Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Tomorrow, May 12th, is 2013 Fibromyalgia Awareness Day so I thought I’d simply share my previous post about this.

Understanding of fibromyalgia as a real chronic illness is recognized on this day each year with events held across the U.S. and around the world to raise awareness about fibromyalgia and its impact on individuals, families and communities.

The National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA) stands ready to help you and/or your support group create a memorable event to make a difference in your community.

The theme this year is “CARE & Make Fibromyalgia Visible.”  The acronym CARE stands for:

C – Contribute
A – Advocate
R – Research
E – Educate

The goal of this year’s campaign is to engage people outside of the fibromyalgia community to support and spread awareness for FM recognition to the general public.

To help you spread the word, the NFMCPA is providing FREE Fibromyalgia Awareness Day Event Kits for events of all sizes.  Whether you’re one individual person who wants to get a proclamation signed by your legislators or a large group sponsoring a city-wide walk, they have the materials you will need, including posters, signs, instructions, step-by-step checklists and even raffle tickets and receipts.

Awareness Day and Fundraiser Event Kits available include:

• Community Picnic Events
• Table-Top Exhibits for Shopping Malls, Health Fairs, Farmers’ Markets, etc.
• Walk to Cure FM Events
• State Legislature Visits – Proclamation and Resolution Program

For more information or to order an event kit, visit the NFMCPA’s Awareness Day 2013 Web page.

[Shared from http://www.prohealth.com]

…

To read more about how fibromyalgia affects lives, please check out the Fibromyalgia Awareness Day tab on my Chronic Illness page.

…

Related articles

• Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is Sunday May 12, 2013! (joaynn510.wordpress.com)

Finishing Well

Here’s another devotional written by my wonderful friend, Patricia Knight. I know you’ll appreciate this one as much as I do!

By Patricia Knight

…

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” —2 Corinthians 12:9, NAS

 

At the end of his life and his remarkable career, the apostle Paul turned his responsibilities over to Timothy, his friend and co-worker for Christ. Paul expressed self-satisfaction with serving God and promoting His Gospel; he had totally depended on his Lord’s leadership and power. He carried God’s love throughout most parts of the known world, on four missionary journeys. Paul’s ministry work for His Lord was impeccable.

After being stripped and beaten, then thrown in a dark, dank jail where his feet were secured in stocks as an added measure of security, Paul gave thanks and sang hymns.  From inside another jail he wrote letters to encourage fellow Christians, the same Gospel letters that minister to us today in God’s Word.

Paul asked God repeatedly to remove his “thorn in the flesh,” a particularly burdensome physical problem. Instead of curing Paul, God answered that He would convert Paul’s weakness to His sovereign strength.  We do not know to what extent Paul’s physical problem interfered with his endurance, but we are aware that Paul remained steadfast in his faith and service to His Lord, daily buoyed and empowered by God’s strength.  Paul was determined to boast about his own weaknesses so that Christ’s power could be glorified in his life. Today, God is faithful to convert our weakness into His strength, just as He did for Paul centuries ago.

Humble obedience is God’s intent for us.  Whatever our plight in this life, we are   commanded to enthusiastically accomplish God’s work.  Using our unique abilities, God delights in custom designing a personal service plan for everyone who loves Him.

“Few Christians finish well” is a haunting prediction.  Let us not allow that warning to come to fruition in our lives. By maintaining tenacity of faith and service to God throughout our lives, in the end, like Paul, we can claim, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).  Though Paul readily identified God as his Source of strength, he also persevered during hardship, allowing God’s power to burst through his circumstances.

Our gift of eternal life is secured by grace, not by works. As a result, our good deeds for God and our fellow men spill over as a natural outpouring of our faith.  “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). Paul knew that truth and so do we.  Why not practice with discipline that which we know to be true, and finish our life well, with a remarkable career for Christ?

Thank you again, Pat! What a blessing you are in my life!

My Strength

Wonderful Wednesday

Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places. —Habakkuk 3:17-19

2013 National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer for the United States. The theme for 2013 is “Pray for America.” According to the National Day of Prayer web site,

As our nation struggles with continued economic insecurity, vast healthcare reform, and countless challenges to our constitutional rights, citizens of the United States are preparing to exercise their freedom to gather, worship, and pray.  Millions will answer the call to prayer on May 2^nd in observance of the 62^nd annual National Day of Prayer.  Organized events will be held in thousands of public venues where intercession will be made for America and its leadership.

This year’s theme, “Pray for America”, is based on Matthew 12:21 which reminds us that “In His name the nations will put their hope.”  National Day of Prayer (NDP) Task Force Chairman Shirley Dobson, wife of Family Talk founder Dr. James Dobson, has said that, “The American people continue to be plagued with challenges that defy simple answers, and our hope lies in humbly seeking the Almighty’s guidance, protection, and blessing – not only on the National Day of Prayer, but throughout the year.”

The National Day of Prayer tradition predates the founding of the United States of America, evidenced by the Continental Congress’ proclamation in 1775 setting aside a day of prayer.  In 1952, Congress established an annual day of prayer and, in 1988, that law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.

I would like to share a song written by the group Sanctus Real. Read below about how and why they wrote this song.

We wrote the song Pray because these are anxious times. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on the edge of my seat, watching and waiting as tensions rise and markets fall. The 2012 election has left me acutely aware of the fact that we are a nation divided, fragile and in dire need of true hope. From my television screen to my twitter feed, I’m confronted with a minute-by-minute timeline of the latest news from around the world. The awareness that we’re just one thumb tap away from another shocking headline can be stressful. What will come next? We wonder if North Korea will launch a nuclear missile, if another homemade bomb in a backpack will be detonated at a public gathering, or if the mild-mannered kid next door will carry out another mass murder.

…

For those who cannot view the video for whatever reason, here are the lyrics to this wonderful song:

I bow my head to pray, I don’t know what to say
I’m not sure how to fix the things I’m dealing with
I’m in a desperate place, I need to share the weight
But I just don’t know how, to let it all pour out
Though I’m silent, my heart is crying
Cause I was made to come to You

So I pray
God I need You more than words can say
Right here in this moment
You know my heart, You know my need
You know every part of me
So even if it’s just to speak Your name
I’m gonna pray

I’ve failed to find the time, but You’ve been calling out
I let the days go by as if I could live without
But it’s gotta be here now, I won’t be pulled away
Cause it’s just You and I, so let the world around us fade

As I pray
God I need You more than words can say
Right here in this moment
You know my heart, You know my need
You know every part of me
So even if it’s just to speak Your name
I’m gonna pray
I’m gonna pray

(Father)
Will You meet me here right now?
(Father)
I surrender, lay it down
(Father)
And every time I close my eyes
I know that I was made
To lift my hands and pray
I lift my hands and pray

You know my heart, You know my need
And every single part of me
So even if it’s just to speak Your name
I’m gonna pray
I’m gonna pray

You know my heart, You know my need
You know every part of me
All the words and all my life
Take it as an offering

Beloved, please join me in praying for the United States of America. We are a country dealing with so many things, and from my personal experience, prayer is the best way to work through any of this:

• Pray for our government leaders, for right decisions during these troubling times.
• Pray for people who are struggling with financial problems, feeding their families, keeping a roof over their heads, and the rising rate of unemployment.
• Pray for those who have been harmed by terrorist activity, AND for those want to do us harm as a nation.
• Pray for the unborn babies that are but a breath away from having their lives snuffed out.
• Pray for all who are disabled and those who live with chronic pain illnesses, who struggle with getting even the seemingly easiest tasks accomplished.
• Pray for our churches and church leaders, that none of them will forgo what the Bible teaches just to go along with the status quo.
• Pray for all of those who claim to be Jesus followers, that none of us will forget our first Love.

This is by no means a complete list, so my final thought for you is: 

just pray…

Beloved, please know that I am praying for all of you, that God will bless you as you bless others through your prayers.

The Ideal Life You Want Isn’t Enough

I read this yesterday and since it follows along with my “enough” theme for this year, I knew I had to share it with you. I have been repeatedly blessed by Wayne Stiles’ writing and he has given me permission to share this with you. Please click the link below to visit his blog and read the rest of his post! You’ll be blessed too.

…

Most people live for dreams. It’s a quest, really.

Clinging to ideals of how life could and “should” be, they chase those dreams like a carrot on a stick. Always within reach, but never gotten.

I guess we’re all wired to pursue the ideal. The world calls it following “your heart,” and we Christians refer to it as “the will of God.”

But in truth, we generally settle for nothing less than our version of how life ought to be.

Any search for the ideal needs only to look at the Garden of Eden to see the futility of that pursuit.

God points us a different direction.

The Original Ideal Life

Adam and Eve lived in paradise—literally. Think about it.

They had:

• an unspoiled environment
• the perfect spouse
• a great occupation
• plenty of food
• an easy decision of what to wear each day—nothing!

They lived without a care in the world—with no sin to mar their motives. It was an ideal life in every sense of the word.

But it wasn’t enough.

You can read the rest of Wayne’s great post here. Again, thank you so much, Wayne, for allowing me to share your writing with my readers!

Happy Friday!

Carry Me

I am so thankful for the way God has carried me through some tough days over the past couple of weeks. Thank you to the many people who prayed for me. I definitely felt uplifted!

Today I am doubly thankful because my friend Patricia Knight has graciously allowed me to share another of her great devotionals with you. And I don’t think the subject of this devotional is a mere coincidence—more like what Pat and I call a “God-incidence.” Pat, I thank you, my dear, dear friend!

…

By Patricia Knight

 Is there any place a child would rather be than hoisted up onto his father’s broad shoulders, with legs wrapped securely around his dad’s chest, held in his firm grasp?  What a view from the child’s loving perch at the top of his world!  The boy’s little hands run playfully through his dad’s hair until his father suddenly lunges forward, pretending to stumble.  Suddenly the child reaches out in desperation as his once relaxed body contracts in fear.  When his jerking hands instinctively reach to grasp something safe, he lands a choke hold on his father’s neck.  Then his dad laughs uproariously, vowing to play no more tricks.  The child relaxes once more in the shelter of his father’s love and protection.  The playful ride continues until the father is happily exhausted.

Being lifted up and revered is not just child’s play.  We all crave protection and the ability to view the world buoyed by the safety of our heavenly Father’s shoulders.  “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders” (Deut. 33:12).

Our heavenly Father never stumbles nor will He ever carry us into dangerous territory.  When times in our life are tough, God often carries us on His shoulders, the safest place in the world to be.  Who among us doesn’t long for absolute security and safety?  Moses reminded God’s people, “The Lord your God carried you as a father carries His son” (Deut 1:31).

Our ride of assurance by God is not a one-time, fun-time. “I’ve been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, and I’ll keep on carrying you when you’re old.  I’ll be there bearing you when you’re old and gray.  I’ve done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you” (Is 46:4, The Message).

Remember, when we attempt to navigate the seemingly insurmountable trappings of life, we are not alone.  God, who created us, will sustain us.  Relax your tight muscles of fear.  Enjoy the promise of your Lord’s vast resources of peace and safety, love and kindness, faithfulness and forgiveness.

God’s shoulders are massive, supporting us when we are burdened with a load of care.  He delights in His children, desiring to lavish all of us with His love and grace.  Let us rejoice in the abundant encouragement God offers.  Only then can we enjoy the ride through life, held securely on His shoulders.

…

…

Everything I Need
by Kutless

When every step is so hard to take
And all of my hope is fading away
When life is a mountain that I can not climb
You carry me, Jesus carry me.

You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

When every moment is more than I can take
And all of my strength is slipping away
When every breath gets harder me
You carry me, Jesus carry me.

You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

I need You
You are everything I need
I love everything about You

You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

…

I hope you feel as encouraged as I did when reading this. Like so many of us, Pat is very familiar with chronic daily pain but she doesn’t let it get her down. She knows she can count on Him to carry her on His shoulders when she needs Him the most.

How about you, Beloved? You can call on God ANYTIME to carry you through a tough time!

Gratitude for Enough

Just wanted to share another little piece of “enough” with you.

Beloved, how grateful are you today for your “enough”?

The Enoughness of Enough

Last week I read this great post by Mary DeMuth, and since “enough” is my word for 2013, I asked her if I could repost it here for you to read. Mary graciously agreed, so hold on to your hats [or shoes or tablets or phones or whatever you're holding onto right now] because this is profound stuff! Thank you again, Mary!

I noticed the little voice at the thrift store as I gathered clothes to try on. I had a panicked sense about me, worried if I didn’t crawl through everything there, I would miss something. I tried on my clothes, bought several items, and went home feeling guilty. (Have you ever had purchase regret?)

I received disheartening news from a publisher. Their words confirmed the demise of one of my books. I thought of my more successfully published friends, and felt the hole deep down. I’ve wrongly thought that finding a certain level of success in writing would be enough. I’d reach a milestone and rest a bit, happy at the accomplishment. But another mountain of achievement always looms, stealing the joy of rejoicing in the accomplishment. Click to tweet this.

I’ve wanted wood floors as long as I can remember, but none of our homes have been decked with oak. It’s absolutely silly, this desire, especially in light of my friends in Ghana and Haiti whose floors are earth. I know we have so much. Why pine after pine?

My enough is broken.

The enoughness of enough hasn’t yet satisfied me. New (to me) clothes won’t fill up a heart. Instead, they’ll steal from our bank account. No matter what I achieve as a writer, there will always be another literary carrot just a little further ahead, stealing my temporary joy. Once the wood floors grace my home, there will be other home improvement items luring me–a new cooktop, different counters, an arbor out back.

I feel like Jeremiah aimed a verse at me this week: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me,  the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” *Jeremiah 2:13)

I’ve forgotten that Jesus is my enough. Instead, like the Achiever that I am, I have dug cisterns til the cows came home, only to realize they hold nothing. The water rushes through, temporarily satisfying, but never really filling me up.

I’ve become like Solomon. “And all that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

The solution? I have to stop. Rest. Revel in the now. Be like the Apostle Paul and learn the secret of true contentment, of being okay with lack or gain, all my strength coming from Jesus.

It’s not easy, though.

We live in a culture where there’s no enoughness to enough. Materialism and consumerism demand that we feed our desires constantly, never satisfied with the now. And it spills over into our businesses and ministries. If we revel in the enoughness of enough, then we’re not forward thinking, or we’ve lost our edge. We must always, always be shipping.

When will it end? Should we live on a treadmill, never stopping, never celebrating, never breathing a holy exhale long enough to simply say, “Thank You Jesus?” I hope not.

I’m, of course, preaching to myself in this post. But I have a hunch you’ve been there before, too. Will there ever be an “enough” in your life? What is enough?

Let’s decide together that there is enoughness to enough. To stop right now and be counterculturally CONTENT. Who’s with me?

Q4U: When have you truly felt you had enough? What messes with your feeling of enoughness?

…

Please do yourself a huge favor and visit Mary’s “Uncaged” site at http://www.marydemuth.com/

Be Joyful Always

Be joyful always;

Pray continually;

Give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18