This is my patio where I have my prayer time in the morning. Wish you were sitting here with me to have a cup of iced coffee.
Good morning!
This is a note from Lisa. I have been out of town for 2 weeks. My husband and son and I drove from San Diego to Eugene, over 1000 miles, and we took 3 days getting there and 3 days back. We got home last night. I had hoped to be able to pre-post devotionals for the last couple of days, but had computer issues on the road, and I am sitting here tonight just exhausted. I have devotions our writers have sent me, but I don’t have the brain-power to code them for the web site tonight.
So instead, I thought I would ask you for your precious prayers today. I know I am very blessed, and so I sometimes hesitate to ever make it sound like I am complaining, but I do know that I will need prayer in the next month.
Here are some things going on in my life that I would love to have covered in prayer.
My pain level.
It is doing pretty well and after a year of being “stuck” at 10 mg of prednisone, I have gone down to 8 mg. But I am still hurting and adjusting and my goal is 5. Being on less prednisone will help me be, overall, more healthy, as it has caused many issues over the years like cataracts, osteoporosis, and slow healing of infections. I am also beginning physical therapy soon on my shoulders following the recent 9 visits I had on my knees. My rotator cuff joints continue to slip out of place which takes away 1-3 days a week when it happens. Not fun.
My family.
My mom, who lives with diabetes, became very ill for our entire visit, dealing with dehydration, a foot infection, cellulitis, and then gout. She is doing better, but still has a long way to go. Also for my husband and son. My son begins school on Wednesday–4th grade! I think we are all ready for classes to start but it is a time of adjustment and he does have some “special needs” for lack of a better word, and we are praying for the right teacher.
National Invisible Illness Awareness Week.
This is Sept 10-14 and I am the gal behind it. Thousands of people are blogging, tweeting, reading, sharing, you name it. I ask for prayer that God will bless the masses and for a prayer of protection around all the logistics, such as my health, my computer’s health, my family, etc. Satan tends to attack any area he can get to, to destroy this week. I experience it every year, so keep it all in prayer.
Catching up on Rest Ministries stuff.
Despite my efforts to keep up, I have tons of emails to answer and lots to do. For safety reasons I didn’t tell many people I was gone, so I am trying to speed through what I can to let people know I have received their emails and will reply soon.
Like you, when I look at my life, I could make a long list of every quirk, irritation, praise, and need, but I know God knows what they all are and is hearing your prayer. Today, I am so very blessed to get to spend the day with my son’s birth-mom, and bonus brother and grandparents. They are all coming for a BBQ. And even though my mom was sick last week while we visited, my son had play dates with a cousin, which he loved, and who he rarely gets to see.
We must never assume we know the “best” way in life. We have such good plans, don’t we? But when I see my son so excited to see his brother and I feel the blessings of this amazing (and unexpected) family, the memories we made on our trip of being stuck on the mountain with a flat tire and no cell service (story soon to come), I see He is always–always–in control and knows what is best. When I look at the joys in my life, my husband, my son, Rest Ministries, none would have come about had God answered the first prayers I had. Like having a baby, a healthy body, or a career. I would have never known the joys of adoption, illness, and ministry.
What ways has God blessed you –what joys has He given–that you would have never known if He had answered all of your first prayers and you never knew suffering?
Thank you for your prayers,
Welcome back Lisa. Of course all your needs will be covered in prayer and all your blessings in thanksgiving. God bless. Enjoy your BBQ!
I’m enjoying my cup of Chocolate Chai while you share in your patio, Lisa. Thanks for your honesty. Nice to experience some of your summer holiday amongst the cold of our Aussie winter. Am praying now for the Lord to guide, anoint & bless you & your family for all that is happening. Hugs. Lotsoluv Kerryn
Lisa, your story touched my heart. It told me so much about you and you didn’t even have to go into detail. I also suffer with chronic illness but my children are grown and I am blessed with 9 granchildren. They live on the west coast, and my son’s family (2 grandsons and a beautiful Christian daughter-in-law) live in Arkansas. The other 7 belong to my 3 beautiful daughters (4 grandsons and 3 granddaughters). Sometimes I feel sorry for myself that they are so far away from me (I live in Massachusetts), yet it would be so hard in my condition to be for them what I want to be. I have lost both of my parents, my mother to complications of diabetes after a foot surgery which led to multiple issues, so when I read about your Mom, it touched me deeply. My Dad died 7 weeks after finding out he had pancreatic cancer. This was in December of 2010, it was a shock. He was so healthy prior to the few pains in his side that sent him to his doctor in October of 2010. My Lord Jesus Christ, who I accepted as my personal savior just 7 months before his illness, has sustained me since then, but my joy has disappeared. You must have felt this way at some point. He brings me out of the pit, sets me on the mountaintop, but the pit always finds me again. We do this day after day. Thank you for Rest Ministries. I learned of you through friends feom my church, Horizon Christian Center. I would love to hear more of your story. God bless you and your family. Your sister in Christ, Carol.
Oh Lisa you are covered in prayer. Wow..we don’t have that kind of open adoption, we just sent pic of Amy until she 5 then the birthmom stopped asking. I am blessed beyond belief with the husband I have and then to be the mom of Amy. I too am on 5 mg of pred….yes, I have paid for it in being on the borderline of ostiopenia…but it is a necessary evil, eh.
Amy starts school tomorrow…high school…wow, where did the time go.
I tell ya, one of these days I will have that cup of coffee with you in your beautiful patio!!
Lisa,
I am so envious of your gorgeous patio!!!! I will have a cyber cup of coffee out there with you today!
I will be praying for you in all the things that you mentioned. I can relate to most of them! I did the prednisone taper thing twice in my life, and I know it is no fun! But you will get through it. Just be patient and don’t go too fast. I also have a son with special needs, going into 6th grade this year, and we homeschool, so I just pray *I* am the right teacher for him! LOL. (So far, God confirms that I am, so that is what I cling to.)
I’m so glad you were able to travel with your family. That is such a blessing. Welcome back.
In Christ,
Julie
Lisa,
I just want to say that your ministry has helped me immesurably. Yes, i know you have lots of helpers who write these beautiful devotions. But, you really are an inspiration to me, and your ability to persevere through so many health challenges is amazing.
You will be in my prayers today and in the coming days!
Lisa,
Thank you for all the courage and strength you’ve shared. Know that you and your family are in my prayers.
Your ministery has meant more than words can ever convey.
Russ
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for sharing all those details of your life. I pray for you regularly and now I know how to pray more specifically. Thanks also for bringing awareness to invisible symptoms. I love the ‘visible hope’ photos…so typical of how you encourage others to tell about their lives with an illness in positive and inspirational ways! What a godly example you are to so many.
Keeping you in prayers during these forthcoming weeks and that iced coffee treat sure does sound good!