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Let's Have Some Serious Conversations

Let’s have some serious conversations

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Colossians 1:3-5

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. 

human standing beside crucifix statue on mountain
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Last week we talked about the letter to the church in Colossae and the purpose behind Pauls writing to them. This week, we read verses 3-5 and there are three words that stand out. Words that we have seen on kitchen walls, on plaques, and various other signage. My heart continues to be drawn to address those three words not as a whole, yet as individual so we get a thorough understanding of each one and how they balance one another throughout scripture. So I’ve decided to break these three verse passages into three weeks of study. Giving each of us plenty of prayer time over the words and this passage. Can you guess which three words? Verse 4, faith and love and then verse 5 hope.

William Hendrickson wrote that Christianity is a life based upon a belief, which is a mighty energizing doctrine. That the Object of our faith is also the Source of our faith. When you understand that concept, it brings such great joy to know that faith is nothing we can do for ourselves. It is the product of a great love that envelopes the whole being for the use of something greater. Another way of saying it is that faith is a work of grace. It’s not a faith in just anything. It is a faith in a redeemer that took on the cost of sin. A saving faith in Jesus Christ.

So if you read that last paragraph and curiously read saving faith, and asked yourself what that is and how does it differ from just the affectionate word faith, then you are reading the right blog at the right time. This is one serious conversation that needs to happen to understand why faith in Jesus Christ is often referred to as saving faith.

Hebrews 11 1:3. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of  things not seen.2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of  things that are visible.

The definition of faith is a strong belief in something or someone. Faith is something that doesn’t need proof. Sometimes you may hear the term blind faith and relate it to christianity. In all honesty, there is a wee bit of truth to it. Years ago, I was going through a difficult time and although I never questioned my faith, it seemed that I needed those special moments when a song would touch my soul or a kind word or scripture verse would uplift my brokenness. One such moment was when we were on vacation during this time and in a marina where all of the boats were docked the same way, there was one boat that was docked in opposition to the others. What was so amazing was that that particular boats name was called Blind Faith. I chuckled in tears as I was able to look at that name of the boat and allow it to be a reminder of my personal faith in Jesus Christ and all that I am to Him and He to me. It was just another poke to get me to stop in my tracks and focus not on myself, yet on the Lord and His mercy on my life to get me through anything and everything.

The understanding of who God is and what he has done for believers is the foundation of faith. It’s the complete submission of self over to a most Holy Creator and righteous God. Jesus Christ is the savior that took on the provocation of sin through death for those whom the Lord God loves and calls His own. Knowing what Christ has done and who He is is saving faith. In a sermon Charles Spurgeon preached “It’s the kind of faith, faith in Christ Jesus; faith in Him whom the world rejects, whose cross is a stumbling block and whose doctrine is an offense.” I’m sorry, but this is so difficult to understand. How could the world reject and how could His death on the cross be a stumbling block? Sin is a powerful worldly problem. Always has been and always will be until the end of time when God will reign on this earth. Aren’t we seeing it today? There is a strong rejection worldwide to the truths of the gospel. Churches are persecuted and the doctrines of gospel are being challenged in this broken world. It’s no wonder that we need to discuss saving faith and to hear the wisdom of Paul in his letter to the Colossians. We too need to be reminded of Gods gift of grace in faith.

William Bridges, in A Lifting up for the Downcast, gave four descriptions of how faith works within. First, faith brings light into the soul. Secondly, faith takes off unruly affections and sheds light on the fact that fretting and trusting are in opposition of one another. Thirdly, he says that faith heals and purifies the conscience and fourthly it brings the soul nearer to God. He also says that when faith comes, it opens a man’s eyes to see things that are invisible; it is the evidence of things not seen. True saving faith is that which is under the commandment of God and under His promises, overseeing the condition of the soul and preparing it for the work yet to be accomplished. Seeing the hand of God in every situation, every accomplishment and in every dispensation. Faith is giving up our own will to God.

Psalm 37:40 40  The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Faith and faith alone is what upholds the heart to bear against discouragements. Is that to say that one who has faith is never discouraged? Not at all, it is to say however, that one who has true saving faith will not allow discouragement to overtake their soul to a place of drowning in the mire. One that has saving faith is one that may need a nudge or reminder to call upon the Lord at all times and to direct their attention to the affection of the gospel through study and prayer. There are people who would have you believe that in order to have true faith or for true faith to be known there have to be noticeable works. This is simply not true. Faith precedes works and works is a result of faith. The two go together, yet true saving faith uplifts the souls to want to do that which the great commission prescribes. Even in the early days of Christianity, this was a problem. Hence why Paul mentions it here to the Colossians. Jewish tradition of law and work based faith was something that was filtering into the Colossae church. Look what James wrote in the book of James.

James 2:18-26. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

I’m not sure anyone could have described better what it means to have saving faith than William Guthrie in The Christians Great Interest. Let me quote him here:

” In His saying that Christ is a safe and sure way to heaven. This is being pleased with and acquiescing in that device; and it is consonant to all I know spoken of justifying faith in Scripture. This is the believing on Christ and on His name, the receiving of Him, and resting on Him for salvation, in our Catechism; the believing that Jesus is the Christ, that is, the anointed One, whom the Father hath sealed and set apart, and qualified for the work of reconciling man unto God; and he that believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. (1John 5:1) This is to believe with the heart that God hath raised Christ from the dead (Acts 8:37). The man believeth Christ died and rose on the account of satisfaction for man’s transgression. Devils may believe that: nay, but the man I speak of believeth it with the heart (which no natural man doth, until a new heart be given unto him); that is, he is cordially pleased, and satisfied with and acquiesceth in, this glorious method. And thus faith layeth out itself now and then in its actings, out-goings, and exercise, according to all the covenant relations under which Christ is held forth in the Scripture.”

Ezekiel 36:26 – And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Titus 3:5 – he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

True saving faith does not also share itself with the world. Yes, we live in the world, yet we are not of the world. There are those who will profess their faith and yet live in the world without giving up that which precedes death and hell. They do not cling to the gospel truths or hunger for their savior and knowledge of His truths. The work of grace upon the heart is of an enlarging nature. Enlarging the heart so it cannot be satisfied with any earthly thing, as Jeremiah Burrough put it in A Treatise on Earthly Mindedness. Burroughs said that there are nine particulars of earthly mindedness, which, go in opposition to a living a life of saving faith. Several of those nine particulars have to do with looking upon things of the earth as the end all be all greatest things ever. Their thoughts are of the earth. The focus of earthly mindedness is filled with distraction, from life endeavors, to family provisions, living as others do in the world, comparisons, and worst of all earthly mindedness individuals conceive heavenly truths in the Word in an earthly way.

John 15:19 – If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

In this letter to the Colossians, Paul is pleased that they have true saving faith and he is writing them to encourage them to stay the path and not to veer from that which they have heard. He is encouraging them that their faith is the only faith that will carry them out of darkness and into the light. From death to life everlasting.

How about you friend? Do you cling to the word of God and to the faith that awakens the soul to dance in truth? Do you hunger for more and find that your interests are no longer of worldly possessions yet are of those of things yet to come? If so then I encourage you to take up your bible and begin reading. Let the words of the gospel penetrate your mind and allow the Holy Spirit to show you where your heart truly lies. Do not be disheartened, be encouraged. We are all on this journey together and God will not fail you if you have true saving faith.

Lymes

Looking Back and Seeing Blessings

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When I was first diagnosed with Lyme disease, EBV, co-infections, mycoplasma pneumonia, etc. etc. I wondered how I would survive and how I would get my life back. I’ve shared my story and I’ve shared my journey through Lyme and yet I am still in awe that I have been blessed with healing and have come so far. The Lord has given me strength when I thought I had none, he gave me hope when it was far reaching, he gave me His Word when I needed it the most.

I was asked a year ago, if antibiotics work, why don’t people hear about it and why aren’t those who are healed talking? Well, I responded with the fact that those who have been given a second chance at life are living it. They don’t want to relive the horror of Lyme. The exceptions are people like me who carry on trying to bring awareness and share with others so that they too can be educated on symptoms. Lyme is considered the great imitator for a reason. So many of todays throw in groups of diagnosis, when there is not an answer to “why”, can be and very likely may be Lyme disease or one of the co-infections. The testing is flawed on so many levels and doctors do not have the resources they need to diagnose.

I am one of the “lucky ones” you could say. I say I am blessed beyond measure. So are many others. They are sharing their stories in incredible ways. One such couple, I’ve been following since my journey began. This was one of the first videos I found on Lyme disease. I was heartbroken, and my adrenals went haywire with the emotional rollercoaster of this video, however, it gave me hope. Hope when I needed it the most, when the pain was excruciatingly bad, and when in most people’s eyes there shouldn’t be.

This video is still flourishing around and although its content is difficult to watch, I have to share with you before you watch it, that Justin and Christa now have 3 beautiful children and they are living normal lives. Christas journey is not unlike that of so many others that have followed in her journey since 2004. I am hoping that if you are watching this, you will remember that hope is something to hold onto, a mental place set in the mind when you need it the most. Pray about it and cling to it.

Be educated dear follower, Lyme and co-infections are the most widely spread vector borne illness in the country and in many parts of the world. Over 400,000 upward of 1 million are affected each year. Most of which are undiagnosed and or misdiagnosed. Putting that into perspective, Breast cancer has 264,000 new patient diagnosis each year. Hence you see the problem.

Here is Christa and Justins story:

http://www.justinandchrista.ca
Following in Faith, Why?

Where Is Our Focus?

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I have recently been in touch with some very old friends, and by old, I do not mean in age. They were people who touched my life many years ago of whom we lost touch due to the turning of everyday life. Women who brought me joy, laughter and the safety to be myself. These women have been not long forgotten, and the friendship misplaced for only a period of time. Although Facebook and social media brings challenges, it is also a place to reconnect. From new friends that are destined to be lifelong friends, to lifelong friends that are destined to be new. I am blessed to be able to say that God has been renewing my broken spirit and refilling my empty soul.

The last several years I have been feeling lost in the upheaval of our church, saying goodbye to friends, being the mom of adult children, and just the everyday disappointments of family, earthly life and expectations. Each day, for the last few years I found myself becoming more and more “aged” with critical judgements of all the things that “didn’t go my way” or the “way I thought they should be”.

The Lord was always near and waiting for me to pursue Him with not just my eyes in scripture, yet with my whole heart. Don’t get me wrong. My prayer life has never faltered and my faith never wavered. I just have felt a “quiet” in my heart, that I have not felt in a very long time. Being unable to dance through each day knowing that there is so much more to every day living on earth. Sin is ever rampant, not just in unbelievers, yet also within our Christian community, making my emptiness ever so exasperated and enlarged. I never ask “why God”, nor do I question His will. I do however, sit back, still as a chipmunk who is hunted by the cat, and stare off wondering when will enough be enough.

More recently, I have confessed to the Lord that I needed Him to close that gap and help me to seek Him without distraction. What the Lord did in answer to that prayer, was bring forth a friend of my past whose adult journey parallels in so many ways my own. Her faith has been unwavering. She is a woman of God who has been used to reach out to me, fulfilling that desired hope in human kindness, with a Godly perspective.

The Lord has also helped me to see how often Satan feeds my mind with lies. I have been lost in thought, in everyday life, and in “time consumers” rather than focusing on what is most important. I have felt lost in my worship due to so many unspoken circumstances. For me, it was the bringing forth a new friend who shares a bond of sisterly encouragement. The Lord shared with me, the comfort in knowing that the woman leading our group has a common bond through a bible study that I have so missed. In learning this, my heart warmed and I felt a peace I have not felt in years. The Lord has heard my prayers and has not disappointed. It’s all been in His timing, not that of my own. Praise God for His mercies. Relying on him and trusting in him is all he wants from us. As difficult as it is sometimes, we find peace in the most unexpected ways. He brings forth iron to sharpen iron in the middle of the tea party. He keeps that cup that is tipping from falling off the edge and fills it to the brim with weight that is immeasurable, keeping it stable.

Friend, are you lost in the busyness of life that you have not sought out the One true love of your life? Have you given your time to Him so that He can fill you with springs of living water? Are you nourished so that you may grow? Have you prayed for the Lord to bring you closeness with Him? I encourage you to take all of your cares, lay them at his feet and pray not for him to send you a savior, as you already have one in Jesus Christ, yet to pray that you can see the blessing in every circumstance and that if you are unable to see the blessing before you at this very moment, that you will be given the eyes to see it when the Lord is ready to show you. How about putting away social media long enough to refocus our attention on the one true media outlet that can change out lives, bring us peace and give us grace to overcome all that is before us on a daily basis.

For two dear friends, I am reminded of these verses.

Romans 8:26-30 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercede for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Following in Faith

The Whole Armor of God

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Ephesians 6:10-18 (ESV)

The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Following in Faith

Who Are You?

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I can remember in my younger years so desiring to be someone else.  I remember trying on several occasions to change my look, whether it was a new hair cut, new makeup, new clothes style, making friends with those I wouldn’t ordinarily choose to be friends  with or doing things and acting in ways that went beyond my personality.  I longed to have more friends and to be “popular”.  I was not very comfortable in my own skin so to speak.  In middle school I was taller than most of the other girls, and I did not spend the majority of my time in the bathroom doing my hair as the other girls did.  That being said, I remember the day I suddenly drew the attention of my classmates.  At the time I thought it was fabulous and I felt like I finally fit in.  Only in adulthood have I acknowledged that  I was becoming someone that I was not intended to be.  It was a long journey of trying to figure out who I truly was, yet thirty five years after that day,  I can say that I know who I am and I embrace it all.

Yes, even through illness, loss, grief, and often times loneliness, I embrace knowing that I can just be myself.  It’s rather freeing to not have to try to live by todays standards.  I don’t need a lot of friends to define who I am, and at times, I even leave the house without any makeup not caring about impressing anyone.  I find that the most important things in life are not found in the joys of earthly pleasures and in the view of those who subject themselves to secular viewpoints. I take joy in the fact that I am a wife, mother, sister in Christ to a great many who are like minded, and I am most of all a child of God.   I have hope in something greater than this world and a confidence in knowing that grace is promised to those whom have been called out of this life of sin.

As my daughter and I stayed home today due to her upcoming surgery and not wanting to subject her body to germs that she wouldn’t be exposed to if she stayed at home, we listened to the sermon from last week that we missed.  I was struck at God’s providential care in our walk with him and his encouragement in arranging this quiet time with Him, the message spoken and the tie in with my book study that I did  with a friend yesterday.

The message was based on 1Peter 1:13-16 and entitled Just Be Yourself.   (crbc.us sermons 9/18/2016)

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

In obedience, we are to be who we are called to be, leaving behind the passions of our old selves (“Ephesians 4:21-24  assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.)  so that we will have the hope (confidence) in grace (salvation)”.  What a wonderful, freeing, feeling it is to know that God has chosen for me who I am supposed to be.  I do not need to try to be someone else.  I do not need to fit into this world because I am not of this world.  (John 15:16   “You did not choose me, but I chose you… John 15:19   …because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world….”)  I accept that I am a child of God’s, destined to live a holy life before him, with contentment and thanksgiving.

Our study yesterday discussed the motivation of how to stay obedient in holiness, tying in nicely with the sermon.  Every child needs instruction and direction.  I am no different and neither are those who are predestined to serve in holiness.  (Ephesians 1:11   “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will”)

Our book (The Hole In Our Holiness) gave us a few ways the Bible motivates us to continue in our pursuit of holiness.  One of the questions asked us to identify which of them was meaningful to our individual needs living in a world of sin.  Mine were the following:

God knows all and sees all.  (Eccles. 12:14  “For God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil”)

If every child knew that their parent was watching, would they try to do the opposite of what they were instructed to do?  My guess is that they would not and if they did, they would know that there would be a punishment waiting them.  Maybe they would think that the sin of disobedience would be worth the punishment.  Knowing that God’s punishment is death should make all christians reconsider that which they think they do in secret is actually in secret.

Assurance.  (2Peter 1:10  “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm you calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall”)

Knowing with surety that God has called me out of a life of sin keeps me humbled in obedience to his word.  For not everyone has been blessed with the knowledge of their own salvation as we know that there is no double predestination. Due to the fall of man through the sin of Adam, we are all at birth destined for death, yet through the calling of the Lord Jesus Christ there are those who are predestined  to be a part of life everlasting with him.

The world is not our home.  (1Peter 2:11  “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul”)

Pilgrims in a world  that does not understand.  Our time here is temporary.  Our permanent home is with the Lord.  An eternity serving a God who took mercy on his people to give them life.   Abstaining from the passions of the flesh is not easy as temptation today is far greater with technology, yet preparing our minds and hearts through the studying of the Word is our short leash to staying on the right path.

For the sake of our prayers. (1Peter 3:7  “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered”)

Living a hopeful life, following the words of a gracious God so that He may be glorified and we may be made righteous in his sight.  Marriage is not easy and life in this world is not easy.  However, by staying the course with love and understanding we are reminded of the joyful blessings that are shared.  Just as a couple becomes one in marriage, they become one with Christ.

The futility of sin.  (Matthew 6:27  “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”)

Do we really need to worry about that which we cannot control.  Our time should be spent in grateful prayers of thanksgiving for that which we have been blessed, leaving all of the “stuff” behind.

The folly of sin.  (Matthew 7:26-27  “And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”)

The fall is not temporal.  The fall is eternal and is spent in the flames of hell rather than an eternal life of glory with the Lord.

The promise of future judgment.  (Romans 12:19  “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord'”)

God’s wrath is much greater than that which we could ever dream.  He gives the ultimate judgment over the sin abiding in this world.

The fear of future judgment.  (Hebrews 10:26-27  “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”)

This does not need any explanation!

The fear of the Lord.  (2Corinthians 5:11a  “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.”)

We witness to those whom we love in hopes that they too will be called unto the Lord.  We know that the loving God so many talk about today is also a god of judgment and wrath.  Believers should not tempt the will of the Lord with gross misconduct in backslidden behavior just to appease the world we live in.  We should be the witness to the light that shines from following Him.

The love of the Lord.  (1John 4:11  “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”)

Loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is not just a suggestion but a command.

For the glory of God.  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20  “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify god in your body.”)

Taking care to not sin and to praise the Lord of whom gave much to give us life.

Fullness of joy.  (John 15:10-11  “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full”)

JOY….to have joy in the Lord, in prayer and in ALL circumstances.  No matter what!  Finding the peace within ourselves to be joyful in the blessings that are not our own.  Through pain, illness, despair, loss, and storms that rage around us.

Our union with Christ.  (Romans 6:5-6  “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”) 

Oh to not be enslaved to sin.  To not be bound by the chains that cause strife and death.  Could any blessings be better?

I pray reader that you have read through all that I have shared in my journey and that you have been blessed this day with the words of the Lord.  I pray that you will joyfully praise  the loving God who has given you life and blessed you with the following of this blog.  Thank you for joining me down this path toward salvation.

 

Following in Faith

Clinging to the only Peace that can Sustain

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During times of disbelief over things of this world, I cling to the word more than any other time.  My prayer life seems to consume more minutes of my days than anything else.  I lay awake at night in prayerful thought, consideration and more desperation for the Lord Jesus Christ to hear my prayer.  At times I feel as though I am pleading for His will to line up with my hopes.  In the end, I trust He knows what’s best and He will take care to bring me closer to Him in my thoughts, and also in my prayers.

Psalm 119: 49-56

Remember you word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise give me life.  The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.  When I think of you rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord.  Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.  Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning.  I remember your name in the night, O Lord, and keep your law.  This blessing has fallen to me that I have kept your precepts.

As a great deal has plagued my thoughts and rocked my world this past two weeks, I find peace in Him and in the promises yet to come.  I find grace in the promises already given and I find hope in a creator who is perfect in every possible way.

Where do you find peace?  Do you look for worldly wonders and human nature to give you peace?  Or do you seek Jesus and the Word to sustain and keep you?  Again I ask, Where do You find peace?

 

Following in Faith, Why?

Sufficiency of God

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God’s care for his people is sufficient!  There can be no doubt.  Joy comes from knowing who He is, what He has done for us, what he has provided for us, and what we have to look forward to in serving Him.    I sat in amazement the other night in church as the teaching was on Approaching God from Psalm 131.  It was a very nice follow up to what I had previously that morning posted on my blog.  It wrapped up my thoughts and was like a gift handed back.  I just had to share it here with you.  Hope you will take the time to listen.

Lymes

There Is Hope and Help…

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For many of us with Lyme disease, it’s so difficult for others to understand.  One minute we are doing everything that seems “normal” and the next we are in crash mode.  Our bodies just don’t operate with any consistency.  As I watched Under Our Skin again last week, I was reminded of how so many of us outwardly look “normal” to others, yet inside we are writhing in pain, exhaustion, and discomfort.  What is seen on the outside is quite different than what is going on inside.  While the outside looks content and at peace, on the inside there is a battle.  A battle of immunity vs. borreliosis.  A battle that isn’t won by either, as long as there is treatment, yet a battle that drags on without end in sight, so it would seem.  One side trying to overtake the other.

I remember watching the attached when I was early diagnosed and I wept.  I wept thinking there was not an end in sight for me either and that I would be just as bad as Krista.  Fortunately, at the end of the story, I found hope and was encouraged to look toward healing with a positive attitude.  It reminded me that what I was experiencing was nothing in comparison.  I looked at her age and thanked God that I had achieved 20+ years longer than she before crashing.  Her story is quite extreme, with some additional co-infections that riddled her body for several years prior to them finding out the cause.  It’s difficult to watch, yet it’s so real.  Her story is similar to Julie’s, in my last post, in that their co-infections and symptoms mimic one another.  If, you have the heart to watch, please do so with tissue and with the reminder that there is healing.

Lyme is nothing to mess around with, yet it is not something to be terrified of.  With the rates rising of Lyme disease, everyone should be aware of what kind of symptoms can be observed from just a tiny little tick.  The bacteria that can make a body deteriorate quickly may be small, yet they are definitely a large scale concern.  I encourage everyone to please understand Lyme, it’s affects on the body, learn how to recognize the symptoms early.  Before thousands of dollars are spent on trying to come up with a diagnosis.

Please remember also, when someone is diagnosed with Lyme, we don’t want to be defined by it, yet we want people to understand that every day is a balancing act.  Every day is a new day.  We cling to hope, even though we get frustrated, and we pray knowing that only God will get us through.  With my own experience with Lyme, I have said that I hope I can help someone else someday.  I hope that my own journey will be an example to someone else in a positive sense and that none of what I have experienced will be wasted.   Just as Krista has endured and shared, she also has educated which is what I am trying to do as well with this blog.   Thanks for taking the time to read and to watch.

Lymes, Why?

A Story of Faith and Determination

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I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1-2)

Giving thanks to the Lord, how sweet is my soul that I have the ability and the freedom to do so. Have you ever thought about how incredible it is to thank Him? To thank the one who has given so much more than we can imagine, without seeing, only knowing. To think about the incredible blessings that have been bestowed on this lowly being brings joy to my heart.

I have had problems writing on my blog the past week and therefore I am late in writing to you all. This is now May and it is Lyme Awareness Month. I have asked a few to share their stories and there are more that I would like to repost here for all to read. Think of it as an opportunity to be educated on this very real illness that plagues so many.

To start, I thought I would begin with my own story.

In July of 2013, I was very busy gardening in my own yard, working at a farm an hours drive away, and also sharing and working a large garden with a friend living 30 minutes from our home in the opposite direction. Previous to my full blown symptoms, I was noticing that I was having some balancing issues. I would step into the garden and sway slightly almost losing my balance. The first time it happened I didn’t think much of it, then it happened a few more times, giving me pause to wonder. I then woke up one morning early to mid July and as I walked down the stairs, I felt as though my foot was dragging. I had to keep looking down to make sure my foot was on the step. This continued for two weeks before I began to really get concerned. At about this same time, I also began to feel very tired. Who wouldn’t…I mean, all I did was work outside, travel with the kids and the band and try to keep up with cooking and housework. Every week I ran around non stop. The exhaustion however, took on a whole new level of “tired” when I would nap on the couch only to have my eyes feel like they were glued shut and I had to physically pull them open. My body also was physically unable to move. I could hear everything, and wanted so badly to communicate with others yet my exhaustion was so bad that I couldnt’ even form complete sentences. I wondered if I had had a stroke.

When the chills set in and the pain in my body was so bad that my husband couldn’t even hold my hand without me feeling like I wanted to scream I knew it was time to call the doctor. I gave her all my symptoms and she recommended two tests, a test to look into Rheumatoid arthritis and another for Lyme disease. What? Lyme? We pray for a gent at church who we rarely see because his symptoms are so bad with Lyme. So we ran both tests, and the Lyme was positive. The symptoms I was experiencing were more late stage Lyme, and in conferred with my doctor I requested a more natural approach to healing. Things began to make sense with the research I had been doing. Symptoms that were unexplainable for so many years. Was there finally a diagnosis?

I had at an early age, pains that would go up and down my legs throwing me into a tizzy because the pain was just awful. It was thought maybe they were growing pains or a mineral deficiency. Nothing would help them. I used to try hot baths, hot tub soaks, bananas for potassium, Tylenol, Alleve, the list goes on. I am now wondering if that could have been the start. I mean, we played in the woods all the time. The girl across the street had a tick on her head. They were definitely around. From the research I was learning that Lyme can lie dormant for not only months yet also years.

The summer after 8th grade, we had taken a trip to the east coast. When we were in Maine, I had an episode that had me nearly collapsing and my dad carried me back to the camper so that I could rest. Yes, we were camping in the east. Hmmmm….

In high school I began having what was diagnosed as superventricular tachycardia’s. At first we thought I was hyperventilating. Having them through college and early into my marriage, I finally had a heart ablation to alleviate the symptoms. CAUSE? Unknown! Amazingly these symptoms began the school year after the summer trip out east. Another hmmmm….

Before homeschooling, the kids were in public school. I was there nearly everyday volunteering in some capacity. I used the bathroom one day and about 2-3 weeks later I noticed a rash ring on my leg. Now, it wasn’t too high up my thigh, yet it was a ring. I actually thought it could be ring worm and I treated it and didn’t think about it again. Something to note is that this was also during the time that I would run the trail which was in the woods at our lake cottage.

About a year later I began noticing my energy levels dropping, I was feeling some of those pains again that I had had in my earlier years and I was just generally not feeling well. I also started gaining weight which I could not lose. I laugh that I was a weight watchers drop out. I went for three months, followed their diet and exercise plan only to gain weight. WHAT? Yes, I gained weight. WW had worked for me in the past so what in the world was going on now? I found an internist that tested me for Rheumatoid, fibromyalgia, thyroid and more only to receive results that were inconclusive.

Fast forward to our current home three years here. I found an integrative doctor who tested me again for the above, only this time with proper testing, found that I was in fact hypothyroid, I had cortisol issues, my adrenals were on shut down, and not only was our son celiac, we all tested positive! Mine turned out to show I was severely. Three of us also tested positive for food intolerance’s.

Hence, the reason the doctor and I both agreed that all of my above issues were likely the symptoms of the underlying issue, Lyme disease. It’s not too difficult to believe when you begin to read about Lyme and the symptoms that have plagued others for years. I must have either been bitten again, triggering a full blown Lyme reaction or my immune system and adrenals just could not cope with my activity level that summer. I had showed my son a deer tick that I found while gardening…guess I should also have checked over my body when we were done. Ironically, that was the same summer that our son had 4 rounds of strep back to back. Coincidence? I think not! Especially since both of us got sick after that little tick show and tell moment.

In all I spent 10 months battling fatigue, brain fog, speech issues, memory loss, extreme daily pain, loss of balance, tinnitus, hearing sensitivity and multiple co-infections and viruses that attacked my body. I could not walk down the driveway and had to use a wheelchair for any distances longer than a few yards, I could not walk up the stairs at night without almost passing out, I was unable to bend over to pick something up without losing my breath and almost passing out, I was falling asleep at 5 at night only to wake up at 2 with insomnia and then would fall asleep at 6 or 7 in the morning without waking up until 10. When I would lay down for a nap, my eyes felt like someone had sewed them shut and yet I could hear everything going on around me. I remember telling my husband that I wondered if that’s what it’s like for someone whose comatose. To hear everything and wanting to speak out yet not being able to.

One virus I acquired attacked my heart and I was told complete bed rest was necessary. The virus I had actually has 6 strains, of which I had tested positive for 5 of the six. If I wanted to make dinner, I was to have others wash veggies, cut them and all I was allowed to do was put it into the oven or give directions. I was showering every few days when I had the energy to actually do so, I wasn’t able to speak clearly when I was tired as I sounded like I was inebriated, I would try at times to talk to my family or friends and the words would just not formulate in my brain. I would forget names of people that I’ve known most of my life and I couldn’t remember the names of items or things, like trees or squirrels.

To friends and family it was the most shocking thing to watch, and for me I was determined to survive. When I was able, I read and studied as much as I could about the bacteria that had changed my life. I was determined to educate myself and my family so that we could all understand and cope together. I was also determined to overcome and I prayed daily that the Lord would heal me and use what I had been through to help others. I studied God’s word knowing that His truth would set me free from the bondage that I was experiencing. That my experience and what I had learned would be of value in helping others to heal. The experience of keeping my head up and remembering God’s grace in my life and His healing power was something I held onto and hoped others would see. I prayed that nothing our family was going through would be wasted, only that we would be able to encourage others, from the side of the patient to that of the caretaker.

Without failure, Gods plan and blessing for our family was for remission and for enough healing that life has become a little more normal. It is not what it once was, yet it is definitely better than what it had been. I still have moments of brain fog when I’m tired, I still have exhaustion when I do more than I should, and I still have pain as well when the weather is changing. My immunity is terrible and I catch everything I’m exposed too. Living in a bubble is not an option. The tinnitus in my ears is becoming the new normal and the change in my eyesight has me slightly troubled, yet I will not fret.

This blog began when I needed something to do to keep my mind active. It has become an avenue for me to share what I know to be a help for others. I have met and prayed for so many affected by Lyme the past few years, and I praise God for the opportunity to understand it and learn. Education isn’t cheap, and trust me when I tell you that my medical bills and supplement bills monthly/bi-monthly speak to that. I do however value that education that I have been given and I see it as part of God’s plan to help others in their own healing. I do keep in mind that you can lead a horse to water, you cannot however make him drink it. Every person with a debilitating illness and unknown or questionable diagnosis has their own decisions to make in their healthcare. For me and for my family, we continually ask the big question….why? For every symptom, there is a cause. Nearly all causes are bacterial, viral or parasitic. Which one is the cause and what the adequate treatment plan should be is the challenge. Finding the right doctor that will hear what you have to say and that will educate himself/herself are the doctors that I find to be the ones pioneering in the healing of Lyme.

I hope to continue sharing information, educational materials and other stories of faith and healing in dealing with Lyme disease this month. If you are a Lyme warrior, please email me your story and let’s share with others how to cope. Keep in mind, you are not alone.

Remember, this disease is estimated to surpass breast cancer. You will or do know someone who is affected.

Following in Faith

Seeking Life or Death ?

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Over the past year and a half, I’ve used my blog as a tool to express my thoughts, my recipes, my frustrations etc.  It was an avenue to express myself and to have communication with others when I otherwise felt alone and secluded.   I have met many other wonderful bloggers who have since become my friends.  Two of those delightful friends had recently inquired about my blogging as it seems I have nearly fallen off the “grid”.  My posts have become less in frequency and not quite  full of “heart”.  My excuse, if there is one,  is that I have been pondering a great amount lately.  Much of which I have chosen to keep unwaveringly close to the breast so to speak.  I have not felt inspired, nor have I felt that I had anything worth contributing.  That is until today….

Much of what has been on my mind has been about parenting, being a wife, a daughter and a friend and being a woman of God.  Am I doing a good job?  Am I standing up for what we as a Christian family believe in?  Am I acting as a worthy steward and servant that  gives glory to our Father?  Am I all that I need to be?  As I ponder all of these questions and consider how to put into words my thoughts, I glanced up at my husbands book shelf and see a book called Decisions, Decisions by Dave Swavely.  That’s it!  For the past few months I have been considering not all of the above, but “decisions”.    Decisions based on every area of my life and in every aspect of every relationship I have.  Decisions that always have an outcome and a consequence.  Decisions that affect everything and anyone in the path of their being made.  That being said, my mind swirled with inspiration and I feel like I have something to contribute.

I have always told my children two things, delivery will get you every time and make sure that whatever you do in life you are an upright moral human being serving God first and doing the best you can at whatever it is you do.  Doing that will ensure your success in a world that has become immune to insanity, adultery, murder, idol worship, acceptance, and sin.  Knowing what it says in 1 John 2:15-17  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

As I look around at my own personal relationships, whether it be with my children, my spouse, my parents, friends and neighbors, I realize that even the smallest decision I make in those relationships can have an impact in the future.  That impact can either play out in a positive way or in a negative way.  It all depends upon how and I why I make certain decisions to begin with.  Was I making the decision based on self gratification?  Was I making the decision based on guilt?  Was I making a decision on resentment or out of anger?  Was I making a decision that was for someone else?  And finally, what was it that provoked a decision to be made and how did I come to that decision?  What avenue did I seek out in making that decision?  Did I consult with others?  Did I have a knee jerk reaction and make a decision based on an incident without knowing all the facts?  Did I take it to the One that called me out of this world to serve?  Did I pray about it and seek out His counsel?  So many things to consider when making a decision.  I wonder how many people actually consider their decision making and the outcomes that may follow based on their reasoning for their decisions.

For me, I ponder my own decisions in this life and to a  fault I have also pondered decisions that others have made for the themselves.  That is what troubles my inner being and something that I am delighted to report I have been praying over.  Decisions that seem so small can have a large impact in the end, with some very disturbing consequences.   As I began reading the aforementioned  book above, the author wrote If you are a believer in Christ, the resulting effects in your life should not be your only motivation, or even your primary one, to make good decisions.  Taking 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 into account about the judgment that holds us accountable in decisions we make.  So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.  The apostle Paul does not only speak to the Corinthians, he speaks also to us.  He reminds us that our salvation came at a price and that although we are saved by grace, we are also judged according to our behavior and the decisions we make.  A consideration that worldly viewpoints overlook.  Although, we as Christians understand that God has not revealed His truth to those who are held captive to their blindness.  To no fault of their own, their decisions that are decapitating to self are inevitable.

What about a Christian who claims himself saved and is trying to follow God?  Sometimes it is the shame of our churches and leadership that they are not guiding their flocks in the truth of the gospel.  With all of the “extras” to get numbers in the door, they fail to teach the word as it is written.  Adding in man made “traditions” and “additions” to aspire to others that “Christ loves everyone”.   I have been one of those Christians.  I have walked in those shoes.  I have through the grace of God been pulled out of heresy and been shown that only God’s Word stands true.  The Bible is more than just a book to read on Sunday, it is the creators instruction book to an everlasting life.  Not to be changed to suit a sermon, nor added to or taken away to fulfill numbers.  It is a way of life that needs to be taken seriously.

It is with great hope and prayer that  if you have chosen to read to the end, that you will consider, as I have,  all of the decisions you make in your life.  That you will consider prayer first, asking God for guidance and trusting in Him to have a better plan than the one you may think you need.  Keeping with the Spirit, seeking out what scripture says on the matter and realizing the truth behind decision making.  Asking the why and taking into consideration how.