Thank You, Jesus, for Your Healing Power!

Ezekiel 47:12 (NLT)

"All kinds of fruit trees will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, without fail! For they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing."

For the last year or so, I have awaken every morning with severe back pain. I figured it's either my MS or my old mattress. Each day, I get up, stretch, wince, and try not to reach for the nearest ibuprofen to ease the pain. Various medicines have worked to slow the exacerbations of my relapsing-remitting MS, but many times I still experience extreme numbness/tingling in my left leg, and as I said, extreme pain in my back.

These last few years, I have heard of powerful relief available through cannabis-based herbal medicines, but I've had yet to try them. I don't know, I guess I still have the "illegal drug" stigma attached to marijuana remedies in my brain, when, in fact, cannabis is merely an herb that has been used throughout the millenia by countless cultures to heal various ailments/diseases.

So, a close friend who has in the past year learned the medical marijuana business gave me a sample of a salve to try to ease the extreme morning tenderness in my lower spine. Previously, I'd repeatedly told her no to the brownies, the cookies, the rice crispy treats, and any other "tasty goodness" laced with marijuana/cannabis, although it has time and time again been proven on countless other patients to relieve them of their symptoms. Finally, she insisted one last time I try just a little on my back to see what would happen. There is no psychotrophic effect, so I conceded. And this morning...

...NO PAIN!!!! Absolutely NO PAIN!!! I really couldn't believe it. I praised God I finally awoke in a "normal state." Wow...I just kept saying wow...I wanted to hold onto my painfree status forever! I wanted to shout my joy, I wanted to tell everybody, give that salve to everybody...I just couldn't believe this little bit of ointment had this kind of power. But, then I thought, this is what we, as God's children, often think of His power. We just can't believe He could love us like He does, even though we're not worthy. But, God does love us in spite of us...and He doesn't want us to live in pain. He has given us everything on this earth to provide for us and heal us, including herbs.

So here I am, shouting the way I know how, in a little blog. It works! There are countless varieties of this herb, with countless ways to injest it. You don't always have to take drugs, with horrible side effects, but you do have to embrace Jesus' love and His healing power. So, pray on it, say thanks, and give Him all the grace and glory due Him. Meanwhile, for the first time in a long time, I'm saying "Good Morning, God!", painlessly!

P.S. Please visit my personal MS Walk 2011 page to give a little or a lot to my team, Blessed 'n Walkin'! God bless!

We are Greater as His Church!

22 Saul's preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn't refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. 23 After a while the Jewish leaders decided to kill him. 24 But Saul was told about their plot, and that they were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him. 25 So during the night, some of the other believers let him down in a large basket through an opening in the city wall. 26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They thought he was only pretending to be a believer! 27 Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus. Barnabas also told them what the Lord had said to Saul and how he boldly preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. 28 Then the apostles accepted Saul, and after that he was constantly with them in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they plotted to murder him. 30 When the believers heard about it, however, they took him to Caesarea and sent him on to his hometown of Tarsus. 31 The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it grew in strength and numbers. The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Often times when we go through the toughest times in our lives, we feel our most alone. Whatever the situation: our jobs, finances, illness, death, depression, we may not call on our church, friends, and family for their help or comfort. Moreover, we usually don't consistently call on the Lord. Why is that? The Bible shows He is THE most consistent of all!

In the text above, God had transformed Saul from his evil ways. Saul then went out to preach the gospel even when people didn't believe he'd changed. They feared him! But, he continued, and finally, the other believers ultimately got the message that God had made a miraculous change in Saul, and they began to protect Saul. They worked together to keep him safe.

Many times, God puts other believers in our lives to help protect us and comfort us when we need it. We shouldn't forget that...as with anything, we need to use all the gifts, including the people, that God gives us. We each play a part in the Body of Christ. His gifts make us pretty good on our own...but we are greater in numbers...we are greater as His church! Amen!