Why Given Me A Thorn Blog Was Shut Down

Back in May I disabled this blog for several months as I prayed about what to do with it. I had just undergone a solid week of intensive counseling and realized my lifetime mindset, the focus of this blog, had been more about my thorns than about the Rose of Sharron, Jesus Christ. Yes, he has been my Lord since childhood, yet I was more prone to focus on the crashing waves and trying to live my life in a way that would glorify God through the pain, rather than with my eyes firmly set on Jesus Himself and let Him unfold His grace through a life lived for Him, regardless of circumstances. Perhaps this seems like a minor semantical change, but it is a profound heart shift in me!

Starting with the very first day in my week in ministry (and continuing to this day), as I experienced significant and unexpected physical healing in several areas, I was so overwhelmed with God's goodness that I didn't have a heart for this blog anymore. If fact, the "Given Me A Thorn" book title is no longer in my plans at all. Yes, I still plan to write address the times we ask for healing and it does not come (as is still my case in some significant areas), but my title, focus, and perspective has simply been changed by the reality that I am defined by Jesus not by my thorns.

Found on Facebook. Would dearly like to credit the artist if anyone can provide the source, please?
Reminds me of the Butterflies and Battle Boots article I wrote.

I am restoring public viewing of this blog as, within the past week, I have has three needs for public access to some of the health resources previously posted here. The "flavor" of this blog will remain focused on Christians and chronic illness, yet my tone will likely be much more in keeping with my current book title, Harvesting Hope From Heartache.

Please "like" my "Jennifer Saake, author" page at www.facebook.com/HarvestingHope for ongoing updates on all my writing news. :) I need a few thousand likes to demonstate "platform" to potential book publishers and currently only have a few hundred, so please help and pass the need along in your illness support circles!

Why I Wear Combat Boots

Strength In Weakness

This a a fantastic, short (only 4 paragraphs!) explanation of Why did God say to Paul,"my strength is made perfect in weakness"?

https://www.raptureready.com/faq/faq365.html

Through Thorny Ways

From an old hymn:

"Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. 

Leave to thy God to order and provide, 

who through all changes faithful will remain. 

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly, Friend 

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end."

Knowing that illness can be a joy stealer, praying peace for your heart and a spirit of thankfulness today.

HashTag ThisIsChronicIllness

It is national Invisible Illness Awareness Week.

I was prompted to share raw footage of my morning:

After watching this clever, poignant and entertaining clip yesterday:

An hour later, I recorded Part 2 of my morning:

As a video link, in words, whatever, please share your experience with hidden illness in the comments!

What Was Paul's Thorn?

A wonderfully concise, yet informational, explanation of Paul's thorn can be found on the Blue Letter Bible website. Excellent study synopsis!

https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/thorn.cfm

Pain Scale

I have been a health blogger (though right now this blog is fairly quiet while my stroke blog sees most of my active posting) for almost as many years as blogging has been a platform. You could say that I am a "professional patient." This is certainly not that I WANT to be, simply a description of reality after living with various health challenges nearly since birth, the full-blown onset of chronic illnesses in my late teens, a decade of infertility and recurrent miscarriage, severe allergies such as anaphylaxis toward balloons (and other latex), then six strokes in my late 30s. By my mid 40s, I've seen the inside of more ambulances, emergency rooms, hospital rooms, doctors offices, labs, MRIs and other testing machines and equipment, been stuck with more needles, than anyone would hope to experience in twice as many years, far more than most people do in a full lifetime!

For all that experience, I have never had a good grasp on the dreaded "pain scale," that row of happy through sad faces that's supposed to represent my current levels of pain in answer to the care giver's inquiry.

Finally I found point-by-point explanations of each and every point on the scale. I wish every hospital, every doctor's office, across the country, had a laminated copy of this exact chart, hanging in the office, to put in our hands when asking this question. I believe we all would receive much better quality of care if we all were "speaking the same language" when it came to our pain!

To my surprise, after being told countless times that I have an unusually high pain threshold and tolerance, I found that I often report my pain level as "too high, according to this chart that rates unmedicated natural childbirth as a solid 8. I figure if I often mis-report, you likely do too!

It was also vindicating to see several areas where I, trying to rate my pain purely on a "sliding scale" of percentages of raw pain as relevant to other experiences of pain, also have inaccurately "undervalued" my entire pain experience.

I've printed this out to carry in my purse. Next time I'm asked this question, I can point to a precise answer and let my care-giver see exactly what my answer means.

Thank you Pro Health (link to this image in full size)!!! Take time to read the "pitfalls" information at the end please, too.