Joy & Gladness

Are you wishing for some joy and gladness in your life today? 
 
When wracked with the many, many ravages of Lyme- it may well be hard to find such things as joy and gladness in life.
 
But therein lies the problem- we look for joy and gladness in life. 
 
Life never promises joy and gladness.  Sure, we may bump into those moments along the way- but the can disappear as vapor, and can be as difficult to catch as grasping for a butterfly on a summer breeze...
 
But God's Word tells us where we can find joy and gladness, and the Good News is that we can do it even on days that may find us bedridden. 
 
Look here at this portion of Psalm 40:11-17 (New Living Translation)- I added the highlight:
 
¹¹ Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
¹² For troubles surround me—
too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
I have lost all courage.

¹³ Please, Lord, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
¹⁴ May those who try to destroy me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”

¹⁶ But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
¹⁷ As for me, since I am poor and needy,
let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
O my God, do not delay.

 

Can you relate to this Psalmist:  trouble surrounds, loss of courage, others don't understand- and even put us to shame or seem to delight in your troubles.... The turning point is at verse 16-  But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. 

 

That is my prayer for you today Dear One-  that as you search out the LORD, seek Him- that you will be filled with the joy and gladness that is only found in Him.   Even to the point of great exaltation, with gladness- may you exclaim: "The LORD is great!" today! 

 

 Need to fee on the Word and yet you are too weary to read it?  Don't forget that you can go to Biblegateway.com and there you can click on audio to listen to passages. 

 

May His presence bring you true joy & gladness today~ 

 

Blessings-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Battle Buddy's Poem

This evening, a fb friend of mine posted a wonderful poem she wrote awhile back-  I think many of us can relate, and she has done a nice job of putting it into expression- 
I hope it blesses you~ 

THE LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL

I asked the Lord one night before bed
As a million questions poured through my head
"This pain I'm having to endure --
When will it cease? I can handle no more."

"This tunnel you're making me travel through
It's dark and scary; what can I do?
A beacon of light I do not see
At the end of the path you've laid for me."

I've finished my prayer and wait for a reply
But I hear no answer, and I start to cry
I wonder if He even hears my plea
Does He really care for a lost lamb like me?

Then suddenly, I sense He's here
As I hear Him whisper into my ear,
"This tunnel I'm making you travel through -
It seems dark and scary; but I know what to do."

"This beacon of light you do not see
Is right beside you; It is me.
So take my hand and I'll show you the way
From this treacherous night into light of day."

As I ponder His words, I am filled with sweet peace
My Lord is with me; I can rest with ease
So taking His hand, I follow His light
And my Shepherd guides me through the night.
~Kimberly Averitt Popov, 2004  (c)

He Gives and Takes Away

What a truism.  God does give and take away, according to His sovereign will.  Do you trust in Him? 

It is a nice song we sing, but what happens when we are face to face with this truism? 

Our Good God, does allow pain and suffering.  There is sin in the world, and with the character of His Redemptive heart- He works His plan out, even using the inherent sin of the world (brought on by Adam and Eve in the Garden), for good. 

For GOOD?!   How can this be?  All this misery, multiple points of misery- be for good?! 

I don't admit to understanding how it all works- just like I don't understand things like: how computers work, how electricity works, how the planets keep their required distance from each other... but, they work.

None of their workings depend on my understanding. 

Today my daily Bible readings brought me to the book of Job.  How appropriate.  Job chapter one-  God allows Job to be sifted by Satan, confident in the integrity of Job's heart.  Satan is allowed, by God Himself- to take away all of Job's children, and lively-hood/investments. 

With grief-  Job fell to the ground, before God and said, (Job 1:21) " I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die; The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away, Praise the name of the LORD!"

Stunning-  his response, his landing point:  praise the name of the LORD!

In  chapter  Two, his wife admonishes Job- as Satan has added great physical afflictions to Job's trials.  She encourages Job to 'curse God and die'.  In verse 10, Job tells her, "You talk like a godless woman.  Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" 

Job continued to show integrity in his relationship with the LORD.

Oh may the LORD encourage our hearts to be as Job's.  May we so well thirst after God, that the pleasure of communion with Him, knowing Him- even in His mystery, shore our integrity as His follower. May we not grow weary of serving Him, though our bodies and minds are beyond weary- may our hearts sing in His presence. 

Praise the name of the LORD!  Together, let's bring our sacrifice of praise to Him this day~

Blessings-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du0il6d-DAk

Resource & Outlet for those with an Invisible Illness

A couple weeks ago I came across a good new resource about healing, written by Joni Erickson Tada.  The version I got was via a Kindle app onto my phone.  I'm only about a quarter of the way through reading the book- but can't wait any longer to recommend it to you.

Whether you are struggling with the whole subject of 'healing' personally, or have been trying to explain your biblical view on healing to someone else- this is a great tool. 

The book is available through several retailers and comes in book, Kindle and audio.   I will post a link for the audio- as it may be too tiring to read. http://christianaudio.com/a-place-of-healing-joni-eareckson-tada

No matter what venue of the book works best for where you are at right now- I do encourage you to take a look at it~   "A Place of Healing- Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain and God's Sovereignty"  

Our funds are usually challenged greatly-  don't be shy to ask friends if you may borrow a copy, or check with a local church who may have it in their library~ 

Also- September will bring 'Invisible Illness Week', which is through Lisa Copen's Rest Ministries. 

You are invited to participate!  Check out this site on how you can help communicate to others about having an Invisible Illness challenge: http://restministries.com/2013/08/19/invisible-illness-week/


 Meanwhile Dear One-  "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires." Psalm 37:4  

Too many times, when were are wracked and immobile- we think, 'If I could only do...'  But remember- you already have the King of Kings with you- feast on that; make that communion with Him a desire of your heart'- the rest (like when you 'get to do something') will be icing on the cake~ 

Blessings-

"Health- an Illusion of Certainty"

Basically- I am paraphrasing a quote I heard by Kim Snyder, who put together a documentary about ME several years ago. (1999?) 

I watched it on youtube.com yesterday. 

Being I've lived with ME for almost 30 years- and there is such an overlap with Lyme- it was interesting to watch (although not necessarily uplifting, it was affirming- like an Under Our Skin, but for ME- which is myalgic encephalomyelitis).

Toward the end of the documentary- Ms. Snyder is looking back on what was 'normal', was there such a thing, and her conclusion was that perhaps 'health is an illusion of certainty'.

Although Ms. Snyder and I would perhaps differ on some worldview points- I can relate to much of what she goes through in the film, and I was struck by the truism of her statement.

She really put into words something I've had run around in my head.  And it is actually another Gift of Lyme... and as with all things Lyme, there is a twist, especially when it comes to it's gifts! 

The twist is, you have had to experience Lyme to 'get it'.  Just like with ME, or a myriad of other diseases.  Getting any life altering illness causes one to re-evaluate and ponder life in many new ways. 

So why would I agree that 'health is an illusion of certainty', and even more so- why would I say ill health/Lyme then is a gift?

In our struggles, challenges, pain, ups-n-downs... we know the reality of life being uncertain.  There is no more 'life according to my plans'.  We have learned to expect the possibility of changes; things being uncertain. 

We can be 'okay' one minute, and on the floor the next.  One day we may be able to be out at a function, and then be in bed for days/weeks... 

The way we 'plan', if we dare to plan- is much different than our healthy counterparts- who have this unrealistic, but understandable, belief that pretty much whatever they've put on the calendar, or take off their calendar is primarily under their control.  They feel certain they will be able to do whatever it is ahead of them.  They live quite independently.

The gift for us is the realization that our plans our not our own- at least this is a gift to a Believer.  A Believer who is afflicted has a much more palpable understanding of uncertainty.  And, although at first it is anything from an awkward reality, to a terrifying reality- It can drive us to a deeper understanding that ultimately Our God is in control, only He is certain/sovereign, only He is stable/secure.  Everything else is 'just an illusion of certainty'.

Once we begin to turn our desire for certainty, stability- to Him, so that we are dependent on Him- and not our plans, circumstances, wishes...  Peace, Comfort, Strength, Joy, forbearance... begin to unwrap themselves within us... 

Are things uncertain for you today?  Embrace it- and give those concerns to the LORD- ask Him to establish your footsteps, one step at a time...ask Him to reveal His presence, and His presents to your soul as you seek Him~ 

Blessings-
Psalm 34
Psalm 40:2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Wait

To me, the word 'wait' is one of the most challenging words in our language.

Not so hard to say or write- but in the doing of it, that's where it gets tough.

Especially so living in a culture of NOW!  Even having to wait for the computer screen to come up, we can become impatient (until those of us oldies remember what it was to not have a computer at all, or how long a boot-up took in the beginning days of home computers)! 

One of the most often lamented phrases for Lyme Fighters is "HOW LONG!?"

Most often, the answer is wait...from our family, our friends, our doctors...wait. 

Even more, the LORD calls to us to wait. 

This morning I read a familiar passage from Isaiah 40, verse 31:

^31" Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary."

To be honest-  I usually rush ahead and camp out on the ending strains- of gaining new strength, mounting up, running, not being tired (did I hear an Amen?!) , not becoming weary--  Oh my but all these sound deliriously delightful! 

But, who gets to taste these delights?  "Those who wait for the LORD"   Oh, wait. 

Figuratively we can get ahead of the LORD, moving ahead with plans that are ours, not His; we can rush ahead to give our affections to the gifts He offers to us, instead of setting our affections first on Him...

But in reality, the LORD is always literally in the lead.  Our mortal perspective is often skewed. 

Being laid low by Lyme can be a great opportunity to learn more deeply of what it means to wait for the LORD.   Many of us have no choice but to do so- we no longer have our own strength with which to muscle forward.  We lie waiting.

And while we wait, we seek.  We praise.  We learn.  We watch.  We listen.  We meditate on His Word.  We pray. 

In these, He meets with us. He ministers to us.  He reveals glimpses of mystery.   He is at work- we must take the waiting time not to be equivalent to void, to nothing happening-  in fact, spiritual, dimensional, mysterious things are happening.  All while we wait. 

In our waiting, may we be preparing for the days when strength returns, we are mounted, we are no longer weary or tired... 

Are you waiting today Dear One?  Go to the LORD in your waiting with thanksgiving- seek Him out today, enjoy His presence and His Word.  Trust in Him, that He is at work- this is preparation time, seize the moment with whatever strength you have. 

Blessings-

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

⁸ Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. ⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Isaiah 40
²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
³⁰ Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
³¹ Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Successful Outcomes

During the worst of times with Lyme, and it's treatments- I was quite isolated.  However, I did have Internet access.  Many, many times, I'd Google search to try to find stories of people who were better! 

Almost all that I read were tragic stories.  I was living that.  Somewhere, was anyone getting better? 

Slowly, I found a story here and there of people who'd gotten better.  Mostly, it seemed, those who got better, understandably, just wanted to leave Lyme behind them; and so there wasn't much to find on the web. 

Lately, I've been finding more encouraging stories, of people thriving in spite of Lyme (like the Beauty Pageant winner I posted about recently).  This is a good trend!

The other day, I came across a post, and video by Dr. Horowitz, who has coined MSIDS to describe many of us (Multi Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome).  He recognizes fifteen areas that must be attended to in us for a successful outcome. 

Is your doctor keeping these ares in mind as you are treated?  Your doctor needs to keep a 'wide view' in treating you.  Perhaps there is an aspect your health is hung-up on- if so, ask your doctor about it~

1. Infections: Bacterial, Parasites, Viruses, Candida...

2. Immune system (?dysfunction)

3. Inflammation Sickness syndrome

4. Toxicity:  Multi. Chemical Sensitivity, Environmental Illnesses, Heavy metals, Mold and Neurotoxin...s

5. Allergies

6. Nutritional and Enzyme Deficiencies/functional medicine

7. Mitochondrial Dysfunction

8. Psychological Dysfunction

9.Endocrine Disorders

10. Sleep Disorders

11. ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) Dysfunction  (disautonomia; low blood pressure...)

12. Gastrointestinal Disorder

13. Elevated LFTs  (liver function tests)

14. Drug Use/Addiction

15. Deconditioning: need for PT

Dr. Horowitz states there are over 300 strains of Borrelia worldwide- having many variations in presentations, from indolent slow to aggressive fast.   There are multiple strains of other co-infections as well, like Babesia. 

To me, many of these 15 areas can overlap as well-  it takes a good diagnostician to discern the intricacies and relations of these areas.

I would also add that an important component for successful outcome is spiritual well-being.  Knowing Truth and Hope makes a huge difference in getting through the Lyme Fight.  It is important to life, and eternal life!  

Keep seeking our Great Physician- asking Him to give you His wisdom, knowledge and understanding.  Ask Him to guide you, and your health care practitioner, in the best direction for you. 

Having Lyme is like having a huge basket full of tangled balls of yarn...  it takes skill and patience to sort through all of it! 

May our Great Physician provide what is needed for your care in this Lyme Fight today~

Blessings-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvIEJ_PmqJ8


Mark 2:17

And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”