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!