hope in Christ – Page 3 – Jesus is for the Wounded

Life as I know it

Published on April 13, 2014April 13, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded1 Comment

Sitting on the edge of change is a precarious place. One does not know if change will actually arrive yet she (or he) can be hopeful, patient, exceedingly frustrated . . . .

In honor of the Bundy family, Nevada USA

There’s a scandal going on in the wild West of the United States this week, as the federal government’s Bureau of Land Management attempts to overtake the ranch and cattle of a family that has used the lands for decades. Under the guise of protecting an endangered turtle, the government is not only rounding up cattle but cutting off water supplies; federal authorities are superseding State land rights and intimidating the family with physical force. The conflict has incited anger from local ranchers and national militia in addition to the Tea Party (political party). Underneath the issues may be a US Senator’s covert, personal involvement in building a solar power plant on the land in a $5 Billion deal with China. This all comes at a time of unprecedented changes in our country. A juicy story indeed.

This is an incredible time to be alive. This is an incredible time to be an American. This is also an incredible time to be a Christian. We can easily look to the incredulous shift of power in our country from the citizen to the increasingly tyrannical government, laden with moral and civil/financial corruption, to see that life in these United States has changed. The effect of Obamacare; immigration, voter and currency “reforms;” and more just may eventually make democracy in America a distant memory. Sure there may be pockets of freedom. However, that freedom is shrinking every day. Can you say, “microchip?” Don’t get me started on that one! If this blog goes away suddenly then you will know that the NSA (National Security Agency) has removed my First Amendment rights to free speech. While that is not o.k., there are more important topics to me which will never be silenced . . .

My incredibly wretched health challenges these past two years have reinforced beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is in control of everything. He has been with me on my bed of sickness, making Himself real to me and sustaining me through it all (Psalm 41:3). I draw my faith from the Bible. Through His Word, the Lord our God tells you and me through the story of Moses that those who believe in the Lord are to:

⁶Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31

Those words ring true today as well. I have cried out to my Jesus during wretched, daily seizures and He helped me, comforted me. My faith and resolve are strengthened not weakened despite the difficulty. Further I am encouraged that when tyrannical kings came up against the Lord’s chosen people through the ages, He reminded them over and over again in the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

¹⁹They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 1:19

This rescuing may be from illness or other trials of life; the rescuing may be from the consequences of something much worse to what beyond our control: the wretched effects of sin and living in a fallen world. The rescuing may not come until the day we die yet IT WILL COME! After all it is because of the sin of mankind that we suffer. Gratefully we are not alone in our suffering. Gratefully there is an antidote to our suffering such that someday we are assured that it will end! Related to our personal suffering, the Apostle Paul concedes that his own health issues were used by God for good:

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. (Colossians 1)

From these inspiring words I draw strength to persevere when my body is failing me. What can I do? I can write about matters that transcend the mundane issues of my day or even the crises blasting forth from every news channel. Want Christian news? CNN? Facebook news? Tonight Show news? It is everywhere bombarding us with allegory, truth, and propaganda alike. In the end this kind of news will not matter. The God of the universe reigns above all. He will come again in glory to rescue His own, to make things right. That is Good News! We can trust in His Word on this since before time began He told us, “I am.” Evidence of his sovereignty goes beyond evidence of intelligent design. Evidence of a loving and righteous God dwells within your heart and mine. Think about it! Otherwise we would not wrestle with themes of morality, existence, meaningfulness. If God did not exist, I would fight my illness with whatever snake oil came along and the Bundy family would use their crisis merely to incite a riot (or worse, civil war) to achieve survival of the fittest and not to seek what is “right.” Our search for what is right ultimately helps us hold out for the hope of heaven where all things will be made “new.” (Revelation 21:1) In the meantime:

⁸Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

The power to do these things on our own exceeds our humanity. The Lord adds His infinite increase though the work of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us when we come to faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. This blog will make little sense to you, Gentle Reader, apart from Christ. I submit to you that finding the gifts of the Spirit in these alarming times [peace, love, joy, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, self control (Galatians 5:22-23)] are great rewards for becoming a Christ-follower. These rewards transcend and redeem our personal suffering, the troubles around us, the regrets buried in our hearts, and so much more.

¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Those who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have an undeniable asset in these times. We know Who the victor will be in all things and this includes those things that are evil. As some recite in the Twelve Step Programs of recovery from addictions, we will know that “this too shall pass.” (See Revelation 21:4) In the meantime we are to live our lives seeking the Lord and living as He commanded, guided in love by the Holy Spirit.

The decision to follow Christ has led me to the only way I could have survived many sorrows. I submit to you that it is a great way to live life as I know it in the times that try our souls.

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Here’s a meditation for believers to transcend the times, straight from the Word of God. I pray that the frustrations posed by our tumultuous days will draw us to His throne of grace in sweet fellowship and will be used to bring glory to the Father Who loves us beyond what we can ever imagine. In all things:

⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12)

Looking for significance

Published on March 21, 2014March 21, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

Psalm 139 (NIV)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. ²You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. ⁵You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. ⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” ¹²even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For 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.

¹⁹If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! ²⁰They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. ²¹Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? ²²I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. ²³Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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Nuff said. JJ

Who He Is

Published on March 15, 2014March 15, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

We all have some level of common sense: that which we can agree is reasonable in any given situation. Then again I have found that common sense just isn’t that common anymore!

I listen with intrigue when hearing the real-life experiences of others who have been successful at something. Gaining triumph over tragedy. Seeking good after playing with evil a bit too much. Finding wisdom over folly. Finishing a difficult task. Inspiring others with your amazing story. All this is good and unites us in our humanity when we can relate to the experiences of others. I have heard from those who have travelled extensively overseas that most people around the world want the same things for their families and from their relationships with others no matter our cultural differences might be. Thus we can all celebrate when the “human spirit” triumphs: the good guy wins, the lonely widow finds love, and the person who passes on from this life having left a legacy for others to follow.

But what if there is more? What if there is a source to that common sense that is in-bred between the strands of our DNA? What if the innate knowledge of good and evil transcends the do’s and don’ts our elders taught us growing up? And what if we all could persevere beyond both the winning and the losing? After all, we all lose our lives in the end and cannot take any relationship, thing, achievement, or fit body with us. We probably should keep trying to get it right anyways! And that is very hard to do on our own.

When we find the true meaning of life, how the heck we got here, our giftedness, the Master plan for our lives, and humbly receive with gratitude our lot in life then we can be truly alive. How do we find these? We find our answers when we invite the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts. We learn about Jesus (who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit) by reading the Bible, in prayer and meditation, in fellowship with others in the body of Christ. The person of Jesus Christ created us in His own image; he draws us near to love and follow Him. In doing so we grow in wisdom and all of the fruits of the spirit: peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Our purpose, our reason for being here can become clearer. We then grow in understanding as we mature as believers, gaining wisdom from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, our Counselor.

In the words of the Apostle Paul to you Gentle Reader,

¹⁸I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²²And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1)

He is the One who will receive us in all of His glory at our finish line when our days are done. How well will we finish the race of our lives? (Check out Hebrews 12:1-3.) I’m trying remain humble on that one for sure. Maybe you already have a personal relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ. I am delighted to meet you here as we will surely have great fellowship in heaven someday!

As Easter approaches this is a great time to revisit who God really is to each one of us. We can all use this season commemorating His tremendous love for us as an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord. Realizing this tonight was brought forth in meeting a few gals who have endured then overcame much heartache in their lives. Me too. Thank you Lord for leading me to your throne of grace. Sure would be great if finding who You really are was even more common as common sense is too.

He’s Still on the Line

Published on March 9, 2014March 21, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

Long after my beloved is asleep

Devastated by unanswered prayers and sorrows so deep

I lie awake my body tossing, trembling

Such are the storms of night: unending.

From wherest does my help come from

When prayers bring no relief with each day’s sun?

The hopes are dashed, the relief doesn’t last

And the damage, the pain continues no less.

So many nights where nightmares became reality

So much suffering sends off all memories of normalcy.

People leave your life even when they like you

For fear, for powerlessness, for horror of what is your truth.

New sojourners may come only to wallow awhile with you

Should you happen to find a way out they will be long gone too.

Choose wisely your inner circle my friend

Make sure the Lord is closest-in when the nightmare ends.

He will never leave: His love will fill the gaps

Where others must fail, supernatural strength is what lasts.

You can call Him near, like a salve to the wounds of war

Then peace will come . . . you can carry on from there, dear one.

Now here’s a love song that reminds me of these times with my beloved Steve: he holds me close while the Lord is still “on the line,” listening to our hearts and holding both of us near to His own. From a simpler time:

Still on the Line

Time for a change

Published on March 8, 2014March 21, 2014 by Jesus is for the Wounded1 Comment

From Family Practice Physician to Lyme Literate Medical Doctor, from Chiropractor to Obgyn, our medical doctor tries to do it all. I have benefitted from his expertise yet I am still not well. And when I saw the redness and exhaustion in his eyes during my appointment this evening I realized that he is not well either!

Everyone who sees this gifted physician knows his crazy schedule, his dedication to help everyone in his care, and his history of nearly dying a couple of years ago with his own debilitating illness. We used to hear how his office conversion to the government mandated computer system was responsible for incredible stress and delays in appointment times. For example, it was not unusual to call the office in the morning about an appointment scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and not be called in for my appointment until 4:00 p.m. or later. Forget the ones scheduled after 3:30 p.m. as they were usually rescheduled. For awhile about one-third of my appointments were re-scheduled, delaying receiving test results or reviewing the status of a particular medical condition for months. Frustrating indeed.

Yet when there was an acute issue, the Doc was right on it. When something new popped up I was sent to the hospital in another section of the medical park for labs or scans, held in the waiting room for results, and sometimes seen back in the office much later that night. To be seen well into the evening was not an unusual occurrence. My record was an appointment that started at 2:30 a.m.! He had one more patient after me and had just received notice that one of his pregnant patients was going into labor. He must have never gone home that night or morning! Dedication had become insanity. We talked about it during that visit. He agreed. I understand that some scheduling and office procedure changes were put in place for this new year. As near as I can tell, the staff and Doc are ending their nights before midnight now. Virtually the same story, different day.

I recently blogged about some important abnormal test results being misplaced for six months. That has happened another time as well. Tonight there was only enough time to go over about half of a detailed genetic cholesterol study. He handed it to me and said, “here, you take this.” Whaaat? He thought the “high CBD hemp oil” that I reported was reducing the seizure attacks 40% was vitamins C, B, and D. Er, no! After correcting the computer’s voice recognition software two dozen times, I believe he understood what I was saying: sitting there with my ventilation mask on to avoid seizure attacks from some mysterious exposure in the office.

Mysterious was the exposure until I asked one of the nurses about it. I had asked before and a different nurse declined comment. And yet tonight in her own fatigue, a long-time employee openly shared how their office has routine leaks in the ceiling throughout the summer. The staff has complained about the musty smell and requested testing for mold spores. Evidently the tests came back “negative.” The nurses still battle sickness at work. A friend of mine who is a patient there can detect the musty smell but I cannot. I just get tic attacks sitting in the treatment room for 2 hours waiting for the Doc! My worst episode lasted 2 1/2 hours NON-STOP began after midnight dominated by convulsions most of the time! My husband came to pick me up around 4:00 a.m.! I’m sure that exhaustion and stress were a factor being in the office so late that night but hey, I was sitting in a water damaged building to be seen by my doctor for mold illness! Whaaaat? Soon after that I started wearing a mask every visit!

I have learned so much from my brilliant Doctor. He is a Christian man who really cares about his patients. He has provided better care for me for six years here in this smaller Indiana town than I ever received in the large metropolitan area of Chicago. When my health got significantly worse 2 1/2 years ago I hung in there with him, hopeful that we would find answers. I was also unsuccessful finding another MD or clinic to address the intractable seizures, pain, etc. Gratefully, the Lord has now led me to another clinic in Michigan with two physicians specializing in methylation issues and biotoxin (mold) illness, respectively. After three phone consultations, extensive paperwork, and additional lab testing completed, my husband and I are preparing for my first in-person visit on March 24th. We will stop at a lab near the clinic for additional blood work to better match Dr. Richie Shoemaker’s protocols for “Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.” My current MD and I have worked closely on Dr. Shoemaker’s protocol yet neither of us are officially trained; this led to using the wrong laboratories, incomplete test results when the samples were not processed correctly, and improper sequencing of the treatment plan. Two very expensive medications from an out-of-state compounding pharmacy either did not work or made me much worse. We tried! The biotoxin illness Doc at the new clinic works closely with Dr. Shoemaker and is a Christian too. I am encouraged. Lyme disease is not the focus at the moment and that’s o.k.

So it’s time for a change. I still have appointments on the books with my primary care physician as someone will need to monitor ongoing health issues not covered by the new clinic. He has asked for copies of all of the testing and reports so I am happy to oblige. With the Lord’s help I will continue tweaking the dose of high CBD hemp oil in hopes of reducing even further the seizure attacks and noxious symptoms that follow. The Lord is guiding me step-by-step, including through the spiritual leadership of my beloved Steve. I am so glad I heeded hubby’s advice and did not start seeing every expert who sounded good on the internet! When moments are better for me, we celebrate and don’t think about the bad times. We both see examples of how the Lord has used this season in our lives for His glory. We are closer than ever, more in love than ever before and for that I am grateful. I am closer to Christ than ever before as well knowing that He heard my truly desperate cries for help the night before I first started the CBD oil. I was ready to die and it was not to be. I was spared from further anguish and suffering, turning a corner to better things at last.

If you are suffering this day, this night: do not give up! There’s a blogger praying for you Gentle Reader. More importantly the God Who created the universe knows your name, sees you, knows your pain, and gave his life so that one day your heartache would end. Please draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Everything will be worked together for good someday if you but call upon the Lord and let Him into your heart. These statements are based upon His Word and promises that are true today and always. The Great Physician will see you through, always my dear one. Take care, JJ