Recovery from Serious Illness: Lyme, CIRS, & More – Page 89

The Children Cry Out

Published on August 10, 2014August 10, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded2 Comments

this simply should not be and yet it is.

here’s the story if you have not already heard: ISIS beheading children in Iraq.

no human could systematically do this to children without experiencing trauma oneself. it is evil, pure and simple. the answer? follow Christ’s example (see Matthew 4) and combat evil with the Word of God. please join me and conscious people throughout the word in the prayer that will combat this evil.

Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

we pray in Jesus name who takes our prayers to our heavenly Father. even our utterances of grief will be heard by the holy spirit in One with the Father. thank you. Lord have mercy on the least of these! JJ

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Luke 18:16-17 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Leviticus 18:1 “‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Deuteronomy 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Deuteronomy 4:40 Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time. (Given before the grace of Jesus Christ at Calvary).

Deuteronomy 14:1 You are the children of the Lord your God.

2 Chronicles 25:4 Yet he did not put their children to death, but acted in accordance with what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded: “Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.” (Thus correcting the concept of generational sin. These children are not dying for the sin of their parents! And they are too young to die for their own sins. See the grace given to children from Matthew 19:14 below.)

Psalm 72:4 May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor.

Psalm 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.

Psalm 127:4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.

Psalm 139:13-18 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Isaiah 43:5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

Lamentations 2:11 My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. (The Lord’s heart as reflected in the inspired words of the prophet Jeremiah, grieves for his children.)

Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner. (We are to grieve for the children.)

Lamentations 4:2 How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!

Joel 1:3 Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

Micah 1:16 Shave your head in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourself as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile.

Matthew 2:18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Mark 9:37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Mark 10:16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 23:28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

Acts 2:39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 9:8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.

Galatians 3:26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,

Hebrews 2:14-15 ¹⁴Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.   (Christ was once a child and always our Savior. As such he both grieves and overcomes the evil of the world.)

1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 John 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

Revelation 21:7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

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In these words and promises I hope you will find instruction, direction, comfort and hope. Our Lord sees the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ, young and old. In the words of a dear sister I find the most encouragement of all. I will close with this and continue to pray for those persecuted for their faith. Their reward is coming. Take care, Just Julie

In view of the tragic beheading of Christian children & adults by Islamic groups, the following, written 68-96AD (1,946 yrs ago) is enlightening: “… and [I saw] the souls of them that were BEHEADED FOR THE WITNESS OF JESUS, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation20:4 (From Facebook August 8, 2014)

Wide-eyed and bushy tailed: Part 2 of 2

Published on August 4, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded1 Comment

So our great adventure really happened: about 350 miles, 2 cities in Michigan north of us in Indiana, one cooler of drinks-n-foods, and lots of excitement as Steve literally flew through the air! My beloved thought we were going sailing after multiple gift clues and our plans changing 5 times! Of course he only know about the date changes . . .

I love you Steve. So grateful to share your special day with you. Just Julie

P.S. I am pooped! :J

Wide-eyed and bushy tailed: Part 1 of 2

Published on August 2, 2014August 4, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

This pup can sleep no matter where she is or what time of day it is. I’ll bet she is not alone in this. Most dogs can sleep all day long if they like. I guess it helps to have 2 layers of eyelids with one covered in heavy fur! And in my experience, many of the male homo sapiens genre can sleep at will too! 🙂

Not so for me. After a rough night, rough afternoon, and low grade episode in the middle of the night it’s as if I have toothpicks holding my eye lids open. In about an hour my alarm will go off in anticipation of a birthday surprise outing for my beloved husband. It has been re-scheduled or re-configured six times over the past week with the location, State, and parties involved changing many times due to various extraneous factors. He only knows about the date changes. Steve has been a champ through it all! I kept him guessing with clues and silly gifts. The changes of date, time, etc. has actually helped keep everything a secret. I just hope I hold out too!

Sometimes sheer adrenaline gets you through that which you could never do on your own. I know my Jesus is out front so please: take the helm!

Seeya later with all of the details and pictures. I’m headed for a puppy pillow.

If the story made a difference

Published on July 28, 2014July 28, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded4 Comments

A blog is an interesting vehicle in one’s life. You get to write about anything you want and just about anyone, anywhere can read it. At least that is how this blog is structured. Funny thing is that once you get going on a particular topic, there’s a high likelihood that you might reveal a little more about yourself than you might if you were in person. The ideas just flow when here alone at the keyboard and if it is a personal blog (instead of a professional or business forum) well things can get personal quite easily! If you are honest, that is!

Why bring this up? Well I have come to realize that some tragic events in my childhood are influencing the nature of my recovery from illness. The question I have grappled with of late is whether or not to write about it. Oh the story is juicy enough to draw some interest and you bet I’ll let you know how the Lord has helped me endure and overcome the pain of it all. Healing has come for these hurts because of the love of my Heavenly Father manifest in my personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has guided the process: providing counsel, “Jesus with skin on” in the form of loving sojourners, helpful tools, and His glorious written Word leading me to hope. So why share the hairy details anyways?

Possibly I would because horrific illness may trigger past hurts for others more than me. I don’t want you to feel alone if that is part of your story. New trauma often stirs up old wounds: at least the one we might find are not fully healed. We might not know that they are not fully healed until something new happens in our lives as in the course of serious illness. I view many of these events as “another involuntary growth experience” and am often left feeling more whole when I work through the tender issues correctly. The problem is that when you happen to mention to a medical professional that waking nightmares, seizures, involuntary screaming episodes, and convulsions have triggered scenes that might be from your past YOU GET A PSYCHIATRIC LABEL AND THEY STOP TRYING TO TREAT THE MEDICAL ILLNESS. This is frustrating indeed! The medical illness came first. Healing secondary issues is a bonus, like clearing out cobwebs in a musty garage. Cool beans and all that jazz. Keep the treatment focus on the root cause people!

So for me to share old or emerging facts from my abusive past runs the risk of my physical symptoms not being taken seriously. Convulsions require serious examination, eh? I paid dearly this past Saturday for venturing out on a private lake for my husband’s canoe and kayaking class hosted with a friend. Even though the water was treated with blue dye to prevent algae growth, it was there anyways. I have never had such violent, animalistic, horrifying convulsions in these 2 1/2 years of seizure attacks as I did one hour after I returned home. You would not believe the level of torment I endured continuously for 2 wretched hours! The rest of the evening was awful too with a rebound of episodes on Sunday. I lost over a day of my life in payment for enjoying a paddling outing with my beloved and some friends. The biotoxin illness won and I lost. Tell me how this is all in my head as the working out of an unhappy childhood? NO WAY.

If the story of my sorry childhood made a difference to the “Hope Beyond” I would like the Gentle Reader to find, I would write about it here. However in doing so I would risk selling myself short in the process for those who might not follow my whole story. One of my blogs generally covers only one topic as in a chapter of a book. Further, reading a posting about a waking nightmare that was remarkably similar to a very bad day a long time ago would put the focus on the past and not on the exposure to cyanobacteria earlier that afternoon. And in the end we bloggers don’t need to share everything about ourselves to be heard, to make a difference in the literary world. We only need to be genuine to ourselves, to our subject matter. Should I need to share a scene from my past to make a point I might do so briefly. To say more will put the focus in the wrong place. I need to keep my eyes fixed on my great expectation for what lies ahead of me (and all who believe), in the glorious presence of my Lord and Savior. One day when my life on this earth is over He will make right all that was not right back there and heal me then, if not sooner. I believe there will be a blessing for my stewardship of the experiences, sacrifices, ministries, and choices of humility He allowed in my life if I have succeeded in acting according to His will. And if I have acted according to His will then it is only because He helped me to do so! This stuff is way too hard to make it on my own.

The story that truly makes a difference is not mine. The story that has the power to transform the lives, the hearts of mankind is that of the person of Jesus Christ. Let His own Words of His life, His pain and suffering as chronicled in the Gospels (the first 4 books of the New Testament in the Bible) lead you to His throne of grace. Lay your burdens before the One Who is, Who was, and Who will forever be. Let His love redeem the pains of the past so that both you and I may live freely in His presence forevermore. What great fellowship we shall enjoy one day soon! What great joy we will know when He calls each of us by name Who knows Him as Lord and Savior. Oh how I long to hear His stories of how much He loves us, He takes our prayers to the Father, and has prepared a glorious place for us to dwell in together: Him and I; you and Him; the fellowship of believers; the cherubim and seraphim. Yeah that’s where my focus outta be!

Philippians 4:8New International Version (NIV)

⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Oh yeah! Now that’s some great writing! ;J

I get it Jonah!

Published on July 26, 2014July 26, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded1 Comment

Jonah was an Old Testament prophet called by God to warn the people of Nineveh to repent. God’s judgment was eminent unless they changed their evil ways. Jonah burned with anger because he did not like the people of Nineveh and thought they should not be the concern of the almighty God. So instead of going to Nineveh, he headed off on a ship to Tarshish instead. A mighty storm rose up, threatening the ship and crew. In time they found out that it was because of Jonah that their lives were at stake. At Jonah’s suggestion, they tossed him into the sea and the storm ended. Jonah was taken up by a mighty fish and spent about 3 days inside before repentance of his own disobedience towards God. Eventually Jonah went to Nineveh, he warned the people, they repented, and their lives were spared. Jonah still wasn’t happy . . .

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I was making some new necklace designs the other day, very late at night. Things were not coming together well as I had to re-do a simple slider knot at least five times before I got it right. Then I made the same mistake again on another piece! Do you have a “little tiny voice” that sometimes nudges you in the direction you should go? Yeah, it was yapping at me to save a particular scrap of hemp cord in case I would need it for another part of the new collection. Fooey, I thought. I have other colors and I really wanted to make some gift ties with the white cord not save it for something else that was not in front of me. So I didn’t save the cord. It was the last piece of that color and it got used as part of a gift box packaging that was sent out the next day. I did not think about it anymore. Or rather I did not think about it any more until I had to repair a mistake in one of the new necklaces six days later.

I lost an hour of my life trying to correct my mistake with anything but the white cord remaining in another gift tie. I could not believe how many goofy mistakes I was making trying to avoid getting out the bag of gift ties, untying a braided strand, and using a proper length of cord to make the repair. Finally I laid down my will. It wasn’t working. Repairing the wrap knot and saving the jewelry piece required me to dig out the supply that had been within arm’s reach all along. Sigh. Alright then. Hunker down and take care of it already! Moments later I was done. But what had happened to me? It’s just a piece of jewelry for crying out loud! Yes, and I might as well have been a stubborn 2 year old for how I was acting. I’ll never get that hour of my life back again. The only person to blame is me, not some illness brain fog thang.

Has this ever happened to you, Gentle Reader? Hopefully the stakes were not as high as a nation threatening to be destroyed because of the selfishness of a wayward prophet. There probably were consequences of some kind though: consequences that were unpleasant or harmful, wasteful. Sure, we need to be gentle with ourselves when we make mistakes, live for a time in denial, procrastinate, and the like. And yet when we are outright defiant to that which we know we should do we are hurting ourselves and maybe others too. It’s a sign of immaturity, a lack of self discipline. While we sometimes may need to delay making the right choice in a situation for a variety of reasons, let’s hope we get to task when there is a leading is from the Holy Spirit: my tiny voice inside of me. He has my best interests at heart even for the small events of life. He cares for all of the details of my life just as He cares for the nations of the world. That’s just how mighty our God is: the great I AM.

Dear Heavenly Father, I am weak this night. I am still capable of heeding the counsel of the Holy Spirit that ministers to my every need. Thank you for the incredible gift of your indwelling Spirit. I lay down my will this night in awe of Your love for me and majesty. Strengthen me for both the mundane and more important tasks in the days ahead. Grow my trust in you. And if it is Your will, heal me of my infirmity so that I may be used for greater things. Thank you for Your Word to teach us, guide us each day. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.