Today is a MILESTONE for me!

Young Adult Night of Mystery

Guess what?  Today is a milestone for me!  Today marks 120 days and 4 months, since God healed me!!  I still can’t believe it!  He totally surprised me.  If you are confused and wonder what in the world I’m talking about, be sure to check out my previous blog post HERE for more details.  It’s been 19 years (and 18+ medications that I managed) with Myasthenia Gravis and it’s all GONE!  

Recently my pastor shared a Bible passage at church that really connected with me.  It’s found in John 9:1-41.  This passage talks about a man that was born blind and how the people were impacted around him when Jesus healed him.

8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”  But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” (John 9:8-9, NLT)

Isn’t this the one “who used to…?”  Can you say that about YOUR life?  Have you changed in any way over the years, where others can notice the difference?  It could be little changes like… the one “who used to” be shorter or the one “who used to be” shy.  Maybe you’ve had bigger things occur that have changed you that are more noticeable to others.  Are you the one “who used to” smoke and you stopped… or the one “who used to” drink, but you don’t any more?  Could you be the one “who used to” be lost without Jesus and everything changed when He entered your life?   That’s me and I hope it’s you too!

Things changed little by little for the better, when Jesus entered my life as a teenager.   As I have pursued having more of Him in my life over the years, it has changed me even more!  Stepping aside and inviting Him to write my story, has brought such joy, purpose, and fulfillment that I never dreamed possible.  Now today, I can say along with this man (in the passage we just read), that I’m the woman “who used to” have an autoimmune disease, but I don’t anymore!  Thank you Jesus!

In the passage it shares how Jesus healed the man born blind, but it wasn’t in the right way or on the right day for the religious leaders of the time.  As a result, they begin picking apart the miracle.  I think our natural tendency is to be skeptical, when we don’t understand.  Miracles are something we hope for, but don’t really expect to happen.  WHEN they happen, it’s hard for us to believe them.  Look at what the now HEALED man says to the religious leaders that are dissecting his unexplainable miracle and the Healer.  He simply says…

25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” (John 9:25, NLT)

I love that!  I don’t know or care to pick this thing apart… all I know is that I am healed!!!  I’m sure all he wanted to do was to celebrate this monumental blessing in his life and tell everyone he knew what happened!  I guess some people have to experience it first hand to truly believe it!

Some Struggle to Believe

I know there are some people out there still shaking their heads wondering what on earth has happened to me.  Some might even be “religious people” like those of the Bible times.  It is unexplainable!  All that I know is that I “used to have” an autoimmune disease and now it is gone!  There is no specific, set blueprint for healing.  You can’t follow my pattern and have things happen the same way.  There is one thing I know you can do, that will lead you to the place where it could happen… get yourself closer to Jesus.  Open your Bible, go to church, surrender your all to Him, and seek Him with all of your heart.  That path leads to amazing experiences with God and maybe just maybe, it could lead to your healing!

For those who struggle to believe it, let me help you out…

God has confirmed this miracle in several verifiable ways to me:

1. I have NOT had any flare up, Myasthenic crisis, or exacerbation at all since stopping my medication (that I have taken for the past 19 years).  It’s been 4 months!!!  Normally I would have had to go to the hospital (for infusions of some sort) to get my body back to normal with any drastic medicine change, but not this time.

2. My Neurologist verified I am better.  He can’t say “healed”.  The closest medical term for that is “in remission.”  He checked me over and saw significant strength in every area of my body.  He couldn’t stop saying “Wow!”

Some people like to write this off and say… “I’m glad you are in REMISSION.”  They don’t want to acknowledge the healing part.  This can be explained and healing (& miracles) cannot.  Let me clarify this for you.  Remission is when you are gradually getting better (day by day), medicine is lowered, and at times it’s completely removed for a season.  I have been in remission before and know what that is like, but this is not it!

Before the day I was healed, I had experienced a whole month of sickness.  I was run down, tired, and had no idea that my iron levels were low.  As a result, it required 4 days of iron infusions equaling 15 + hours.  Not to mention the day before I was healed I went to the doctor for tummy issues.  I won’t go into all the details, but when I left the doctor’s office, he said that he had suspicions that it could be DIVERTICULITIS.  I was so upset about this!  I spent 49 days in and out of the hospital for that two years ago.  I was over it!

I went into the service on the Friday night that God healed me, feeling very defeated and frustrated.  I was weary, tired, and overwhelmed.  I thought about how much time in my life has been wasted being sick.  I was broken.  In that broken place is where He met me.

3. This week I took a cautionary medication for Myasthenia Gravis (pretty much a black box warning item) and I’m still alive!

The FDA issues black box warnings for drugs that may cause serious or life threatening side effects. This medication is on my list of do NOT take antibiotics.  It can cause a Myasthenic crisis or exacerbation that would require immediate hospitalization.  I know God healed me from having Myasthenia Gravis, however I have struggled with other issues since being healed… colds, sinus infection, etc…  

I’m currently recovering from my 3rd sinus infection.  I went to my family doctor last week to see what he could do to help.  I feel like God uses these moments for me, to be able to share my story with the doctors and the nurses I encounter.  If you’ve ever been to a doctor’s office, they always ask if your medicine has changed, so they can update things.  EVERY TIME I go to an appointment, I end up sharing my story with at least 3 people.  My recent doctor visit was the same way.  

Since I was healed, I told him I was open to taking any antibiotic on my former allergy list that he recommended.  God healed me, so this was a non-issue for me.  No disease, so there should be no issue with allergies, right?  That’s what I thought, but my family felt differently.  They didn’t like me taking risks like this.

My doctor decided to pick one of the top tier antibiotics on my list, that can cause SERIOUS side effects if you have Myasthenia Gravis.  On Wednesday (1-29-25), I took 3 pills (as prescribed), and have taken them on schedule since, with no side effects.  Guess what?  I’m still alive to tell you about it and not only that… I’m actually starting to feel better!  Yay God!

Are you having trouble believing my miracle and that of others?  I challenge you to take a step of faith to try to believe the unbelievable and God may do something amazing for you too!  As I have stated before, I encourage you to reconsider Jesus and where you have placed Jesus in your life.  He has done amazing things in my life and wants to do awesome things in your life too!  I’m always available if you want to chat about my story or yours.  

Love & Prayers,
Julie

P.S.  For those wondering… I am still working on my book.  I will keep you posted when it gets closer to completion.  The title will be… “Where Messy Faith Meets a Mighty God.”  Be watching for updates coming soon.

“I’m Speechless… God did it!”

I can’t believe it, there are no words, but I have to share… Today marks 41 days since God healed me from an autoimmune disease I have suffered with for 19 years!!!   I’m still trying to process it all.  I’m speechless!  I always hoped it would happen, but didn’t think it would… and now I don’t even know what to think.  God totally surprised me!  I’m both overwhelmed with emotion and excited all at once.  Wow God!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all that have interceded and lifted me up faithfully in prayer.  Your prayers made a huge difference in all seasons of my journey!  You are my spiritual tribe of rock stars!!!  I love and appreciate you!!!

DISCLAIMER:  

For all those I share my story with, I add this extra disclaimer…

“Please reconsider Jesus and where you have placed Him in your life.  He is alive and has done amazing things in my life and I know He wants to do incredible things in your life too!”

Here is my story….

It happened at a Friday night service we had at my church.  I was running late, but found a seat near the front.  I put my stuff down and stepped into the aisle way to give God all my attention in worship, as we sang songs of praise to Him.  I didn’t want any distractions.  That night was a prayer and worship night.  I had challenged the small group I taught on Wednesday night to do something new that night, to shake things up with their relationship with God.  It could be sitting in a new place, moving away from everyone else during the worship time (to focus more on God), or simply singing out loud to the songs (when normally they never did).

I challenged them to seek a HEART knowledge of God.  Many are content with just a HEAD knowledge of God.  They know all about God, but they don’t really know Him in an “up close and personal” way.  I encouraged them to seek “God Moments” that can become Landmarks of Faith on their journey with Him… special moments with God to look back on and know (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that He is real!!!

I decided that I needed to lead the way and take my own advice to shake things up.  Before I knew it, I was on the front row, standing and worshiping, with both hands raised in surrender.   It wasn’t long, until I fell down on my knees seeking Him passionately in prayer.  

I don’t know what song we were singing, but I felt very broken as I was pouring my heart out to God.  I was very frustrated.  I had been sick all week long. When I was finally able to see the doctor, he shared suspicions of it being Diverticulitis (the condition that put me in the hospital for 49 days in 2022).  “No… Not this again!”  I thought.  “It just couldn’t be that!”

I was sharing with God all of my frustration in its rawest sense.  I was so tired of all of this.  I knew that God had more for me than sitting at home half the day…  run down, sick, icing my body, hoping to have enough energy to do things and make it through the day.  I knew He had better for me!  I was angry at all the things I had been dealing with;  I was angry with the symptoms and side effects, not my God.  As a result, I started rebuking all sickness in my body (specifically) that I have dealt with lately and told it to go in Jesus name.  I was more broken then I have ever been.

As I sat in the quiet of my emotions, I felt God speak something radical to me.  It was a hard thing.  I questioned it over and over, but He made it very clear to me that it was Him that said it.  What was it?  I feel like He said, “Stop taking your medicine… all of it!”  

My reaction was… “What?  Did I hear that right?”  God wanted me to stop everything I was taking, cold turkey!  “But, I take a lot of medicine and some of them are very necessary to prevent Myasthenia Gravis from flaring up again.”  It was currently under control and had been for the last year. I sat there on the floor, on my knees reviewing the ramifications of what could happen to my body, if I obeyed God.  

I just wasn’t sure.  I felt like God kept confirming over and over to me, that I don’t have to doubt His voice. I learned to hear it clearly over the summer (in my pursuit of Him) and have obeyed His leading confidently.  He kept saying over and over to me, “You know my voice, I am the one asking you to do this.”  “Would you choose to do this on your own?”  I felt like He said… “You trust Me in all other areas of your life, why not this one?  Why can you believe this for others, but not for yourself?”

The Proverbs 3:5-6 passage kept playing in my mind over and over… “Trust Me and don’t lean on your own understanding.  I will lead the way and see you through.”  I just kept saying,  “This is hard, God.”  “You are asking me to do a HARD thing.”  I felt like His response was… “Wasn’t I there, when you did hard things over the summer?  Didn’t I see you through it and impact lives in powerful ways, as a result of your obedience?  Do you trust Me?  You should know by now that I wouldn’t ask you to do something hard, if I didn’t have a purpose for it.”

I reluctantly surrendered and said,  “Okay, but this is going to be hard.”  As I looked up from the floor (trying to process everything), I saw an amazing woman of God in front of me on the platform.  She had felt like God wanted her to stop all of her medicine, the year before (at our Sisterhood Weekend), and it totally changed her life!  If she could do it, I could do it too!  I asked her to pray for me before I left that night and the rest is history.

I am currently on Day 41.  I can’t say that it has been easy, but God has been SO faithful.  For those that don’t know, I’ve struggled with an autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis for 19 years and have taken 18 + medications to manage it.  The best way to explain this disease is that it is similar to Multiple Sclerosis, in the sense that it affects the muscles and weakens them… however it doesn’t get progressively worse.  It causes flare ups, like Fibromyalgia might, where the muscle weakness could get bad for a while and then all of the sudden improve. There have been lots of extremes with this disease and unpredictability.  There have been good seasons and bad.  At its worst I was bedridden for a year struggling to swallow water, eat solid food, or even take care of myself; while at its best (in remission) I was able to complete the Indianapolis Mini Marathon 5k walk!

To say it has been frustrating dealing with this, is an understatement.  The medications that I have taken to just manage my life (helping it be as seemingly normal as possible), have caused side effects requiring more medication to fix things.  Each medication has come with its own bucket of issues.  I am currently working through getting 19 years of toxic medicine out of my body and it’s not fun.

It’s a process, but I know God has healed me!  
Without a doubt, I know that NOT taking some of the medication (that I have taken for the past 19 years), would have placed me in the hospital by Day 7 (or maybe sooner).  I would have started to get really weak, my original symptoms would have surfaced making it difficult to lift my head, my eyes would have started drooping, that would have led to double vision, trouble swallowing, slurred speech and the like…

BUT GOD had something different in mind.  I’m not sure why God healed me now, but I’m SO thankful He did!!  That is not all of the story, but it’s the highlighted, abbreviated version.  I’m currently working on finishing a book I’ve been writing for nearly 12 years.  It’s a Bible Study on the life of Joseph (the one thrown into a pit).  It draws parallels from my own life and now boy do I have an incredible ending for it! 

The rest of my healing story (in detail) will be in my book. I’m hoping to get it finished by Jan. 1st.  It will be entitled…“Where Messy Faith Meets a Mighty God- Nothing is Wasted.” God has been SO faithful during all seasons of my life.  I hope you will check out the book when it comes available.

I’m not sure where you are on your faith journey, but one thing I know beyond a shadow of doubt, is that God is real.  He loves us and cares about the details of our lives.  Please reconsider Jesus and where you have placed Him in your life.  He is worth all your surrender, friends.  A life completely surrendered to Him is life changing!  I’m still processing everything

(as I said before), but would be happy to chat with you if you have any questions about my faith journey or yours.  I love you all!

Newly healed and forever thankful!!!

Julie

TIPS ON HOW TO MINISTER TO THE SICK

I know it's been a long time since I've written on this blog... almost 2 1/2 years to be exact. A lot has happened since then to keep me from writing. Well there was COVID and quarantines, my dad got sick and passed away, I got COVID twice, we bought a new house, I struggled with several episodes of diverticulitis requiring 4 different hospital stays, and eventually had surgery to remove the damaged parts of my colon. An error occurred during the surgery which disconnected my bladder from my kidney. As a result I will need a final surgery to repair it. That is coming in the next couple weeks. I think that brings us up to the present. LOL.

With my recent hospital stay being 15 days (in a lot of pain) and about 45 days in the hospital this year so far, I thought I would share some insights I've gained on how to minister to the sick. Not only have I been sick a lot over the years, but I know a lot of people who struggle with their health and even some that are homebound.

Side note: For those who followed the online journey of my hospital stay recently. Thank you for the prayers. They were felt and made a huge difference. I also want you to know that God was faithful and very present in the midst of all of my suffering. He did unexpected miracles. I will share more about that at a later time.

I thought I would share some helpful tips that may help as you minister to your friends or loved ones. This is geared toward the church going crowd, but can be adapted to fit anyone.   If you are one of my friend’s who struggles with being homebound or have ongoing health issues, please add anything else that I may have missed or that would be helpful in the comments below.

TIP #1:  REACH OUT PERSONALLY

Sick people can feel pretty lonely at times.  Even though their health is up and down most of the time, they have quiet moments in between to think, to dwell on things, and wonder if anyone cares that they aren’t around or even misses them.  Depression lurks in the shadows waiting to pounce on their hearts.  That’s why it is so important to reach out when someone you know and love is sick.  I know it may feel awkward or uncomfortable, but hopefully some of the things I share below will help you push past that to love them better.

3 WAYS TO REACH OUT:

           MESSAGE THEM

(Whether it be a text or direct message on social media)

Send a text or message of encouragement to them.  Keep it short and sweet.  “Thinking of you today”, “Praying for you”, “Love and miss you”, etc… or you could simply send them an encouraging picture or GIF.   When your loved one is in the hospital or extremely sick, sending written out prayers to them via text or direct message can be very impactful.  It helps them feel your prayers even more.

Note:  Don’t send messages to them saying… “sending good vibes or happy thoughts”.  Those feel like empty words to sick people.  They need to know you are really praying for them.  Prayer makes all the difference!

Also, don’t leave voicemail messages.  Sick people don’t always have the opportunity to listen to messages or even call people back.  In most cases, they can respond to a text or direct message a lot easier.  When I was in the hospital, I responded to texts as I was able.  If I was unable to do so, at times my husband would read them to me and respond for me.  I remember when my dad was in the hospital (in a semi-conscious state before he passed away), that I read all the Facebook messages that people sent to him out loud for him to hear one by one.  I could tell he was listening and it really blessed him.  The written word shared (from the heart) brings healing to those that are sick.

SEND A CARD

Send those that are sick cards periodically to let them know you miss them, you are praying for them, and they are loved.  I encourage you to don’t just sign your name to the card, write them a little note letting them know you are thinking of them and praying for them.  It’s a visual reminder to them that people love them and really do care.

SEND A GIFT

If you feel led to do so, send a gift.  Anything that will bring a little sunshine to their day and room.  Life gets dreary when you are stuck in the same place all the time.  Flowers, balloons, candy, etc… are great gifts.  They help change the atmosphere for a moment and can bring a smile to the faces of those that are sick.

TIP #2:  CONNECT WITH THE FAMILY

Stay informed.  Check in with the family to see how things are going with the one that is sick and with their family members.  Sickness takes a toll on everyone.   

Listen, watch, and ask if they have any needs you could help meet.  In most cases they are weary. They just need some of the weight lifted for a while, so they can catch their breath and truly rest.  They generally don’t know their needs, until you suggest something.  Think of things like bringing food or planning a food train, maybe they need a dog sitter, lawn care, or rides to doctor appointments, etc…   Bless them as God leads you.

TIP #3: CARE BEYOND THE CRISIS

After you’ve prayed, sent cards, messages, and gifts, you might consider taking it a step further.  Make a call or visit.  Be sure you check with the family first to see if it would be a good idea.  Timing is important.  When it comes to visits, never just show up.  Set up a time that would be best for the family and don’t go there empty handed.  Bring something with you to give to them.  It makes things less awkward when you arrive.  Bring a card, food, gift, flowers, etc…  Something to bring some more sunshine to their day.  

VISITS:

Don’t stay long for your visit (20 minutes is a good goal, if you need a time limit).  Stay just long enough to talk to them for a few minutes to see how they are doing and let them know you are praying for them.  Be sure to ask them how you can be praying more specifically for them.  If you get a chance, try to pray for them personally before you leave.

Good small talk questions to ask when you are there:

Is today a good day for you health-wise?

           How can I be praying more specifically for you?

           Is there anything I can help you with?

Would you like me to come over and sit with you some time (watch tv, talk, etc…)?

Note:  Don’t get too personal with your questions.  They may not feel comfortable sharing some things with others.

Random small talk topic ideas to discuss:

Weather- homebound and hospital bound patients don’t see outside very much.  Sometimes sharing how the week has been weather-wise is an easy topic to discuss.

Food- ask what meal they like at the hospital or what favorite meals they like at home.  If they are unable to eat solid food at all, avoid this subject altogether.

Events- share about recent events you’ve been a part of that they may have missed.  It gives them a chance to ask you questions and feel like they are a part in some small way.

TV- what they are watching on tv or favorite series they follow are always good topics.  It lightens the mood and gives them something fun to talk about.

Your life- share what’s going on in your life.  When the spotlight is off of them and on to you, it can make them feel more at ease.  Share new things going on in your life… things you’ve done, places you’ve gone or plan to go to, your work, family, share stories, etc…

CALLS:

Calls are actually harder I think to do than visits, because you can’t actually see them in person.  It can feel more awkward at times.  If you decide to call, keep it very short.  Just let them know you’ve been praying for them and see if there is anything specific you can be praying with them about.  Pray personally with them if you get the chance.  Since you can’t really see how they are doing, it’s harder to carry on small talk.  At most, you may be able to ask them if they have anything you can help them with or have any current needs.

TIP #4:  FIND WAYS TO INCLUDE THEM

Everyone wants to feel useful and like they have purpose.  Look for ways to give those you know who are sick opportunities to be helpful.  Find ways to make them a part of what is happening in some small way.  I have a friend that was sick (and as a result homebound) who found purpose in a creative way.  Since she couldn’t go to church in person and had to watch online, her church asked her to be a host for one of the online services.  Her job was to welcome everyone, ask for prayer needs, and pray with people as God led her.  What a blessing she was to all that attended with her online.  The point is, look for ways to help give those that are sick value and purpose.  Find a way to help them feel like they belong and have a place to serve. One way you could do this is by inviting them to help you do something that you could do yourself. Including them will help them feel a part in a small way, your company will encourage them, and the whole thing will give them purpose.

I hope in some small way that all of this is helpful for those of you who have friends and loved ones that are sick. I know you love them. These simple tips are meant to help you know how to love them better while they are sick. Thank you friends and family for loving me so well while I have been sick. I love and appreciate each and every one of you.

Living to leave a legacy,

Julie