Do you ever find yourself fighting with a friend, or loved one, or spouse? You just can't understand why they would act the way they do! Why is it always the good people in our lives that we seem to be fighting against? I have learned this crucial thing in my walk with Christ and in life:
I've had to fight for EVERYTHING that's good in my life! Haven't you? Isn't it the shallow relationships that are easy? Why do we get so angry with the ones we know love us and the ones who will forgive us so easily? Why do we say the mean things or blatantly hurt them? This is the truth that I'm eager to share. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 That's right friends, the battle is not against the person; the battle is spiritual. I remember a very difficult time in my life when my husband and I butted heads. Reese was just born, and she was very sick, and I was very sick. We had full blown active Lyme disease, but we did not know it. There wasn't a day for 2 years that we were well. At that time we were also in the middle of starting a church with our best friends. You better believe that the devil wasn't going to let that happen easily. Matt and I were NOT on the same page. He thought I over reacted and that I couldn't be sick every single day. The Lord was getting ready to call Matt and I into something HUGE for the advancement of His Kingdom through our church Commissioned. So we fought... and we fought. I was a mess, sick, and tired. I'm sharing all of this with you so you can see! Open your spiritual eyes my friends. It wasn't Matt or me that was the problem (even though I wanted to blame him). The devil was out to steal our marriage, kill my life, and destroy our new endeavor with Commissioned. Here's what I did to gain the biggest breakthrough of my life: I worshipped... and I prayed... and I read the Word... I spoke God's promises over our family... I spoke against Satan's lies... I played worship songs loud in my house. And then... after two long hard years, GOD broke through. Matt and I grew so much through that time. We learned how to fight. We learned that we were NOT fighting against each other, but that we were fighting TOGETHER. We were in this war called life to fight for everything that's good. Stand together with your spouse or friends or sisters in Christ. Stand together with your children. Next time you find yourself fighting against one another, pray that the Lord will open your spiritual eyes to see what's really happening. When you are in the middle of a fight, blame is easy. But stop and ask God to soften your heart and love the other person through the problem. Watch God do His mighty work and leave the battle to Him. God is in the business of changing hearts, but He wants you to ask and trust Him. Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 The drafts of the blog posts that I "start" keep piling up. This may be another draft, or not. A lot of my drafts tend to be the candid, tell all, story of my life. I never want to come across as complaining or even hopeless, but sometimes the truth of my life feels that way. Two weeks ago I started to have near fainting spells. I have felt weak in the past, almost daily, but near fainting was a newer experience. I would be walking and then life would just start to leave my body; I'd grab onto walls for safety. I was able to get myself to a couch or a bed to keep the inevitable from occurring. Then one day, I stood up feeling quite faint, I had too much to do. I didn't have time for this. I continued and in a matter of ten minutes of picking up toys and attempting to clean my kitchen, my heart pounded so fast out of my chest I could feel it in my head. I barely made my way up to my bedroom grasping for my heart monitor. My heart rate was 168 beats per minute. I laid in my bed asking the kids to help do the "do" that was so important (cleaning up toys). It took almost an hour for me to monitor my heart down to 102 beats per minute (although time is hard to gauge). I believe a resting heart rate is supposed to be 70 bpm, but I was satisfied with 102 due to my lyme. I've had a few of these episodes, and I've learnt that I likely have POTS (thanks to fellow lymie Trish Knight).
I contacted my lyme doctor, and she put me back on IV antibiotics that I administer myself twice per day. I'm thankful that I have a doctor who knows what to do. My point is not to complain or to seem hopeless, as I feel many of my drafts start that way. Rather, my point is to share my gratitude. These last couple of days I have stopped to thank God for a heart beat, and for a breath. These are the involuntary movements and survival mechanisms that we don't even realize are there, and we take them for granted. I'm being candid when I say that I have felt like I'm counting down my days, not years. I don't know what the Lord holds in the nearest future, but I do know this... life is much better.... living... knowing that you are dying. So why do you think I would say this? Well because you start to think about the people around you through the eyes of Christ. It's not about what people think of you or how you look or what you're wearing; It's about the souls around you. What in this life matters? Because you know what? we should all be aware of the fact that... we are all dying. I'm dying... but the Lord renews my spirit more and more each day. I'm living and growing and becoming closer to Him. I couldn't ask for anything more. And I thank God everyday for my heart beating 115,200 every day and my 20,000 breaths I take every single day (thanks to google for the approximations). And every time I lay down, my body tremors with involuntary movements, and daily my belly struggles to hold itself up. These are the things we didn't even know our body actually involuntarily does to keep us alive. They are called involuntary movements, and rightly so. They are not willed by us, but by God. They are controlled by the brain, but God ultimately is Sovereign over our life. And so, as I walk around with a damaged brain, a brain that struggles in the involuntary movement department, I lay my very life in the hands of the Almighty God. I owe every single breath, every heart beat, every bowel movement, every thought or memory to my Father. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Life is but a breath... "LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered--how fleeting my life is." - Psalm 39:4 I'm sure you've heard the saying, the grass is always greener on the other side. At least so you think. It technically means that the grass is dead on both sides. So no matter what side of the fence you are on, you will never be satisfied.
If only I had more money... or if life were simpler. If only... If only__________ (you fill in the blank.) There has to be a different way. There IS a different way. But it's not on either side of the fence. The reason that we are never satisfied in this life is revealed in the curse of God from the beginning of mankind. God cursed mankind with the dead grass on all sides of the fence, because Adam and Eve disobeyed him. He cursed the ground making it produce thorns and thistles for mankind. We were meant to live and walk and talk with God in the garden of Eden where we would have no shame or dissatisfaction because it was meant to be perfect. God gave them ONE rule, and they broke it. Disobedience brought judgement; it brought death to man and woman. The curse is written in the third chapter of the first book of the Bible and this is where we first see God's ultimate plan of redemption for mankind. In the very same breath that He was disciplining His children, He promises to redeem them. Actually, he curses the serpent first, then reveals His plan, then he curses Adam and Eve. God says to the serpent, "and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This is where we first see Christ revealed to redeem us. Because we can look back, we know that Mary is the woman who gives birth to Christ, who is God. And Jesus crushed Satan at the cross, but it was not easy i.e. striking his heel. While cursing the serpent/Satan, God tells him that he will not win, that he will be crushed. God plans to redeem us. There. Is. Blessing. In. The. Curse. Wow. God knew they would disobey and He already had a plan ready to redeem their mistake. But that's not all. When God curses mankind to die, we may think this is a very harsh discipline. Can you look beyond the surface? Can you see a little deeper? Now that sin had entered into mankind, our minds and bodies had become tainted with selfishness and evilness. So in God's great MERCY, He cursed us to death.... so that he could redeem us to wholeness. Can you see that God is the one doing all the work for our redemption? There's nothing you or I can do to be made holy or righteous. It's only through God's plan, through His Son. We die, so that we can live forever in redeemed bodies and redeemed minds. God paid the price so that we could live holy with Him forever. Therefore we have to DIE to leave sin behind, and live forever in perfection with Him. There. Is. Mercy. In. Death. The grass is dead on both sides of the fence because the ground is cursed. If you live for the things of this life, you will never be satisfied. You will only be chasing the wind. The next best thing will eventually run dry too. So you say, "Where's the road then?" Jesus tells the woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again (referring to the well water); but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:14 Jesus IS the road! Jesus IS the way! Matthew 7:13 says, "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way." Don't choose the dead cursed ground, the things of this world. Choose Christ who freely gives you the freedom for eternal life. Jesus. Is. The. Only. Way.
3 Spray bottles (2 oz)
2 drops of each -clove, eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary, cinnamon bark, fill rest with water - 2-3 sprays under tongue 10 drops of frankincense and rest with water - spray 2-3 drops under tongue 10 drops of oregano and rest with water - spray on feet Every 4 hours first 4 days - then gradually do further and further apart. then take 2 week break after about 2 weeks of treatment We are currently potty training her, as this has been the most visible sign of her dealings with lyme. She potty trained herself at age 2, but gradually regressed over the last two years. We use Doterra essential oils, as I've found the most relief from them over all of my other treatments (besides IVIG - huge blessing). Please let me know if you are interested in more information about chronic lyme disease in adults and/or children, as Reese and I are both chronic. Have you noticed that life isn't always sunshines and rainbows? If you know anyone who says they've never had difficult times in their life, then they are not being truthful or they are a little child who doesn't know better. It seems to me that I'm always fighting for something. I have never been in a better place in my life, as I have the most amazing husband, two wonderful children and incredible extended family. I have a great relationship with Christ and the most awesome church family. These things in my life are always being attacked and I have a whole lot of fight in me. We were meant to be warriors.
The devil is our enemy; he is God's enemy. He will do anything to take down God, which means he is going after you and me, His beloved children. God meant for us to be courageous and to fight for His name, for truth. The devil wants us as sitting ducks, indulging in sin, while life pasts us by. Even if we aren't sinning, he wants us to go about our day just functioning getting through our daily jobs and responsibilities, leaving our swords, to collect dust under the bed. God didn't create us to be sinners, yet Eve and Adam chose that path disobeying God, setting our feet on that path. God won this fight for us as he redeemed us with His only son taking back sins hold over us. We are free from sin because of Jesus' work on the cross, but the devil doesn't want us to know that, so he will lie to you making you think you can't escape. Fighting isn't easy. Fighting takes courage, determination, and going against the grain. Fighting always means there is an opponent.
We know the fight, but how do we fight. This fight is God's and we have to trust Him, seeking His will in all things. By following the word of God and praying in Christ's name, we gain traction. Ultimately, God is the one fighting for us. He is the one who already won the fight at the cross. So by obeying God, his word, praising His name and trusting Him COMPLETELY, then we take up the full armor of God and believe that the Lord will use us as a vessel for His name. Trust Him and you will find freedom! I was so blessed to be approved by my doctors and by my health insurance for IVIG. The infections (lyme and co-infections) have destroyed my immune system, leaving me unable to fight other illnesses as well. It took about 6-8 months from the time Dr. Abidin mentioned the possibility, to actually being approved by my insurance. "IVIG stands for intravenous immune globulin; it is a sterile solution of concentrated antibodies extracted from healthy donors which is administered into a vein. IVIG is used to treat disorders of the immune system or to boost immune response to serious illness, and to treat immuno-suppressed recipients of bone marrow transplants. Antibodies are responsible for defending our bodies from pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria. (article)" "There is a highly specialized and lengthy process used to manufacture IVIG. It begins in blood centers across the country where tens of thousands of healthy individuals donate their plasma (the portion of the blood where the immune globulins and other blood proteins are contained). The plasma from all of these individuals is then pooled together, and then chemically treated to isolate the immune globulins and remove any other blood proteins or blood-borne pathogens. The end result is a highly purified immune globulin preparation that is then packaged and ready to be infused. (article)" This 6 hour long infusion takes 10,000 plus donors for one infusion and costs about $10,000 for the infusion that lasts one month. This is a very expensive treatment and is very hard to get insurance approval. As we know lyme's controversy, I would never be approved for this treatment based on that diagnosis. Praise God that I found Dr. Abidin who found me immuno-suppressant. He gave me 2 doses (over the course of a couple of months) of vaccinations in hopes to boost my immunity. With no luck, he sent me to Dr. Alpan who drew 9 vials of blood. You see the lyme took out my sinus immunity, but tricked the doctors by revealing normalcy in my regular immunity. This is hard to explain but the relevant part is the fact that other doctors did not think I needed the IVIG. Even Dr. Alpan (the doctor who would administer it to me) questioned Dr. Abidin's decision to send me for IVIG. He complied for 6 months, and it's been the best 6 months in my health profile. I would get so sick before. Six months was just up at my last infusion, and I prayed that God's will would be done. I asked God to give me grace with IVIG, so that I could continue lyme treatment with a fighting chance. And would you believe it?! Dr. Alpan (the doctor who questioned me on it) approved me for up to 2 more years of IVIG!!! I couldn't believe it. Again, my Lord amazes me! When He opens a door, let no man shut it... no matter the odds stacked against you. And so here I sit in my 7th infusion for 6 hours, from 10,000 plus donors, at a very high cost to my insurance company. I want to say thank you to all of you who have donated blood over the years. Thank you! I have been reading so many posts coinciding with prayer about "think positive". Every time I have read it, my spirit squirms. I have been trying to figure this out each time I read it, and as I consult God I hear His voice speak... "false teaching."
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. Now how could positive thinking be bad? It sounds like a great thing! Who wants to be negative? But have you considered "truth" versus a "lie". A positive statement could still be a lie. A negative (in regards to the emotions or outcome) statement can be true. So what would you consider positive? I would say a positive statement is something that "suits our own desires" as Paul tells Timothy. Positive statements will satisfy for the moment. Sending positive thoughts by a multitude of people (teachers) will give a false sense of hope in a hard situation. Sometimes the positive things sent are not in line with God's will. The Lord IS truth and everything is measured according to His truth. This is reality... truth. 2 Corinthian 11:14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. When one "sends positive thoughts" (as I have read on many posts), my question is, "What does the sender and receiver expect from the "sending" of these positive thoughts?" It is typically in regards to a difficult situation or a possible tragedy or heartbreak. It is implied that the thoughts will magically make them better or happier or more well off. And when the statement coincides with prayer, it makes my spirit squirm more. I understand a person grasping for hope when they don't know Christ as their Lord and Savior yet, but as a Christian we should teach correct doctrine. Positive thoughts insinuate human effort to save or change the outcome of events. Do you have magical powers? What is prayer anyway? Isn't prayer simply conversing with God the Father? Yes, the Lord does give us POWER over the enemy. He gives us AUTHORITY over Satan. However, it is not power that is my own and done on my own works or merit. The POWER in prayer comes from GOD ALONE! He is the one who heals. He is the one who saves. He is the one who gives strength. He is the one who gives us breath. He is the one who makes our heart beat. So when we send positive thoughts, we simply chase the wind. It's nothing. Solomon describes our efforts in this life so clear: Ecclesiastes 2:11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Life is meaningless without God. Sending positive thoughts is like chasing the wind. If you want to see change in this world, then seek God's face. Seek His will, not our own. He will give you life and hope and peace. And this life isn't just life here on earth, but it's living FOREVER! Eternal life with God! No matter your situation, the Lord of the universe CAN change it. He wants to change it for your good and His glory, but you have to seek HIS will, not your own. And this is not done on your works, but on the works accomplished on the cross by God's only Son. Click for a great article "Is there any power in positive thinking?" Excerpt from the article: What science cannot answer, the Bible can and does answer. Unfortunately, the Bible says that man cannot be “good” on his own (Isaiah 64:6). The only “good” in us is Jesus and only when a person accepts Him as Savior (Ephesians 2:1–5). Trying to impress men or God through our works is hopeless because without Christ we can do nothing righteous (John 15:5; Romans 8:7–8). Once the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts, He begins our sanctification process. Sanctification is the transformative power of the Holy Spirit to make us like Jesus. Only with the Holy Spirit’s power can a human say “no” to his sinful flesh. Even so, it is not we who are able to perform good deeds, but Christ through us. We are like a glove, and He is the hand. Jesus works in and through us to do His will. 3 Families, 2 weeks of dinners, few other meals, 7 hours! No Processed food / all organic...DONE
I can't believe we did this!! Well, I just tagged along... LOL! Amber told me what to do and I followed! Thank you friend!! Thanks Whitney for your cooking skills as well! I have forgotten a lot about how to cook, and you girls helped jar my memory. My family is so grateful! The recipes are either made up by Amber or linked to an online source. You will see the meal name line, then below it will be a clickable link (if applicable) and below the ingredients and brief instructions. Recipes are brief for simplicity, but you can add whatever or change whatever ingredients!! Reese and I are "supposed" to be gluten free, so I added the gluten free options (all recipes are compatible). Your grocery list is in the right column separated for ease at the grocery store. I only spent $200 for my dinner meals, which is AMAZING in our area (DC metro area). We live in the area of the country that has one of the highest costs of living, so I'm sure you will get great prices!! Also, I bought EVERYTHING organic and of the highest quality! This is very important to my family as I once was allergic to most food (processed). If you are interested in better health for your family and would like to know WHY organic is important, then my suggestion is watching the documentary "Food Incorporated." Watch the full documentary for free HERE. It may cost more financially, but right food will cost less health problems for your family (coming from a Lymie too). Leave a comment if you have questions, and I'll ask Amber... HAHA!! One last thing I'd like to add. Not only is it important to eat PURE food, but it's also important to have PURE medicinal options. I continue to be amazed by putting the oils of food on and in our bodies and finding immediate healing. My daughter now refuses the Ibuprofen and begs for the oils. She's had a headache and bellyache the last two days, and she asks for the oils all day. If I child doesn't convince you, then nothing will. There's no need for a child to make that up!! I will be posting her belly remedy shortly :) E-mail me if you want to know more about Doterra - it's the organic of medicine. I've used other off brand oils, and have not seen the results like Doterra. I'm passionate about this, because I have been through so much physical pain and hardship. I cannot help but share what I know works.
I have an amazing friend that is helping me plan meals 2 weeks in advance for our families to eat healthy. Being a mom is busy enough, and we are still expected to have good meals on the table. Times have changed and our responsibilities have grown with the cost of living, especially in my area. As the lyme has wrecked havoc on my brain, I have trouble with organizing things. I used to be able to think so clearly, and now it's a cloud making daily life very challenging. This is the time when the Lord puts amazing friends in my life like Amber and Whitney who are able to help me through being a mom. I can't thank you girls enough. I thought it most appropriate to share the excel file that I have created. The one thing that's still good in my brain is my artistic ability. Praise God for that! So please feel free to download the file and share, share, share!! Mom's need to stick together and help each other out in these last days!!
Click "Download File" above. Below is just an image of what the planner looks like. Once you have the file, then you can modify it however you like, and it's print ready.
I came across a sermon by Louie Giglio on his "How Great is Our God" Tour. I am left speechless! You can view the whole video at the bottom of this post. Please look at the above picture closely, as that teensy blue speck on the bottom right is earth. To the left of the earth is the Sun, which is where we get our light and heat, and it looks massive compared to earth! Above the sun (not necessarily where it is located in relation to the sun) is the largest star that man has discovered in the universe! The photo shows the sun in comparison to this star, and you couldn't even mark it with the smallest pen!! It has to be magnified to even get it to be a speck. Now think about the earth in comparison to that speck of a sun! I am in awe of our almighty God!!! He created all of this! We couldn't even be compared to a speck in comparison to the universe much less our almighty Creator. Do you know what the craziest most amazing thing about this revelation? Your almighty God LOVES YOU AND ME!! He cares so much that He came to earth as smaller than a speck to die a sinners death, yet without sin, in order to save you and me!! Wow Wow Wow!! If this doesn't put life into perspective then nothing will!
James 4:13-17 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. Oh it gets better... So Loui Giglio tells us about something even more amazing!! So apparently there is one very particular molecule that is like the glue that holds our body and organs together. It is called laminin. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as "a glycoprotein component of connective tissue basement membrane that promotes cell adhesion". Colton Jansen put it simply, "Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together." It is the glue that holds our bodies together. So you are probably wondering, "What is so great about this protein? I know our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made." Well, scroll down and see what is so incredibly awesome about this laminin, the glue that holds our bodies together.
Wow wow wow!!! Aren't you blown away?! The glue that holds our entire body is in the shape of a cross!!
Colossians 1:15-20 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. I'm still in awe... "Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. God will not forget you. Turn your face to Him and give your life completely and fully to Christ! He is the glue that holds ALL THINGS TOGETHER. Even your body! Amazing!!! Please watch the full video below. It is so worth an hour of your time. It puts your life into perspective.
1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Are rules enough? Do the laws of the land save us? The Lord recently showed me that our nation continues to write more laws in order to protect, save lives, and to keep from offending one another. However, our nation continues to go down a spiral hole of immorality and lawlessness. How can this be? Is the law of the land not there to protect us?
Let's go to Scripture to see what the Lord says about law and rules. Romans 4:13-15 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. So we see that Abraham was not made righteous by depending on the law to justify him. Rather it was by his FAITH in God the Father that he was declared righteous before the one TRUE judge. Life by the law for salvation is not possible as it only brings wrath. We are sinners at birth and cannot keep the fullness of the law. So does that mean we don't need the law? No, the law is placed there in order to show our transgressions, our sins being violation of God's law. James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. We need more than the law; the law cannot save us. We must have our faith placed in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Life is beyond earth; it's in heaven with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Thinking eternally will bring you peace. Luke 17:33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. Are you scared of death? I'm not. I know that I know that my eternal life in heaven with God will be better than anything here on earth. My faith and righteousness rest in Christ, not the law of the land to save me from any car accident, or lyme disease, or cancer, or anything that can bring me to my death. As when I die, then I will rise, as Christ rose from the dead. You see, I'm justified and made right by my faith, not by the law. The law merely shows my need for salvation beyond the law. As Luke 17:33 says, I must let go of this life, so that I may be saved, justified, and live with Christ in heaven. America continues to place more laws, yet why is immorality ramped? The only way to overcome our sins is through the power of the Holy Spirit. Again, it falls back to faith and trusting God to help you overcome any sin in your life. Trying to keep the law in your flesh will never work. You will fail if you trust in yourself. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. God is faithful to provide a way out of the temptation and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. This Scripture is not talking about suffering or persecution, rather it is speaking of temptation to sin. This Scripture is often misinterpreted. The sin that Paul refers to as "common to mankind" is the sin that you are already born into because of Adam's disobedience. We can trust and have FAITH in God to provide us a way out of sinning. Yet, we must have faith and take action in walking in the way that he has provided. Again, we rely on faith to keep from sinning and to keep the law. We cannot do this on our own merit. Therefore, slapping on more laws will not keep America from sinning. And it certainly will not save our lives eternally. When America turns from her sin of pushing God out of our system, then and only then will we turn back to righteousness and justification. The Lord appears to Solomon upon completion of His Temple. 2 Chronicles 7:13-17 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. America was founded on Christianity. It was founded in faith, not on laws. The laws of the land were laid to protect us, but only faith in the Holy Spirit's guidance and help will keep us from disobeying God's laws. As we continue to see more earthquakes, disease, cancer, and unruly weather, we know that we are living in the end times of life on earth. Therefore, I beg of you America, receive this plea from our Lord to Solomon of the Old Testament. Let us get on our knees and pray to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness. Let us repent of our wickedness and immorality. Forbidding a flag or symbol to be represented will not change the heart of man. Forcing our children to wear bicycle helmets or forcing seat belts to be worn in vehicles will not save our lives eternally. Laws to save our planet like recycling, will not save our earth. For the Lord says that He will destroy it and create a new heaven and a new earth. Welfare will not force America to work and provide for their own children. Discrimination laws will not change the heart of man to accept all peoples heritage. Only Christ and the Holy Spirit can guide people into true compassion for mankind. For those who are in Christ are one in Him, no matter your race, heritage or sex. Galatians 3:28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Continuing in Romans 4:18-25 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. So you see, it is by our faith in Christ, giving glory to God, that we are justified and made righteous. The law will not save you. Only your faith in Christ and by believing what God says in His Word is true. Hold tight to the promises of God and let go of this life. Jesus will save you and you will rise with Him eternally. Praise and glory be to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Kay Warren in her book "Choose Joy Because Happiness Isn't Enough" wrote:
"What we think determines how we act, and how we act determines how we feel. I was operating on the belief that I needed to feel differently before I could think differently. But the formula is reversed: Our thinking changes first, our actions come next and our feelings follow. Instead of waiting for my feelings to change so I could act in a forgiving way, I needed to change my thoughts. Instead of rehearsing the argument, I needed to rehearse God's Word in my mind. Once my thoughts were back on track and in harmony with God's instructions, I could make the right choices whether I felt like it or not. Rick has said many times, "You can't feel your way into an action, but you can act your way into a feeling." This paragraph really stood out to me, because it's so full of rich truth about how to overcome much in this life. I don't know about you, but many days I don't feel like facing the days challenges. I don't feel like doing my work, or helping Lilli with her skates. Other times, I don't feel like making up with my husband over that disagreement. In the mornings, I don't feel like reading my Bible. There are many days that I am in pain, and not only do I not feel like I can make it through the day physically, emotionally I am sorrowful because of it. Do you find that so many of the commands in God's Word simply go against what we feel like doing? I sure do! Paul realized his struggle to do the right thing (Romans 7:14, 15) "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." Can we all agree? I should help Lilli with her skates. I should read my Bible, and make up with my husband quickly. I should get up and tackle the day with JOY. I should walk in God's peace and joy despite my pain. But how do we end this vicious cycle of doing what we don't want to do, and knowing full well what we should do? I think Kay hit the nail on the head. We have to adjust our thinking pattern... quickly to stop the pain and the rebellion. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. The Bible tells us to think about these things. Does thinking really matter? No one else sees our thoughts except God. Oh but it does matter! Thinking on these things, the good things, and what the Bible says we should do, will in turn be shown in our actions and attitude. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Again here in Romans, our mind must be transformed first, and following/doing the will of God will follow. Think! So it will be. Learn God's Word and think it, so you may do it, and then you will feel joy and peace. Feelings are the last thing that follows. We think we don't have a choice in the way we feel. And this way of thinking will always trip us up if we follow how we feel all the time. Command God's word in your heart, and God will give you the power to overcome any situation to do the right thing. Happiness is a feeling, but joy is a choice. So how do you choose joy? Think on the God's Word in every situation, no matter how hard it is, and joy and peace will follow even in the most dire of circumstances. 2 Corinthians 9:6 Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Bountifully sow God's Word into your thinking pattern and you will reap a life FULL of JOY! I have had several people mention to me that they are amazed I continue to praise God. After hurdle after hurdle, it never seems to end. Yet, I will still praise God, while I'm still sick and beyond until my death. You may ask, "Well, if you truly believe God can heal you, then why doesn't He?" or "Why do you give Him your praise and glory when you are still sick?" I would like to share my understanding of this, and why I personally choose to praise God while I'm sick.
1. His ways are higher than my ways. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8,9 I don't know what plans the Lord has for my life and sometimes I don't understand why I'm having to endure this. But, He may be preparing me for something bigger that has yet to come. I don't know what is to come, but I trust and believe that God does. I trust that He has my best interest at heart, because His word tells me so. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 He is my refuge and strength, and that's why I can get through this with the joy and love that I have. It is all Him, not me. 2. It's not always about you! Goodness Sarah, don't be so selfish. When I find myself feeling sorry for myself, my focus is not on God, and I'm miserable. Philippians 2:4 "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." In John 11:1-44 we find that a man named Lazarus, Jesus' dear friend, becomes very sick. Jesus heard about this and stayed away for four days! Why do you think He did that? Jesus let Lazarus die and deliberately did not return until four days later! Mary and Martha, his sisters were devastated, and Jesus even cried. How do you think Lazarus felt this whole time he was sick? We know that Jesus was a dear friend of Lazarus. Do you think Lazarus questioned why Jesus did not come to his rescue? Jesus had already been going around healing people in His Name. He certainly must have known that Jesus was going around healing all kinds of sicknesses. Do you think Lazarus focused on himself and became a miserable sick man; or do you think he focused on his Savior and He would receive eternal life and rise with Christ? Lazarus was used by God to show others that Jesus was their Lord and Savior. He rolled the stone away and prayed to God the Father and Lazarus was alive!! If He can raise a dead man back to earth, He most certainly can raise him to heaven. I find myself in the place of Lazarus. I can see up to this point how God has used my story to bring others closer to Himself. My blog has been a huge witness to the glory of God and His love for His people. So, Sarah don't focus on yourself, focus on God and what He will do for others through your story and sickness. It's not about you! This blog wouldn't be what it is if I wasn't going through these hardships. 3. He is simply worthy of our praise. Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." God created you; He created me. He is simply worthy to be praised. Regardless of the hardships on earth, God is good and holy. The hardships are a result of what man and the devil brought into this world... SIN. And because of that sin, God has separated Himself from man. But God in His goodness and grace, sent His one and only Son to make a pathway to Himself. Jesus being sinless, died a death that was meant to be our penalty. He paid the price for our sins, and now we are reunited with God if we believe in His Son as our Savior. So that, my friends is eternal, and earth is temporary. This leads me to my next point. Romans 8:18 "My sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory to be revealed to us. 4. His will is for a heavenly kingdom, not an earthy one. When Jesus came to earth, God's people could not get out of the earthly mindset. Jesus explained to the disciples that He would suffer at the hands of the elders, the priests and teachers of the law (God's own people), and He would be killed. Then He would be raised on the third day (paraphrased from Matthew 16). Peter rebuked Him saying, "Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Matthew 16:23) Peter could not see past his earthly concern, the sadness he felt thinking of his closest friend and teacher dying. But Jesus was not building an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly one. This was the hardest thing for the disciples to grasp until after Jesus rose from the dead. Isn't it funny how Satan can use things that seem good to us? But they actually are intended to inhibit God's will for your life. If we can see past earth and set our minds on the things of heaven, then we will lead much different lives. All of a sudden the things that seemed so big to us shrink and give us peace even in the midst of turmoil. Colossians 3:1-2 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 6. I've never had more peace in the midst of this suffering. When you feel bad almost everyday, you really have to rely on the Holy Spirit to pull you through. I can't tell you how many times I have begged God to release the pain, or give me strength or take away the nausea, or chills, tremors, burning sensations, tingling, numbness, etc. I could go and on, but I will spare you. I've asked God on many occasions, "Is my time here on earth coming to an end?" The funny thing is, most people think I look healthy. As an outsider, you can't see weakness or pain. You only know what I tell you. You can tell my eyes hurt on the days I wear my sunglasses into church or the store. But ultimately, I look well. This is called an invisible disability. My point is, yet again I have to rely on the Holy Spirit. When others can't see your illness, they expect you to be on point, and not to quit. And quite frankly, I hold that standard for myself as long as I can. Would you believe me if I told you, that I have more joy and peace now than I ever have had in my life? I wouldn't trade that for even a healthy body! Being close to God sustains me and gives me this peace that surpassing any kind of earthly understanding. 1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuine of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. You see, it's easy to praise God when things are going great and as YOU plan. But as soon as the storm hits and the boat is shaken to almost sinking, will you still praise Him? Can you see past the storm and see your Savior walking on the water towards you? The choice is yours, but you will either allow a tormented soul or a peaceful and joyful one. It's only through Christ that you will gain this strength and courage to push through with joy. This is a supernatural occurrence my friends. So if you try to overcome the storm with your own merit, it will never be. You have to submit yourself to the Lord and His will and rely on His strength and courage. Please be encouraged that YOU CAN have peace in the midst of the most devastating, tragic events in your life. Matthew 10:34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." You may say, "Well that sounds contradicting." We must not forget that Jesus IS the Prince of Peace. If you hide yourself in Him, then you will personally have peace despite any circumstance. Jesus brought war against the devil and anything that sets itself up against God. Matthew 7:13 "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way." Hell is the easy way out. Do not be fooled by the easy path. John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." Jesus gives us peace; this peace is only from God. You have to choose Christ to gain peace. Things just got more interesting on the health front. I went to the urologist today because my doctor found a cyst in my kidney. I have been quite calm about this, as the things I've read were saying that this is extremely common. And as I suspected the doctor came in and told me how common they were and that he has one as well. Then he said he was going to go look at the scan and come talk to me. Reese and I relaxed as we waited for what we expected to be a quick chat and to head out. The doctor came in and said, "Well actually your cyst is a complex cyst. We have to further investigate. There's a slim chance that it could be cancerous." Well then, that was a surprise. However, I held my head high as I walked out, first knowing that I have God on my side, and second he said it's a very slim chance for cancer. So I brushed it aside and went about my day.
I just couldn't let it go. I've had so many crazy symptoms with the Lyme disease that I couldn't even explain my symptoms to the doctor. So I did what all patients do when they get news, I went online. Ha! To my dismay, I have all of the problematic symptoms of the cyst (most cause no symptoms). However, I am unsure if these symptoms are actually related to the cyst or the Lyme. The lines are so blurred between the two. When I told Matt, the first thing he said was "God is on your side baby." He's so encouraging! So as I was praying about this, I got the urge to blog it. Not necessarily to complain, but to start a testimony of what God will do. I am expecting the Lord to use me for His glory and I commit myself to His plan. So, this blog post is just a precursor to what is to come!! So stay tuned... John 14;12-14 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. It was in September 2014 that God healed me on that normal Sunday at church. I had been diagnosed with multiple food allergies, that changed my diet drastically. I was unable to eat out or eat at other peoples homes. I had to take my own food with me everywhere. You can read the story here... http://www.momongodesigns.com/blog/jesus-heals-today.
Well, every two years from the original diagnosis, the doctor has you take another allergy test. I knew that my body was healed and I had been eating whatever I wanted since September. My wonderful church, Commissioned, gathered around me, laid hands on me and prayed. I knew I was healed because all of my allergy symptoms to food were relieved instantly that day. If you are in the Northern Virginia area, you should definitely check out our church. God has done so much in and through us; they are His miracles! www.commissionedva.org. I had my test and here it is! The nurses and doctor were pleasantly surprised by how much my numbers came down. I said God healed me that day!! I love that my doctor is a Christian. They couldn't believe that I had been eating normal since then. The only number that didn't come down drastically is wheat, but that's definitely because of the lyme and inflammation. Here's my test: (13 means highly allergic and must completely avoid) Wheat = was 13 - now 11 Milk = was 13 - now 7! Egg Yolk = was 11 - now 7! Egg White = was 10 - now 8 Soybean = was 11 - now 9 Corn = was 13 - now 7! Chicken = was 11 - now 7! Rice = was 13 - now 7! Oat = was 10 - now 8 Chocolate = was 10 - now 9 There you have it! Physical proof that God our Father is our healer!! Praise His holy Name! When I was first diagnosed with Lyme disease, I remember jumping up and down with excitement. I now knew what was wrong with me, but also it is an easily treatable disease, so I thought. I began to seek out a doctor for treatment, so I made phone calls, and no one was taking lyme patients or they were not taking anymore. My eyes started opening to the fact that doctors didn't want to deal with Lyme Disease. I researched the disease extensively, learning of the big controversy in the United States. Everything online was telling me that I needed a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor, but doctors were saying that they are all quacks, and I needed to stay away from them. I looked into the LLMD (who doesn't take insurance) and the costs were outrageous! It was $700 to sit down with a doctor, and that doesn't include treatment or followup care. So, I decided to go the route of the main stream doctors.
After a couple of months of treatment, I wasn't getting better. It really just took a chip off of the disease. Naturally I think there must be something else wrong. Again, I was nervous about the LLMD, and the main stream doctors kept telling me to stay away from them. So I started to seek help here and there and looking into my organs specifically. And to my dismay, I uncovered nothing more other than unexplained symptoms. My point in telling this story about the Lyme controversy is because the Lord showed me that it's a lot like the controversy over faith in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. Sin is the disease, and it wreaks havoc on our soul, just as disease damages and slowly destroys the body. Some people refuse to believe that Christ died for their sins and rose again. Just as many doctors hold to the governments stronghold that these LLMDs are quacks. I tried the mainstream doctors, just as other people try other religions. Some continue to go to their false god and seek healing from their sins. "Do good they say", or "destroy the unbelievers of your faith." And time and time again they fail to receive the healing of the aching need for something in their very soul. The media and television tell us, "Eat right, exercise, be thin, look young and you will be happy." But the satisfaction is merely temporary. Some lose the battle with the exercise and diet. Others achieve it, but continue to grow old, and the face creams stop working. Mediums say they can contact dead loved ones. "They will know the answer, because they have passed on and see." And then upon following the mediums instructions and guidance, life is satisfied for only a little while. It begins to unravel drastically soon after. Television, get rich books and talk show hosts, say "Do this and you will live happy and fulfilling lives. Be successful and rich and you can do anything you want, and be satisfied." To our dismay, money brings us happiness with things, but the loneliness grows. Sin is our disease. When Adam sinned, he brought a curse on mankind and the earth. We are all born with this terrible disease. We try to do right, but we just can't. "I do what I don't want to do, but I can't stop." On the other spectrum, we do everything right according to the world, but we are afraid of failing and live in fear. Sin is ramped in our lives, but we don't even know it. Until... we meet the Holy One and our sins are laid out bare. Sin is taking over, disease is killing me. I'm headed down a path of unknown. I need help, a savior, the right antidote. And so, after exhausting all of my options, I finally go to the LLMD. The reason I wasn't getting better was because I had more than the Lyme infection! She had the answer that I needed, the right antidote! She put me on several antibiotics. Jesus provides the same thing, true freedom from sin. But we have to stop listening to the television, other religions, and self help counselors. We have to turn our eyes onto Jesus, the true antidote to our disease, our sin. Remember I told you that the LLMD is costly? Well so is following Jesus. It is a free gift from God, however you must bare your cross and follow Him, putting aside worldly desires. But with following Christ, you will be free from your sin and find life in heaven eternally. Sin costs me such more, so much heartache and pain, just as seeking all of the wrong doctors did. I had to shell out just a little more money to see the right doctor, the one that was looked down upon by the world. The costs of following Jesus is to give everything to Him and follow Him, but you will find true freedom and eternal life for your souls. Our reward in heaven is far greater than anything here on earth. Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23-26 The boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:24-33 I read this story in light of my own life right now. I have prayed many times in the recent years for the Lord to use me as a vessel for His glory. I see myself as Peter here, saying "Lord call me out upon the waters with you." And I, as Peter listen to His voice and obey. And I find myself looking at Jesus in His eyes with this peace that surpasses anything I've ever known, yet I'm standing on a torrential wave of unknown and worldly insecurity. It didn't take long for me to realize, as Peter did, that this wave is impossible for me to handle, to walk on, to embrace, yet I am. But as I look at the wave, this task, the will that the Father has me on I squander my faith in fear... with doubt. And I find myself succumbed to the waves of this illness, disease, suffering. And I feel Jesus' touch, His hand meet mine in the waves as He pulls me back up into the boat. "Oh Sarah, my daughter, why do you doubt?" A friend of mine, Mrs. Pugh, connected me with her friend who also has Lyme disease. She's had it for a whopping 20 years! Not only has she talked me through some recent trials with the disease that Reese and I are battling, but she has been on her knees praying for us. She has asked the Father to come to our rescue. Thank you Jane Hopkins Smith for your devotion to Christ, a devotion that urges you to have compassion on people like me (that you have never even met). Now that's the kind of little Christ's that God has called us to be. She has connected me to a doctor that might be able to help us. I texted her to let her know that I made the phone call to make an appointment. And her sweet message warms my heart with love from my Father above, "I was just sitting here praying for you when you texted!" Wow. To God be the Glory Forever and Ever. And I feel Jesus' touch, His hand meet mine in the waves as He pulls me back up into the boat. "Oh Sarah, my daughter, why did you doubt?" This last week has been an emotional one. I feel my family being tested and tried through affliction. When I think about affliction in God's word, He compares it to being refined like gold, which is refined in the fire. Eek. Fire? That doesn't sound pleasant but rather painful. Isaiah 48:10 says, "See, I have refined you, though not as silver;I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." A fiery furnace of affliction? And why would I want to do that? James explains what this produces. James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. We all know (as parents) what our children would be like if we didn't discipline them or if we just handed them every little thing they wanted. Well, they would be little brats. I'm sure you remember little Veronica "Veruca" Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She was the brat who got everything she wanted. She was an ugly little girl (pretty on the outside, but rotten on in the inside). God loves us too much to allow us to become little rotten Veruca's. And, that's how we feel about our children. I know that correcting and disciplining and raising my children with the commands of God in their heart will produce adults where Christ shines through their hearts. Proverbs 3:12 For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. I told Lilli that I discipline her, because I love her. She says, "Mommy that doesn't make sense." I just chuckled and said the Lord created us and He knows us, and He disciplines me as well. It's funny, because God laid on my heart to blog about refinement. Well, I opened my computer and an e-mail pops up from my husband with a video. I think they do a better job than I do. Please watch but grab tissues if you are anything like me :) Dear loved ones,
In Luke, Chapter five, a few men carry a paralytic man on a mat to Jesus. There were people there from all over and the crowd was thick. The men couldn't get through the crowd, so they carried him up onto the roof and let him down through the tiles on his stretcher in front of Jesus.
You know what really gets me choked up about this story, it is the faith of the men carrying the injured man. It is the loving kindness and caring hearts of these men to do such a bold act of faith. I can only imagine how difficult it was to get a paralytic man on top of a roof. The full body weight of this man would rely on these other men. I wonder what the conversation was like before going to Jesus. I wonder if it was the man asking his friends to take him to Jesus, or was it the other way around. I have to imagine that it was these men convincing the paralytic man to let them take him. The helpless feeling of these friends that they once felt had dissipated. Jesus! God is here among us! Now there is something they could do! Jesus could heal their friend!! Have you ever felt helpless as you watch your friend, loved one, family, child, coworker suffer? Do you believe that Jesus can help? Well I sure do! The Lord has helped me, and my friends were the ones who asked God to heal me! Their faith, their persistent prayers, their heart, led me to the throne of grace and healing. In Luke, Chapter seven, a centurion heard about Jesus. His beloved servant was sick, and the centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant. Again, we see the faith of one man for another. In Matthew, Chapter nine, Jesus raises a dead girl back to life. The father was the one kneeling before Jesus begging for Him to heal her. In Matthew, Chapter 15, a Canaanite woman came to Jesus, for her daughter was demon possessed. Jesus healed her! Matthew, Chapter 17, a man comes to Jesus because his son is demon possessed. The disciples couldn't heal him because of their lack of faith. Jesus heals the son, and tells his disciples that if they have faith as small as a mustard seed, they can move mountains! Your faith on behalf of another.... it does matter. So believe for healing today! Jesus can and wants to heal. James 5:14-15 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” Thank you for looking into this campaign.
Tragically, there have been many recent school shootings from Virginia Tech to Columbine to Sandy Hook. I could go on and on as you recall the tragedy of them all. America has tried to put more security guards at our schools, change the security systems and revise the gun laws. We have even made it difficult for our ordinary parents to peak in on the everyday classroom. I have personally never been to my daughter’s classroom on a regular school day; it is simply not allowed without advanced arrangement. America continues to hold her fist up to the Lord and say, “We’ve got this God. We can do this on our own.” Well enough is enough. Let’s take back our schools!!! In the NAME of JESUS CHRIST!!! The answer is in His name alone. So please join us for the next 40 days in this fight to ask God back into our schools. This is our prayer as parents, Lord please forgive us for being so arrogant in our thinking. Please forgive us for trying to prove that we can teach our children to be good without you. Help us Lord to turn our eyes back to you. We are in a desperate state and we need You. We need your Spirit to guide us and to teach us all truth. We need you to protect our children in the classroom. We desperately need you to surround our children with your loving arms. Lord we are on our knees before you, and we, as parents, are going to fight the system that kicked you out of our schools. Lord we need you to fight this battle for us. Through our children’s prayers and our own, we ask that you take back our schools – Not by power, nor by might, but by your SPIRIT! In the Name of Jesus Christ and His name Alone! A simple prayer that you can teach your child, Dear Jesus, God is great! Let us thank Him for our food. By His hands we are fed, give us Lord our daily bread. Please be with us today in school. In Jesus Name Amen I was feeling pretty good the other day. And I decided to hop on my seven year old daughter’s new bike. Lilli was so excited that she chased me around with the video camera! I was having fun with all the kids in the alley, running circles around all of them. Reese’s face lit up when she saw me as I circled her on her bike. “Mommy I want to ride with you!” As we rode side by side, she grinned from ear to ear. In the mean time, Lilli had run and gotten her old bike. She raced past me yelling, “Playground Mommy!” So we rode our bikes to the playground and threw them down to the ground. Seeing the monkey bars, I had this urge to try them. Not thinking, I grabbed the first one, then the second, and so forth. As I finished grasping the last bar, I dropped to the ground. And I was quickly reminded of my situation, by the shooting pain going up and down my right arm.
…My picc line. Whoops! I didn’t think about that. Wait, “I didn’t think about that!” That means, the antibiotics… must. be. working. Lilli looks at me in amazement and says, “Mommy I’ve never seen you like this!” As I flashed back to the athletic, fun, free spirited Sarah that had become only a distant memory, I said, “You don’t know me.” Lilli says profoundly, “Yeah, you’re right. All I know is that you are always in pain; you have Lymes Disease. And… you used to have food allergies.” Ouch. Then I began to think. Who knows that Sarah? My family. My friends from California. My friends from Virginia Tech. Thankfully, my husband remembers her. But, all of my friend’s here, my church, my children, they don’t know that Sarah. Most people don’t really see me as sick, because they don’t have anything to compare me to. The daily pain, the weakness, the memory loss are easy to hide in front of everyone except my husband and girls. They see the real thing. But as easy as it is to hide my sickness, I can’t do most things that I once did. My body sets limits, where at one time I felt somewhat invincible. My dear friends and readers, will you please encourage me in Christ today? I saw a glimpse of what I once was, and I yearn for my children to know her. Will you please leave a comment below? An encouraging Word for me? Thank you my dear friends and readers. My last post I told the story of the day that The Lord healed me of my food allergies (click here). Since that day I have been undergoing treatment for Lyme disease. This means daily trips to the hospital for IV infusion of strong antibiotics for 40 days. I have been allergy free for 3 weeks, which has been a huge blessing to me, my family and my friends. We can actually eat out!! As for my Lyme, you may wonder... Am I better? I haven't concluded that answer yet. However, I have concluded one thing, "this thorn is in my flesh."
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I have concluded the spiritual significance of my suffering, of my weakness. I have been given this thorn, bc I struggle with priorities. I struggle with saying no to people. Paul struggled with arrogance; I struggle with putting God first. And so, in asking God to take this away, I hear His gentle voice, "Sarah my grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that Christs power may rest on me. For when I'm weak, I'm strong... In Him. So as I learn to seek my Lord first, I then serve my husband and then my children, and then others. And The Lord blesses me, my spiritual walk with Him. He fills my spiritual soul with joy and gladness despite the physical limitations. Do I think The Lord can take all of this away? Absolutely! Do I think he will? I haven't concluded. But I do know that my God knows what's best for me and I choose to follow Him and His leading. I truly thought the food allergies would be my life, but God said, "I want to heal you!" And I believed Him! And HE DID! I will boast all the more in my weaknesses. I feel so strong in The Lord because He makes me strong. He is using all of this suffering for His glory. All the gold and silver in this world doesn't even compare to that! Jeremiah 9:23-25 This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. I choose to boast in The Lord. As many of you know, I have been dealing with a multitude of health problems. The biggest nuisance of these is my food allergies. I had been diagnosed with corn, wheat, rice and milk allergies. It makes daily life very difficult. I could rarely eat out of my house, whether it be a restaurant or even someone else's house. I've had to carry my food around with me, because likely I wouldn't be able to find the food I can eat anywhere but a grocery store. I've had to make homemade meals daily, which can be very time consuming and just straight up annoying.
I've been following the Lord and asking Him to allow whatever He wants to accomplish His will. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Our suffering isn't always about us." We can't see the bigger picture, but God can so I choose to follow His leading. I have tried everything that everyone has told me to get well. I've eaten the best diet that no one could eat unless you were told you had to. I've taken silverbiotics; I've tried the new upcoming oil treatments. I've taken probiotics, anti yeast foods etc. I am on allergy drops, and I've been to every type of doctor known to man. My medical file is at least 4 inches thick with about 5 imaging discs. I carry it from doctor to doctor in a Target grocery bag! I've spent thousands of dollars in hospital bills and copays. Let's just say I've tried anything and everything. And through all of this, I've been praying and people have been praying for me. I sensed from the Lord that He was using all of this, and not to be anxious or worry. And, of course there are days, like all of us, where we fail in that. But deep down I know and trust this walk that the Lord has me on. And then.... One Sunday morning... A normal church day... Kenneth comes up to the pulpit and begins to share the Word of God. We were in Mark. Mark, chapter 5 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” 31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” This story hit home for me.... And then came the reflection song. I raised my hands as I worshipped almighty God. And I heard the Holy Spirit tug at my heart, "Sarah, go up and ask for prayer." I conversed back, "When should I go? I'm nervous." And after the song, Pastor Kenneth goes back up to the pulpit and says, "Sarah, I want you to come up so we as a church can pray for you." I slapped my hands together in shock, but with utter gratefulness that the Lord would tug on Kenneth's heart at the same time as mine. I stood in front of the church as the whole congregation gathered around me, laying hands on me and everyone prayed. I didn't feel any supernatural feeling or "magic" if you will. But I went home telling Matt I know the Lord has healed me in some way, I just need to figure out in what capacity He healed me. So, for the first time in almost a year, I ate pizza. Then I ate Chick Fila, and sandwiches, ice-cream, etc. It's been 3 weeks eating all the things I could not bare to eat before, because I would get so sick. And I've not had any of the bowel issues since the day I got prayed for. Some might say, well it's because of the antibiotics killing the lyme etc. Well, for all the skeptics, I had tried eating Reese's Sweet Creations ice-cream 2 days before I got healed. I was doubled over in pain from a reaction. It was GOD'S .... PERFECT... TIMING He wanted to heal me in that hour, on that day, and... He did. Medicine is merely a practice, but Christ and our Father in heaven is THE GREATEST PHYSICIAN NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES! Thank you for hearing my story. I hope you will place your faith in Jesus Christ the way that I have. He's my everything!! My Jehovah Rapha. |
I write in order to give others hope during their trials, tribulations, and physical suffering. Jesus gives me hope and spiritual healing as I walk through the fire. My desire through my writing is that you would also gain hope through Jesus Christ. He died for the world to come to know Him and be saved by believing.
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May 2020
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