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.

In God We Trust

In God We Trust

Meet me in the Meadow

Roy Lessin

We can trust in God because—

His kingdom is unshakable.
His throne is incorruptible.
His glory is indescribable.
His Word is infallible.
His greatness is unsearchable.
His power is invincible.
His favor is invaluable.
His grace is inexpressible.
His love is undeniable.

 “It is good for me to draw near to God:

I have put my trust in the Lord God…”

Psalm 73:28 KJV

Meet Me In The Meadow; DaySpring

Counting blessings!

Day two of no morphine or Tylenol 4. How am I doing? Spiritually, very well, Physically, not so well. The pain level is high and my headache is severe. But it has been worse. I'm so thankful for all the tricks I've learned over the past 10 years. 

What tricks? Here are a few.

1. Strawberries and other fruits with "red meat" help reduce inflammation and pain. So, I'm eating strawberries throughout the day. 

2. The aroma of Essential oils fills the apartment  24/7 from the potpourri pot. Today it was peppermint to help with the nausea.

3. Changing my focus. I worked on "short" projects today, so I could keep busy without overdoing anything. By having short term projects, I could finish one and move on to the next. By keeping the mind busy, there is no time to focus on the pain.

And NUMBER 4: Count my blessings! This is one of the best medicines available and you can get it without a prescription! Counting my blessings today started with the two most recent gifts God has give me!

Yes, God has sent a GIFT

each day of this journey!

On Day One God gave me a grill! Someone was throwing it away. It was dirty, but a little Dawn dish soap cleaned it as good as new! It's the perfect size for me and will easily fit on the balcony.  Can't wait to enjoy the summer aroma of charcoal and grilled meat and vegetables! 

Today God gave me a H2OTUGO! I have a TUGO (a drink holder for luggage) which I've modified to fit on my crutches. The H2OTUGO is a pocket that will hold a water bottle. The company is sending me a FREE one because I wrote and told them how I use their TUGO, and how it helps me keep a drink handy. A big THANKS to TUGO!

Will God give me a gift every day? 

I have to say YES! 

God already gives me gifts EACH and EVERY DAY! Sometimes, it's a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Or a kind word from a friend. Or maybe He makes Max do something to make me laugh. God has SHOWERED me with gifts—my problem is that I don't notice so many of them. My 365 Days of Thanks is making me more aware of ALL the wonderful things God does and provides for me. Each day, I find it harder and harder to write down ONE thing... because there are SO many.

I'm very blessed, and when I stop

and count my blessings

it makes me aware of just how much

God loves me. 

Today, it could have been very difficult to create a positive day, with my high pain level and the severe headache. However, by taking time to count my blessings, it turned the day around to a very positive and encouraging day.

Yes, even a high pain day

can be a POSITIVE DAY—

if I count my blessings!

God's Creative Care!

Yesterday, I had an appointment to begin the next phase of my pain management treatment. On the way to the Doctor, I was getting a bit nervous, not of the appointment, rather the thought of the increased pain level. God knew I needed a laugh.. and he provided a great one! 

I went through a drive through to get some lemonade. As I pulled out waiting for the traffic to clear, I noticed a man in the parking lot. He was very well dressed— suit pants and dress shirt, and was holding a crumpled fast food bag in one hand. With the other hand, he was SPRAYING himself with FEBREZE!!! Guess that's one way to get rid of the hamburger and onion smell on your clothes!

I couldn't help but laugh.

I was more at ease as I arrived at the Dr's Office. As I waited for the appointment, I was able to talk with several people in the waiting room. I used to wonder why God decided I should use crutches. But I've learned that they are good conversation starters! Everything God does has a purpose. 

After I left Dr. T's office, I went to see my chiropractor. Then I stopped at my Walgreens, but they didn't have one of the medications. The pharmacist called several other places and found it at another Walgreens, very close by!  So, I drove there to get the medications and pick up some milk and sunscreen. While I was looking for the sunscreen the cashier called out to me. We knew each other from the Apartment complex, so we started talking, and were interrupted when the pharmacy called my name, so I got my meds and went back to the sunscreen aisle and continued talking with Nancy while searching for the right level of sunscreen.  Once again, God had a plan in making sure I ended up at THAT Walgreens! He's so creative!!!
Oh, and the new medications came in Generic! That made the medication affordable! God continues to supply my needs. 

Today, I started the new medications. I'm dizzy and my headache is worse, both normal side-effects. The next few weeks will be a roller coaster for me, but God is right there taking care of me.
Going cold turkey off medications is not fun, but God continues to provide just what I need to get me through this at exactly the right moment. I'm looking forward to seeing how God cares for me during this phase of my life.

There is nothing more positive

than being in God's creative care!