little better. Hopefully with time, it will get even better :~)

A few of my symptoms have gotten slightly better, but I still just feel so weak & lethargic all over even though the supplements are helping with energy, my whole body just feels so heavy & just 'blah' basically :)

That's the most difficult part, on the outside I look completely fine & dandy, but on the inside it feels like my body is just giving out sometimes. I do try to push myself to be able to continue doing things, especially more important family things, but I do get plenty of rest because that is important, and it helps me to save up energy to be able to do things on the weekend with family, which I am thankful for. :~)

Speaking of being thankful, I Highly recommend you read this book called, "Choosing Gratitude" by Nancy Leigh Demoss....it is such an encouraging, yet convicting book. God has reminded me through it, that during trials in our life, it is our choice to be thankful or not. No matter what we have been through, are going through, or will go through, there is something within that situation we can be thankful for. Pick that something out and praise God for it!, It may help to make a list of people & things you are thankful are--daily look at that & realize the situation may not be so bad after all (that's someting I have yet to do, but need to) :~)

The key in this still boils down to having a relationship with God--everyone can be thankful, but when you truly Know God, not just 'believe' in Him, you will see the world through His eyes and not your own, & there will just be a whole different insight on life period.

So, I went from talking about my first week of antibiotics to being thankful, and yes they are connected. During this long time of treatment (sorrow may last for the night), I could wallow around & be full of self-pity, which I am Definitely guilty of sometimes, or I can choose to be thankful; thankful for a diagnosis, for a treatment plan, thankful for a time that God will give me relief (but Joy comes with the morning)--aside from health, thankful for my amazingly, supportive husband, our precious son that is So easy-going it makes things easier for me on my worse days, thankful for a lovely extended family-the sweet bond we have, I love!....and the list could go on......
~Psalm 30:5~

I say all that to say that through anything, let's Choose to be Thankful! :~)

**1 Thessalonians 5: 16-19--^"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit."

**Phil 4: 11-13-- (this is Paul speaking) "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

--->One thing I just thought about from Phil 4--the next to last verse says, "I have learned"....meaning it does take time, you're not going to just up and have a gentle spirit about whatever it is you are going through----yes, it's a choice as I spoke about before, but it is also learned, & takes practice...
If you're a true Christ follower, the Spirit dwells within you & convicts you--through that conviction, you are disciplned & you learn, just like a child--which we are children of God!...not to say we can sit back & not do anything since the Spirit is at work--we have to actively pursue God with All our might, Daily.
For example, yes I teach Bailey, but he is actively pursuing things; like his letters, colors, & numbers--I teach him, but he doesn't just sit back & say Mommy's going to do it all; he has his part in learning as well, just like us as children of God :~)

Gluten Free--not so bad after all :~)

2012-01-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

So, part of my Lyme treatment plan is going Gluten-free--which at first, I was like, "Oh no", it's going to be boring, because if you know me, you know I have slipped by my whole life, now being 25, without any, I mean Any fruits & veggies, other than potatoes, so this is a Big Deal :~).....but now, 2.5 weeks into it, it's not so bad after all. And a plus, I've lost 8 pounds in 2.5 weeks!! :~)

I just wanted to list what I eat throughout the day & see if anyone has anything to say about it :~)

**Breakfast-- i make a smoothie, and Bailey sees me making it and always wants one too, so i make a lil extra....precious! :~)

I use:

1. Coconut Milk (just enough to cover ingredients)
2. Frozen Blueberries (a lil handful--great b/c of the antioxidants)
3. Frozen Strawberries--(like 5 or 6--on berries, i get frozen ones at Walmart)
4. About 8-9 Spinach leaves---you totally can't taste them---a good way to sneak in the greens :~)
5. About 4-5 lil round carrots---i get the frozen bag at walmart for $0.98, and boil them--Bailey eats them for lunches and/or suppers sand i also use them for my breakfast smoothie
6. And today I started adding a handful of Kale into it--(couldn't taste it at all, but a great way to get some greens in me)

& with this smoothie I eat about a handful of the Gluten Free Chex, which is like right under $4 at Walmart--its green & white & says GF on it.....

**For lunch, i usually do a toasted sandwich, only one slice of Gluten Free bread, that I got in the frozen section at Bi-Lo, the Udis brand for like $4.98---i only use one piece of bread to make it last b/c of the price, but mostly b/c of carbs.....I'll eat it with a lil turkey or roast beef---maybe a lil cheese :)

**Snacks--Lay's plain chips are gluten free, peanuts are ok, and on the 2nd chip aisle at Walmart, they make these awesome chips/veggie straws--they make the veggie ones & the cheese ones--Bailey & I love them & they are so much healthier!, as eating them, they feel so much lighter than previous cheese doodles I have eaten, such a better feeling....the Key is that you have to look at labels--if it say 'modified', or 'wheat' anything, then its a no no, or artificial flavoring.....

**Supper--i get a pack of fresh chicken strips, the ones that are all natural, around $5 at walmart----i marinate them in extra virgin olive oil, seasoning salt, parsley, and a lil spinach cut up to where it looks like parsley, yesterday I added Kale as well, cut it up as small as parsley......i bake these at 350 degrees for like 40 min--they are yummy!, and they last at least 3 days or longer for suppers-----also bacon is ok, so sometimes i'll have bacon (drain the grease) & 2 or 3 eggs, cuz eggs are Great to have!

---Also for supper, a few days ago I tried a sweet potato--i've tried it before, but didnt like it---now that i can't really have potatoes, but if i do they need to be sweet potatoes, i was like let me try this again----so i boiled the whole potato--on med-high for like 25 min or so, then cut it up into lil pieces---i have this lil packet of seasoning called bacon & chives--its like $0.98 at walmart near the potatoes---you add extra virgin olive oil to it and dip the potatoes in it---then i broiled them for like 5 min or so in my oven---they were yummy!!, you can also put cinnamon on them!, a nice little dessert :~)....I even got Bailey to eat them, although he eats pretty much all fruits & veggies :~), but I was like, "Bailey they are orange--yummy!"....hen said "Urnge....mmmm" & ate away :~)

So, if you have Lyme or maybe Celiac Disease, or going Gluten Free will benefit anyone; it's only a major plus for anyone :~)

So, if I can do it, you can do it!!....& this all goes back to the title of my blog, "Joy in the Morning"...the sorrow does last for the night, like I have said before. Personally, my 'night' could be weeks, months, years, or longer, but God does promise relief, & I praise Him for that!

And also, we are called to take care of our bodies, they are a temple of the Holy Spirit, if you are a believer, (1 Cor 6:19-20), we were bought with a price--Jesus bore our sin on the Cross, that we may receive His righteousness--this is a Big deal--we are His Creation, therefore we should take care of our bodies--having to go Gluten free is a blessing in disguise for me, that I am so thankful for!

Hope you have a lovely & blessed day!! :~)

Medication, Gluten-Free, & Supplements...Oh My! :)

2011-12-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

So, this has been a glorious week. First of all, I received All the supplements & the 2 probiotics, which I have already started to take All of them. I started them yesterday, 12.29.11. I just know all these medication, probiotics, supplements, & going gluten-free alone are going to help, & then when we add in the antibiotics, in 3 or so weeks, I hope to get way better than where I am at now. It's going to take time, but God has already prepped me for that--strengthening my patience through all the doctors visits, test results, lab results, etc that I've had over this past year. I praise Him for allowing me to go through this--He definitely has strengthened my patience throughout it all :~)

The 2nd reason this week has been awesome is that Wednesday, the 28th, I received a phone call from an RN who works in the Epidemiology Dept at the York County Health Dept. She asked if I had recently been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. I told her yes. At first I was a little confused. Then, as we started to chat, she encouraged me So much!

First she told me that when they see someone show up in their system that has been diagnosed with Lyme or other diseases like Hepatitis, Salmonella, etc...she calls them right away to make sure they are being treated properly. She said it is so important for me to be treated properly.

Therefore, I shared my Lyme doctor's treatment plan for me. This lady totally agreed!!!, Praise Jesus!! She is definitely Lyme Literate. She briefly spoke how there is such a conspiracy with Lyme & that most doctors do not even think Chronic Lyme even exists, but she said I definitely know that it does.

This was such a sweet kiss from God reassuring me that this indeed is the way to go; it was so refreshing & encouraging to know that she agreed to the treatment plan & thought that everything laid out for me is the way to go; she was very happy with it :~)

The last thing that happened this week that was another reassurance...I found a primary care doctor who will actually support me along the way of this year or longer treatment plan. He did suggest that I remain open-minded and not just focus on Lyme, but that there could be something else going on along with the Lyme. But he did agree to see me and be there for me along the way. He is an incredible doctor; I highly recommend him to anyone: Dr. Nunnery at Fort Mill Family Practice....great doctor even from just the one visit I have been to :~)

So, this has been a glorious, reassuring week! I am so thankful & praise Jesus for it! :~)

...this goes back to the theme of my whole blog--'Joy in the Morning'--yes sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning...my 'night' could be a year or 2 or longer, but God promises joy in the morning; He promises relief; whether that relief comes here in our temporary time on earth, or it may be when we, who are believers, see Jesus face to face in Heaven......o' how I long for that moment, but for our time here on earth, we are to Glorify Jesus in all we do & tell others about Him, be disciples as He has called us to (Matthew 28:18-20)....this is our purpose here on earth! :)

I praise God that this life is temporary; and it's All about Him, it's all about the Gospel--Jesus, who came, lived, died the most sacrificial, horrific death, and indeed he arose and is seated at the right Hand of the throne of God.....this is what life is all about!, praising Him, everyday bringing Him Glory in all we say & do.

In Heaven, it's all about praising Jesus, therefore that's what we should be doing here on earth, no matter what we are going through--seek Him with All your heart, daily turn to Him for guidance & He will lead the way; no matter what you may be going through; health, finances, marital issues, bad grades, anything; seek Him! & He will transform you & it will be amazing!, these sorrows won't go away when you come to truly have a relationship with Him, b/c we are still here on earth, this is an imperfect world, there is sin so there will still be sorrow, but know that God promises relief as I mentioned before & He will amazingly comfort you through these sorrows; not saying it will be easy, but there will be peace that surpasses all understanding! :~).........."But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." ~Matthew 6:33~

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." ~Phil 4:6-7~

"Suffering is only Temporary, not Eternal"

2011-12-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

This is copied straight from Week 4 of something we have been reading at Remedy Church, on our own time, called "Advent", in preparation for the 1st Coming of Christ--His birth, which is what Christmas is All about!, & His life here on earth, His death, & His Resurrection, which we anticipate His 2nd Coming, where there will be no more suffering or sorrow to all those who truly know Him! :~)

I just copied and pasted it because this is All SO stinkin' good---it's a Must read!, God spoke volumes to me through this as I hope & pray He does to you as well! :~)

He o' so sweetly & gently reminds me through this that suffering is not eternal, it is only temporary, which goes back to the theme of our blog, "Joy in the Morning".....sorrow may last for the night, but Joy comes in the morning!,...the night could be days, weeks, months, years of suffering & of sorrow, but morning refers to God promising us relief from the suffering & sorrow, whether here on this temporary time on earth or in Heaven when we see Jesus face to face, which I can't wait for that moment & for Eternity!, & that moment will Only come to those who truly Know Jesus, not just 'Believe' but Know Him, in an intimate relationship with Him, Glorifying Him in all you do! :~).....this is just a tiny glimpse of this reading.....please take a few moments to read this in preparing your heart for Christmas :~)

"The 1996 movie “Jerry McGuire” climaxed when Tom Cruise
burst into his wife’s home, looked into her eyes and said the
famous words, “You complete me.” He had just experienced
the height of his professional career only to find out it was not
what he had expected. He expected joy and found loneliness. He expected
fulfillment and found emptiness. He was a man in the throes of finding out
that what he had always pursued was not what he truly needed or desired.

Maguire was right about one thing: Incompleteness marks our current
life. No matter how hard we try, fulfillment is always just out of reach.
For unbelievers, the pursuit of fulfillment will feel like eternally chasing
a moving target until Jesus becomes the object of their longing. However,
even for the believer, there is a real sense that we have not found what we are
looking for.

Completion is only found in Christ, through His death for our sin and
resurrection from the grave, but it’s not a complete reality until we stand
in our resurrected bodies in the presence of our Savior. This won’t happen
until Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 come to pass: “They will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” The return of
Jesus and final restoration are the human hope, nothing less. Paul knew this
well when he sat down to write Romans 8.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation
waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the
creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who
subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage
to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the
pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly
for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we
were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he
sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
ROMANS 8:18-25

The central theme of this passage is what all of us long for: glory. The
climactic theme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is that we are born
and reborn to share fully in the glory of God. As history marches on, we inch
ever closer to the day when the heavenly city will have “no need for the sun
or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp
is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23). There will be a day when we physically and
fully partake in the glory of God, but until that day gets here, we groan.

According to Romans 8, the children of God groan amidst suffering. This
suffering is not only referring to imprisonment or martyrdom but also the
daily sufferings we walk through, from disease to financial reversals, difficult
marriages to loneliness. The pains of our fallen world are violently depicted
as a mother giving birth to child. At this point, we might expect Paul to
say the Spirit in our lives eases the pain, but instead he does something
completely unexpected. In a passage on suffering and glory, Paul links our
groaning to having the “firstfruits of the Spirit.”

He says there is an aspect of our groaning that is strengthened because the
Spirit has revealed to us Who Jesus is and that He will return to decisively
defeat sin and death. Our living under the weight of sin today is felt to a
greater degree because we know it will not always be this way; thus, our
groaning is heightened by our longing. This is the “already but not yet” our
pastors talk about. The penalty of sin has already been paid for, but the
impact of sin has not yet ended. We are a church family who knows this all
too well. Tumors, miscarriages and deaths have made our local community
aware of the suffering that comes with a world still groaning for the return of
Christ, but by the grace of God, that’s not all Paul said.

Paul’s hope is that, when these sufferings are held up to the infinite light of
the glory of God, they are “not worth comparing.” Paul was not speaking
out of ignorance. As we are a body aware of suffering, Paul was a man aware
of suffering. From beatings, to prison, to shipwrecks, to eventual death, he
knew suffering firsthand. So what could cause a man who walked through
that amount of pain to speak with such confidence? Paul answers that with
one word: “present.”

Suffering is not eternal, but the glory upon which we wait is. Jesus is going
to return, and when He does, we will share in the fullness of His glory.
When we do, the text says we will experience two things: adoption as sons,
which is the redemption of our bodies, and a new earth free from the
weight of sin. Since the text says creation is waiting to “obtain the freedom
of the glory of the children of God,” these are not separate statements but
one united reality that will take place when the glorious trumpets sound
and the Servant returns as King.

As we wait for this day, incompleteness defines our lives because we live
as adopted children who have not yet been picked up by our parents. We
know our parents’ names, know they have paid for our adoption, know
the adoption has been approved but stand on the curb with bags packed
waiting on them to come and tell us, “You’re home.” This is true for all
believers from all centuries. Those living today and those who have entered
the presence of the Lord await the completion of our adoption in the
redemption of our bodies.

This is the Christian hope into which we were saved. We know that Jesus
has already paid for our adoption, but we wait for the Father to send Him
for us to renew our home and dwell among us eternally as we experience
our resurrected bodies and the fullness of His glory. This is a salvation
about so much more than just “going to heaven when we die.” This is
restoration, redemption and renewal. This is going from enemies of God to
sons and daughters of God, co-heirs with Christ. This is living fully in the
image of God the way He intended. Oh what a day that will be. Come Lord
Jesus, come.

Until Christ’s return, Paul gives us an example of how to groan in view of
eternity. He exemplifies how to view the hardships of a fallen world through
the lens of the eternal glory we await. To live in light of eternity does not
mean demotions and cancer are not painful. It means they are not crushing.
Cancer is painful because death is the last enemy to be conquered, but
it’s not crushing because it’s only a matter of time before our resurrection
conquers all disease. It means that loneliness is not something only our
single brothers and sisters experience. We all experience loneliness because
marriage is not the solution to the human condition. It’s a gift and an image
that represents the substance for which we all long.

The substance that brings fulfillment and ends loneliness is standing face to
face with our beloved, Jesus Christ. To stand face to face, two things must
take place: He must return, and our flesh must be the redeemed, resurrected
body to come. When fully grasping our hope, we can endure any suffering
because we know it is temporary, and the glory to come is eternal. Until
that day, we strive for a steadfast hope, we wait with patience, and we stand
confident that our Savior will appear to bring completion to the adoption we
long for."

Some may not see it as a gift, but I do--A Diagnosis!

2011-12-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

Today, my aunt & I traveled to Asheville to meet with Anne Walch, P.A.--she is a Lyme 'Literate' Specialist. After going through ALL the doctor reports, MRI reports, blood work, etc and meeting with me & doing an exam, she has given me what I have waited for for quite some time now--a diagnosis--Lyme Disease.

Some may think it is crazy to consider hearing that you have Lyme a gift, but I truly do consider it as a gift, and only through the wisdom God is giving me do I. God has gently laid a peace over me today that He is going to work mightily through me. I am confident that He is going to use the treatment plan she has laid out for me to make me better, and hopefully heal me completely.

...in my own flesh, I am a little nervous because when I do start the antibiotics in about 4 weeks, as they start to kill off the bacteria in my body, I will get worse before getting better, & the antibiotics are going to be pretty intense for at least 9 months or so, & then at that time, I will hopefully be able to lower the dosage & eventually taper off...but all those details I need not to worry about right now as I think about these 3 verses:

John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."

Phil 4:6-7 "...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Andthe peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"

Part of the treatment plan does include a change in my diet--going gluten-free. If you know me, you know I love sugars & carbs....so this is going to be difficult, but I will do what it takes--I am highly motivated to get better, so changing my diet is going to have to be part of it, so I will do it!...anyone that has recipes, I'm totally open to accept them :~) Again, in this area, God has given me such a sweet gentleness about it...it's like He has encouraged me today, as I act in obedience, and do my part in what I can do since this is a whole lifestyle change to get better, He will heal me, but even more so I will live through this and experience it first-hand, which excites me that God may use me in the lives of others who have Lyme or something similar...so I say all this to say I am actually excited to see how God is going to work in me, through me, and around me, ultimately that He would receive All the Glory!

Welp, it's been a Long, but glorious day...time for nite nite! :~)

"Though the sorrow may last for the night, His Joy comes with the Morning"

2011-12-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

So, I am revolving my blog around Psalm 30:5b, "Weeping may tarry for the night but joy comes with the morning." now of course, the words night and morning here do not actually mean night and morning as we may think; it could, but rather they represent different times in our life--the night represents the harder times in life; the trials of life, meaning only a season of our life--while morning represents the time when that difficult season has passed---
"Though there is indeed weeping in the lives of the faithful (sometimes because their misdeeds have incurred God's anger, and sometimes just because of suffering that comes from living in a fallen world), it comes to an end. Morning stands for the time when God gives relief; it might not arrive until the last day, but it will surely come."Morning comes after the night, therefore joy comes after weeping--and as a believer there is True, Pure Joy because of our hope in God; that Joy comes from His Sovereignty, His Power, & He is Faithful & will see us through the hard times.

It makes me think of the lyrics to the song, "Trading My Sorrows:"

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down
For the joy of the Lord

Yes Lord yes Lord
Yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord
Yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord
Yes yes Lord Amen

I am pressed but not crushed
Persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I am blessed beyond the curse
For His promise will endure
That His joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KsfwvpcQhY&feature=related

It's about laying whatever we are going through in life down before the Lord, trading your sickness, your pain, your sorrow, laying them down for the Joy of the Lord--God is Faithful! no matter what you are going through He is Faithful to heal, to provide...may you just put your God-gven faith in Him & experience true, pure Joy! :~)

"God is God & I am man so I will never understand it all"

2011-11-08T18:56:00.001-08:00

"God Is God"
by: Steven Cutis Chapman

And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know

And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust

CHORUS:
God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I

Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass

CHORUS

Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through Him and from Him are all things

So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone

CHORUS

God's Divine Power

2011-11-08T18:53:00.001-08:00

Nov. 13, 2006

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of hm who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverence; and to perserverence, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is near-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if u do these things, yo will never fall and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
~2 Peter 1:3-11

In the first part, God just really touched me through his word.....his power is divine, its amazing!, its so powerful......even when we have no idea what is goin on and what lies ahead, and when we dont understand things that have happened in the past or in the near past, God is still sovereign and his power is incredible! when u r weak, he will make u strong as u seek him......u can rest in the peace, joy, and comfort that God is all u need, he is your all and everything if u have given your life over to him.....i know me personally, i am realizing more and more that all i truly need is God, my Savior.....he is my all and my everything! i yearn more of him daily and more of his word.....my heart is pouring out to him....im in love with him, but i desire to be more in love with him......his power is all we need for our brief time here on earth.

Also we are standing on his precious promises, like in verse 4......thru our faith in him and his sovereign power, he has called us to "participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption int he world cause by evil desires"......being a Christian is definitely not easy.....when u arent a Christian the devil has u under his stronghold, but once u give ur life over to God, he releases those chains from u and u are free from sin, not saying you won't sin, but that u have forgiveness from your sins, thats part of God's free gift of salvation to us......giving your life over to God, you have an everlasting hope and u r secure in the arms of your heavenly Father......the devil will come at us so hard the more we do to have a deeper relationship with God, he will try to win, but God's power will cast the devil away from us.....yea, the devil will seem very overwhleming at times and u will feel that he is overtaking ur life,.....but i'm determined not to let the devil have power over me, b/c i serve a God thats power does not compare to the mere power of the devil......that devil's tryin hard, real hard these days, and he is destroying many lives, many marriages, many relationships, homes, countries, our nation is thinking that homosexuality is ok and that there is nothing with harming your body.......your body is not yours, its God's, he created u, we are a bunch of God's lil creations walking around.......many people these days are held captive by the devil, the devil is in the minds of many people......the thing is people who have not given their lives over to God and are not a born-again Christian, then it breaks my heart, b/c these people are hopeless, they are left empty and broken, they search this world over and over for comfort and peace thru diff things like sex, drugs, alcohol, homosexuality, pornography......all these things are things this world has to offer, they will bring temporary "happiness," but Jesus is the way the truth, and the life....no one comes to the father but by him (John 14)......Knowing God personally, and having a personal relatioonship with him, growing closer to him daily is the only way to bring peace, comfort, and joy.....thru God, u receive eternal joy, not temporary happiness.........
my heart pours out to and is broken for this lost world we are livin in today.......its sad and it breaks my heart, i want to do so much to change it, somtimes what i can is limited, i sometimes get bogged down, b/c i wanna help ppl so bad, and i want them to give their life over to God so bad, but the thing that God is teaching me as i type is that he is the almighty, powerful God.....he can change the world thru his disciples planting seeds and telling people about him, but once we tell people about him, sometimes there's only so much we ourselves can do, not to say give up, but theres a point to where we have the cast them into God's almighty and powerful hands, the thing is we as Christs' disciples can tell them about God, and we can counsel ppl, and show genuine love for them, heling them as many ways as God uses us to, but there has to be a personal encounter between them and God, we dont have their hearts in our hands, we cant change their hearts, that between God and them....God is so powerful, he can change anybody or anything!!, i dont doubt that one bit!! so one thing we can definitely do is get on our knees and pray for them! prayer is amazing!! sometimes i take it for granted, and sometimes i feel like i just mumble out things....right now, i desire to spend more time with God, daily, praying for this nation, for the world we are livin in, for ppl i meet daily, for Christians that we would step up in faith, telling everyone everywhere about God, giving them an opportunity to have a life-changing experience, a divine encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ.......prayer can change this world!!, us gettin on our knees, crying out to our almighty God, he will hear our cry for mercy, and he will begin to work in amazing ways!........i desire to see a revival on campus, and also in this world, and yea from our own eyes, that seems impossible, but with God, its not, at all......God has the power to change everything in this world right now this instant, but thats not his plan, he has chosen us to be his disciples, to be used by him in this world, when Jesus ascended into Heaven, the holy spirit descended onto earth, if u are born-again, u have the holy spirit livin in u, therefore we are crucified with Christ, its not us, but Christ living within us.....His power is amazing and sufficient......wow!, i have so much in my heart to say and express, i dont know where to start.......but i'll try........the thing is, we are his disciples, we are his chosen ones, he has called us to Go, and make disciples of ALL nations.....his power is amazing and yea, he could change everything in the blink of an eye, but he has chosen to use us.....he desires to use us, can u believe that?? that amazes me! we are his servants,.....he doesnt need us, he wants us, he wants to use us.......he doesnt want us to stand still in our walk with him, he wants us to grow in our wlak with him daily.......it just amazes me how when u start to talk to someone about God, the power of God within u takes over u, its nothing u say or do, but what Christ does thru us......that just amazes me!!......i cant get over it!.......thats why if we just stand still and live this life here on earth for ourselves, putting our lives into our own hands, relying on orselves to handle things and lay things out, then we just make a mess of everything and we push God aside........over the summer, i constantly drew near to God, and i prayed for discipline and spiritual growth and made the effort to grow closer to God thru prayer and thru his word, and to be used by him in any way he would use me......but over this past lil while, i have been slipping back into my old self, i was seeking God and his will, but at the same time, i was puttin it into my own hands......right now, i still dont understand everything thats happened over this past month or so in my life, but i do understand that i was slowly putting it into my own hands, the focus was on myself and what God had in store for me and what he was gonna do with my life....as i was focusing on my life and the circumstances within my life, i began to get slack with my daily walk with God, i began not to serve the way God is calling me to, i was slack in my prayer life, this selfishness leads to confusion, fear, and doubt, but God doesnt want that for us, he did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 timothy 1:7)....being focused on ourselves and on the situaitons we are goin thru, brings stress, but focusing on God and trusting him brings rest; I dont want to be selfish and focus too much on the cirumstances i am goin thru with fear, but to lift those up daily, praising God for what we go thru, b/c there is a purpose for everything we go thru, one is to make us stronger, if we run to him thru it........either we can place our live in God's hands, surrendering Everything to him daily, trusting him and having faith that his will be be done and will be revealed in his time, and listening to his still small voice as he speaks to us........or on the other hand we can live for ourselves, putting our lives in our own hands, gettin all the voices mixed up that are around us or that are in our head, and then our lives will fall apart, we'll have a huge mess.......all those broken pieces, God wants, he wants to take them, if we give them to him, and make something beautiful of your life here on earth......will u give God all the broken pieces in your life and let him reign over yor life today?

"God, I thank you so much for this day and i Thank u for everything u have blessed me with God!, i thank u for who u are and what u have done and are doing.....God i dont know what lies ahead, im not sure whats gonna come of everything, but thats ok, i dont need to know....but God, i want u to know that i praise u and thank u for this time, i know your hand is over my life right now and i thank u for your power and your soveriegnty, yea, im human, so im excited to see whats gonna take place, but i desire to be ocntent in all cirumstances God.......right now God, i pray for this scripture and the words u have given me, the words u have laid on my heart, may u use them to reach someone as they read this.....God, i want to say im sorry for being overwhelmed with my own self this past week or so, i was too focused on what u were gonna do which brought fear to me, but God u were standing there the whole time with open arms, saying, "Heather, stop tryin so hard, rest in my arms, take the focus of what i'm gonna do and how and when im gonna do it, and put your focus on me and on others, allow me to use u daily".....goin thru this has given me such a hunger for more of u God, i wanna spend all my time with u God, i love u so much......i dont desire to question things or try to figure them out, God help me to rest in your presence, trusting u God......i love u God......
God i pray for your children....may we unite together, and set oursleves out there to be used by u God....may we be rooted in u and lay your scriptures on our hearts God.....teach us, use us, mold us and make us God.....i pray for this world God, it breaks my heart with what we are livin in today, but thru the brekaing of my heart there is so much anticipation to reach people and to tell them about u....God place a burning passion within ur children to tell this lost and broken world about u......and as we tell them about u God, and live our lives representing u, may u take over from there, God change their hearts, work in their hearts God......God i pray for your will to be done and i love u God! i give this day to u..."

Do you want to know Jesus?

2011-11-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

Feb. 4, 2007

Who is He?
What can He do in my life?
Do I need a personal relationship with him?

If you have any questions or concerns about who Jesus is and how can you make him a part of your life, how u can have a relationship with Him, how he can make something beautiful out of your life.....to know how awesome he is and how much he loves you.....please ask! either me or someone else reading this, I hope can answer! please dont hesitate!, as u read this and feel the urge on your heart to talk to me or someone else about somethin, please just let it flow right out of your heart!

No matter who you are, I love you and I want u to receive the greatest, most precious, free gift ever! It takes faith though! All you have to do is believe that Jesus died on the cross for you, for us, for our sins, and he rose again 3 days later and He is now alive! (Romans 10:13) He lives forever and ever! He has set us free!, Free from the bondage of sin! Accepting this free gift, developing a personal relationship with God, turning away from what it was in your life holding u captive, and living your life that He has given you for Him, u will without a doubt go to Heaven when u die!, u will never have to fear death or be alone! He will never leave or forsake you! (Hebrews 13:5)

Will you choose today to surrender your all to God and trust Him?
If so, it will be amazing what He will do with your life!....I want you to know that He has a plan for u, a beautiful one! (Jeremiah 29) if you are feeling down and hopeless, fear not!, run into the arms of your Savior and he will rescue you! Trust Him! :)
He wants to be your best friend, your Father, your counselor, your healer, your provider, your all, and your everything!

His arms are outstretched for everyone? (John 3:16)
Will you meet Him at the foot of the cross?

You are More than Enough

2011-11-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

February 28, 2007

WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT...

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to
leave the examination room and said,
"Doctor, I am afraid to die.
Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You, a Christian man,
do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door;
on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining,
and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room
and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said,
"Did you notice my dog?
He's never been in this room before.
He didn't know what was inside.
He knew nothing except that his master was here,
and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.
I know little of what is on the other side of death,
but I do know one thing...

I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22, 23

Faith!

2011-11-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

April 18, 2007

Matthew 15:28

Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your
faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was
healed from that very hour.

*FAITH-that's what its all about!! :)
I believe in my heart that if we all had more faith, setting ourselves aside and humble ourselves, and take the control out of our own hands, and place it into God's and place everything into His hands, i believe that AMAZING things would happen! God is God!, He doesnt need us to do this, but thats what his plan is all about! for us to have faith and believe even tho we cannot see.....are u a faithful Paul or a doubting Thomas?...my goal is to be a faithful Paul; to continue in my faith of believing without seeing...but at the same time, we are witnesses of God everyday, just b/c Jesus has ascended into Heaven and we cant physically see him, doesnt mean we dont still see God work!, Jesus ascended into Heaven, the Holy SPirit descended onto earth.....the Holy Spirit lives in those who Believe! who have a personal relationship with God....the Holy Spirit is alive and lives in us....Salvation is here!, and he lives in us!! Thats AMAZING!!! thats sumptin to get excited about!!! God is so Awesome!! :)
And not thru our own power can we do anything at all....only by the Power of God that lives within us (Phil 4:13)....

"God of This City"

2011-11-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

May 12,2008:

"A few weeks ago we attended Passion:Atlanta. This was the first time I heard the song God of This City, title song on Passions new release. One thing I have always enjoyed is hearing the story behind a song. This song has an amazing story. The band Bluetree from Belfast wrote the song. They were on a mission trip in Thailand in a city that is the number 1 sex tourism destination in the world. It is a very dark place. There are 30,000 female prostitutes over the age of 18 this does not include male prostitutes or females under 18. The band met the owner of a bar, really it was a brothel who invited them to play in his establishment. They were told they could play as long as people were buying drinks. So the group with Bluetree went along and bought sodas for several hours. While the band was preforming this song came to them."

This is simply amazing to me! As Christians, as Jesus' disciples we are called to reach the most uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8)....that means everywhere. Many times, we are afraid to talk to "certain" people and tell them about Christ. But think about Jesus, he loved everyone unconditionally and told everyone of his love for them. I mean, who are we to judge anyone anyways. We ALL have a past....if it wasn't for God's amazing grace, then I would still be caught in my old ways....God accepted me as a poor, wretched sinner, who am I not to accept others as well.

God has called us to be a light in this world, but not of this world. There's a difference. We are to shine our light and make a difference in this world, telling others of Christ and God's amazing grace, but not to take part in it. For example, the story behind this song....well the band played in a bar, but they shared Christ with all the pople there...they did not drink and party, but they lived a life that exemplified Christ. I just think this is amazing and should be an encouragement to everyone that truly has a relationship with God! :)

Here's one video of the song....
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk

However, my favorite is this one because of my passion for Africa :)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GWC8tXzW2hs&feature=related

God of This City
By Bluetree
Performed by Chris Tomlin

Verse 1
You’re the God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are
You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless
You’re the peace to the restless
You are

Bridge
For there is no-one like our God
There is no-one like our God

Chorus 1
Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things have still to be done here

Verse 2
You’re the Lord of Creation
The Creator of all things
You’re the King above all Kings
You are
You’re the strength in our weakness
You’re the love to the broken
You’re the joy in the sadness
You are

Bridge
For there is no-one like our God
There is no-one like our God

Chorus 2
Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things have still to be done here

God is THE God of this city, of this nation...and if we, as Christians, come together and believe that with ALL our hearts and live it out....then there can be a revival on our campuses and in this world! The power of God is Absolutely Amazing!!, Let's not underestimate His Power! Being a Believer, the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead is the Power living inside of you, the Holy Spirit, and God can do amazing things in and through you....it's all about having FAITH! :)

I encourage you, as well as myself, to be bold! Remember that the worse thing that can happen is someone turning their back on you or making fun of you, but think about what all Christ endured....we definitely can take some making fun of.....John 15:18-27

Unfailing Love & Giving Thanks

2011-11-08T18:13:00.001-08:00

10.19.11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_MyC6kJzPg&feature=related

Wow!, God's unconditional, pure, deep, unchangeable, such beautiful, passionate love for us...this song is a glimpse of that precious Love He has for you, for me, for everyone, everywhere...

Love is a big thing in our society, well I believe everywhere--everyone So desperately wants to be loved & wants to love---the Only, I mean Only way to truly experience true, deep, unconditional love is in a relationship with Jesus Christ... & the way to that is so simple, by believing in Him, placing the faith He has so graciously given to you in Him, & daily live your life to Glorify Him--we are made By God & for God, & boy is it a beautiful thing when God grabs our heart, draws us to Him.....it's like when I pick up my son Bailey, embrace Him, but So much more deeper than that--I am imperfect, God is perfect--when He embraces us as we draw near to Him, it is life-changing & is so Amazingly Beautiful!, & we see that this life here on earth is So temporary, just a glimpse compared to the Eternity we will spend praising Him if we choose to live for Him, and if not, Know that Hell is Real!, if you do not put your God-given faith in Jesus Christ, that is where your Eternity will be--that doesn't mean to say "oh yea, I believe in that Jesus man" just to try and escape hell, I am So heart-breakingly afraid that is what So many people have done & are doing---if we just say we believe and then live our life everyday as if He doesnt even exist, dude, you are missing out SO much on All He can do in you & through you!, like I said we were created by Him & for Him--if u're reading this, He created you (Psalm 139), you have a purpose--first, to know Him & to worship Him & bring Glory to His Name in All things---and as He reveals this truth to you, all else will fall into place (Matthew 6:33).....my friend, I love you, & so desperately want u to know & experience the true, unconditional love of Christ! :~)

---this is from Ch. 4 of the book I am currently reading, "Choosing Gratitude" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss...awesome read!

"....Jesus gave Himself to God and to the world, not under coercion, but with gratitude, grateful for the privilege of obeying His Father and of fulfilling the mission He had been sent to earth to complete..." (Matt 26:27; Mark 14:23, Luke 22:17-19; 1 Corinthians 11:24

"....He understood that these emblems represented His body and blood, soon to be broken and poured out in horrific fashion for the salvation of man. On a night when from human perspective He had every reason to be self-absorbed and to give in to self-pity, resentment, or murmuring, He spoke words of THANKS to His heavenly Father, words that flowed out of a thankful heart. That is no small deal. This was not just an obligatory blessing offered up before a meal. The whole meal pictured the enormous sacrifice Jesus was about to make. In giving thanks for the cup and the bread, then in giving the symbolic elements to His disciples, Jesus was saying in effect, "Yes, Father, I willingly surrender Myself to Your calling for My life, whatever the cost." He gave Himself to God and to the world, not under coercion, but with abandon, and....with gratitude, grateful for the privilege of obeying His Father and of fulfilling the mission He had been sent to earth to complete.".......dude, this is just a glimpse of this book....u gotta read it, its awesome & So encouraging! :~)

"Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

So, how these 2 connect, His Unconditional Love for us & Giving Thanks.....it's not that we have to do more or not do certain things for us to be loved more or less by Him--the beautiful thing is that He Loves us, period!....there is nothing we can do or not do that will make that increase or decrease!....the whole thing is that if you think, "well since he loves me, and nothing's going to change that, so I can just live it up while i'm here on earth"....then you have missed the whole awesome incredibleness of it all......my friend, b/c of the Cross & His unconditional love for us, He sees us as righteous & in that, if we truly are filled with His precious Holy Spirit, then we are so overwhelmed by how Amazing He is that we want to praise Him, worship Him in All we say, do & think--it's not that we 'have' to but that we are so in love with Him that is what we desire to do---(Ephesians 2:8-10).....& the beautiful thing is that, God has given us the faith to even believe in the first place, & then He gives us the desire as we seek Him and are in His Presence thru the Word, thru prayer,etc.....So All the Glory goes to Him!!, Worship is Life!, not just on Sunday mornings, or when you quickly say the blessing before digging in, but in ALL things, give praise & thanksgiving to our Father! :~)

...Waiting...

2011-11-08T18:12:00.001-08:00

September 14, 2011

*Truths from God’s Word in times of trial, in times of waiting....

"Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The LORD is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one." Psalm 28:6-8

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him..." Psalm 37:7

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 13:12

"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33:20-22

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." Psalm 130:5-6

‎"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

(Melody, we’re not even ‘technically’ friends on FB yet, and we don’t even know each other, but I want you to know that I read these Scriptures from your blog that Cheryl shared with me, and am going to daily read them and hold onto them…know that through your fight against Lyme Disease that God is using you and working through you; He used you tonight and we don’t even really know each other yet; that's how Amazing He is!!….I just skimmed over your blog, and He gently led me to these Scriptures you posted last October actually and He spoke volumes to me thru them...ultimately God receives All the Glory, through His Power & Sovereignty, but know that He is indeed using you...I cannot imagine your struggle for 10yrs, but momentarily, hold fast to these truths, and as God is healing you, He is using you...I just wanted you to know that...looking forward to getting to know each other) :~)

Encouraging Songs God has comforted me through:

“While I’m Waiting” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7TSGptd3Y

“Oceans Will Part” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Uj_B0KNgU

“Arms Open Wide” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvNdybdyeOc&feature=related

“Oh You Bring” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVHhoWECVvE

Tuesday, Sept 13, 2011:

“God I thank you for breaking me tonight. I thank you Lord for allowing me to have this pain & weakness; this may be just what it is taking/has taken to reach me, and you are making that clear to me more and more each day. I see how you are sanctifying me through this and that I can’t just mozy through this life by my own strength, which is what I have been doing for quite some time now; On the surface I have been ‘Mrs. Faithful’ so to speak, but you Lord, are the only one who really knows my heart…for the past while, I have strived to bring you praise & Glory but by my own strength, speaking out loud your truths, but doubting them in the depths of my heart…I have asked everybody and their brother to be praying for me, but yet I haven’t even done so myself, not consistently……God, thank you SO much for showing me O’ so powerfully tonight that I am human, I am weak, I cannot do anything without you, and showing me even more so tonight how it doesn’t take praying & reading to be a Christian, but choosing to not take time to spend with you, daily, over time, leaves me striving to get through each day by my own human strength, and it is impossible to do so…there is No way I can be the wife or mama you have called me to be without daily, momentarily, seeking You will All my heart, and truly doing it…I have gone So long, chugging along with my own strength, and it has just made me doubtful, anxious, confused, fretful, impatient, bitter……….and I do well with disguising these, but Lord, from this moment on, I will strive to seek you every second of every day and bathe each day in prayer & reflect & study Your Word; comfort me, teach me, mold me, sanctify me, and may your sweet Spirit convict me and lead me, teach me how to be the wife, mama, and woman I so desire to be. I praise you for this pain & weakness, for without it, I would probably still be mozyin through dangling by the thread of my own strength; and over time, I have gotten to the point to where I am weak, I have nothing left, and I am so sorry Lord, that it took trial after trial, but yet at the same time I praise you for it, because without the situations our family has been through, I may not clearly see and fully understand my utter & Desperate need for you, not just once a week, once a month, or once a year, but Daily, God……I have professed this truth with my mouth to person after person, but for so long haven’t been living it out….God, thank you so much for remaining faithful and not giving up on me, and being patient when I have chosen so many things over you for comfort and answers, not necessarily bad things, but they were my top priorities over you for comfort and answers for so long…whether it be placing my trust in doctor after doctor, test after test, or even in comfort food or reality shows, & most of all, searching for, thru Tim, the intimacy and comfort that only You can give me; yes, you use my husband to bring major comfort, unconditional love, and guidance, but ultimately you are Head over our marriage Lord and I can only find True, eternal peace & pure joy in you, Lord; remind me of that daily, Lord as I seek you.....thank you Lord, help me to daily overflow my thoughts with these truths from Your Word that are written above, lead me Lord, heal me, teach me, use me, and most of All may you receive All the Glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

O Glorious Day

2011-11-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

We sang this at church this morning (1.24.11) and I was just listening to it again.....Wow! this song is Amazing!, it is totally the Gospel!, its beautfiful....my heart is so heavy and so full!, i have so much i want to write out and say, but this song just flat out says it.....take a second to just quiet your soul, close your eyes, with no distractions, or what helps me is to read the lyrics and focus on the words; if ur like me, i have the lyrics below for you or they are on the youtube video :).....take a few minutes to listen to this.....it is the Gospel! ...."I pray that as u listen, ur heart would be softened and that God would speak volumes to your heart!...God, Every person that listens to this, speak to them, reveal your true, pure, loving, gentle, forgiving, powerful character to them, who you Really are and not who this world has made u to be....Lord, you created us in your image, yet daily we form you to our image....that backwards and it just aint right....Lord, forgive me for being guilty of that as well, I desire to change Lord......Lord may everyone that listens to this see your precious Gospel for what it really is....may they feel your presence and see ur unconditional love for them, and how when You died, You saved us, thats the beginning of our sanctification, You truly did carry our sins far away.....may we not dwell on them or hold guilt over our heads for them,.....we are justified Lord!, thank u for that!, we had a Debt, a huge debt we could never repay u for, and you, Lord payed that debt for us,....and Lord one day in Heaven we will be glorified....Wow, what a Glorious day that will be!, I honestly cant wait!, thats what this life is all about....bringin Glory to your precious name; Lord, May we daily bring praises to your name, b/c that is what Heaven is all about, YOU!....I pray these things in Jesus' name. I Love You, amen."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXp6xcY5IqU

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises

One day when sin was as black as could be

Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin

Dwelt among men, my example is He

Word became flesh and the light shined among us

His glory revealed

Living, He loved me

Dying, He saved me

Buried, He carried my sins far away

Rising, He justified freely forever

One day He’s coming

Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain

One day they nailed Him to die on a tree

Suffering anguish, despised and rejected

Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He

Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree

And took the nails for me

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer

One day the stone rolled away from the door

Then He arose, over death He had conquered

Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore

Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him

From rising again

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming

One day the skies with His glories will shine

Wonderful day, my Beloved One, bringing

My Savior, Jesus, is mine

The Simple Things in Life Can be Powerful :)

2011-11-08T18:09:00.001-08:00

Bailey's new thing is throwing away his "chash" :) Today he tried to go back to what he just threw away & pull it back out....I said, "No, no, Bailey, that’s your trash, once you throw it away, you don't go back to it & try to play with it" …of course , once I told him no, he was Very intrigued with the trash & the trashcan…..Immediately, I thought & began to be convicted; when I confess my sins to God, that’s my ‘trash,’ & I, too, should confess & Repent, should lay it down at His feet & not go back to it, but for some reason, I too, am intrigued with the ‘trash‘ in my life & either do not Fully repent or I dwell on it, such as my selfishness, pride, guilt, anxiety, jealousy, & I could keep on going; really anything in my life that does not bring Glory to God…….I never fail to be Utterly amazed at the incredible things God teaches me through the Blessing of being Bailey's mother; its Amazing!, God has given me the gift of being a deep thinker, it can be bad, but if I use it for His Glory, it can be incredible, such as Him teaching me this truth in life through something as simple as Bailey learning to throw his “chash“ away :)

written: January 18, 2011

We Love You, Our Precious Angel: 2.12.10

2011-11-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

In Memory of our precious angel that God called home on Feb. 12, 2010....we were 6wks 2days pregnant....

"Your daddy, mommy, and big brother Bailey will daily think about you and we love you very much!"

***A Poem I wrote to our precious baby 1 month after God called him/her home***

My Precious Child

God called you home one month ago today,

My heart is so heavy, yet it’s hard to know what to say.

I am so thankful that on the 10th of February

I got to see your precious heartbeat,

When God calls me home,

one sweet day in Heaven we will meet.

I wish I’d knew if you were a boy or a girl somehow,

If only God would bless me with a dream to see you,

I’d be utterly amazed, and say, “Wow!”

I really wish I could have carried you to full-term,

Seen you and held you,

But in the midst of all this,

God has given me a new perspective on being a mother,

a whole new view.

God called you home soon, but my child,

He has used you like any other,

He has shown me through you how precious life is

and now I have a much deeper love and appreciation for your brother.

God did not make a mistake when He started creating you in December.

I will never forget about you, my precious child, I will always remember.

With Unconditional, Everlasting Love,

Your Mommy

Written: March 12, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeLDr7e5rzA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qtvf94sCY4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT_DbrhdKWA&feature=fvw

Encouraging Songs:

"Healing Hand of God" by Jermey Camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fCHSgCuh6M

"Safe" by Phil Wickham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VkvtrwwjtM&feature=related

"Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God."