Why?

WHY?

That's a question we ask often. We start asking it as a child and we never really stop. Why? We ask it when we want to learn information. It's a very useful question. However, there are times when we ask "Why?" we don't get any specific answers. What do we do then?

We have to trust. 

Today, I cooked some eggs. Max loves eggs. I know you think that's crazy for a bird to eat eggs, but they are a good source of protein. After I cook my eggs, I leave some in the pan to cook a longer (his have to be extra well done). Then I put them into Max's dish and put them in the freezer to cool.
Today, Max was on my shoulder as I cooked the eggs. He saw that I put his dish away, and my plate of eggs was on the counter. He couldn't figure out why he didn't get his.
I could tell he was asking me "Why?" He wanted to know why he couldn't have his eggs. I knew that they were too hot for him, and he'd burn his tongue. But of course, Max didn't understand. He wanted his eggs. When they were cool I gave him his dish and he was very happy. 

I ask God "why?" a lot. However, when I don't get an answer, I have to trust God. He really does know what He is doing! It's not wrong to ask "why?", but it is wrong to ask "why?" and ONLY trust God when you get an answer.

Trust is not about having

ALL the knowledge YOU think

you need to know.

It's about KNOWING

you can TRUST God and

that God is in control. 

The next time you ask God "why?" and He doesn't answer you, remember Max's eggs. Perhaps God is protecting you from harm. Trust God. Allow Him to work whether or not you know Why. 

If I knew all that God had/has planned for me I wouldn't be able to handle it. The knowledge would be overwhelming. God knows what we need to know and when we need to know it.

Trusting God makes the day positive,

because no matter what comes,

you know God is in control!

OUCH!

OUCH! 

That's a funny word. It almost sounds like a sneeze ... "ouch". Am I right? Yet, it conveys that we are in pain. We utter it when we hit our thumb with a hammer, or hit our funny bone. And we also utter it when we are in extreme pain. The word conveys that there is pain, but not how much pain. 

A few weeks ago, I started withdrawing from my morphine and Tylenol 4 so that I could undergo a new treatment. During this process my pain level has increased. I miss my pain medications. Not because I crave them, because I don't like pain. Yes, it's that simple. I don't like pain.

Normally, pain is a good thing. It's a warning sign that our bodies are in danger. Whether it's touching a hot stove, to doing too much exercise. If we pull a muscle, or sprain an ankle, our bodies alert our brains using pain signals. God made our bodies so that we can protect ourselves. We can't see the inside of our bodies, but pain alerts us that something is wrong.

However, chronic pain overloads the brain with signals.  The brain increases the pain trying to get us to 'stop' the activity and ease the source of pain. But because the pain is from nerves or muscles that are permanently damaged, there is no "fixing" the source. Those of us who live in chronic pain, learn techniques to trick the brain and "confuse" the pain signals so that our brains believes that we are in less pain. We use things such as TENS units which send a variety of tingling signals that fill up the "pain gates" allowing few pain signals to reach the brain. Sound crazy doesn't it? But it works, some. We also may use ice, heat, or medications to cover up the pain. 

The past few days my pain level been the highest I remember. I just want the pain to stop.... but it doesn't. So, what do I do? I can stay in bed all day and cry....... OR I can CREATE A POSITIVE DAY!

Over the past 10 years, I've learned an important lesson about pain. When my pain increases, I first take inventory to see if it's a "new pain" or the same. If it's a "new pain", I check to see if I injured myself, and address the new injury.  If however, it's the same pain, I know that I'm not doing more injury to myself, so I can continue living my life. If I focus on the pain and feel sorry for myself, the pain increases even more!

However, if I do something....

my brain becomes preoccupied and

doesn't have time to focus on the pain. 

One thing which I really enjoy doing when my pain because "unbearable" is to encourage someone else. How can you encourage someone when you are in pain? It's actually easy! Send an email, an e-card, a card, call someone, .....whatever, and let someone know that you are thinking of them! Think of what encourages you... and pass it along to someone else! It will make you feel GREAT! and the receiver will have a better day too!!! 

There are 2 choices

when living with chronic pain:

1. Focus on the pain and be miserable.

2. Focus on others  and ENJOY the day!

ME—I'd much rather enjoy my day than be miserable! I think I'll go create some scrapbook cards and encourage someone's day.....

that will turn this unbearable pain day

into a very positive one!

Routine Chores

Just finished doing laundry, just a routine chore. However, today I was reminded that in order to complete the chore, I have to have the necessary supplies. Today, I had the clothes and towels, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, hangers, and my laundry card. However, I was short on one thing: credit on the laundry card.

I had to make a decision, wash and dry a few loads, or wash everything and hang the clothes in the shower to dry. I choose the first, the towels can wait.

How many times

do I try to accomplish God's will

without all the necessary supplies? 

What do I need? A good place to start is the Fruit of the Spirit:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

Where do I get these supplies? 

From Christ Himself.

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:24-25.

The fruit of the Spirit is just that fruit from allowing the Holy Spirit to direct my life. I can allow Him to work, or I can ignore Him and live my life as the sinful nature directs:

"...sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." Galatians 5:19-21. 

Some may think that that "sin" is more fun, than living a righteous life. However, it is not. Think of the consequences of sin. Often sin can lead to disease, pain, suffering, and death. Think of the accidents caused by road rage. Yes, road rage is sin... "fits of rage". 

I hear you asking: "But you live in pain... is that caused by sin?" Ultimately, yes. Pain was allowed as punishment when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Mankind endures many sufferings because of that choice.

Is my pain a direct cause to sin in my life? I don't think so. But I  have, and do confess my sins to God and He forgives me. But God allows pain for other reasons besides sin.

'As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."' John 9:1-3

It really doesn't matter

the reason for the pain,

the key NOW is to live my life

so that God is glorified. 

If my pain is a result of sin, then I need to deal with that before God (confess and repent). If God allowed the pain, so that He would be shown through me, then I have a responsibility to do just that. And in order to it completely, I need the proper supplies..... and that brings me back to the Fruit of the Spirit. 

Today, as I go about my day, no matter what my pain level, I need to show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

And the only way to do that

is to create a positive day

focusing on God and allow Him 

 to work through me.

Standing Ovation for God!

Praise the LORD.

How good it is to sing

praises to our God,

how pleasant and fitting

to praise him.

Psalm 147:1

As I go through this phase of my pain treatment, things get worse before they can get better. Right now, my pain level is the highest I can ever remember. But then again, our brains protect us from remembering the worst. 

My philosophy is "Create a positive day!". I learned early on that in order to live with chronic pain, my focus must be on the positive and not on the pain or negative side-effects.

But, there is another step that helps even more, sharing the positive. Sharing joy multiples it. The positives in my life are many. God has blessed me with friends, doctors, and even some things (Max, MacBook, stereo w/remote, etc). But all those blessings are from the greatest blessing—God's love. God provides blessings because He loves me. He takes care of my needs and sends extra "treats" along the way, all because HE LOVES ME! That thought in and of itself is a wonderful blessing. Keeping blessings to myself, doesn't have the same joy as when I share blessings with others.

Praise: In its common usage, praise is the act of making positive statements about a person, object or idea, either in public or privately. The word refers specifically to extolling or exalting God and his attributes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praise)

A synonym for Praise is Applause. When was the last time I applauded God? When was the last time I gave Him a standing ovation? He sure deserves one! One thing about a standing ovation is that others join in.

 

Will you join me

in giving a standing ovation

to God?

Now, some of you are asking,

"If God is so great, why are you in pain?" 

The answer to that is very simple:

to accomplish His purpose. 

See, there are many things which I wouldn't be doing if I was healed. I wouldn't be writing this blog. I wouldn't be helping others who also live in chronic pain. I wouldn't be meeting the people in Dr's offices or hospitals,....the list is endless. In order for me to accomplish God's purpose, He decided that this was the best way. 

Just because I'm in pain doesn't mean that God doesn't love me. Rather, I think that I am MORE aware of God's love because I'm in pain. Before my injury, I knew God loved me, but was too busy to appreicate His love, or applaud Him for His love. Now, I am very aware of God, His love, and His blessings in my life. 

As you go about your day, take a moment to reflect upon God's blessings and PRAISE Him. If you create a habit of PRAISING God, you will be more aware of Who God is, and what He does for you. And when you are aware of God and His love, your day will be positive.

Joy Pills

When I was in High School, I lived next door to the M&M plant in Hacketstown, NJ. Loving M&M's it was a great place to live. When I went off to college, I took a jar of M&Ms with me. And the jar soon was full of "JOY PILLS"— green and yellow M&Ms.

Why were they called "joy pills"?

 Because whenever you eat M&Ms you smile! 

My dormmates would drop by and take a few "joy pills" when they needed some encouragement. Since college, I've kept up the tradition of having the same jar filled with M&Ms (either green and/or yellow).

Today, I knocked over the jar and green M&Ms went everywhere. As I tried to sweep up the M&Ms they just rolled away. They rolled under the heat vent, the shelving...everywhere. Just when I thought I had gotten them all... I'd see another one. As I stood there looking at the M&Ms all over the floor, I smiled.

 I had spilled my 'Joy'—

but God got my attention!

God's joy is not based on circumstances. It's not based on what we have, or don't have. Joy is not based on how we feel, or what is happening in our lives. Joy is not about US—rather....

Pure Joy

is based on an

UNCHANGING God, 

who loves with an

 UNCONDITIONAL love.

I'm going through medication withdraw, as I prepare for a new treatment to lower my pain. There is NO reason I should be experiencing joy right now. The pain is unbearable. I'm dizzy and have a terrible headache. My body is wanting medication, but the medication I can give it...has it's own side effects. Yet in the midst of my circumstances, I have joy!

Since the joy God provides, is not based on our emotions (which change on a whim), we can enjoy JOY 24/7 no matter our circumstances. We can celebrate joy in the midst of any circumstance knowing that God is in control and He is at work in our lives. 

 Joy—mine 24/7!

Will I fill my M&M jar? Probably. It will take a while to fill it up with just green and or green/yellow M&Ms. But the "JOY PILLS" remind me of my great God and His love for me. 

Today was an especially rough day, and I was struggling to focus on anything. God knew He had to get my attention and remind me of His love for me. When I spilled the M&Ms I smiled—God got through to me.  Today was positive, all because I spilled some M&Ms on the floor and remembered the true source of joy—God.