Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Blessed with MS has moved

The Blessed with MS blog has been moved to http://www.blessedlifeministries.com/blog/ .  Exciting things are happening for this ministry!!  See you at the new site!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Refuge in the Storm

I have been very blessed recently to be back at my baseline, or close to it.  In other words, my MS has settled down for a bit.  It has been so nice to have energy and a clear mind.  For close to a year now I have been so out of sorts and I am looking back today wondering how I made it through. Of course, I did not have to wonder very long, the answer is as obvious as any answer could be.  I made it through because I sought refuge in the Lord.  I believed in the Lord and his truth.  I stayed in his truth and God is good, he protected me in my time of need, he took care of me because I turned to him. (Nahum 1:7)  I know that my disease will rear it's head again, as is always the case with MS, but I know I will be cared for, loved, guided and protected every time it does.  I know this because God's word is truth, and his truth has set me free (John 8:32) from this disease. I am so blessed that my God loves me, that he is my father and he will always care for me. So today, I am going to sit back and relax.  I am going to enjoy the grace God has poured over me and enjoy my life.

My Heavenly Father, how great your love is that you care for me. I am but one little sheep in your multitude of a flock, yet you know me by name, you know my heart and you cover me with your grace.  You give me refuge in the storm that I face with this disease.  You give me peace and protect me.  Thank you, Lord, without you my life would be nothing.  I praise you today, and every day Lord, you are my savior, my God, my father. Amen.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

"I Will Give You Rest"

When Moses was told to take the people to the Promised Land he felt afraid and unsure.  He asked the Lord God to show him God's ways so that he could know God more fully, he wanted to be close to God.  God replied with “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14).  I can imagine Moses sitting there wondering what the future would bring, how would he get all of these people to the Promised Land, and telling God “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place." (Exodus 33:15). The interaction between Moses and God in these scriptures is one of desire, a desire to know one another, it is an intimate relationship and this is the type of relationship I desire with my Heavenly Father. I can imagine how Moses felt, because I feel that way a lot!  I am unsure of this disease and what my future holds.  Will it progress slowly or quickly? Will I lose my ability to walk, to see, or to write? What if I lose my mind? My future is really unsure, but just like Moses, I have asked the Lord to go with me on my journey.  Just like Moses, if God doesn't personally go with me, I don't want to go there at all.  The beauty of this is that I never have to go anywhere without God.  He loves me and wants to know me personally, and I, in return, want the same.  No matter what course my disease takes, I will not be alone.  He will walk with me, he will cover me with his grace and he will give me rest. I'm not just talking about physical rest, he will give me peace and peace of mind is the best rest I could possibly be given!  God is compassionate and loving.  He provides me rest, especially on the worst days when he knows I need it most.  Thank you my Heavenly Father, for walking this long road with me and providing me the rest I need and the relationship I so greatly desire!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Trusting His Word

During a study tonight the topic of trust was being discussed.  This made me think about myself and how much trust it has taken to let God use my circumstances for the better.  Having a disease like MS can be so frustrating, so depressing and at times can really make me angry.  It is during those times that I feel at my lowest that I truly have to put my trust in God and his will for my life.  I have to trust that even on my bad days, or my worst days, God has a plan.  Trusting can be so hard when you feel so down!  Tonight, however, the light bulb went off when my fellow sisters and I were discussing trust, trusting God.  Trust has many meanings, but the definition that struck me most was reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing.  I do rely on God, without him I am nothing, but tonight I realized just who I am truly relying on.  Notice the word "integrity" in this definition?  If there ever was a true definition of integrity, it would be God. God is perfect integrity. Every action he takes is in true form to his character.  Think about this for a minute: God is gracious and is full of compassion, he is forgiving, he is merciful, he is kind, and he is loving. He has never done anything to the contrary. If there ever was a place to put my trust, it is definitely in the one who OWNS integrity, who IS integrity! It was tonight that I realized, there is no one else that can compare to God and my trust has been placed in the right place.  My trust will stay in God because I know that during my lifetime of MS God will be gracious to me, he will show me compassion when I am frustrated or angry, he will forgive me of my harsh emotions and have mercy on me when I cry out in anger.  He will show me kindness and gentle guidance as he leads me through the darkest valleys and above all he will love me.  He will love me for who I am because I am his daughter... his lamb... his child.  So, yes, I do rely on the integrity of someone....I rely on the integrity of God and that is the perfect place to put my trust!