My new challenge

Over the past week and a half, God has really been trying to get me to see some things in a new light. He has reached me through several different sources: a couple sermons, a conversation or two, a book I am reading, through a blog I read, and in prayer. In all these instances over this period, he seems to bring to attention the same thing; my sin, and whether I am living more in the Word or the world.

I have come to realize that I am allowing sin into my life by way of TV, movies, and books that I have been reading. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I have been reading trashy romance novels and watching lots of R or MA rated TV and movies. What I have been reading and watching lately though has language that I do not approve of, may have situations where people are having extramarital sex, or simply showing derogatory or hateful attitudes. I am not saying all these shows and books are bad, but they have content that I really don’t want to have in my life. I don’t want you to think I am condemning those who watch or read these things, because believe me, I love shows like Friends and Revenge, and I don’t want to miss out on the next New York Times Bestseller. I have decided though, that by allowing myself to be exposed to these things, I am becoming desensitized to the sin in them. After all, we all know that ‘Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.’ I am aiming to protect my precious heart from these sources of sin, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I hope my heart will become ever purer.

One of the blogs that I read fairly often is written by a gentleman who practiced a homosexual lifestyle for years before coming to Christ. After he was saved, he realized that he would continue to struggle with those feeling, but since God did not approve, he was going to do his very best to not act on them and grow closer to God in hopes that the feelings might fade over time. I obviously have no idea what it must be like to have homosexual feelings, but was quite intrigued by Matt’s story. After reading his blog post about that major turn of events in his life and what he has learned from it had left me in awe. I feel assured that with God on our side, we can overcome difficult sin struggles in our lives. I have included an excerpt from one of his latest blogs that I found inspiring for my current situation and what I am trying to overcome.

“The truth is, you are utterly hopeless to defeat the sin in your life… in and of yourself, as am I. There’s not any amount of self control or discipline that you can muster up from within yourself to crush this thing. The only thing, and I mean the only thing, that can change you is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit…. specifically, the love of God being poured into your heart to such a degree that your desires actually start to change. And by change, I do not mean completely disappear… my same-sex feelings have not totally disappeared. But what I’m saying is that the love of Christ that’s poured into our hearts by the Spirit swallows up all of our other carnal desires, drowning them out and putting them at bay. They may still be present, but the love of Christ is the overwhelming presence inside of our hearts…. the love of Christ controls us, not our sinful natures.” Matt Moore

New information to me, that I want to pass on to you!

I am doing research today on mercury toxicity and removal. I am adding a link below to a blog that goes into a lot of detail, and explains symptoms, as well as discusses different studies. I would urge you to read this if you have time. It is really appalling to think that so many of us are walking around with toxic heavy metals in our body and don't know it. Even more concerning is the fact that so many people see numerous doctors with no relief, and have no idea that this could be a cause to their own health problems.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/mercury-how-to-get-this-l_b_469358.html

If you don't have the time right now to read the entire blog, please watch this video. It is only about 8 minutes long. After watching it, I am extremely excited about the fact I will be getting my amalgams (silver fillings) removed in less than a weeks time.
http://iaomt.org/videos/

I just finished reading the follow up post to the first blog post I linked. This one has interesting information about autism and the effects of mercury in children. It also lists some ways to eliminate mercury and other heavy metals from your body.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/autism-mercury-toxicity_b_497047.html

Could sushi and tuna, be part of my problem?

I just got home from Dr. Yu's office. I called about a question last week and was told my heavy metal test results were in, which I had originally been told it would take three weeks. Thankfully, they arrived early though, and we were able to move my appointment up to today.

The results say....... I have mercury, lead and antimony levels that are outside common levels. The way the test was performed: I had a urinalysis to determine my baseline levels of toxic metals, followed by an IV of DMPS chelating agent which attaches to the metals and aids in them being eliminated from my body. After the IV, I collected my urine for 90 minutes, and that sample was tested to show how much can be eliminated with help from the chelation.

On my baseline test, I only had an uncommonly high level of mercury. This level was quite significant we were told. My level was 6.1. Dr. Yu told Dan and I that out of all his patients, only about 5% of his complex cases test above a 3 baseline, and less than 3% are at a 5 or higher. Obviously, I showed a very high baseline level statistically.

On my post IV test, my mercury was at a 27, while I was also high in lead and antimony. Dr. Yu stressed the fact that no level of heavy metals is safe, and that we may not know where exactly the metals come from, but it is imperative we all try to avoid those metals when possible. Even though my mercury level was significantly higher in the second test, I felt a little better when Dr. Yu told me that some people are up near 150. Yikes!

The first step I am taking in eradicating my body of mercury is removing my amalgams (silver fillings). I am also beginning a homeopathic drop twice a day that I will take for six months to help aid in the removal of these metals. I will also begin receiving a chelation IV once a month for 6 months before retesting my levels at that time. I will be seeing Dr. Yu in 3 months to check our progress and see how much better I am doing.

I will begin the second round of parasite removal next Tuesday, and I finish my current homeopathic drops on the 24th of June, so I will then mostly be focusing on avoiding, and removing heavy metals.

I am SO glad that God has made it possible for Dan and I to be in St. Louis, seeking this unconventional, yet very hopeful route. I had essentially given up hope that I could become truly well one day, but I am starting to see that as a very real possibility. I want to ask you to continue to pray for healing, and for guidance throughout this process. God is so good, and has taught me so much recently. I am glad for technology so that I can share this journey with you all. My hope is that my story will be of some assistance to someone some day. I know that I would never be able to endure all this without Jesus by my side. He is my comfort and my encouragement, and I want everyone to be able to say the same thing!

A rollar coaster week.

This has been one crazy week, with lots of ups and downs.

Last weekend I was actually feeling okay and super happy about it because it was the first weekend Dan was here with me, and I would have been very bummed if I did not feel well. We had already planned a trip to the fabulous Fox theatre, to see Riverdance and to go out to dinner on Sunday. Since we were apart for both our birthdays, this was our combined birthday date. So, I definitely wanted to feel as well as possible for that!

Friday night, we had a few friends over to hang out and talk after dinner. Saturday, Dan and I went to Laumeier Sculpture Park, and then on a hike in powder valley conservation area, came home for a nap, then out to dinner and early to bed for me! Sunday, we went to a church that has just relocated to an old converted school that had been abandoned for 30 years. We then were able to rest for a bit before heading over to a friend’s house to visit for a while before out big birthday date. I survived it all! J This was the most activity I had participated in since our honeymoon cruise in mid-January.  I would certainly call that progress from where I have been for the last 5 months!

Then, Monday came and I paid for all that activity. I stayed in bed most of the day with a super sensitive and powerful migraine. By evening, I at least had a little more energy and was able to join the family for dinner. Tuesday morning I woke up not feeling great, but better than I had been most of Monday. I had an appointment to have (DMPS) heavy metal testing that morning, and things went fine with that, but I did notice, as I was warned on the consent form, a side effect of extreme exhaustion overcoming me during and immediately after the IV. I was also informed that as a side effect I could experience a variety of mercury poison symptoms. Little did I know how true that could be.

Tuesday evening, I did not feel very well, and had noticed an increase in my migraine pain level, and therefore went to bed pretty quickly after supper. When Wednesday rolled around, I got up and felt a little better, I was able to get my medical claim forms prepared and ready to mail to insurance, and then sat down with a book to get a little reading in, and within a couple pages, I was miserable. My migraine pain had sky rocketed, and I went to bed with as much darkness as possible. Dan made a protein shake for me for lunch and I also had a protein bar, only to realize shortly after, how sick I was.

I have to tell you that was an extremely miserable day, but it also had some joys! I am so grateful that I have not only been able to maintain my faith throughout this long journey, but that it has been strengthened in so many ways. One of the cool things about the misery of Wednesday was that since I was not able to sleep as much as I wanted, I spent a lot of time in prayer. In answer to some of my prayers, I was blessed to be reminded of different song lyrics and bible verses that encouraged me and lifted my spirits. I was reassured of the fact that Jesus remains by my side through this all, and that He is in control, and will not allow me to bear any more than I can handle.

Thursday morning, I awoke still feeling poorly, and had my breakfast, followed by a short nap. When I woke up from my nap, I was in worse shape and decided to call the doctor. I spoke with the same nurse who had administered the DMPS test, and she asked me to come in for a vitamin and mineral IV. She said that Dr. Yu will often recommend that as a way to kind of counter act the side effects from DMPS. Dan, being the angel that he is, rushed me right down for the treatment, and we were ecstatic to find that it helped significantly! I am back to being pretty close to where I was this past weekend, and expect to improve further from here.

The big blessing in all of this is that even though we will not get my test results for a few more weeks, it seems like mercury poisoning could be at least a part of my issue. The main source could likely be the two silver fillings I have. If the test shows that I do have a significant amount of mercury in my system, I would expect that the next big step we will take will be to change out those fillings to ceramic. I will also be starting the second round of parasite medications in a few weeks.

I thank you all for your continued prayers and support on this journey. God certainly has been polishing away at me through it all, and I pray that I can continue to be a light of God for others in my every day life.

Dr. Yu appointment #2

Yesterday, I saw Dr. Yu for the second time. We were all anxiously awaiting this appointment, knowing we would be getting test results, and hopefully get to some of my underlying issues. At the first appointment when we did the meridian testing (think a type of electrical acupuncture that measures all of your body systems) I was out of normal range on 17 of 40 measurements. Dr. Yu, then put several bottles on some type of calibration device which represented the homeopathic drops, and parasite medications I have been taking, and he performed the test again.  That time only two were out of range, and therefore that is what he expected to measure at this appointment. He was glad to see that upon testing at this appointment, all 40 points were within normal range. We like progress! I have had an increase in my energy levels thankfully while being here and on this regimen, but have not had significant headache relief, which definitely leads us to believe that there is more to the problem than what we are already treating.

We were given my test results with lots of good literature on the results for both the IgG food antibody assessment and the Hair mineral analysis.

IgG allergies have a delayed reaction, and can cause issues that are not even noticed sometimes because they seem so subtle. There are 88 foods that were tested. Each food has a rating of reaction: 0 for no reaction, VL for very low, 1+ for low, and 2+ for moderate, and 3+ for high. I had no high foods, and only 2 moderate (lamb and lettuce)  which I will avoid for at least 6 months.

The foods I have a low reaction to, which I am allowed to eat as much I want of 1 day a week are: Apple, corn, pinto bean, asparagus, cottage cheese, sesame, buckwheat, cow’s milk, wheat, cheddar cheese, and pecan

The foods I have a very low reaction to, and can eat as much as I want every 4 days are: alfalfa, casein, coffee, garlic, lactaibumin, oat, peanut, rice, string bean , yeast, apricot, celery, corn gluten, gluten, lentil, orange, plum, rye, sunflower seed, yogurt, avocado, chocolate, crab, goat’s milk, lima bean, oyster, pork, sole, tuna, beef, clam, egg white, kidney bean, mushroom, pea, potato-white, soy, and walnut.

Finally, the non-restricted foods are: almond, broccoli, chicken, egg yolk, lemon, papaya, potato-sweet, sardine, tomato, banana, cabbage, cod, grape, lobster, peach, raspberry, shrimp, trout, beet, cane sugar, cranberry, grapefruit, olive, pear, red snapper, spinach, turkey, blueberry, carrot, cucumber, green pepper, onion, pineapple, salmon, strawberry, and zucchini.

I think I will be able to handle the restrictions pretty well; it will just take some planning ahead. The way I look at it, if there is a chance this will make me feel better, I am all for it!

Results of my hair mineral analysis showed:

I am a slow oxidizer (My body metabolizes food at a rate slower than required for the production of optimal energy levels to adequately perform basic body functions)

I have diminished cellular adrenal glandular activity

A cellular thyroid effect that is outside of optimal range

 A significantly impaired sugar and carbohydrate tolerance

Significantly decreased cell permeability

As far as actual numbers go, my calcium and magnesium levels were off the charts, my iron, manganese, zinc, chromium, selenium and phosphorus levels were all below normal. He did not seem to be alarmed with these, and said that it should even out with the supplement program I am on. The five toxic metals that were tested for were all present, which ideally none would be present, but they were not alarmingly high.

Dr. Yu seems to believe that with the supplement program I am beginning(11 different ones in addition to finishing my homeopathic drops), as well as following my food allergy guidelines, I should be seeing significant improvement very soon.

I have an appointment next Tuesday to do a test for toxic metals. We will then return about a month from now to get those results, and to discuss whether or not we need to have my amalgrams (silver fillings) removed. I am hoping that by that time, we are seeing a huge difference in my pain level from doing the new supplement program, along with obeying the food allergy recommendations!

The Mission of the Church

I just finished listening to a sermon by one of my favorite pastors-Matt Chandler. I feel like I cannot even begin to summarize this message without it loosing it's effectiveness. The sermon prior to this one is a great lead in as well. I ask you to listen, and try to apply the message in your daily life. I sure am!  It has definitely made me think, and realize that so often in my daily life, I become selfish without even noticing. The Mission of the Church

It has been a while since I last posted, so I will do my best to update everyone.

A week ago this past Saturday, my brother-in-law Brian arrived back home after being on a gap year program and out of the country for the last 4 months. It has been really great talking to him about the many experiences he had on that journey, and what all he has learned. He definitely has a new perspective on things that we so often disregard as Americans. I know that God has deeply moved in his life over the last year, and I look forward to seeing how he chooses to change the world.

Last Thursday, my sweet sister-in-law and her husband came into town for a busy weekend. We had my mother-in-law's birthday party on Friday night. I attended my first ever lacrosse game on Saturday, and then on Sunday, after my in-laws joined their new church, we had a brunch here at the house.

Health wise, I held up pretty well. I was able to stay active with a smile on my face through it all, but sadly, by Sunday afternoon I was wiped out! I rested all afternoon and got to bed early hoping to avoid a major crash. Unfortunately, I awoke yesterday with a horrible increase in migraine pain, that has yet to cease.

I am sure the busy weekend could have a lot to do with this, but it just frustrates me all the more to think that my body just cannot handle even a normal daily pace yet. I honestly thought that by now I would be a lot closer to a normal function. All I know to do is continue praying, and diligently taking my parasite concoction and detox elixir. Hopefully by my appointment next week, I will have more improvement, and get to receive instructions for the next step in healing. I got a letter in the mail today that they have one of my tests back, so I am eagerly awaiting those results.

Today I will ask you to please pray for my strength and that I can trust that we are moving along at the exact pace God wants us to. I am not as patient of a person I thought I was. I have been expecting wellness at any moment since I have been here, and I'm not waiting very well.

My prayer today comes from Psalm 25. In verse 1 David says: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; 2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.  Later in the chapter he says:15 My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare. I know that God is the ruler of all, and that through my trust in him, and following his path, I will become well, and I will be able to accomplish all that he designed me to do!

Fitting scripture from my morning Bible reading:
May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort according to your promise to your servant. Psalm 119:75-76

God is ever faithful, and I can tell you that He does comfort the afflicted. Turn to Him and his word when you are in need of comfort. He will prove himself true and Holy in every situation!

My prayer this Sunday morning is that we all remember who made this beautiful day, and in fact who knows ahead of time what we will experience. God will never leave us, nor forsake us. Please remember this and turn to Him in your time of need!

Dr. Yu!

I want to update everyone on the last few days. I was able to get in to see Dr. Simon Yu on Tuesday because of a cancellation.

We knew going in that this experience would be an adventure, simply from reading his website. Dr. Yu is an internist, who after his first ten years in the field became frustrated at the fact that he was not healing his patients. He realized that by prescribing medications for their illnesses without getting to the bottom of things, was simply masking the problem. At that point, he began exploring homeopathic and alternative medicines. He has been practicing these along with internal medicine together for the last ten years of his practice.

His website mentions a lot about how dental issues can affect your entire body and especially your heart. He talks about Acupuncture Meridian Assessment, Infrared thermography, chelation, and hair mineral analysis. Sounds weird right? So we were unsure of what all to expect, but being an avid patient of biofeedback, I knew I needed to be open minded going into the appointment.

My mother-in-law was with me through the process, when we arrived, my vitals as well as my weight, body, fat, and water mass were all checked, so semi normal exam thus far. I was then taken into a room and sat in front of what looked like a regular video camera, but was informed this was the infrared thermography, which would scan my face for any hotspots, which could mean underlying issues. The next room we were moved to had two machines that tested me further. The first one, I held onto two big metal probes and a program was run that scanned my entire body, and there were a few things that popped up. One of them being vitamin K-3 deficient, which does not surprise me since I have no idea what that vitamin is or where it comes from.  The next machine seemed quite similar only I placed my feet and hands on four metal plates while the scan took place.

The next room we were moved to is where I actually got to see Dr. Yu. This was the acupuncture meridian room. Dr. Yu came in and spoke with us about what is going on and looked at all my medical history and paperwork before starting the testing. This was certainly different from traditional acupuncture. He had me hold a large metal probe in one hand, while he held a small, kind of pokey probe to certain acupuncture points on my other hand. When he held the probe at each point, the machine would beep until he moved it, for a higher score the beep would be higher pitched. After he finished the first hand, he moved on to my other hand, and then each foot. Out of 40 areas. 17 of mine were out of the normal range. He then chose several different bottle of things, liquid and pills, and placed them on a round silver plated part of the machine. He went through all of the 40 points again, and this time only 2 were below normal, and these two areas, he said were related to dental. His theory is that I had an infection in my left socket after my wisdom teeth were removed that has never been healed.

He took me into the next room and did a short physical exam that was unremarkable. He then prescribed two parasite medications, as well as homeopathic liquids that are for allergies, liver, and kidney function (these were all bottles that he had put on the machine for the second round of meridian testing). I was instructed to take the homeopathic stuff three times a day for two months, and the two prescriptions four times a day for 1 month, stop and repeat in one month. I have never really thought that I might have parasites, but I hope at this point that I do and they are completely squashed out with this treatment! Especially because that liquid tastes like drinking straight rubbing alcohol even when diluted, GROSS!

After this part of the exam, I was returned back to the nurse’s care who proceeded to draw blood for food allergies, and chop actually quite a bit of hair off for a hair mineral analysis. We will be getting these results May 16^th, at my next appointment. Now it definitely feels like a waiting game!

I am SO ready to get back to normal. These days I am able to get up and around for a few hours in the morning, and then I need a good nap and rest period, before I am able to be up and around for several more hours and then very ready for bed. My migraine pain fluctuates almost by the hour. I can go from feeling like I can easily read or watch tv, to wanting to hide under the covers with no light or sound.

Today is my birthday, and I am certainly sad that my beloved husband is over 1,000 miles away from me, along with my parents, brother, sis-in-law, and nephew, but I am very blessed and pleased to have so many of Dan’s family and friends here with me to help celebrate and just to love me!

So many people when they are faced with a tough period such as the one I have been going through really get depressed, and down, they stress and contemplate suicide. All these things I cannot imagine. Though there are certainly times when I get frustrated and wish that I didn’t have to go through this period, I am so entirely glad that I am!! I have always wondered how someone can go through a struggle without having a relationship with Jesus Christ, and that wonderment rings ever so true in these moments of frustration. I have grown so much closer in my walk with God over this trial, that there is no way I could ever see it as anything but great! I urge you all to look at difficult situations, whatever they may be, in this same light! God loves you way too much to ever allow you to suffer for no reason. Just remember that he is all knowing and all powerful. Cling to him in your time of need and believe me, things will go a whole lot easier than you thought they would!

I have a couple of praise reports. Lisa, my sweet friend I asked everyone to pray about, is doing amazingly well after her kidney transplant, and she may even be able to return home this weekend if all continues to go so well! I also want to share with you a joy that a very close family friend of ours who had a stroke several weeks ago, was able to return home on Tuesday. He still has a long way to go to get back to the same ole Freddy, but God is amazing and steadfast. He will take care of us at all times!

But he said to me, ”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Be the moon!

I was listening to a podcast earlier that had a perfect analogy! The pastor was talking about how we must have the light of the Lord in our lives before we can go and spread His word to the masses; the analogy he used was that we are the like the moon, because the moon does not glow on it's own, but yet it reflects the light of the sun, otherwise we would not even think of the moon if we could not see it.

I challenge myself as well as you all to be conscious of the fact that we are nothing in this world without God, and that our mission in life is to reflect the Son!

Have a great night and a wonderfully blessed Sunday!

A big transition!

Every Christian knows that there are certain periods of time you will go through that are going to be a struggle. Part of having a strong faith, is knowing that God has a much bigger and better plan for your life than you can come up with. As I have been a Christian for 14 years now, I can tell you it is a true statement that being a Christian is not always easy. Your relationship with God has ebbs and flows over time. 

I hit a small low last week. I have of course had a migraine, some dizziness and fibromyalgia pain for several months. This has been a struggle no doubt, and definitely wears on a person, but I have to say last Wednesday I did not know what hit me. After a night with no sleep(another joy that I have been enduring lately) I had been doing OK with the lack of sleep, but by about 10 am it all changed for the worse. You see I was now in an even higher amount of pain, nauseous, so weak I could hardly lift my hand much less talk, and because of it all, so irritable and uncomfortable I wanted to climb out of my own body. Big sigh! Talk about yucky! I immediately instructed my husband to spread a prayer request ASAP. He lovingly and urgently bade my request and fervently prayed with me himself. I spent the remainder of the day praying and feeling my passion for the Lord slipping a little as my frustration and impatience grew. I have had many days in this cycle and throughout my life that have been 'bad', but I have to tell you,I don't remember feeling that bad before. Thankfully since then I have improved some, though I have still felt rotten enough that I decided to take my in-laws up on their offer to allow me to move in with them to test the theory that my environment is the major contributing factor in my poor health. This was not the easiest decision to make as a newlywed. I have gotten a little attached to having my best friend right by my side all the time. I kinda love the man! ;) Even though the decision was tough, after much prayer and discussion(and the pure frustration of little improvement) we scheduled my flight for yesterday. I was able to say goodbye and spend some time with my family and a few friends in the few days before my flight, which was a blessing, but also very exhausting. I was very anxious to get to St. Louis just to get a chance to rest!

My sweet mother-in-law was there to pick me up and had already met with a homeopathic pharmacist/MD and had a few supplements for me to begin immediately. After I was not greatly improved, and in fact quite exhausted by early afternoon today, she spoke to the pharmacy again and they referred us to a Dr. Yu, who began his carrier as an internist, and now practices alternative and complimentary medicine as well. We have scheduled the next available appointment which is not until the 30th, however they have me on an urgent cancellation list. After reading up on this Doctor, we are all feeling very optimistic and expecting great healing to come soon!

I listened to a sermon this morning and one of the quotes I took away from it was that the  light is brightest when it is darkest. Think about how bright the stars are in the middle of nowhere compared to being in the middle of a city. I am fervently praying that God continues to use this dark period of my life for His glory, and that His bright amazing light will shine through my experience!

Please pray that God will show me how to best exhibit his glorious light and love to others. Pray that the appointment goes well, and that if possible we can get in earlier than scheduled. Also be in prayer for my husband and I. We have a very strong relationship and are able to skype, facetime, and text throughout the day, but are a little sad we don't actually get to see each other in person for quite a while, we know this is a time when Satan really looks to attack. I want to ask that you pray for not only our military, but for their families as well. Dan and I are really gaining an appreciation for the void they must feel in their lives when they are away for such long periods. I also want to ask for prayer for my sweet friend Lisa. She was blessed with the gift of a healthy kidney from her brother last week. Everything has gone great so far, which shows Gods amazing glory and mercy. I pray that things will continue to improve for this wonderful child of God!

He is risen!!!!

He's alive and I'm forgiven and my soul has been set free. He's alive and I'm forgiven and my joy I can't contain. He's alive and I'm forgiven and my faith is here to stay. He's alive and I'm forgiven and my love flows deep and wide. He’s alive and I’m forgiven, because He did what He promised, He arose after three days. He's alive! He's alive! He's alive!
Remember the words of Jesus and your faith will resound with reassurance. “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18).
Christ has risen from the dead! Think about what that means! Not only did God send his Son to suffer and die for us in this world, He used Christ to give us a human example of what glory we can expect when we follow Him. When we choose to follow Christ, we are promised to be 'resurrected' into heaven after we die. I awake with renewed hope and no worries each day because of Jesus' resurrection. The greatest gift that has ever and will ever be was given through His life.

We are blessed!!!!

Today is not about the Easter eggs you may hunt, or the cupcakes you may eat. It's not about the time spent with family. It is ALL about Jesus!! Don't get me wrong, those things help to make my favorite holiday all the more wonderful, but I rise to worship God today and praise Him in humble repentance for that amazing and glorious gift He gave us!

Now that He is risen, we must obey!

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."   Matthew 28:19-20

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:1-2

Please listen to this sermon. It has a little football jargon, but in case you are not the football fan I am, don't worry, it is full of Christian fundamentals. A great blessing to jump start us all at this glorious time of year! It is only 34 minutes. YOU HAVE THE TIME NOW!!! :)

http://www.northpointchurch.org/Sermons/?p=episode&name=2012-02-08_02-05-12-this_is_a_football-tim_bycroft.mp3

All you MNATTers, this made me think about some of our discussion last week.

It is finished!

The words "It was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished" from How Deep The Fathers Love For Us have been on my mind. To think that Jesus was nailed up on that cross with my sins is very convicting. For someone who lived a sinless life to suffer by my sins alone is enough. I fear that the most saintly person on earth has committed enough sin in their life to hold Jesus upon the cross, but you add the entire world's sin that ever has and will be committed. It makes it easy for me to imagine when I think of it in this light, that not only did he suffer all the lashings and torment, the taunting and the pain of that horrible day, but he did it all with the weight of this sinful world on his  shoulders. I echo from my post yesterday...'it exhibits how Christ truly was a part of the Holy trinity, for I see no other reason He could endure such a thing.'

Thank you for the cross Lord
Thank you for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace
Thank you for this love Lord
Thank you for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace
Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crown
You reign victorious
High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

I cannot express enough how much that sacrifice made long ago, has so positively changed my life. I pray that you will ask me about this positive change, so I can share all the many ways I am impacted each and every day by the love and blessings that God pours down upon me. (If you need an example:I have been up sick and physically miserable for almost 24 hours, and I am so thankful because I have just had the best time building my relationship with Him!!!)

Happy Good Friday?!

Good Friday is here! When I was little, I could not understand why the day we commemorated Jesus' death on the cross was called 'Good Friday'. How many times do we truly celebrate when our loved ones die? Where I come from most people mourn at funerals, whether the deceased was known to be a Christian or not. We tend to feel sad and upset. This is purely selfish when the person who has passed is a Christian. When I think about Christ dying on the cross I am overwhelmed with joy and relief. I know that because of that amazingly generous sacrifice, and the fact that I have accepted this gift as I know it to be true, I will be allowed into heaven when I die. I have to admit that simply thinking about that day and what Jesus willingly endured for me, makes me feel as small as a grain of rice. The pain that He experienced after living a perfect sin-free life just seems unbearable. I truly believe that because of this sacrifice, it exhibits how Christ truly was a part of the Holy trinity. How else can we fathom the fact that someone who had never done, or as much as thought anything that was unholy would put Himself in a position to endure so much pain for us lowly sinners! Not only putting Himself in that position, but actually having the strength to take our sins as the pain inflicted upon Him. I believe that this is one of many things that will be beyond our true understanding until that glorious day when we are reunited with our Heavenly Father. Until that day, I will forever be in awe of this and many other actions that were exhibited by Christ on earth, but more than anything, simply of the love that He so generously offers us all. John 3:16 is probably the most quoted verse in the Bible, and I feel it is one of many that really exhibit God's love for us. I do however believe we need to remember verses 17 and 18 as well.
Look at them together: 
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:16-18
I think these verses should be quoted together to remind us of the fate we face without Christ's sacrifice. I pray we will all ponder these words today and tomorrow as we approach Easter morning and the remembrance of Jesus' resurrection. I pray that we will all be conscious of the need to share God's word with everyone we meet. I know that the knowledge I am free from condemnation after being washed by the blood Jesus shed on that GOOD Friday so long ago, makes me all the more eager to invite others to feel this same joy I have. I want to share a song that I love to belt out in worship to the one true God!

IF YOU WANT ME TO

I am sharing with you all a song that has meant a lot to me over the years, and even more so lately. Ginny Owens is an artist whom I love, and who has many songs that touch me down deep. I believe the lyrics of this song are relevant to any Christian, you just have to believe the truth that God knows what is best for us, just as our earthly fathers know better than we do as small children.

I have had a long time habit of listening to worship music in bed when I am trying to go to sleep. I remember back when I had a couple of cds that I kept in circulation(I would listen on a discman with big, old school headphones). A few nights ago I returned to this habit, which I had abandoned and the first album I clicked on on my ipod happened to be Without Condition by Ginny Owens. I had not listened to this album for probably at least 6 months, and when I came to this song, I realized it had a little more relevance to my life today than I had ever felt before. I had to share it with my husband immediately. You see, Dan and I have made it a point to share our lessons and experiences throughout this trial, and we feel that is strengthening our relationship with each other as well as our individual relationships with God. As odd as it may seem, I thank God that we are experiencing such a difficult trial at the beginning of our marriage. Because of these lessons we are learning, and the closer we are drawing to each other, I believe we will be able to turn to God and cling to each other anytime trouble comes our way.

Proverbs 31

I have had a rough week. My migraine pain has been excruciating, I have had lots of trouble sleeping, and run fever off and on. Not exactly my ideal week. I think the worst of it has been that I feel cognitively limited. There are many things that I have learned and want to share on this blog, but feel like I am very unable to organize my thoughts well enough to compose a post. As it is I feel like my past posts are very discombobulated and ADDish.

I had pledged to add at least a post a week, so I am going to post my interpretation/modern re-write of Proverbs 31: 10-31. I believe every Christian woman should aspire to be a Proverbs 31 woman. There are so many wonderful principles represented in this bit of scripture that anyone would be exhausted trying to attain them all, but we should all try to become the best woman we can. I took the scriptures verse by verse to try and make it more relevant to women today.

My version of the Proverbs 31 woman

10-A virtuous woman is to be cherished above all else on earth, for she is a rare treasure.

11-She is happy and content with all that her husband provides, never asking for more of her wants.

12-She works hard to please her husband in every way, all the days of her life.

13- She is happy and eager to serve, always seeking new opportunities to reach out.

14-She makes a conscious effort to get the best food for her family.

15-She gets up early, before the rest of the house in order to prepare for the day with spiritual and physical manna for her family.

16-She does research before making any big decision, and then follows through with her plan.

17-She is proactive in exercising to keep her physical body well.

18-She is frugal, and consistently working to better her family.

19-She is anxious to work with her hands.

20-She is eager to help those less fortunate.

21-She prepares her family for coming trials and storms through prayer and fasting.

22-She dresses modestly so as not to show off.

23-She encourages and enables her husband to do his work of ministry out in the world.

24-She finds ways to create profitable goods to sell, and help her family financially.

25-She is strong and dignified and looks forward to what is ahead with gladness.

26-Whenever she speaks, she speaks with wisdom and kindness.

27-She does not gossip, and she ensures all is well at home.

28-She raises her children in the light of God so as they can be a blessing.

28/29-Her husband praises her character and disposition with great respect.

30-She worships God above all other things.

31-She provides such a powerful example through her husband and family that all will see her passionate love for the Lord!

It is well!

I heard the story behind the following hymn a few days ago, and I am really interested in history like this anyway, but it also really caught my attention since it is one of my favorite hymns.  I was at my little cousin’s birthday party this morning when one of my cousins started to really express concern about my health and saying she felt bad, and really wanted to figure out how to help me.  I certainly appreciate her care and concern, but am so blessed that I can honestly proclaim ‘It is well with my soul’! I do not have any fear about tomorrow, because whatever tomorrow brings will not be a problem for me to handle with God in control of my life!

I wish you all a blessed, Christ filled day tomorrow!
 
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

By Horatio G. Spafford

This hymn was written after two major traumas in Spafford’s life. The first was the great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a wealthy businessman). Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford’s daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford’s wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Several weeks later, as Spafford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, the Holy Spirit inspired these words. They speak to the eternal hope that all believers have, no matter what pain and grief befall them on earth.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
 When sorrows like sea billows roll;
 Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
 It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

 It is well, with my soul,
 It is well, with my soul,
 It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
 Let this blest assurance control,
 That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
 And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

 Refrain

 My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
 My sin, not in part but the whole,
 Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
 Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

 Refrain

 For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
 If Jordan above me shall roll,
 No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
 Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

 Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
 The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
 Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
 Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
 The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
 The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
 Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

Holy Spirit to the rescue!

One story of the Bible I have been relating to the last couple days is David’s time from when he was anointed by God, to when he was finally crowned king.  Yesterday was an especially hard day for me. I was in severe pain, and greatly lacking energy.  I was especially frustrated by the fact that it was the second day of the NCAA tournament, and I could not even open my eyes to watch the games!  You’ll have to understand that this is one of my favorite times of year simply because March Madness.  I understand that this is a little petty to most people, but life has sort of been passing me by lately. (I have rarely seen anyone besides my lovely husband, and my friends at Bible study these past three months, leaving the apartment once a week is quite the accomplishment you see. Call me stir crazy!)

I must admit, the main thing getting me through this period is definitely the Holy Spirit!  For many years I didn’t understand the Holy Spirit. I grew up hearing very dramatic stories of people who would be ‘slain in the Spirit’ and start speaking in tongues, as well as thrashing around and so on, which frankly scared me, being raised in a Southern Baptist church where the gift of speaking in tongues was sort of an avoided topic. Because of this, I could not really understand really how I could experience the Holy Spirit without having such events happen to me.  Maybe, the church as a whole has a misunderstanding on the subject?

I will tell you though that over the last few years, I have done a lot more study as well as increased the quantity and quality of my prayer life throughout the day, which combined have shed a lot of light on the subject.  As I have learned, the Holy Spirit is or constant and present contact with the Trinity.  We know that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same, but think of the three different roles represented, and you will understand the Holy Spirit is how we hear from God, and a way of receiving His comfort.
I know for a fact that God has a very powerful mission for my life.  The hardest part of this trial has ultimately been the fact that I am not out in the public actively seeking to complete the Great Commission.  Now obviously this is a commandment God has given to each of us, and God may have more in store for me than just that, but that is something I am positive of and want to be out actively working towards.  When I first came to the realization that I was not able to do that right now and that it could be a while before I am able, I was bummed, and then decided I was going to study, pray, and worship as often and as much as I can during this time. I will admit that there are times when I am not feeling up to it and choose to watch TV, or allow my thoughts to drift to worldly things, but I have been able to greatly multiply my time and closeness with the Lord.  My hope is that I will continue drawing closed to him and that I will be able to maintain that and even be able to hear the Holy Spirit lead me without distraction once I come through this trial.
Where I am relating to David’s story is when I think of the fact that he had already been anointed by God to be king and therefore knew how he could have a major impact on the world,27 years before it was to happen. David was just a young scrawny, kind of forgotten boy when he learned of the great plan God had in store for him. He had countless trials he had to endure before he was made king. Think of the fact that he was living in caves on the run from his father-in-law who wanted to murder him for ten years! Talk about a reason to stress out, and possibly even lose faith!
Now obviously, my trial has not been near as long, and certainly not as tough, but I do feel like I can empathize a bit.  I hope I will not have to endure such a struggle, but I know that as long as I keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is always with me, I can handle anything.  I can even keep a smile on my face and a happy heart through it all!!  I can honestly say that even though, I may not be living what most people would consider a full life right now, I have never been happier, or felt such wonderful peace!
I pray that each and every one of you who read this will realize the power of the Holy Spirit.  Without Him in my life I don’t know, and certainly don’t care to know where I would be right now.  Even though I am struggling through what would completely devastate and depress the average person, I am able to keep my chin up through it all, knowing that no matter what, my God is with me, and he will not forsake me!!

More than half full

I have realized we have three main enemies as Christians: the world, the flesh, and Satan who uses others as his tools. These are things that we can all have mighty battles with sporadically, or even frequently at times. The best way to protect ourselves is to accept the overflowing cup that Christ provides for us to drink from.

I am listening to a new sermon series that takes me verse by verse through Psalm 23. Pastor Levi Lusko does a great job of using various quotes, cultural references and related scripture to really bring forth the relevance of the Bible to our world today. In the series he speaks on Verse 5 and the fact that Middle Eastern shepherds during David's time would give their sheep a cool refreshing drink of water from a cup before they would bed down for the night. When you think about a sheep's muzzle you can understand that if a cup was only a quarter or half of the way full the sheep would not be able to reach far enough in to get much water so the shepherd would always offer a full cup. The blessing that we are able to proclaim is that Christ has a refreshing, marvelous cup for us to drink out of that is overflowing. Just think about the fact that when we trust in Jesus we have more than we could ever need in life.

I am a natural worrier. Some of my favorite and most dwelled upon verses are Philippians 4:6-7 and Matthew 6:25-34. These verses are so reassuring to me. I especially love in Matthew 6:25 when Jesus states, "is not life more than food and clothing?" I feel like the world encourages pettiness and materialism because the continue feeding into themselves. The Christ centered equivalent I see is that when I read God's word I hunger for it more and more. I would love to say that this is where I naturally turn when I'm worried. Sadly, though, I tend to listen to the world and stress even more. When I think about all the things I want and think I need in this world rather than trusting these verses and knowing that I am God's precious child whom I know he delights in taking care of.

Maranatha!

I finished a sermon series on the book of Revelation last night.  It was a very in depth series that consisted of 33 different sermons going through the book sometimes verse by verse.  I was super enthralled from the beginning since I realized I’d never really studied, or much less read much of Revelations.  I think it is something that many churches either avoid all together, or they focus on the fire and brimstone tribulation, and that’s it.  When I look back at my life and all the sermons I have heard, bible lessons I have been a part of, and all the quiet times I’ve had I can’t recall much about the book.  Of course, all Christians know there is talk about the rapture and the great tribulation, but what more do we know about this book without doing a proactive study?  What I have learned over the past 2 or 3 weeks it has taken me get through this series, is astonishing.  (I don’t want to divulge many details, because I ask you to please do a study yourself.)

 I remember a few years ago in my adult 1 Sunday school class, the subject came up of whether the church will be raptured before the tribulation began, or in the middle before the great tribulation, or if we would be on earth to see it all unravel.  At the time, I had been very week at personal bible study in general, and as I said before, had never really gotten into Revelation, so I could not really say anything on the subject.  I must say that now, after doing this study, I wish I could go back to that morning and tell everyone in my class, just what I have learned in this study. I want them all to know what I now know, because Revelation is purely good news for any true Christian! 

I am definitely more burdened than ever to complete the Great Commission and just win over every person I know to Christ.  There are so many scary, horrific and unimaginable things that are prophesied in the book of Revelation for unbelievers.  I want to shout from the rooftops that I am saved, and would love to be with Jesus tomorrow, but then I think about all the people I know who I have not shared the gospel with, and who may not get the chance to hear it from any other source, which makes me realize that our time is not done on this earth.  Christ is ready to use the Holy Spirit to speak through us to all sinners! I beg any Christian who reads this to read/study Revelation, and the feel that pull on your heart, and most importantly, to go out and spread the word of Jesus in your daily lives. We do not want our loved ones to suffer a day longer in Satan’s grasp!

Prayer requests
My health, this blog, my husband's job search, my ill grandfather, safety for all those on spring break, our presidential primaries, and those who are voting, and for everyone who is reading this, may you be dearly blessed today!

This is my first time ever doing a blog. I want to give a quick explanation. I am 25 at the time I am starting this blog. I have been married for almost 3 months, and have had a debilitating migraine headache for 77 days and counting.  Consequently, I cannot work, but as a blessing have had plenty of time for prayer, bible study (when I feel up to having my eyes open) and listening to many sermons on my ipod. 
A little less than a year ago I realized that I was feeling a call to the ministry. I had previously always considered being in the ministry as being a pastor, which as a strongly raised Southern Baptist believes is not a job to be performed by women. When I finally quit fighting it enough, I realized there are so many different ways to serve, that do not involve church leadership. I had sort of put it on the back burner for most of this time, while putting most of my energy into planning our wedding.  I have recently had it brought back to the forefront of my mind, for several reasons. With it being in the front of my mind, I have done a lot of praying about it over the last week or so, and been troubled a lot with the fact that I feel extremely limited at this point in my life with how I can serve. Since I have been so sick as of late, I hardly leave my house, and therefore have limited contact with anyone other than my husband. When I do get out, it is usually to a weekly Bible study, so I really don't see many non-Christians at all.  It came to me as I was laying in bed praying, since I was having such trouble sleeping: I could find away to journal, or somehow communicate my interpretation of the love and knowledge of Christ. (ergo, you are reading my first blog!)
I would like to commit to posting at least a couple times a week. I will update about what I am learning and experiencing in my relationship with Christ, as well as prayer requests, that I would love for you to share in. Please feel free to provide feedback, and ask any questions you may have.