** 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}} **

Saturday, April 14, 2012

UPDATE & REPOST:

CAN THOSE WITH AN INVISIBLE ILLNESS PARK IN A BLUE SPOT WITHOUT OTHERS SEEING RED??

I have been REALLY sick since my last post.  I was in the hospital for 9 days, 7 of which were spent in the ICU.  I had a very serious infection and was also diagnosed with Adrenal Insufficiency and possible Bartter Syndrome.  I will be going to see two of my doctors this week.  One is my endocrinologist and the other is my GI doc.  Hopefully, between the two, I will figure out what is going on.  I don't like coming home with new diagnoses and new meds every time I go to the hospital!  However, I have continued to have extreme nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, much more than normal - and that's a lot! - so, I'm hoping they can help me.   

In the meantime, here is a re-post of a post/article that is really important to me and was well received the last time I posted it.  I hope you enjoy it and I hope it is seen by a lot of people who have not seen it before.
 

I saw the following article on the Invisible Illness Awareness Week website and it really struck a cord with me. The biggest reason is because I used to be extremely passionate about people who parked in those designated parking spaces but, in my ever-so-holier-than-thou-professional-medical opinion, surely did not need them! HA! What does that Proverb say?? 'Pride goes before the fall'?? Yeah, that's it.

Since I know this is a very sensitive subject for us all, I thought I would post (with permission) this great article. I hope that it will help EVERYONE to think twice the next time you see someone parking in one of those precious parking spaces who may not 'look' as though they 'need' to. Disabilities come in lots of different shapes and forms as do those who have them. Many are invisible to the untrained AND the trained eye.  It is simply impossible to know if someone is truly disabled just by looking at them.  Here's that amazing article:

CAN THOSE WITH AN INVISIBLE ILLNESS 
PARK IN A BLUE SPOT WITHOUT OTHERS SEEING RED??




“Do you know the fine for using someone else’s handicapped parking permit is $300?”  “That parking spot is saved for the disabled! You should be ashamed of yourself!”  Nearly everyone with an invisible illness has been told, “You don’t look disabled to me!” One of my friends replied, “Well, you don’t look stupid to me.” I just bite my lip to try to prevent the tears from forming, broken-hearted that I appear to be deceptive, when I would do anything to give back this parking perk that I use on a rare occasion.

As I circle the parking lot a fourth time on this day I hope for a spot to open up within two-hundred yards of the store, but there is nothing remotely close at this bustling superstore where I need to buy my prescriptions and milk for my toddler. My rheumatoid arthritis is flaring badly, causing extra fluid in my knees to dislocate pieces of loose bones. Every step is painful and unpredictable.

Finally I sigh in resignation and pull into the farthest “blue parking spot.” I reach for the placard–the one that has a bold white symbol of a wheelchair–and no, I don’t have a wheelchair–yet. So after fifteen years of having this “privilege” at my disposal I still warily scan the area before reluctantly dangling the placard from the rear view mirror. Is there anyone watching, wondering, or waiting, ready to confront me?

I’ve had scathing notes left on my windshield and many people, empowered by television exposés, have approached me with their opinions. Judgmental expressions and whispers sting just as much. My husband and I adopted a baby and when I would get my child out of the car I would avoid eye contact with onlookers because I could hear their whispers of, “She’s not disabled! Or–if she is–she has no right to have a child!”

Nearly 1 in 2 Americans (133 million) live with a chronic illness. It could be diabetes, cancer, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia or even chronic back pain. Many illnesses make walking long distances impossible because of limited lung capacity, physical pain, or unpredictable numbness in the legs. According to statistics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 96% of these illnesses are invisible. There is no sign of the illness existing, nor the use of an assistive device like a cane or a wheelchair.

I began National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week in 2002, which is held annually in September, after witnessing thousands of people who had frustrations, fears, loneliness, and bitterness, about feeling invalidated. One’s illness, age, diagnosis, or level of disease degeneration, doesn’t change the emotional pain.

Strangers and loved ones alike doubt the severity of our illness or even the diagnosis. We’ve heard, “You look so good! You must be feeling better.” But we don’t feel better. We just bought some fake tan in a bottle and pasted on a smile.

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is a time to acknowledge that invisible illness is more prevalent than we’d imagine and everyone–both those who are healthy and ill–can make a difference by encouraging someone with an invisible illness, rather than tearing someone down.

Are those parking spots painted blue because they give so many people the blues? That small area of square footage is a breeding ground for many frustrations as we are forced to defend our illness and character to total strangers. I’d gladly trade in my placard indefinitely for just a week of having my old body back when I could run, sit on the floor, or even hold a fork without tendons popping out of place.

I anticipate the day when a nationally designated system is formed. Texas law states that blue placards are for those who use assistive devices; red permits are for people with a “condition that impairs mobility.” In other states, red symbolizes six months of disability and blue is permanent. It’s confusing! And for one with invisible illness, the wheelchair symbol discredits both our physical pain and–in the eyes of others–our reputation. Until then, we rely on Invisible Illness Week bumper stickers.

The next time you see a healthy looking man loading groceries into his car–parked in the “blue spot”–don’t glare. Stop and offer to help him, or just smile nicely, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Seventy percent of suicides have uncontrollable physical pain as a factor. Your smile may save his life. At the least, it will astonish him, perhaps providing him with genuine encouragement he hasn’t felt for months.

To find more articles and overall support while living with a chronic illness and/or pain, please visit The Invisible Illness Awareness Website or Rest Ministries! Lisa Copen is the director of Rest Ministries, author of 'Beyond Casseroles: 505 Ways to Encourage a Chronically Ill Friend' and founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week.

Photobucket

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

~SBW~
AWESOME SITE FOR
CHRONICALLY ILL TEENS


 Hi Everyone~


I have really missed seeing you all!  I have just not been well enough to write new posts in quite some time.  I've continued to become much more sick over the past several months and have been bedridden for over 16 months now.  If that wasn't enough, my family and I  have been really struggling in all kinds of ways since my husband lost his job over a year ago.  We are doing everything we can to hang on to our home (which is currently in foreclosure status), keep food on the table and make sure all of my medical necessities are taken care of.  It has really been a struggle, but no matter what, God is SO GOOD! 
 

To get my mind off things, I wanted to jump back in, try to touch base with you all and maybe post a little here and there, as I can.  If I don't, I think I'm going to go stir crazy! :0) For now, I thought I'd start by choosing a few of my previous posts, update them a tad bit and then put them out there again.  These posts were/are very important to me.  Some of them received a lot of feedback the first go-round and I believe it's because they contain a lot of useful information that's helpful to those who are living with this monster we all have come to know as Dysautonomia.    

Here's the first one I chose. I hope you enjoy it, whether you're reading it for the first time or not:


STARLIGHT,
STARBRIGHT
 



As some of you may remember, my youngest daughter, Rebekah, was recently diagnosed with Dysautonomia/POTS (the same illness I have) last year (2009).  Most days, Bekah functions fairly normal for the most part.  However, she does have many days when she can't do much more than attend school, come home and go to bed. There are even the occasional days when she can't even do that. She can only stay in bed and rest/sleep because of the tachycardia (high pulse rate), fatigue and nausea that she suffers from. For a 15 (now 17) year old, having a chronic illness definitely puts a kink in your social life. 


A few months ago, I found a very interesting link when I was visiting the website, ButYouDontLookSick.com. The link was to a social networking site for young people ages 13-20. It is called STARBRIGHT WORLD (SBW). I went to check it out and I was really impressed. I even thought it was something my daughter might be interested in.


Here is a little info from their homepage: 

 
 

'Starbright World is a virtual hangout where you can build on existing friendships or create new ones, from home or from the hospital.  Starbright World is an online social network where teens (ages 13 to 20) who have serious medical conditions, and siblings of seriously ill teens, can connect with each other via moderated chat rooms, games, bulletin boards, videos, and more.'
They have a list of 'some of the illnesses and conditions that qualify for SBW membership':
A – autoimmune disorders, AIDS/HIV, anemia, severe asthma, arthritis
B – burn injuries, brain tumor, blood condition
C – cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, cardiac (heart) problems
D – diabetes (type 1 and 2)
E – endocrine problems, epilepsy
H – Huntington’s disease, HIV/AIDS, hydrocephalus, hypophosphatasia
I – infectious disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
K – kidney disease
L – leukemia, lupus, liver disease, lymphoma
M – migraine headaches, muscular dystrophy, mitochondrial disease
N – neurological disorder
O – obesity/overweight, osteosarcoma, osteomyelitis
R – respiratory problems, rheumatic disease
S – sickle cell anemia, seizure disorder, spina bifida/myelodysplasia, spinal cord injury, stomach or digestive problems
T – transplants, tumor or mass
U – ulcerative colitis

**Because of the fast-paced nature of an online community, SBW may not be the most appropriate place for teens with developmental/emotional/behavioral conditions. If there is a primary medical condition present as well, we may make an exception, with input and guidance from a parent or healthcare provider.If you have a question about whether your teen qualifies for SBW membership, contact us via the "Report an Issue" link at the bottom of the home page.

Since I found the site, Rebekah has become a very involved member. She has been spending A LOT of time there and has made a lot of really close friends whom she chats with online quite often. As a parent, I really like the site. It is monitored very well by adult 'hosts'; so, no foul language or inappropriate behavior is allowed and any suspicious activity is handled immediately. Therefore, the possibility for adults to be there preying on our children is almost non-existent. In fact, to keep our children safe, a child must have parental consent for membership and the SBW chat rooms are monitored at all times by trained, paid adult staff.  The 13-20 age requirement is due to SBW being in compliance with the federal Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).  SBW has also received a positive review from the Common Sense Media, an independent non-profit organization that helps parents manage their children's media lives.        

So, if you know of a young person who has a chronic illness and think they would like to get to know other kids going through something similar, let them know about Starbright World.  No matter who you are, how old you are, or what you're going through, it helps to know you're not alone.


{{HUGS}}
 
Teresa


P.S.  Since I wrote this post nearly 2 years ago, Bekah has grown extremely close to many of the youth on this website.  She has even met some of them in person, with chaperones of course.  She has even had the unfortunately experience of one of her close friends dying.  So, that is one really sad, but inevitable, reality that comes along with making really close friends there.  It was very hard for her, but it really helped her to realize that young people are not invincible like most teens tend to think they are.  Although it is a tough experience, I think it was good for her.  She has learned to cherish each day as it comes.  I just thought I would give you a 'heads up' about that side of it as well.      



Photobucket




Saturday, December 24, 2011

~ MERRY CHRISTMAS!! ~





I pray you all are having a wonderfully blessed Christmas season!  As most of you know, I haven't well enough to blog very much lately, but I just had to stop by in time for Christmas to check in with everyone.  Plus, I wanted to share this adorable Christmas card that was created by Angela Pascale, an amazing artist/illustrator, who also happens to suffer from Dysautonomia/POTS.  If you get a chance, please check her out on her blog, website, or her Facebook page to see her other incredible creations.  Also, if you have Dysautonomia and are looking for an absolutely AWESOME place for treatment, you should really consider Vanderbilt's Autonomic Dysfunction Center in Nashville, Tennessee.  You can find more information about them by clicking on the card or link.  You can also read more about them and my adventures there by clicking on the RESOURCES or MUST READS links above.  

It's so good to post again!  I hope to do it again really soon!  
CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS,

Teresa


 

Sunday, May 1, 2011

~ GOD IN THIS CITY ~
Tornado Outbreak
April 26-28, 2011


Tornadoes swept through seven southern states this past week, including my home state of Georgia, leaving behind catastrophic destruction in its wake. There were hundreds killed, thousands injured and damage to homes and businesses estimated to be into the billions. As of today, the official death toll has risen to 344, but is likely to continue to rise. Of those fatalities, 334 occurred during a single 24-hour period from Wednesday to Thursday, making it the ‘deadliest single day for tornadoes’ since March 18, 1925, according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The National Weather Service estimates there were 288 tornadoes during the entire 48-hour outbreak, which lasted from 8:00 am, April 26th to 8:00 am, April 28th. Of the states affected, Alabama suffered the hardest hit of all, with tornados touching down in six different counties.

As many of you know, my daughter, Morgan, began college this past fall at Auburn University in Alabama. Praise God, that area of the state was spared the brunt of the storms. However, Tuscaloosa, the home of the University of Alabama - Auburn's arch rival - did not fare so well. It took a direct hit from a HUMONGOUS tornado, which the National Weather Service determined to be an EF5. This monster was approximately 1.5 miles wide and appears to have stayed on the ground for somewhere between 200 and 370 miles (from Newton County, Mississippi to Macon County, North Carolina)!! Reports from Tuscaloosa/Birmingham indicate that at least 65 people were killed in that area, with over 1000 injured in the Tuscaloosa area alone and another 600 still missing. Alabama's Emergency Management Personnel are reporting that, as of today, the official statewide death toll in Alabama currently sits at 250, but is expected to rise in the coming days.


UNBELIEVABLE
EF5 Tornado that hit University Mall in Tuscaloosa


Auburn University students have established a Facebook page to collect supplies and coordinate help for those devastated by the tornado in Tuscaloosa and other areas in Alabama. It is called Toomers For Tuscaloosa. Some of the biggest needs at this time are water, sports drinks, non-perishable food items, baby supplies (food, diapers, formula, bottles, clothes, etc.) sunscreen, bug spray, toiletry items, bedding, blankets, coolers, tarps, paper and plastic bags, flashlights, batteries, porta-potties, adult diapers, etc. If you are interested in helping, please check out the Facebook page or contact the Auburn students via email at toomersfortuscaloosa{at}gmail{dot}com.

In the meantime, I hope you will join my family and me in praying for ALL those affected by last week's deadly storms and, as we head into this next week, let's all remember to stop and count our many, many blessings.

{{HUGS}}



Photobucket



Friday, April 22, 2011

WHAT JESUS FELT THE DAY HE DIED FOR ME


'But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that,
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.'
~ Romans 5:8


NOTE: When you start reading this, you may recognize it. That’s because I posted it last year. However, it is such an AMAZING read, I thought I would post it again this year for those who might have missed it. It is SO very incredible!


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 pray that each of you have an amazingly blessed Easter weekend. I hope you will spend some time thinking about what Easter is really all about.


Photobucket



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.

Linkwithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails