Do You Think You Would Have This Much Strength?

I often write about people that are in my life who made a tremendous impact in my thoughts or the way that I view life. I have a friend who I met a few years ago when her little girl had cancer. Emily was about four years old and had just recently finished all her treatments, I am happy to say that she is in remission to this day. Monica, the mother a few years later had another little boy named Eric who is now six years old. When Eric was two years old they also found cancer, only he is still battling it and it is a stage four. To catch you up to date on this wonderful mom, she was married to their father but he sadly passed away last year at a very young age of a seizure. It is odd and bizarre, and very unexpected of Eric Sr.’s death, I believe he was in his early or mid thirties when he died.  Little Eric is still in the children’s hospital and the last update that I received from Monica was that he was going to be transferred to another hospital, in hopes that he receives a transplant to save his life. After suffering the loss of my brother twelve years ago, I simply am in awe of Monica’s strength and perseverance. To be honest, what choice does she have, she is alone, and has a total of five children to care after, but one must wonder how and when she does it all. To make matters worse, Monica’s In-laws are in constant battle with her, and are not sadly, very supportive of her.

A few years ago I had Emily in one of my classes at school, and I remember that it was right after her chemo therapy that she would come to school, and the poor child would be completely wiped out! It was exhausting for her little body, and I remember one time carrying her to her school bus at the end of the day so she could go home. Her mom tired so hard for little Emily to continue on, doing what “other kids did, making her life as normal as possible.”

Now Monica battles it again, only this time alone! In a recent posting on Facebook, she wrote that she was explaining to Eric that they would be moving to another hospital in hopes that he would get better. Monica stated that little Eric responded with , “I am never going to get better. Why did Emily get better and not me?” This breaks my heart, what do you say to your child when they ask you that question?  She continued on in her post, that she had recently read to him, “Heaven is For Real”. This absolutely broke my heart, why she asks, “Am I reading this book to my six year old?” Eric’s response was that he would see daddy again.

 

I pray for Monica and her kids, I am a Christian, and I know that God certainly is in control and has a purpose in all of this. I am thankful that we have a God who understands questions like, “God, how much do you think one person can take?”. I know the grief, and I can only imagine her struggles. I ask you to pray for her and her family. I do not know what God has in store for this family. I am praying that little Eric is healed, and goes on to have a normal life. I am praying for strength for Monica, and healing for her family. Her other children are probably middle school age now. Please join me in prayer and holding this family close to your heart. I do not believe she is working, I do not know how she possibly could really, hold down a job in addition to all of this. She has an account on http://www.gofundme.com  (or something like that) that people donate to her, but other than that I simply do not know. So again, join me in prayer for her financial stability as well.

 

Sincerely Yours: A Novella Collection Book Review

 

byAnnShorey , LaurieAnnEakes, Amanda Cabot and Jane KirkpatrickA rainy day morning to share my review for this excellent Christian Novella book. If you absolutely love historical fiction written by not only one, but four fabulous authors, you are in for a treat! Revell Publishing really created a fine book! Each of the gifted authors shared their treasure and love for writing in this book, Ann Shorey, Laurie Alice Eakes, Amanda Cabot and Jane Kirkpatrick, need I say more? Sharing from the Publisher’s Page is a brief synopsis of the book, “In this collection of brand-new historical novellas from four outstanding storytellers, four young women find their lives altered after each receives a letter that sets her on a new path toward a changed life–and perhaps lifelong love. From a Hudson River steamboat to a lush drawing-room, from a carousel carver’s workshop to a remote and controversial hospital, readers will love being swept into the lives of four young women who are making their way in the world and finding love where they least expect it.” I cannot say honestly that I enjoyed one story over another, they are all written from very talented writers, and the ability of them to all mesh into one book, creating a flow and rhythm was breathtaking! One story to the next just kept the momentum going, and even though they were written with different elements, It never lost the passion or excitement of the book flow. Only gifted authors can do that! I highly recommend this book to anyone who simply enjoys well written Christian fiction books. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Revell, a Division of Baker Publishing’s book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <[…] : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Thing’s Are Not Always As They Seem.

It is amazing to me how we as people get so comfortable in their own little world and often do not think of the discomforts, struggles, and trials of other people. I have learned in my life that the key to life and relationships with others is found in compassion and love. Jesus commands us to love one another, but what is so sad is that it seems it is often very difficult to just be kind to one another. After the death of my brother, the word compassion took on a whole new meaning. Sometimes we do not know what another person is going through until we have actually experienced what another person has gone through. Some struggles in this life that other people experience we often say, I am so sorry, and then silently walk away thanking God that we do not have to experience what that person is going through. I have a good friend that shared her struggles with me recently, and to grasp her reality took me to a whole different level of compassion. I want to share her story and if one thing positive comes out by sharing her story, I can only hope that she can one day be blessed as much as I am blessed by having her as a friend. This is friend, I will call her “Cathy”.

“I have a rare genetic condition called Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) This is a metabolic condition where the body cannot break down choline, which is in everything. It causes bad odors to emanate from the body and breath. Unfortunately it took many years and many doctors to get a diagnosis.

One of the biggest roadblocks was that NOT ONE of my doctors (I saw 12 for this issue) EVER smelled anything. And neither do I!! My primary doctor even told me to give my boss at my last job her number, and ask her to call if there was a smell. Nothing. Basically I was repeatedly referred to psychiatrists for some mental condition, ORS (a mental condition where a person thinks they smell bad) and even OCD because of the thousands of dollars I spent on personal care products, taking 2-3 showers a day, changing clothes, washing up and reapplying products multiple times a day.

But by far the BIGGEST roadblock I encountered was people. My coworkers would cough, gag, and practically roll on the floor the minute they saw me walk in the door. (Less than an hour out of the shower) But when I asked what the problem was, they would deny anything was wrong, walk away in a huff, or most often, put their heads down and giggle.

I approached my boss who repeatedly told me there was nothing wrong. She would say “I told you when you started here this was a hard group to work with, they did the same types of the things to the last person in your position. I’m new to this position and plan on cleaning house!” I was told to put my earphones on and ignore them.

The funniest part? ALL professing Christians. The more Christians I was around the worse the behavior was, and lies to my face. Even my boss (above) would bring up the fact that she is a Christian in conversation 3-4 times a week, but would lie to my face and laugh at ‘her boys’ bad behavior.
So what did I do? Stronger soaps and deodorants (but high ph products and fragrances make the condition worse) Detox and healthier eating (all which make the situation worse) and everything I could find on the internet…which seemed to make things worse. I was literally taking 2-3 showers a day, washing up, reapplying products, and changing clothes throughout the day.

Finally in August 2009 I heard of TMAU and though I thought it was a long shot, I begged to be tested. It took a while to find a geneticist who heard of it, and even after 4 hours in their office, directly after work, where my coworkers were behaving in fits, these doctors smelled nothing and were sure I didn’t have it! They even called in another geneticist who was pregnant and extremely sensitive to smells. Nothing. But they relented and agreed to test me for TMAU.

In January 2010 I received my test results: definitely positive for TMAU. Monday morning I took my results in to the owner of the company and said that I now had a diagnosis, I now knew what to do to address the issue, and just wanted the bad behavior to stop. Thursday morning I was fired for making ‘false accusations against coworkers.’

But my good, Christian coworkers were spreading rumors and lies all over the internet. And I am continually blocking men from all over the US who like to make derogatory comments. I have left several Christian groups because these men like to spread the hate.

I am not ashamed. I did nothing wrong here. AND I WILL TELL THE WORLD. Though I lost my livelihood, my home, friends, everything, had to pick up and move more than 1000 miles away from everything I have ever known…I did nothing wrong! I did EVERYTHING a normal healthy person would do if people were insinuating they might smell. Every doctor, dentist, endocrinologist, podiatrist, gastroenterologist, gynecologist, psychiatrist and more! Every leader, manager, boss, every therapist, every doctor told me there was nothing wrong.

But what I did learn, as a new Christian (I became a Christian shortly before all this began) is that there are different kinds of Christians….

Matthew 12:34 “Brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

I have not been a Christian my whole life, and have never had a Christian witness to me in word or action. It is only by the grace of God, he has called me.
I know I am a lowly sinner, and will stand in judgment before God for EVERYTHING I have done. And since learning his word, I do all I can to love God with all my heart, all my soul, and all my might, AND TO LOVE OTHERS as myself. For there is NO commandment greater than these. And no, I am not perfect! but by the grace of God I am better today than yesterday.”

Trimethylaminuria:
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/trimethylaminuria
ORS
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/olfactory-reference-syndrome-people-stink-rare-mental-disorder/story?id=10743337

I would love to hear your thoughts on this!~

God Sized Dreams!

It is amazing the thoughts that can come into your mind, and like a filing system your brain automatically scans it over, and either keeps the thought as realistic, or discards it away.  Keep in mind that this brain processing is based on what we as humans believe to be realistic based on our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It does not mean that it is accurate. Sometimes your thoughts are so big that it is impossible for your mind to grasp, those are what I call “God Size Dreams,” visions that are so big that they seem impossible to fulfill.

This is where faith comes into play. I know that my purpose is to be a vessel for God, obedient to his teaching, and his timing. It is a daily, step by step journey, but I can say that it gets more enjoyable day by day. The last few days it has been placed on my heart that the East Coast needs an extension of Saddleback Church, which is located in California. Rick Warren is a spirit filled, “purpose driven” dreamer with a heart and passion for God. When I think about the idea of helping to start a church out here, my thoughts automatically tell me that it is not possible! My mind and emotions tell me your too busy, too inexperienced, have no idea what you are doing to even think about starting such a project such as that. Well, my mind is thinking on the human term, no on the terms of God. If Rick had stayed a dreamer, he would not have been obedient to God, and the church that we now know as Saddleback would not be here today. It is crazy to think that he as a young pastor just decided one day to move his young family out to California to start-up this church.  It is even crazier for the mind to remember that Peter walked on water! Peter was actually doing what no other man could do,  but only when he had his eyes on Jesus was he able to do this. The minute he looked away, down into the water he went.

I felt the same way today, I talked to a friend at Saddleback of my ambition online, and right after I sent the message self doubt filled my soul, with what in the world are you thinking? This is crazy!!! Well, it probably is a bit out there on my normal scheme of thoughts, but I know that  through God anything is possible. Rick Warren said it best when he said, “Where God guides, He provides!” That is the absolute truth, I have seen it happen time after time!

Do you ever feel like when you are reading the stories in the Bible, that the people in the stories were not normal, every day people? I used to think that to do the will of God, you had to be pretty special! I never thought about the reformed drug addict, high school drop-out, every day average person to do such great and wonderful things for God! I have since learned that God will use anyone He see’s that is obedient, and willing to be a vessel for Him. He will give that person all the resources needed to do the job, and the wisdom and guidance to complete his mission.

I don’t know what the future holds, I do not even know if this vision will come to play. I do know that I am waiting, and willing to be used by God in any way that He see’s fit. Please pray for me for discernment and obedience to do God’s Will.

Treasuring God’s Gifts~ Each Other!

 

 

Sitting here looking out the window I have reflected on the awesomeness of God. Not only is He full of immeasurable love, goodness, truth, grace and mercy but so many other characteristics that cannot be measured in one lifetime!  God is a life giver,  not referring to when He gives life to a baby taking the very first breath, but  when He gives life or renewal to our minds and circumstances. He is a healer and restorer of not only our physical health, but our emotional and spiritual health as well. The ability to take a fresh new perspective about the way we view ourselves, other people, and the way we live our lives.

My husband recently went to school in another state, and during this time, we both experienced tremendous growth. The best part of this was the realization that marriage is a gift! It is an ongoing process that is never based on feelings or actions, but to be successful , it must be based on God’s love.  God is the restorer and can take any situation and turn the circumstances around, changing the outcome. While my husband was there, I flew out for a couple of days and was blessed to be able to spend a few days together just the two of us. It did not take much planning or expense, but for us was a life changing progression in our marriage to the next phase in our lives.  I recently had an older woman ask me, “What are you going to do and talk about with your husband, when the kids are all out of the house, and it is just the two of you?” What a question, if you look deeply into it, at the end of the day, when all other factors and people are removed from your relationship, what will it be like? Do you even know one another? What are your common interests? It was amazing to fall in love with my husband all over again, and that is exactly what happened!

Marriage is not like Junior High School when you tell everyone your “going out with so and so”, and then three days later like someone else. It is a life long commitment that three people make, you, your spouse, and God!  There is no such thing as falling out of love, or not feeling like being in a committed relationship any longer? You do not base your love on feelings, they are unreliable and deceitful! I am sure there have been many times when my husband and I  didn’t feel like being married. My last point is this, as long as it is about you, (your feelings, your thoughts, your love) and your eyes are not on God, it will not be as stable, loving, and committed as it could be! Put your focus back on Jesus, have faith, and trust that HE will do what He said He would do in your life, and see what wonderful opportunities you will have to be used as a vessel for God!!!

 

 

How Well Can You Explain Who God Is?

 

I received an email from my dad this morning and I was so taken by the post that he forwarded me, that I want to share with you all. Unfortunately, I do not know the source who published it, other than the name of the child who wrote it for his teacher, so author for this article is unknown. I never thought in a million years that I would become and love so passionately teaching Elementary School. Through the eyes and hearts of children, I have learned more about life and myself than any other time period. I wanted to share this email with you here.

It was written by an eight year old boy  named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula  Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to “Explain God.”

 EXPLANATION OF GOD:

“One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the
ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things
on earth. He doesn’t make grownups, just babies. I think because they
are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn’t have to take up
his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave
that to mothers and fathers.’

‘God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot
of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at
times beside bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or
TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a
terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it
off.’

‘God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which
keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn’t go wasting his time by going
over your mom and dad’s head asking for something they said you couldn’t
have.’

‘Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there are
any in Chula Vista … At least there aren’t any who come to our church.’
‘Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on
water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who
didn’t want to learn about God.. They finally got tired of him
preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind,
like his father, and he told his father that they didn’t know what
they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.’
‘His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his
hard work on earth so he told him he didn’t have to go out on the road
anymore.

He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by
listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to
take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having
to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.’
‘You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because
they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.’
‘You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy,
and if there’s anybody you want to make happy, it’s God!
Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like
going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn’t come
out at the beach until noon anyway.’

‘If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be
very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like
to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around you when you’re
scared, in the dark or when you can’t swim and you get thrown into
real deep water by big kids.’

‘But…..you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I
figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.
And…that’s why I believe in God.”