Jesus is for the Wounded

CBD Hemp Oil and Seizures

Published on March 7, 2014May 3, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded9 Comments

Personal Update: I continue to experience a 40% overall improvement in seizure activity and related noxious symptoms just 16 days after starting high CBD hemp oil (HCBDHO). After 2 1/2 years of serious complications to Lyme, mold, Candida and biotoxin illness: I am amazed!

Here’s the research that I found that led me to discovering this LEGAL alternative to medical marijuana (more on that in a moment):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7413719

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7028792

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22696383

After seeing that there was authentic clinical research supporting the use of “cannabis” for epilepsy, even though I was diagnosed with non-epileptic seizures, I wondered how I might obtain it. Purchasing medical marijuana when it’s not legal in your State is a complicated process and risky. Some persons have obtained State I.D.’s in the state where MM is legal, set up post office boxes and even used the addresses of friends or family who live in the MM state. I did not feel comfortable with this, even though I was suffering tremendously on a daily basis.

The story of Charlotte changed everything. Charlotte was 5 years old when her parents became heartbroken over the hundreds of daily seizures their precious daughter had as part of Dravet’s syndrome. Her father researched alternatives to the myriad of medications that were not working and found CBD medical marijuana. Finding some to try was difficult even in Colorado where MM is legal since CBD is generally in concentrations too low to make a difference. CBD can reduce the “high” and confound the benefits of THC found in MM; it was long ago cultivated out of most strains. The parents found the Stanley brothers who had high CBD hemp, were willing to grow it for Charlotte, and were willing to sell it to them with the proper orders from two pediatricians as required in Colorado. Charlotte’s seizures stopped for days after the first dose! She is now gaining in all developmental milestones and reclaiming her young life much to the delight of her parents. Other parents around the world are flocking to Colorado to get on the waiting list for Charlotte’s Web: the high CBD cannabis.

I believe it is the Lord who allowed me to ask the question of whether or not CBD (cannabidiol, a type of cannibinoid) is available in other types of cannabis. While medical marijuana and hemp are the same genus of cannabis but the species containing mostly THC is generally cannabis sativa and the species containing mostly CBD is generally cannabis indica. From here I will call CBD/cannabis indica: hemp. Industrial Hemp is another term for non-psychoactive cannabis.

Industrial hemp is grown outside of the USA and imported for hemp fiber products, oil with elevated essential fatty acids, and more. When cultivated for high CBD, hemp oil has more physical effects and can be sedative as it acts upon the endocannibinoid system of our cell walls. There’s a lot of technical stuff here so I’ll save that for another post. THE TAKE HOME MESSAGE is that you do not have to use MM to get the benefits of high CBD hemp oil: HCBDHO can be extracted from hemp plants as a nutritional product and that product is LEGAL in all 50 of the United States of America!

Industrial Hemp is grown outside of the USA for fiber, cleaning up soil contamination, fuel, clothing, paper, oil high in essential fatty acids, and CBD oil.

From here I set out to figure out how a person takes HCBDHO, how is it dispensed, who sells the best products for me, and what companies are reputable. I did not want a product from a start-up company with an inferior product laced with flavorings, fillers, and sweeteners. I needed a concentration that would be effective and cost-effective as pure oils can be pricey. I wanted a company who could answer my questions and had sound business practices to indicate that it would still be there for me next month and next year when I got well. I believe I have found that product and that company. (For more information and information on how to obtain a discount, contact me via the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/seizurefreezone)

Today I just wanted to share that for persons with seizures and seizure-like episodes, there will be hope for many in the use of high CBD hemp oil. It’s been here all along, running under the radar of controversial medical marijuana. Who knew? Now you do too! Please share this information with others who might be interested!

P.S. Relief for persons with seizures is just the beginning. Just Google any of the key words written here “and” a medical condition or symptom (for example CBD and fibromyalgia). You just might be delighted with what you find!

P.P.S. Watch an informative video by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a former White House Fellow under the Clinton Administration at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4GUkzTnFG0 Remember to watch for the mentioning of CBD, THC, or ratios of the two together. Of course, preparations with THC will require purchase in a State where MM is legal! :J

A Bridge Still has Value

Published on March 3, 2014March 3, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded2 Comments

Recently a friend challenged me on my reading of a popular devotional by Sarah Young, Jesus Calling (2004, Thomas Nelson Inc.) Since I have referenced at least two of her daily devotions in this blog, I thought I should discuss the book here. Here is my reply:

I re-read the Introduction to Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling plus a few devotionals, listened to Warren Smith’s presentation last year on You Tube about the book (July 24, 2013), and checked out Hank Haanagraf’s remarks from one of his Bible Answer Man broadcasts (November 16, 2012). I see valid criticisms. Sarah Young fails to put a clear focus on the sovereignty of God separate from us; by speaking in the first person she blurs the line. Missing is mention of a clear path to salvation (and the gifts of eternal life in addition to true peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control) that comes only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She tends to bring God along with her instead of placing God as head of the body of Christ; this is often the sign of a carnal Christian or new believer. The book also uses metaphors and popular analogies that are not necessarily Biblical to bring the reader into the perspective of how God might view our daily lives. Her focus on these types of experiences can be problematic for many reasons including misleading a person who tends to be led by emotion instead of the immutable truth of the Word of God. And lastly, the book does nothing to point a seeker to the Bible, a healthy well-balanced Christian church, fellowship with other believers, or educate him or her on the basic tenants of Christian faith.

If Jesus Calling were a Bible commentary, it would fail. If Jesus Calling was intended as a tool for evangelism, it would fail. If Jesus Calling was designed to be used by apologists to defend the faith, they would lose the debate. While she quotes relevant verses with each devotional, her applications might not be universal to everyone (and Warren Smith knocks down many of them). Perhaps she could be more accurate. Perhaps she was taking a little extra literary license to illustrate the softer themes of life represented with verses that are more easily understood?

I am sad that a warm and friendly book that greases the seeker’s heart with a beginning understanding of the nature of God cannot also be more direct about essentials of the Christian faith too. Perhaps a Max Lucado book would do better? He uses poetry and prose with loving imagery to reach the broken hearted as well. Maybe at some level both authors are similar? You could say that their feel-good books distract a person from delving into the Bible yet they could also give another person a place to go when the Bible is just too intimidating. A scholarly book (i.e. the Bible or a commentary) and a scathing review by a New Age fear-monger such as Warren Smith, will not comfort the heart of a person in crisis!

Sarah Young’s book could use some other improvements. I don’t know why her testimony in the beginning does not include a salvation story per se. Does this mean that she is not saved? We just don’t know. Again it is often literary license that an author uses more general terms of faith so as not to scare off wounded seekers that really need Him! Jesus Calling may still be useful as an introduction to a more personal God for a lost soul who may have been hurt by religion or a skewed view of who He really is. Seeing how God really does understand, cares about the details of one’s daily life, and is ever near is clear on these pages. Reading this could help old wounds to heal. Women often need this most. Their minds will still need truth so the seeker should not end his or her search with Jesus Calling, however. The book should have ended with an invitation to a closer relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ and encourage the reader in his or her next steps as noted in my first paragraph. It does not.

Is it New Agey? The fact that Sarah does not go deeper into essential matters of Christian doctrine could make it look like just another feel good book about a generic God. One might begin to pick apart themes in the devotionals and say that the God in Jesus Calling is not the God of the Bible. And if the God in the book is not the God of the Bible then it must be about Satan or some New Age alternative that is neither one. So the next step could be to claim that Jesus Calling is a New Age book because of this and because of its use of terms reflective of popular culture, the New Age movement. Yes all of this could be true and indirectly move a seeker away from the One true God that he or she had hoped to find in an empty book. Or maybe not. I have more faith in the Lord’s plan for those who earnestly seek after Him. He calls His own. Her or she will find Him in a babbling brook if that is His will!

Many would criticize my own bridge to faith in Christ that was built through the 12 steps of Al Anon Adult Children of Alcoholics. The daily devotional, One Day at a Time, is quite vanilla. The God of the 12 Steps is generic albeit consistent with the basic tenants of a Christian faith from the Bible. Tis sad that many stop at “recovery” and faith in a Higher Power in these meetings and never find the God of the Bible. But the Lord had a plan for me from that feel-good experience and used those 9 years for His glory. I would have never approached the throne of grace had I not healed from so much while sitting around the tables, held in the basement of many churches and not in the sanctuary.

I make two references to Jesus Calling in my eBook, Hope Beyond Lyme: The First Year. In the first I quote a nice encouragement Sarah Young gives about: 1) many of us seeing only a part or the “tip of the iceberg” when faced with confusing situations and 2) our needing to trust God for that which we cannot see or comprehend: mysteries. The second time I quote the book I name both Mrs. Young’s devotional along with a secular book of comedy as books with some wisdom but that both are second to the Bible. I wonder if my friend misunderstood me: Jesus Calling is not my second favorite book! I read Jesus Calling over these past 2 years when I was in crisis every day and struggled to hold a heavy Bible let alone concentrate on it. Because it comforted me I included it when writing the eBook. I read my Bible most days anyways, of course! The centrality of the Bible for me and for the eBook should be clear by the over twenty passages of scripture quoted and referenced.

No book is a replacement for the truth, hope, and eternal significance of the Holy Bible. Today I am grateful to have a Bible App on my smart phone that I can easily hold in the palm of my hand in bed during trying times. The Lord has opened my mind to more of His Word and the ability to concentrate on it too. I am grateful for a temporary tool, a small devotional book, that the Lord used to comfort my heart until I could read His Word again. I pray for spiritual armor to protect me and wisdom to discern any unsound doctrine that would harm my relationship to my King, my Savior, Jesus Christ. I also pray that the millions of readers of Jesus Calling would continue to seek the Lord and find Him in the person of Jesus Christ alone. Thank you Lord for my friend’s willingness to dialogue on this important topic. May it all be for Your glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Recovery is a jagged line

Published on March 2, 2014March 21, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded1 Comment

Today my words came back to me. My beloved Steve was comforting with his encouragement that there can be many setbacks even when on the road to recovery. Ah yes. The old, “recovery is a jagged line” speech. I have let those words fly many times when working with my patients as an occupational therapist. There was the cardiac patient who was frustrated with having to restrict his activity level to basically mope-ing around the house for his first week home from the hospital. I also recall a lady practically quarantined in a back bedroom of her home with a great view of the surrounding woodlands. She had a portable refrigerator, phone, laptop, accessible bathroom, hospital bed, wheelchair, walker and many conveniences to help her recover from a knee replacement surgery. I had to encourage her to push up her jagged line a bit lest she become too comfortable in her hospital room at home!

One of the many reasons I enjoyed working in home health care was the ability to use the person’s real-life situations, supplies, and responsibilities as part of his or her occupational therapy. The role of an O.T. is to evaluate the daily activities of an individual and the skills needed to complete those activities. When there is a breakdown due to an illness, surgery, mental health problem, developmental delay, disability, or disease process, the O.T. works with the patient and his or her resources to restore function. I was always amazed at how “resourceful” some patients could be! I think the farmers were the best. I’ll never forget the industrious wife of a patient suffering after several failed back surgeries. The lady of the house had built from scrap wood a rolling cart with a seat on top and rope attached to move it along the floors in her home. What was she moving? Well her husband of course! He was eligible for a wheelchair rental but evidently the subject never came up. I don’t think they even wanted one when it became available. The downside: the gentleman would not likely become independent in household mobility and related activities when sitting on a cart that had to be pulled by others. Recovery is sometimes a flat line too: no true recovery at all.

As for me, the recovery is moving forward. I am 12 days into using high CBD hemp oil to attempt to control daily seizure-like tic episodes. Today I had a setback for about 2 hours but at least the episode was low grade without a severe neck headache or pain. And when night time rolled around to my bewitching hours of 9-11:00 p.m. there were pre-tic symptoms and nothing else. This is the second night in a row with relief! Every night prior to this and for the past 8 months I have had 2-4 hours of intermittent seizures. Virtually every day or night for the past 2-1/2 years I have had intermittent waking seizures. Praise the Lord, the pattern is changing! At either set intervals or when noxious symptoms start I take a full or partial dose of high CBD hemp oil and get relief. Nothing has ever done this before!

It’s not like I haven’t prayed, submitted, waited, or tried more diets/supplements/drugs/manual therapies/technologies/chiropractors/testing/remediation than, as they used to say, “Carter has got pills!” I am actually still preparing to see methylation and biotoxin illness specialists in Michigan later this month. It is likely that the cause of illness is related more to exposure to biotoxins than Lyme disease. All that may be clearer sometime down the road. At this time my husband and I are rejoicing for the relief from our hellish nights. He just might start getting a full night of sleep before too long! That is if we don’t stay up for other reasons . . . ;J

If you are curious about high CBD hemp oil then I offer this informational website: www.mycbdresearch.com and join the discussion on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CBDhempandseizures There’s hope here for many with seizures and other neurological, intractable health conditions. For all of us there is one ultimate source of hope that will sustain us whether recovery is a straight, jagged, or invisible line: a relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ. To find Him we only need to get on our knees and open our hearts to His enduring love, His love letters to each of us in the Bible. I would have never made it this far without my Jesus. I am humbled and grateful for many aspects of these past 2 1/2 years: I’m working on accepting the wretched parts.

Meeting you, Gentle Reader, along the way is a sweet gift. Thank you for being a part of my recovery too. JJ

It’s eBook Week

Published on March 1, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

Looking for hope and encouragement while you or your loved one recovers from a serious illness? I invite you to check out Hope Beyond Lyme: the First Year.

The first year enduring and battling a serious illness can test everything we thought we knew about coping with the trials of life. In this book, I invite you to share the more meaningful moments of my journey as I seek to draw strength from outside of myself to endure the trials of my particular story. My hope is that you, too, will find strength and hope that transcends your day-to-day experience. I also hope that you will consider the hope found in God though a personal relationship with His Son. His presence in One’s life makes a difference in where a person lands when this particular journey of life is over. Will we have peace or will we have despair?

For the next week, my eBook Hope Beyond Lyme: the First Year is 50% off! Just use coupon code WE45A at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/371334

Take care, Just Julie