Okay, I'll admit that I'm really not a fan of online symptom checkers like WebMD. It seems when I try to self-diagnose using the web, I usually become paranoid that I have some rare disease. And if that is not bad enough, I often notice more symptoms after the research.
Well, about a month ago I started experiencing some pain that I thought was a pulled muscle. I took it easy for the next week but the pain didn't subside. I became concerned that it was something more serious. I also started getting headaches more frequently. To add another level of complexity, my employer changed health insurance providers and the switch was approximately 2 weeks away. I didn't know what to do. I started praying for God to give me direction. Is this serious enough to see a doctor? Should I wait to see if it clears up? Should I hold out for the new insurance? Still without clear direction, I waited and prayed every night for the next week for God to heal me or guide me as to what to do. I would constantly remind myself God is in control.
Early the next week, I began my usual internet browsing during my lunch break. Disregarding my history with WebMD, I began to do some research. After about 45 minutes of reading, I stumbled across this website for prescription drug side effects. I began digging further and learned that my symptoms matched the side effects of a prescription drug I was taking. I stopped taking the prescription medicine and the pain and headaches went away in 2 days (the effective day for our new health insurance). I really believe that God heard my prayers and led me to this medical website. He also taught me to trust Him more!
- Brian S., Savannah, Ga.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Doris Sparrow, Salter Path, NC
One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 23, The Lord is My Shepherd. The first summer after my husband, Paul, died, I was trying to carry on all the yard work at our Salter Path home. We had an old, old riding mower, which worked well, but threw belts easily when a small stick was in its pathway. Well, the belt came off and I had just started to mow. What to do!?! I kneeled down and looked under it and found the belt and how it was supposed to go, but for the life of me I could not get it back on the track. I worked and worked and worked, becoming more frustrated all the time. Finally, after more than an hour of trying, and while still on my knees, I simply cried out to God, "Lord, I can't do this and I have to mow this grass. You have to help me put this belt back on. And He did! To my knowledge, I did not have the belt come off again. The Lord is not only My Shepherd, but He is the Master Lawn Mower Mechanic!
~ Doris Sparrow, Salter Path, NC
~ Doris Sparrow, Salter Path, NC
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Letter to friends & family & explanation of the site.
Recently I have been encouraged in my walk with God by some interesting coincidences. They're nothing you'd call miracles, not even close, but they're things that have warmed my heart and help grow my belief that God is real and working amongst us.
A few days ago, while watching a morning TV show, I saw an interview with Amy Alcott, an author who has published a book on golf and celebrities. A summary of her book states, "Every golfer has a story." And because I have very little interest in golf, my mind went to thinking about the process of how I could use her technique for something similar.
We know that every Christian is supposed to have their own story, a conversion story. However, I find that it's not necessarily the conversion story that resonates when listening to a testimony, but the stories of how God has worked in someone's life on many levels both big and small.
This got me thinking. Wouldn't it be great to hear more of these small stories about Gods amazing work? But instead of contacting celebrities and popular preachers, I think it will be most interesting to ask for stories from my friends, family and everyday Christians.
So I'm hoping this will catch on, by my asking for your stories, perhaps you will wonder what's going on in your friends lives and encourage them to submit their stories too. I'll publish them at http://newreasonchronicles.blogspot.com where readers can be encouraged with how God is touching lives around us everyday.
Don't get scared that you are being asked to share, and if you are, push away the fear by thinking about what a blessing your story will be to others. And when I say story, it doesn't have to be long or go by high school grammar rules.
One of my favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 1:27 "God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed." In other words, we're not all writers, editors or in my case even really a book reader, but that doesn't mean your message isn't powerful. So if you have a story about God working in your life, big or small, please share it.
Send your story, name (or initials), and your city and state. Remember to keep your story concise, because we're living in an age where 30-second commercials are too long.
Here's an example:
That's a simple example, but it illustrates something I'm still working on today. If I ask God for help before I do things, they work out so much better. If I had thought to do it back then, I might not have spent 30 minutes in front of the bathroom mirror!
I'm sending this to you because I believe you have an interesting story to tell. It may be something that happened when you were a kid or this may help you notice something that happens this week. Either way, I would love to hear any and all of your stories.
E-mail your stories to newreasonchronicles@gmail.com
A few days ago, while watching a morning TV show, I saw an interview with Amy Alcott, an author who has published a book on golf and celebrities. A summary of her book states, "Every golfer has a story." And because I have very little interest in golf, my mind went to thinking about the process of how I could use her technique for something similar.
We know that every Christian is supposed to have their own story, a conversion story. However, I find that it's not necessarily the conversion story that resonates when listening to a testimony, but the stories of how God has worked in someone's life on many levels both big and small.
This got me thinking. Wouldn't it be great to hear more of these small stories about Gods amazing work? But instead of contacting celebrities and popular preachers, I think it will be most interesting to ask for stories from my friends, family and everyday Christians.
So I'm hoping this will catch on, by my asking for your stories, perhaps you will wonder what's going on in your friends lives and encourage them to submit their stories too. I'll publish them at http://newreasonchronicles.blogspot.com where readers can be encouraged with how God is touching lives around us everyday.
Don't get scared that you are being asked to share, and if you are, push away the fear by thinking about what a blessing your story will be to others. And when I say story, it doesn't have to be long or go by high school grammar rules.
One of my favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 1:27 "God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed." In other words, we're not all writers, editors or in my case even really a book reader, but that doesn't mean your message isn't powerful. So if you have a story about God working in your life, big or small, please share it.
Send your story, name (or initials), and your city and state. Remember to keep your story concise, because we're living in an age where 30-second commercials are too long.
Here's an example:
"As a young girl, I had a loose tooth. I decided that it should come out that night, so I resolved to pull it. The dental floss came out of the drawer and I wrapped it around my tooth, pulled, pulled and pulled for around 30 minutes. No matter how hard I tried, the tooth did not want to come out. I was super frustrated at my inability and knew I was going to have to give up. Out of desperation I prayed, 'God, I'm only going to try one more time, please help me get this tooth out of my mouth.' So I pulled, and I nearly fell over because my tooth dropped into the sink so easily!"
~ Ginny Payne, Savannah, Georgia
That's a simple example, but it illustrates something I'm still working on today. If I ask God for help before I do things, they work out so much better. If I had thought to do it back then, I might not have spent 30 minutes in front of the bathroom mirror!
I'm sending this to you because I believe you have an interesting story to tell. It may be something that happened when you were a kid or this may help you notice something that happens this week. Either way, I would love to hear any and all of your stories.
E-mail your stories to newreasonchronicles@gmail.com
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