Despite crying at the grocery store last weekend, things are actually going pretty good for me lately. I am happier, relaxed and more at peace in my life than I probably ever have been! This is a huge praise considering the really bad winter I had. I'm praying this joy is not just because it's summer and that hopefully I will continue to feel well into the fall. As I promised last week, I want to share with all of you something that has been helping me lately in the hopes that maybe it can help some of you!
I have never really shared before anything that is helping me for 2 reasons. The main reason is with everything I've tried over the years pretty much nothing has helped me feel better at all. And secondly I have a great deal of respect for those of you who read my blog. I understand that many of you, like me, have been dealing with chronic medical conditions for years. I know that I could fill my blog with ads and posts about different medicines and treatments to try but I made a decision that I will only share with you things I have tried myself that have actually helped me personally.
So since the beginning of April I have been using an all natural nutrient-infused drink called Ningxia Red by Young Living Essential Oils. I was made aware that it has helped people with fibromyalgia and so I gave it a try. I have noticed some really cool things about it. At the time I started taking it I was going off my fibro meds and was having terrible vertigo and withdraw symptoms. Within 20 minutes of taking 1 ounce of Ningxia Red my vertigo would get considerably better and in some cases go away completely. I had never had anything help my vertigo and it was a huge blessing while going off my medicine. In the last several weeks I have doubled my dose to 2 ounces a day after reading more stories of people with fibro needing to take higher doses to see more benefit. This increased dose has helped hugely with my fatigue and energy levels especially on days when I don't sleep well. I've always required a lot of sleep and if I get less than 8 hours my fatigue can be very bad to the point where sometimes I need caffeine. Taking the Ningxia Red has totally taken away my fatigue even if I sleep a little less! I can't tell you what a blessing it is to not spend all day struggling to stay awake.
I am very encouraged by the changes I'm seeing and am considering taking even more a day to see if it can help some of my pain too. In addition to Ningxia Red, Young Living Essential Oils has tons of amazing products. I'm just starting to get familar with them and am very eager to try out different oils, particularly those that can help with pain. They really have oils that have been known to help almost any health condition you can imagine from fibro, arthritis and Lyme disease to stomach, bladder and head pain. And the best part is it's all natural. I can't imagine all the years of taking medicine (and I still take some) what that has done to my stomach, kidneys and liver. I love the idea of using something God made to heal my body.
I wanted to share all of this with you in case you ever want to try Ningxia Red or any of the essential oils. I recently became a distributor for Young Living. I did it mainly because it gives me a discount when I purchase items for myself and I also thought I could make a small amount of money selling the items to be able to pay for the products I need. So if you are interested in finding out more or trying a product please email me at purposeinthepain @ yahoo dot com. I would be happy to share with you what I have learned and even how you can get the products for less than the retail price (like I do!). If you are looking at the website and are ready to order you can either email me for help or follow these instructions.
Go to Young Living's website
Click on the item you want to purchase
Click on new to young living? create an account
Select your country & whether you want to be a distributor or customer (new distributors must purchase a distributor kit. This allows you to get future items at a discount)
Enter my referral number which is 1332381 then proceed with your order
If you have questions I am happy to help!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Tears in Aisle 8
Sometimes you just need to cry and sometimes you can't always control
when and where that will happen. Like yesterday when I found myself in
tears at the grocery store.
Allow me to back up and explain. If you've followed my story you know I've had chronic pain throughout my body and fatigue for the last 18 years. While most doctors say it's similar to fibromyaglia there are some differences but it's as close to a diagnosis as I have for now. For years I have been desperately trying to get better. I've tried every medication known to man-kind. I've tried acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractic, water aerobics, and supplements. I've even tried something where you stick something on your body and light the end on fire. Seriously! If someone told me I'd feel better by eating dirt, I'd try it. You get the point-I'm desperate.
In the last seven months, my stomach has been given me troubles off and on. This really is nothing new. I've had stomach issues for as long as I can remember and the pain seems to flare up at different times much like my other pain. My doctors want to repeat the upper GI scope and colonoscopy that I had years ago but with my not so great really expensive insurance I'll have to pay $3000-$4000 out of pocket. So it's not a decision to make lightly. So for months now I've been putting off the tests and praying that either the pain will go away or that I can figure out why I'm in pain and prevent it. Which leads me to my 2 hour long trip to the grocery store Saturday night.
At my last drs appt, my doctor suggested I could try an elimination diet to see if I could determine if something I'm eating is making me sick. If you've never tried a diet like that it's basically where you eliminate a food or foods that you think might causing you problems, see if you feel any different, then re-introduce them and see if you feel worse. I've tried it before with dairy and gluten and it was a nightmare. I'm not a picky eater at all but I quickly ran out of items I wanted to eat and basically didn't eat enough at all and felt sick from it. I re-introduced it and didn't feel any worse, in fact I felt better because I wasn't hungry anymore! I've had numerous allergy tests and nothing came back either although I know that can't determine sensitivities. So basically all I have left to try is a true elimination diet. Where you eliminate corn, soy, gluten. dairy, red meat, eggs, peanuts, sugar, chocolate, and caffeine from your diet for at least 2 weeks. So last week I decided I'd try a version of it-eliminating dairy, gluten, and maybe soy and corn. By the time I got to the grocery store Saturday I was beat down. I was hungry, cranky, had a headache, confused and worse yet felt like failure. Who can't do a simple diet for 2 weeks? Well apparently me! I spent 2 hours shopping for stuff to make-30 minutes alone was spent trying to find sushi I could eat at the grocery store restuarant. By the time I sat down to eat, I burst into tears to my mom. It wasn't the ugly cry, it was more like the I know I'm in public but I still need to cry kinda cry.
All my frustration came out with my tears. I just want to feel better. I just want to be a normal person. I don't care how that happens I just want it to happen.-now. The older I get the more and more frustrated I am with the pain, the fatigue and all the limitations. And the hardest thing is other than praying for healing I have no idea what else to do. I don't know if I should eat different foods, or go get the stomach test or try another alternative treatment even though it feels like I've tried everything.
Maybe you've been in my shoes before and maybe you are right now. Despite my tears in the grocery store. things aren't all doom and gloom, there are a few things that are slightly helping me to feel better (which I'll share later this week), I'm having a great summer not working as much, I have the best friends and family in the world and I know I'm incredibly blessed. But still I wait for my total healing and I realize it's ok to be sad, frustrated and confused sometimes. And it's ok to not know what to do next because I don't need to.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
So today I'm asking for wisdom and trusting God to show me what to do next, not just with my health but in all areas of my life. I want to live the best life I can for Him and I trust Him to lead me. And for now I'm trying not to be too overly concerned with what I eat. I'm trying to eat as much fresh food as possible and trust that God will show me if I need to stop eating something. It can be so easy when you have a chronic condition and want to get better to try to do everything anyone suggests to you. Sometimes I feel such pressure to try everything someone suggests because I'm so scared if I don't I might miss the one thing that will cure me. But following a lot of rules, no matter how great they seem, leaves me frustrated if I'm not doing it for the right reasons. I've got to the point where I just want to live my life, focus on things other than my pain and not feel like I'm always living a new experiment every week.
Maybe today, like me, you're in a hard, confusing situation that you're failing miserably to control. I want to encourage you. It's ok to not know what to do next-He will show you! And it's ok to be human and let the tears fall sometimes. But don't despair. There is always reason to hope and that hope is not just blind hope but hope in Him and what He alone can do in your life.
"Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed." Isaiah 49:23
Allow me to back up and explain. If you've followed my story you know I've had chronic pain throughout my body and fatigue for the last 18 years. While most doctors say it's similar to fibromyaglia there are some differences but it's as close to a diagnosis as I have for now. For years I have been desperately trying to get better. I've tried every medication known to man-kind. I've tried acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractic, water aerobics, and supplements. I've even tried something where you stick something on your body and light the end on fire. Seriously! If someone told me I'd feel better by eating dirt, I'd try it. You get the point-I'm desperate.
In the last seven months, my stomach has been given me troubles off and on. This really is nothing new. I've had stomach issues for as long as I can remember and the pain seems to flare up at different times much like my other pain. My doctors want to repeat the upper GI scope and colonoscopy that I had years ago but with my not so great really expensive insurance I'll have to pay $3000-$4000 out of pocket. So it's not a decision to make lightly. So for months now I've been putting off the tests and praying that either the pain will go away or that I can figure out why I'm in pain and prevent it. Which leads me to my 2 hour long trip to the grocery store Saturday night.
At my last drs appt, my doctor suggested I could try an elimination diet to see if I could determine if something I'm eating is making me sick. If you've never tried a diet like that it's basically where you eliminate a food or foods that you think might causing you problems, see if you feel any different, then re-introduce them and see if you feel worse. I've tried it before with dairy and gluten and it was a nightmare. I'm not a picky eater at all but I quickly ran out of items I wanted to eat and basically didn't eat enough at all and felt sick from it. I re-introduced it and didn't feel any worse, in fact I felt better because I wasn't hungry anymore! I've had numerous allergy tests and nothing came back either although I know that can't determine sensitivities. So basically all I have left to try is a true elimination diet. Where you eliminate corn, soy, gluten. dairy, red meat, eggs, peanuts, sugar, chocolate, and caffeine from your diet for at least 2 weeks. So last week I decided I'd try a version of it-eliminating dairy, gluten, and maybe soy and corn. By the time I got to the grocery store Saturday I was beat down. I was hungry, cranky, had a headache, confused and worse yet felt like failure. Who can't do a simple diet for 2 weeks? Well apparently me! I spent 2 hours shopping for stuff to make-30 minutes alone was spent trying to find sushi I could eat at the grocery store restuarant. By the time I sat down to eat, I burst into tears to my mom. It wasn't the ugly cry, it was more like the I know I'm in public but I still need to cry kinda cry.
All my frustration came out with my tears. I just want to feel better. I just want to be a normal person. I don't care how that happens I just want it to happen.-now. The older I get the more and more frustrated I am with the pain, the fatigue and all the limitations. And the hardest thing is other than praying for healing I have no idea what else to do. I don't know if I should eat different foods, or go get the stomach test or try another alternative treatment even though it feels like I've tried everything.
Maybe you've been in my shoes before and maybe you are right now. Despite my tears in the grocery store. things aren't all doom and gloom, there are a few things that are slightly helping me to feel better (which I'll share later this week), I'm having a great summer not working as much, I have the best friends and family in the world and I know I'm incredibly blessed. But still I wait for my total healing and I realize it's ok to be sad, frustrated and confused sometimes. And it's ok to not know what to do next because I don't need to.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
So today I'm asking for wisdom and trusting God to show me what to do next, not just with my health but in all areas of my life. I want to live the best life I can for Him and I trust Him to lead me. And for now I'm trying not to be too overly concerned with what I eat. I'm trying to eat as much fresh food as possible and trust that God will show me if I need to stop eating something. It can be so easy when you have a chronic condition and want to get better to try to do everything anyone suggests to you. Sometimes I feel such pressure to try everything someone suggests because I'm so scared if I don't I might miss the one thing that will cure me. But following a lot of rules, no matter how great they seem, leaves me frustrated if I'm not doing it for the right reasons. I've got to the point where I just want to live my life, focus on things other than my pain and not feel like I'm always living a new experiment every week.
Maybe today, like me, you're in a hard, confusing situation that you're failing miserably to control. I want to encourage you. It's ok to not know what to do next-He will show you! And it's ok to be human and let the tears fall sometimes. But don't despair. There is always reason to hope and that hope is not just blind hope but hope in Him and what He alone can do in your life.
"Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed." Isaiah 49:23
Friday, July 20, 2012
Enough!
I'm joining in on Lisa Jo Baker's 5 Minute Friday Writing Challenge where you write for 5 minutes on a different word every week. Today's word is enough. Go.
Along with the rest of America I woke up to the tragic news of the mass shooting in Colorado in a movie theater. All day I've thought of the victims who just went to see a movie, like so many of us do, never knowing what was waiting for them. And their poor families. It's just so sad. So pointless. And it makes me so angry. Deep inside me is this primal reaction that just wants to scream at the top of lungs: ENOUGH!
Enough with the senseless tragedy.
Enough with the pain.
Enough with the sorrow.
Enough with the brokeness.
Enough with the despair.
Enough with the sin.
Oh how my heart longs to be in that place, that Heavenly dwelling place, that Revelation 21:4 so beautifully describes where "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Can you close your eyes and imagine that place? Imagine being with Him for eternity. No tears, death, mourning, crying or pain. No more screams of enough.
End.
Friday, July 13, 2012
The Best Things in Life Are Free!
I've always been concerned with frugal living but even more so since I quit my main source of income in May. So this summer in particular I'm finding as many fun, free activities as I can and I'm learning that it's really true-the best things in life are free! Here are a few of faves lately:
1. Reading-I love reading a good book & thanks to the libraray it's free fun!
2. Listen to music-I love to listen to my i-pod or even search for songs on youtube and when I'm in my car the radio is my best friend.
3. Go for a walk-this is one of my favorite summer activities and I try to walk a mile every night.
4. Watch the sunset- I've heard the sunrise is pretty too but I wouldn't know about that;)
Here's the best sunset I've seen all year!
5. Take a long nap-why not? You only live once!
6. Pray-As I've shared before I love praying for others and its amazing how your walk with God will change and grow when you really take the time to intercede for yourself and others. Plus what is cooler than seeing answered prayer?!
7. Study God's Word-again if you want to transform your walk with God then dive in and study the Word.
8. Free food-I love going to the Farmer's Market in the summer and sampling all the delicious, fresh produce for free! In the winter, head over to Whole Foods or the Market District on a Saturday afternoon. I have no shame in saying I love to go for lunch and eat only all the free samples.
9. Spend time with the people you love or call them if they don't live close-the greatest joy I have in my life is in my relationships with friends and family and I love making a priority to spend time with them.
10. Search out free activities in your community-summer is the perfect time for this! In my town, we have several art fairs, antique shows, a Latino festival and a jazz and ribs fest all for free. Sure you could go and spend lots of money at events like this but I go and almost never spend any money and have just as much fun.
So what are your favorite free activities? Share your ideas!
1. Reading-I love reading a good book & thanks to the libraray it's free fun!
2. Listen to music-I love to listen to my i-pod or even search for songs on youtube and when I'm in my car the radio is my best friend.
3. Go for a walk-this is one of my favorite summer activities and I try to walk a mile every night.
4. Watch the sunset- I've heard the sunrise is pretty too but I wouldn't know about that;)
Here's the best sunset I've seen all year!
5. Take a long nap-why not? You only live once!
6. Pray-As I've shared before I love praying for others and its amazing how your walk with God will change and grow when you really take the time to intercede for yourself and others. Plus what is cooler than seeing answered prayer?!
7. Study God's Word-again if you want to transform your walk with God then dive in and study the Word.
8. Free food-I love going to the Farmer's Market in the summer and sampling all the delicious, fresh produce for free! In the winter, head over to Whole Foods or the Market District on a Saturday afternoon. I have no shame in saying I love to go for lunch and eat only all the free samples.
9. Spend time with the people you love or call them if they don't live close-the greatest joy I have in my life is in my relationships with friends and family and I love making a priority to spend time with them.
10. Search out free activities in your community-summer is the perfect time for this! In my town, we have several art fairs, antique shows, a Latino festival and a jazz and ribs fest all for free. Sure you could go and spend lots of money at events like this but I go and almost never spend any money and have just as much fun.
So what are your favorite free activities? Share your ideas!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Do Something You're Afraid Of!
As I've shared before worry has always been a large part of my personality type. And attempting to control situations is how, for many years, I've tried to keep the worry under control. But the fact is so many sitautions in life are completely out of my control. I can't control how other people will think and react. I can't control my body that has been racked with pain for 18 years. I can't control the fact that I can't work full-time because of my body. And the list goes on and on. For many years these worries would keep me up at night, hurt my stomach and make me a generally anxious person. But in the last year things have been changing.
I began to wonder what if I just stop worrying? I mean truly refuse to worry and every time I'm tempted to worry just pray instead. And in the process of doing that I think in part I've found a "cure" for worry-doing something you're afraid of. Now I don't mean going out and bungee jumping if you're scared of heights-although that might work! I mean really coming to a place where we recognize that there is absolutely nothing to fear because God is in control and we can trust whatever worry we have to Him. And when we do something we are afraid of or worried about (assuming God is telling us too) and it all works out it makes us realize how silly it was to worry in the first place. Let me give you a recent example. Back in early May, I felt God calling me to quit my primary job. This played into one of my deepest fears-having no money. I pride myself on being responsible with money and it seemed so crazy to quit my main source of income but yet I knew it's what I was supposed to do. In that moment I had 3 choices. I could choose to not obey, stay at my job, and let fear win. I could choose to quit my job but worry constantly about how I will pay my bills and fear would still win. Or I could quit my job and trust God to provide for me-this was the scariest option, the option where I had no control and this is the option I chose. And since then it's been clear everyday what a great choice that was. Not only has it given a much needed little break from working so much but it's also been a huge faith building experience! The week after I quit my job I unexpectedly got a check from my insurance company for almost $900, I've had random opportunties to make money and in my first month since I quit my job I actually even saved money after paying all my expenses!
What about you? Is God calling you doing something you're afraid of? Something you've worried about? Obey Him! I know it's tough, I know it's scary, I know it's risky. But the bigger risk is being outside His will. I certainly don't want to appear that I have it all figured out but from one worrier to another I can tell taking a risk for God is the safest place to be!
Maybe you've been in a similar situation before where God called you to something scary? Did you obey? How did it work out? Share your story in the comments!
I began to wonder what if I just stop worrying? I mean truly refuse to worry and every time I'm tempted to worry just pray instead. And in the process of doing that I think in part I've found a "cure" for worry-doing something you're afraid of. Now I don't mean going out and bungee jumping if you're scared of heights-although that might work! I mean really coming to a place where we recognize that there is absolutely nothing to fear because God is in control and we can trust whatever worry we have to Him. And when we do something we are afraid of or worried about (assuming God is telling us too) and it all works out it makes us realize how silly it was to worry in the first place. Let me give you a recent example. Back in early May, I felt God calling me to quit my primary job. This played into one of my deepest fears-having no money. I pride myself on being responsible with money and it seemed so crazy to quit my main source of income but yet I knew it's what I was supposed to do. In that moment I had 3 choices. I could choose to not obey, stay at my job, and let fear win. I could choose to quit my job but worry constantly about how I will pay my bills and fear would still win. Or I could quit my job and trust God to provide for me-this was the scariest option, the option where I had no control and this is the option I chose. And since then it's been clear everyday what a great choice that was. Not only has it given a much needed little break from working so much but it's also been a huge faith building experience! The week after I quit my job I unexpectedly got a check from my insurance company for almost $900, I've had random opportunties to make money and in my first month since I quit my job I actually even saved money after paying all my expenses!
What about you? Is God calling you doing something you're afraid of? Something you've worried about? Obey Him! I know it's tough, I know it's scary, I know it's risky. But the bigger risk is being outside His will. I certainly don't want to appear that I have it all figured out but from one worrier to another I can tell taking a risk for God is the safest place to be!
Maybe you've been in a similar situation before where God called you to something scary? Did you obey? How did it work out? Share your story in the comments!
Friday, July 6, 2012
How Will The Story End?
I'm linking up again to the Five Minute Friday Writing Challenge on Lisa Jo Baker's site (basically you write for only 5 mins on a different word every week) and I'm so excited for today's word: Story.
Go
I love a good story! Who doesn't? But usually I really only love a true story. I'm fascinated by getting a glimpse into people's real lives. It's probably why I majored in sociology in undergrad and communications in grad school. I love being a fly on the wall observing how people live, interact, their customs, culture and how they communicate. It's also probably why I love news magazine shows like Dateline and 20/20, why I mostly only read non-fiction books and why I'm slightly obsessed with several reality shows (and yes I'm aware they're not entirely real:)
My favorite books center on stories of actual people and their journey with God. A couple weeks ago I read the book Anything: The Prayer That Unlocked My God and My Soul
about a woman and her husband who decide to pray and allow God to do absoultely anything He wants in their life-my favorite kind of story.But as I reflect on that I realize God is writing a story in my life right now-the exact kind of story I love to read! Allow me to catch you up to speed.
We start with our lovely heroine ( that's me of course:). She has been enduring 18 years of severe chronic pain and fatigue. After a particularly brutal season of pain, she decides to seek God like never before and pray for total healing of her fibromyalgia. While praying for this, she is able for the first time to get off all the medication she takes for her fibromyalgia although she's not sure how long she'll be able to stay off it completely. While praying and seeking God's will for her life, she senses she is supposed to quit her primary job. Which of course makes no sense financially but if she knows anything she knows it's nothing but foolishness to not obey God. So she steps out in faith again, quits her job and starts to see cool stuff happening . And then.....well and then I don't know what happens next. This is where we are in my story but all I know is I can't wait to see how the story will end! And if you stick around over the next few weeks and months, I'll let you know how the story ends too.
What story is God writing in your life right now?
End.
Disclaimer: I am an Amazon affiliate if you click and purchase the book I mentioned I get small compensation.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
True Freedom
But in talking about freedom I am reminded that there is another freedom, a true freedom. A freedom that anyone, anywhere can experience. Whether you're here in America or on the other side of the world in North Korea. This freedom was not bought or secured but any government but came with the biggest sacrifice of all.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Are you still a slave to sin, without Christ and without hope? That can end today. By admitting you are a sinner, accepting that Christ died for your sin, asking Him to forgive you and surrendering your whole life to His control and authority.
Maybe you've known Christ for a long time but true freedom still seems elusive. What is it that enslaves you today? Is it loneliness, depression, addiction or maybe perfectionism? Take that to Him!
John 8:36 "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
That is true freedom.
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