** Due to the increasing severity of MY ILLNESS, it has become impossible for me to continue to post on a regular basis. Unfortunately, as much as I desperately long to, I am also unable to visit each of your blogs often or reciprocate all the loving, supportive comments many of you continue to leave - even though at times it may appear as though you've arrived at some long ago, forsaken blog! With that said, I really want you to know that I miss every single one of you and that I really am still here! I'm just too sick and too weak most days to be able to sit up long enough to create a brand new post...or even read one. However, I absolutely do receive AND read every new encouraging word you leave (and, often, the old ones, again and again!) and I cherish them now more than ever! I truly appreciate your love, support, and, most importantly, your precious time spent on your knees in prayer for my family and me. It ALL means the world to me and I am truly blessed to have friends like you!
~Hugs and Sister Love, Teresa

FYI: All comments come to my email, which I can easily read on my phone. I also enjoy Facebook on my phone because I can catch up on A LOT in a very short time there. Soooo, if you're on Facebook, come 'friend' me there! {{HUGS}} **

Friday, April 30, 2010

FLASHBACK FRIDAY
and
FRIDAY FOLLOW #2

(Click To Enlarge)

I love this picture. It is an old picture of my three daughters and my sister's three sons. At the time it was taken (2001), my brother and his wife had not yet had their son. It is SO crazy how quickly things change!

Whitney (now 23), in the middle of the picture, is now married and has 2 sons of her own. Casey (19), the oldest boy at the top of the picture, started college last fall and plans to finish as a Pharmacist. Morgan (18), the one with the glasses, will graduate high school in just a couple of weeks and will be attending Auburn University next fall to study Music Education. Andrew (17), the one on the far left, will be a senior next year. He is still trying to decide what he wants to do, but whatever it is, he will do an awesome job because he is extremely smart. Rebekah (15), the silly one on the right, will be a junior next year and is already thinking about college. She doesn't know exactly what she wants to do yet either, but it will most like have something to do with music. Hunter (13) is on the bottom. He is a true ladies' man and he is loving every minute of it! :0) Hunter will be in 8th grade next year and he is also a brilliant young man. He is looking forward to starting high school so he can be in marching band like Morgan and Bekah. The one you can't see in this picture is my youngest nephew, Landon. He was born about 5 years after this picture was made. He will be 4 this year. He is already following in the footsteps of his cousins. He is extremely cute and smart. That's just how we make 'em! :0)




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FRIDAY FOLLOW #2

Today, I'm joining Friday Follow again! It is a weekly blog hop hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades. They started this very popular blog hop as an awesome way to get more blog followers and to find and follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun! Just click on the icon below and check it out!


If you're stopping by from FF, I'm REALLY glad you are here! Please take a moment to check out my menu of links at the top of this page. There is the 'About Me' link where you can get to know me a little better. There is also the 'Must Reads' link. I am still working on adding posts to that but I hope you'll take some time to read a few that are already there. If you like what you see, I'd be extremely honored if you'd 'Follow Me', 'Subscribe', and/or find me on 'Twitter'. Either way, thanks so much for stopping by! I hope to see you again really soon!

I hope you all enjoy a wonderfully blessed weekend!!

Teresa


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Ways Your Church Can Minister To The Chronically Ill


REST MINISTRIES, the largest Christian organization that specifically serves the chronically ill, recently did a survey and asked people to 'List some of the programs or resources a church could offer to make it more inviting and comfortable.' They have provided a small sampling of the 800+ responses, all of which could be done in 20 minutes or less.

1. Send out encouraging cards or emails that say, 'You're in my thoughts and prayers!'

2. Make sure the handicapped stalls in the restroom are functioning and clean. Add some decorations that make them look more normal and cheerful like regular bathrooms.

3. Add padded chairs or cushions to make church easier to sit through. Room for wheelchairs is essential and be sure to include extra space for family members.

4. Have an open mind about a support group for the chronically ill like HopeKeepers. It would make me feel very special that there was an understanding of people's needs that are not always visible.

5. Add more disabled parking, even if they are temporary spots.

6. An awareness on the part of the ushers that those arriving late may have difficulty walking or getting out of cars.

7. Have a group of people who call the chronically ill members and check on them when they can't make it to church. (It really makes people feel special to know they are missed!)

8. One lady shared, 'When suppers are given, I may need help getting my meal - or at least understanding I cannot wait in a long line.'

9. Be cautious when hugging. It may literally cause physical pain to someone and even may cause a fall.

10. Video tape the service and put it on a DVD, don't just do a live web cast. Many responders said, 'My computer doesn't work that well so I'm not able to watch web casts.'

11. Check out the church doors and see if someone with an illness can open them with ease. If not, install a mechanical button to push them open.

12. Many responders said some form of the following: 'Stop telling me that if I truly believed and had faith, I'd be healed by now. Please don't go on and on about how good I look even though I know for a fact that I look terrible and miserable that day.'


13. Offer ways to serve within the church that can be performed regularly, but not on a set schedule so that I can still contribute, but there's enough flexibility that I can do the job when I feel well enough to do so.

14. Provide sermon notes in case I can't make it to the worship service and want to listen/take notes later.

15. Acknowledge National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week each year. Rest Ministries has a book list of the top 100 Christian books for the chronically ill. Having some of those books displayed in our Church Bookstore, Church Library and even in our Care Counseling Center would be great!

16. Just mention chronic illness occasionally! Talk about it in sermons as one of the challenges many people face just like unemployment or divorce.

17. Let me know about any Christian volunteers from church who would be willing to clean my house or do other odd jobs for a small fee. Some have offered to clean my house, but I am just not yet able to accept charity. But neither can I afford to pay a regular house cleaning service.

18. Have the church help with some of the small costs of providing encouraging books and resources for the church library. The chronically ill often cannot afford all that they'd like to read and will check them out.

19. Remember all of the caregivers in the church--not just caregivers of parents, but spouses and ill children as well.

20. Provide copies for free of the sermon on CD.

~~~~~~~

With just a few small changes, your church can become a more inviting and encouraging place for those with any form of chronic illness - invisible or otherwise. Most of these changes are very inexpensive but could most likely even be FREE if a few special people came together and gave just a little bit of their free time to serve and share their gifts and talents. They could make a HUGE difference in someone's life!
I really hope this will inspire at least one person to try and make a difference at their church OR any other facility that isn't disability-friendly; and believe me, there are plenty of them out there!
I really never thought much about this until I was the one faced with these obstacles. It is extremely humbling and down right humiliating when you find yourself in a facility that does not have a handicapped accessible bathroom stall AND you can't get your wheelchair anywhere close to any of the others. Plus, there is the fact that the only person with you that can help is your husband. Unfortunately, there are about 5 gazillion women and girls running in and out of the place, so he definitely can't come in and help.
That is exactly what happened to me when my husband and I were at a high school stadium during one of our daughters' marching band competitions in the Fall of 2008. Needless to say, my whole perspective about disability and ADA requirements has changed since that night. You just never totally understand something until you are put into the situation.
Thanks so much for stopping by today AND for taking the time to read this. I hope you have a wonderfully blessed day!
{{GENTLE HUGS}}
Teresa


Author, Lisa Copen, lives with rheumatoid arthritis and is the founder of Rest Ministries, an amazing Christian organization dedicated to serving those who are chronically ill. Lisa is also the author of 'Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend' and founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. To find more articles similar to this one and overall support while living with a chronic illness and/or pain, please visit Rest Ministries.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

SUNDAY CITAR







"I don't know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself. It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes- it is inevitable. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, 'well, if I'd known better I'd have done better,' that's all. So you say to people who you think you may have injured, 'I'm sorry,' and then you say to yourself, 'I'm sorry.' If we all hold on to the mistake, we can't see our own glory in the mirror because we have the mistake between our faces and the mirror; we can't see what we're capable of being. You can ask forgiveness of others, but in the end the real forgiveness is in one's own self. I think that young men and women are so caught by the way they see themselves. Now mind you. When a larger society sees them as unattractive, as threats, as too black or too white or too poor or too fat or too thin or too sexual or too asexual, that's rough. But you can overcome that. The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself. If we don't have that we never grow, we never learn, and sure as hell we should never teach."


~ Maya Angelou ~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

All I can say after that is WOW! What she said really resonated with me. I have done A LOT of things in my life that I am not proud of. I still to this day struggle with forgiving myself for those things. I know that I have disappointed and hurt a lot of people over the years who are very close to me and that makes it hard for me to forgive and, of course, I'll never forget.

Having a lot of 'free time', lots of VERY QUIET time on my hands lends itself to thinking and thinking and thinking. When you have that much time to think, it is not always good. I know the Lord has forgiven me and I have placed these things at His feet a million and one times but I am continuously going back to pick them up again.

Why do we do that? We crawl up in the Lord's lap and give Him all of our hurts, our pains, our fears, our disappointments and all of our many, many sins. We ask Him to forgive us and to help us. And He does! Then, not too much later, we try to quietly sneak up and take some or all of it back. But we are totally fooling ourselves if we think the Lord doesn't know what we are doing!

The thing is, the Lord wants us to leave all our burdens with Him. He wants to ease our load. In Matthew, He tells us, ' Come to me, ALL YOU who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' How awesome is that?

Is there someone you need to forgive? Are you like me and need to forgive yourself? Do you need to rest?? Try crawling up in Jesus' lap today. I promise, He will comfort you and give you that much needed rest.

Blessings,

Teresa
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Saturday, April 24, 2010

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAYS

Too Many Heartbeats Dysautonomia


He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.

~ Psalm 103:12~



"Ocean Floor"
by Audio Adrenaline

The mistakes I've made
That caused pain
I could have done without
All my selfish thought
All my pride
The things I hide
You have forgot about
They're all behind you
They'll never find you
They're on the ocean floor
Your sins are forgotten
They're on the bottom
Of the ocean floor
My misdeeds
All my greed
All the things that haunt me now
They're not a pretty sight to see
But they're wiped away
By a mighty, mighty wave
A mighty, mighty wave
Your sins are erased
And they are no more
They're out on the ocean floor
Take them away
To return no more
Take them away
To the ocean floor


For more inspiring and uplifting music, please visit Amy at SIGNS, MIRACLES AND WONDERS!

Friday, April 23, 2010

FLASHBACK FRIDAY
and
FRIDAY FOLLOW #1

Morgan, Me, David, Bekah

This picture is of our last real family vacation. It was the very first time the girls and I had every been to Disney World. It was in May of 2007. I was already experiencing some health problems but I would not become really, really sick until July of that same year. Even though I wasn't able to participate in all the rides and activities while we were there, we all still had a wonderful time! I often wish so badly that we could all go back to that time in our lives.

If only for a day.

Good times! :0)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FRIDAY FOLLOW #1

For the very first time, I'm joining Friday Follow! It is a weekly blog hop hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades. They started this very popular blog hop as an awesome way to get more blog followers and to follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun! Just click on the icon below and check it out!


If you're stopping by from FF, I'm REALLY glad you are here! Please take a moment to check out my menu of links at the top of this page. There is the 'About Me' link where you can get to know me a little better. There is also the 'Must Reads' link. I am still working on adding posts to that but I hope you'll take some time to read a few that are already there. If you like what you see, I'd really be honored if you'd 'Follow Me', 'Subscribe', and/or find me on 'Twitter'. Either way, thanks so much for stopping by! I hope to see you again really soon!

I hope you all enjoy a wonderfully blessed weekend!!

Teresa





Wednesday, April 21, 2010

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY



Welcome to Word-Filled Wednesday! As always, the purpose of WFW is to share God's Word (no famous quotes or other literature, only the beautiful Word of our Heavenly Father) through scripture and pictures. The host for this week is Christy at Critty Joy. Please take a few minutes to visit her and be encouraged!





'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 ~


The commands in this verse I strive very much to follow. However, I must admit, living with a chronic illness like Dysautonomia often makes it extremely difficult to feel joyful. :0( It makes a lot of things difficult. It makes it difficult to remember to pray as much as I should - or would like to. It makes it difficult to see the blessings the Lord has given to me because of the pain and sickness I am continually dealing with. This makes it more difficult to properly express my thankfulness.

I want to do all these things, I really do! But lately I just haven't felt up to it, not even a little bit! Like a stubborn little toddler, my body has absolutely refused to cooperate. The pain is relentless except for a short window of time after I take my medication, but that only lasts for a little while.
Like literal fog on a dark night, the 'brain fog' I experience makes me unable to concentrate and my memory extremely poor. Nausea is my constant companion and frequent vomiting wreaks havoc on my already aching body. Sleep, like time, has become more and more elusive. I want, I NEED, to sleep so badly, but I can't. I very rarely sleep more than an hour or so at a time. That in and of itself has really worn me down, mentally and physically. When you are exhausted everything is made worse.

Needless to say, it is very hard to feel joyful with so many un-joyful things happening. However, I keep reminding myself that THIS TOO SHALL PASS!! I know that one day I WILL BE healed - if not on this earth, then when I get to my Heavenly home! I will be given a brand new body. One that is completely healthy and completely pain-free. One that can walk and run and dance and play!

Until that wonderful day, I will CHOOSE to be joyful, I will CHOOSE to keep praying and I will CHOOSE to give thanks to my amazing God for all that He is doing in my life because I know that He has plans for me! He has plans to make me prosper and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future! Amen!




Thanks again for stopping by. I hope you all have a truly wonderful week.

Blessings,

Teresa



Saturday, April 17, 2010

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAYS
~ WELCOME HOME ~

Too Many Heartbeats Dysautonomia


I hope you will take a few minutes to listen to this song by Shaun Groves. I really love the words and metaphors used in this song. It has been one of my favorites for a very long time. I hope you like it, too.



WELCOME HOME
by Shaun Groves

Take, me, make me
All You want me to be
That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking

Welcome to this heart of mine
I've buried under prideful vines
Grown to hide the mess I've made
Inside of me
Come decorate, Lord
Open up the creaking door
And walk upon the dusty floor
Scrape away the guilty stains
Until no sin or shame remain
Spread Your love upon the walls
And occupy the empty halls
Until the man I am has faded
No more doors are barricaded

Chorus:
Come inside this heart of mine
It's not my own
Make it home
Come and take this heart and make it
All Your own
Welcome home

Take a seat, pull up a chair
Forgive me for the disrepair
And the souvenirs from floor to ceiling
Gathered on my search for meaning
Every closet's filled with clutter
Messes yet to be discovered
I'm overwhelmed, I understand
I can't make this place all that You can

Repeat Chorus

I took the space that You placed in me
Redecorated in shades of greed
And I made sure every door stayed locked
Every window blocked, and still You knocked

Repeat Chorus

Take me, make me
All You want me to be
That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking


Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings,

Teresa


For more inspiring and uplifting music, please visit Amy at SIGNS, MIRACLES AND WONDERS!

Friday, April 16, 2010

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

Me, Tammy and Becky

This is a really old picture of my nearly life-long BFFs and me during one of our 'reunions' somewhere around 1998, I think. Don't ya just love my big 80's hair?? :0) Tammy, Becky and I have been friends for close to 30 years and, even though we don't see each other or talk as often as we would like, we are still very, very close.

The three of us became friends when we were around 10 or 11 years old and were all members of the same church. We went to separate schools (Becky and Tammy went to one and I was at another), but we were together nearly every weekend and any other chance we got. We were inseparable!

Once we became adults, life took us each our separate ways but we've never lost touch with one another. Oh, we often go really long periods of time without seeing or even talking to each other, but that never affects the strength of our friendship. When we finally do get together, whether in person or via email/phone, it is always as if we were never apart. We are always able to pick right back up where we left off and chat as if we do it every day!

There is just something truly special about life-long friendships and I am so thankful to have these very special women in my life. We have really shared A LOT together over the years - some good, some bad. We've definitely seen our fair share of both. However, I can definitely say that all the times we've shared together are AMAZING treasured memories that I wouldn't trade for anything in this world!

Here we are again in 2000. I hope we can get together again soon. It has been way too long!


Me, Tammy and Becky


These ladies are incredible blessings and I know in my heart that if I'm EVER in need, they will always be here for me.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!


Blessings,

Teresa


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY





Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

~ 1 Peter 4:8-9 ~



This verse really spoke to me today. It made me think about my family, especially my sister.

I have an AMAZING family! Every single member is someone I know I can depend on no matter what. However, like most families, we definitely have our moments when we don't see eye-to-eye. That is especially true when it comes to my sister and me. You might remember that I told you a little about that here on her birthday.

Since then, we've had a couple more disagreements that did not end very well. It makes me extremely sad when that happens. I never, ever intend to cause a fuss or hurt her feelings, but somehow that is what always seems to happen. :0(

Thankfully, though, LOVE does cover a multitude of sins, and in our family, we somehow always manage to come out on the other side of any disagreement with our relationships still intact. As for my sister and me, we definitely aren't as close as I would like for us to be, but I hope and pray that somehow, someway we can work together to change that. We're not getting any younger and we just never know when the day will come that one of us won't be here any longer.

Thanks for joining me for Word-Filled Wednesday! As always, the purpose of WFW is to share God's Word (no famous quotes or other literature, only the beautiful Word of our Heavenly Father) through scripture and pictures.

WFW is being hosted this week by Lori at All You Have To Give. Please take some time to visit her blog for even more encouragement or if you want to link up and join us. It is really awesome!

Have a great week!

Blessings,


Teresa


Monday, April 12, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMO!




Today my middle daughter, Morgan, officially becomes an adult. It is so very hard for me to comprehend that it has actually been 18 YEARS since she made her grand entrance into this world!! It is even more difficult for me to believe that in just a few short weeks she will be graduating from high school (with honors!) Then, in the fall, she'll be heading off to college -- the college she has been dreaming of since she was a little girl!! As her mom, I am extremely excited for her and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her in her adult life. However, I must admit that over the last few months, I have really been struggling with all that is about to happen and I am definitely less than happy about the fact that another one of my daughters has somehow transformed into a woman while I wasn't looking. It's scary how that happens! You blink and they go from a curious little toddler to an insecure, hormonal 'tween'. You blink once more and they are grown! Time sure does fly.

I found this poem today. As I read it, it made me really think of each one of my three daughters individually. I decided to post it here as a dedication to Morgan on her very special day.


My Daughter


You'll never really know, my dear,
Just how much you mean to me,
A mother's love, buried so deep,
That only my heart can see.

When I sit and really stare at you,
All I can do is grin,
Somewhere down deep inside,
I see myself within.

I'd never change a thing in you,
I thank God that you're so fine,
Even when you're at your worst,
I'm so proud that you are mine.

The roads we have traveled,
were not always that good,
I would take back ALL the pain you've felt,
If only I could.

I know that I'm not perfect,
It's the best that I can do,
But everyday, I thank the Lord,
For a daughter as special as you.

Morgan, I am truly thankful the Lord chose your dad and me to be your parents. What an awesome blessing! We are so very proud of the Godly young lady you have become. We are so excited to see where this new journey called adulthood is going to take you. We know it is going to be amazing! We love you more than you will ever know.

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY, Momo!

Love Always,

Mama



Saturday, April 10, 2010

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAYS
~ WE LIVE ~

Too Many Heartbeats Dysautonomia

I have truly enjoyed this whole week of Spring Break with my family. We haven't really done anything that special but it has been so awesome having everyone hanging out at home, talking, laughing, watching movies and just being lazy for the most part. I wish we could do this more often but life is just so busy, especially with two teenagers in the house! I also wish I could spend more time with my oldest daughter and two grandsons but they stay just as busy.

The song I chose for today is one that I like to listen to because it reminds me that I should never take even one day for granted. We just never know when it may be the last day we spend with our spouse, one of our children, our parents, our siblings, our friends, etc. We never know when it may be our last day -period.

So, we all need to LIVE!


'WE LIVE'

By ~ Super Chic[k]

There's a cross on the side of the road
Where a mother lost her son
How could she know that the morning he left
Would be the last time she'd trade with
him for a little more time
(so she could say she loved him one last time)
And hold him tight
But with life we never know when we're
coming up to the end of the road
So what do we do then
With tragedy around the bend

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

There's a man who waits for the tests to
See if the cancer had spread yet
And now he asks why did I wait to
live 'til it was time to die
If I could have the time back, how I'd live
Life is such a gift
So how does the story end?
Well, this is your story and it all depends
So don't let it become true
Get out and do what we were meant to do

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love

Waking up to another dark morning
People are mourning
The weather in life outside is storming
But what would it take for the clouds to break
For us to realize each day
Is a gift somehow, someway
And get our heads up out of this darkness
And spark this new mindset and start on
with life cuz it ain't gone yet
And tragedy's a reminder to take off
the blinders and wake up
(to live the life)
We're supposed to take up
(moving forward)
With all our heads up
Cuz life is worth living

We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, we love, we forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love


I hope you LIVE your weekend to its fullest!

Blessings,

Teresa


For more inspiring and uplifting music, please visit Amy at SIGNS, MIRACLES AND WONDERS!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY



During this 'much-too-hot-for-me' spring break, I am finally spending a couple of wondrous nights all alone with my amazing hubby.
This is the first opportunity in a VERY long time that we've had this chance!
I'm enjoying every minute of it and giving lots and lots of thanks!! :0)






I have not stopped giving thanks
to God for you.
~ Ephesians 1:16 ~




WFW is being hosted this week by Penny at PennyRaine. Please take some time to visit her blog for even more encouragement or to link up and join us. It is amazing!

Have a great week!

Blessings,


Teresa


Saturday, April 3, 2010

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAYS

WERE YOU THERE?

Too Many Heartbeats Dysautonomia


If you haven't already, I hope you will read my blog post from yesterday called, What Jesus Felt The Day He Died For Me. It is extremely intense but it will really make you stop and think about the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for you and me.

Then, I hope you will listen to this song. I just found it today and it is so amazing!



WERE YOU THERE?

By Selah

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?


This next week, my two youngest daughters are on spring break and my husband also has the entire week off! Therefore, I probably won't be doing much blogging because I want to spend as much time as I can with them. In the meantime, I hope you and your family enjoy a wonderfully blessed Easter.

Many, many blessings,

Teresa


For more inspiring and uplifting music, please visit Amy at SIGNS, MIRACLES AND WONDERS!

Friday, April 2, 2010

WHAT JESUS FELT THE DAY HE DIED FOR ME


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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
~ John 3:16-17



I think those of us who are Christians sometimes take for granted what Christ did for us on The Cross. Not only the incredible sacrifice He made by giving up His life for ours, but exactly what He had to endure by doing so.

Several years ago, I read a physician's account of what exactly happens to a person when they are put to death by crucifixion. It really stung my heart as I read it and pictured in my mind how my Lord suffered so severely for someone so unworthy as I. As Good Friday has been approaching, I've been thinking back to that description and thought I would share it with you. I know this is really long but it is WELL worth the read. I caution you, it is definitely not for the faint of heart.


A Medical Explanation of What Christ Endured on The Day He Died

by Dr. C. Truman Davis


Gethsemane


The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV).


Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock.


Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face.



Before Pilate


In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion.


Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.


The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped.



Mockery


The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited into the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed.



Golgotha


In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa.


In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed the Jews.


The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes, and the titulus reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place.


The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified.


On the Cross


As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of this feet.


At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided.


The Last Words


Spasmodically, He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded.


The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do."


The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."


The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John , the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother."


The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"


He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart.


The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels."


The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV).


A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had been completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."



Death


The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary.


Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.


Resurrection


In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward his fellow man and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed.


But the crucifixion was not the end of the story! How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man--the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning.


I hope you made it all the way through. I admit, it is very HARD for me to read it. Not because it is long, but because it is so intense. It makes me so sad to think about all Jesus endured that day but it also makes me feel so very special. I really need to read it often so that I am continually reminded of just how much the Lord loves all of us - how much He loves ME!!

Jesus knew me THAT DAY! He thought about me when He was being beaten, mocked, and spat upon. Even when He was hanging on The Cross, suffering and trying so very hard just to breath and stay alive long enough to do and say the last few things He was sent to this Earth for....

He was thinking about ME!

He was thinking about YOU!


I hope you all have an amazingly blessed Easter Weekend. I hope you will spend some time thinking about what Easter is really all about.

Because of Him,

Teresa


SOURCE OF DOCUMENT

Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.

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