Cold Weather Encouragement - For Those Who Hurt This Morning!

"Lord, I need this to go away..NOW please!"

(This picture could only be more perfect if it had a mound of cold snow on top of it!)

I don't know about you but this morning when I woke up this morning I felt like this cactus.  Then, when I looked outside and everything is white and cold I thought…"Lord, I need this to go away..NOW please!"  Not only am I naturally a warm weather outdoor girl but for those of us with autoimmune issues (and probably past physical injuries)  the change in barometric pressure and cold often bring a lot of pain and fatigue.  

There are actually scientific reasons.  When the barometric pressure changes it actually affects the pressure on our bodies and joints causing them to ache.  There are also autoimmune syndromes like "Raynard's Syndrome" which is essentially a big word for really bad circulation in the fingers, toes and the ability to feel warm.  

For me, I just can't regulate body temperature.  I'm always cold.  My feet, my fingers.  I pretty much feel chilled 24/7 and it just makes me want to sleep.  And when I sleep I hibernate..not much can wake me up. 

So what do you do when you wake up feeling physically exhausted before you even get out of bed?  (other than move to Australia of course because I'm told that is where there are the least changes in environment!)  

Well - I look for re-enforcement.  I lift my head toward God and say (after complaining of course :) )  "What do you have for me today in this cold, uncomfortable place"   


I pick up the Bible or in this mornings case a book that my great friend Amy gave me and read.  It reminds me of truth.  Truth that I can hold on to throughout the day.  I wanted to share some of it with you today that you may be encouraged!

An Excerpt from:  Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings [STREAMS IN THE DESERT]

2 Cor 7:5  " We are harassed at every turn"

Why is it that God leads us in this way, allowing such strong and constant pressure on us?  

One of His purposes is to show us His all-sufficient strength and grace more effectively than if we were free from difficulties and trials.  "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show us that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Cor 4:7)

Another purpose is to bring us a greater awareness of our dependence upon Him.  God is constantly trying to teach us how dependent we are on Him - that we are held completely by His hand and reliant on His care alone.  

This is exactly where Jesus Himself stood and where He desires us to stand.  We must stand not with self-made strength but always leaning upon Him.  And our stand must exhibit a trust that would never dare to take even one step alone.  This will teach us to trust Him more.  

There is no way to learn of faith except through trials.  They are God's school of faith, and it is much better for us to learn to trust Him than to live a life of enjoyment.  And once the lesson of faith has been learned, it is an everlasting possession and an eternal fortune gained.  Yet without trust in God even great riches will leave us in poverty. " 

So this today, if you are hurting physically or just plain hurting…let us remember the truth that there are eternal purposes at work…things gained that will last forever.  A God who loves you and has a plan and holds out hope that will carry you through until the sun is shining and warm and your hurt has faded away!

Let me back up...Why am I talking about Inflammation?

Why am I talking about Inflammation? 

As a child I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and at the age of 31 I was diagnosed with Lupus SLE… I NEVER knew that the pain I was feeling was "caused" by inflammation.  Something was going wrong in my body that was causing swelling (inflammation) in my joints and now soft tissue.  

What is Inflammation? 

Inflammation is essentially the body's response to injury, and the function of inflammation is tissue healing.  Practically speaking, we are all dealing with the inflammatory process either through general injury or dietary imbalances.

So not only can injury be caused by direct trauma..but also by eating a poor diet.

Every time you eat the wrong foods, you create inflammation in your body that will slowly but surely lead to the expression of chronic pain or whatever disease you may be genetically predisposed to.  

Most people do not realize that the following conditions are caused or promoted by inflammation: aches and pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, crohn's disease, colitis, osteoporosis, acne, aging, syndrome X, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, Alzhemier’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and many many others…

Where do we go from here?

We can STOP putting things in our body that cause inflammation 

- know the 7 foods you should avoid (in this weeks posts)

We can START eating healthy foods and food based supplements

 - I've had a great experience with Shakeology

We can begin eating to live and not just living to eat! 

My Struggle with Lupus and Why I'm a Beachbody Coach!

One of the reasons I am involved with Beachbody is because of my personal journey with exercise and strength training while having an autoimmune disease. 

Almost 5 years ago at the age of 31.  I was diagnosed with Lupus SLE which is an autoimmune disease that attacks the soft tissue in your body.  I had been going through these horrible weeks where my body would just crash and I couldn't get it together physically.  I had some previous success with working out and eating well but I kept getting too thin and couldn't keep muscle.  I was weak and started to give in to the mental struggles of chronically feeling ill.  

I secretly wondered if I had cancer or something…if life was always going to be a struggle physically.   Since that time, I have tried a gluten free diet, some products for glyconutrients, clean eating diet, vitamins etc.- all of which has been somewhat beneficial. 

However, a year and a half ago, over Christmas, we saw the P90X video and my husband who just turned 40 decided to give it a try.  Me, also ready to keep pushing forward even through the Lupus flares, decided to give it a try as well.  We also decided to try Shakeology as I am always looking for good healthy foods especially in the winter when the choices are slim here in Nebraska.  

I have to say that for the first time since I can remember.. I have been able to build and sustain muscle for the last 18 months.  For the first time in years, I don't worry about my digestive issues that have always played a huge role in my day..which is really very amazing to me.  

You can see from a few of my pictures (there will be more to come… I don't like taking pictures)  that I am able to build and keep muscle which is huge in helping me maintain a healthy life and do the things I want to do.  I never would have dreamed a few years ago that I would be strong enough to ski or learn to surf… I was barely strong enough to get off the couch let alone stand up on a board in the ocean.  

So to say I'm "excited" about Beachbody and their products sounds a little cheesy to me…  I guess I'm just thankful  - excited to have my life back and to be strong enough to enjoy it.  All Glory goes to my Heavenly Father the ultimate healer and life giver!