Morning Cuppas With Glenys

It is well with my soul.

The only reason I've made it this far is God.

His grace carried me.

His plan sustains me.

His promise still stands.

Lately I have been feeling every day of 73. With new health issues unfolding and chronic pain and fatigue, I feel like my body is slowly closing down.

With my family history of dying around or before 75, I can well imagine that I will not really make it to old bones.

As I told my doctor last week, it is well with my soul. I am just unhappy that the carrier is breaking down so rapidly.

I am not depressed. Ageing and pain and death are a part of life and I am not afraid of dying. I am more afraid of the manner in which I will die than the actual act of dying...

The reason I am not afraid of death is that God is in control of the number of days allotted to me and the manner in which I will go to Him.

Over the last 73 years, since early childhood, I have been aware that He loves me and carries me.

His grace has been my stay and song during a life of pain of every sort, from a wretched childhood to a hellishly violent first marriage of 25 years. Culminating in my body falling apart after I met and married Chris. My rock and soulmate for the last 30 years.

Some days I am not well enough to sit and talk with you, due to pain and brain fog from fibromyalgia and pain killers. But I want to tell you that the joy of the LORD is my strength.

He keeps me from the Pit of Despair and I find there's always something to be grateful for. And I am.

I have learned to give myself grace as I navigate and walk the path of the chronically ill.

God's plan for my life as a Christian, wife and now great-grandmother still brings me purpose and joy.

Having faced death a few times already, I am at peace in the knowledge that God's promise to carry me even to the time of grey hairs is as real now as it was when I first became born again 46 years ago.

Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. Isaiah 46:4

If I go in the Rapture or rise to meet Christ from my grave, it is of no consequence to me. I know to Whom I am going. My body will be resurrected and my soul with Jesus.

As I said to my doctor, "It is well with my soul!"

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.. 2 Corinthians 4:16

"A Special Love"

Mother, this love is so special that we share,
At times I take for granted your love and care,
And because today is a special day
I want to give this gift to say
I really think the world of you,
Not only today but all year through.

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 113:9

We have to live through the bad times

Every day is precious no matter how much you ache or hurt. Life has to be lived rather than endured.

Realising how short life really is should encourage us to live it with courage, taking hard times as a challenge.

Not every day will be sunshine and roses, but those days will help us appreciate the days that are.

Remember too, we have to live through the bad times to get to the good.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

So let's not argue

I was having a heart to heart with a friend and as old friends do, confidences were shared. Talking over milestone events in our lives, I shared that I was pregnant to my fiance at 16.

My friend sniffed, and announced that she was a virgin at marriage. She was looking down her nose at me. And it duly got up it. Why? you may ask...

This same friend who was judging me for my premarital sexual relationship later on committed adultery against her husband who rightly avoided sleeping with her prior to their marriage. The stink of her hypocrisy rose in my nostrils and in my gall.

Likewise, my paternal grandmother who was pregnant at her marriage refused to come to mine because I was in the same delicate condition. Her hypocrisy also made me angry as well as sad.

We are so quick to judge and call each other out, when in fact we are guilty of transgressing God's law because we are all sinners. Christ was the only Man to walk the earth and not sin.

Premarital sex and adultery are both sin and each in its' own right was the reason why we needed a Saviour to bear that sin in our place. Each sin- every sin- necessitated Christ's sacrifice to redeem us.

Before we assume that we are more virtuous than another, we would do well to remember that our own sin led Christ to Calvary just as the sin of another did. There's none of us guiltless and sinless.

As we ponder or dismay at the sins of mankind, we would do well to remember that but by the grace of God, go I. Sin is sin. It all had to be cleansed by the precious Blood of Christ.

My sin- your sin is ugly. We all need to repent and accept God's grace and forgiveness and not judge. We have been redeemed, cleansed and set apart from whatever sin we committed.

Jesus died for all our sin... yours and mine. It was *our* sin that was taken to the cross. Neither one of us is sinless... So let's not argue.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:7

Our Prince of Peace

So many years ago, the earth saw a miracle that blessed humanity for all time...

The earth that saw Jesus' birth 33 years before, drank in the Blood that flowed freely.... freely running, freely given, freely pardoning, freely saving unto eternal life anyone who would only believe in Him.

The same earth that is Gods' footstool, trembled at the cross alongside the centurions and soldiers and those few of Christs' followers who remained or who watched from a distance....

Unable to withstand the magnitude of atonement and celestial grief, it swayed in its power, reeling as someone in shock...

And utter darkness covered the earth as it shook, highlighting the terror as God turned His Face away from His Son, unable to look upon the sin of mankind that His Son had taken upon Himself...

It violently heaved in the aftermath of a crucifixion that saw the greatest gift of redemption the earth would ever know, releasing resurrection power to many who had died and tore the Temple veil in two.

Then hastily the earth swallowed the body of Christ into its maw of hewn rock, as it had done to men since Abels' untimely death until this day.... yet no ashes to ashes or dust to dust: no decomposition...

And another Sabbath passed, not shrouded in joy and welcomed since the birth of the Jewish people, but bringing with it a desolate cloak of disbelief, shock and despair that threatened to engulf the little band of believers who had trembled at Christs' words... unaware that triumph was already His. And theirs.

Beneath, the earth reeled as Christ stripped Lucifers' hopes of victory against a God Who now presented Himself King of Kings and Everlasting God.- Light of Light, Holder of the Keys of the Kingdom, destroyer of death and sin.... and Lucifer and his minions trembled.

The earth marvelled at the intensity of the Power of Resurrection... molecules and atoms infused with Life, vibrant in a way it vaguely remembered at its birth so many aeons ago.... magnificent creative force, God breathed life and Power.... Pulse of God.

Was ever there a time like this as Creation remembered Diety's Touch, revelling in His Footprints as His pierced Feet swung from the burial ledge, and His Hands that held the weight of the world folded the shroud so hastily bound around His lifeless Body 3 days ago?...

An almost forgotten thrill caused the earth to shudder as the Power of Gods' angels rolled away the enormous stone that blocked the burial chamber....

And it sang in ecstasy as the Feet of its' Creator once again walked amongst men.... victorious King, conquering Saviour, merciful God, everlasting to everlasting Prince of Peace.....

"He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:6-7

Thank You Lord, for the blessings

So we found out today that the house has been sold to an investor.

Apparently we will be able to stay as tenants. To say we are relieved is an understatement.

We are so grateful to the LORD for allowing us to stay. He has answered our prayers.

We are both not in good shape to cope with a move. Chris with his stroke and me with fibromyalgia and polymyalgia rheumatica flaring together..

At the moment, I am still not quite believing this good news... after weeks of uncertainty, it is such a change to relax.

I am so attached to this house.. I have finally unpacked my emotional suitcase so to speak. That rarely happens when you are constantly renting.

Just savouring a cup of tea with my cat by my side, I realise how very very blessed we are.

We would have somehow managed a move- you do what you have to do- but to be able to stay and not have to do anything except pay the rent to a different landlord is a blessing that will go on giving.

Thank You LORD, for the blessings.

" For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

I am comforted.

I am on fire with pain. Literally from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I don't believe I am being punished for my sin. Jesus took that for me...

But I do believe that we live in a fallen world and I am genetically weak with many inherited maladies from both sides of my parentage.

At nearly 73, I am unravelling. It is just the facts.. my body is failing me. I am in agony and I cannot get medications that will successfully keep the pain at bearable limits. This is because some who abuse opioids have closed the door on help for everyone who truly needs it.

They don't believe that I need pain relief, but here is a brief description of my pain in mostly every area of my body.

My head: PMR temple pain and headache. TMJ causing jaw pain and earache. Fibro brain fog.
My neck: Polymyalgia rhuematica pain (PMR) Hashimoto's disease.
My skin: psoriasis and rash on shins from lymphedema of left leg
My shoulders: fibromyalgia and PMR muscle pain. Lymphedema in my right arm (from the angiogram)
My heart: angina, costrocondritis. Hole in the heart. Ongoing IHD
My blood: antiphospholilipid syndrome. (Sticky blood)
My lungs: pulmonary hypertension. Only my left one working.
My stomach: gastroparisis, GERD. Navel hernia repair done with mesh which is tearing away from flesh
My pancreas: failing due to diabetes 2
My kidneys: stage 3 failing and dropping- currently 56 Makers of 50+ kidney stones
My arms: muscle pain with tearing ligament pain.
My hands: deformed from osteoarthritis. Trigger finger on left pointer finger.
My back & hips: PMR, fibromyalgia, spinal canal stenosis, ankylosing spondylitis, Scheurrmanns disease. No lower discs left. Coccydynia
My knees: lymphedema, ligaments torn and a fabella in the right knee. Arthritis.
My legs: fluid from heart disease and lymphedema.
My feet: arthritis, peripheral neuropathy from diabetes, heel spurs

Each day brings more pain. The level fluctuates, but it never goes. And I am still treated like a drug abuser when I ask for pain relief- and this is all verifiable by medical tests.

In fact, the only "help" I have gotten is through a pain management clinic where I was told to play Candy Crush to keep my mind off it. It is a joke.

In spite of all this, I have had comfort from the LORD. He has helped me to seek truth and set the evil one to flight in moments of doubt. It is easy to wonder if one is being punished during a trial of pain and illness.

Sometimes I haven't even been able to formulate prayers and yet He has calmed my heart and made His Presence felt in giving me a peace.

He has led me to rest in Him, allowing me to drift into a sleep that has seen me restored and refreshed enough to cope during even the most painful of episodes.

His Holy Spirit has reminded me that this too will pass and that Jesus is preparing for me a place of eternal joy and health. And that the suffering I have now will fade in the beauty of His Presence and Holiness where nothing will cause tears and pain and where there is no death.

I have truly felt His Love for me wrap itself around me like a cloak of protection and ownership.

Sometimes He will bring a song of praise or worship to mind, and I will praise Him in spite of it all. For He is worthy.

Through illness and pain, I have felt a Father's concern and love and I have held on to His Promise that He will not leave me comfortless and will come to me..

The pain is relentless, but so is God's Love and Presence.

It is true: I am not alone. I am comforted.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:18