Diabetes is a lot of work. Personally, I didn't know until 18 years after I was diagnosed how much work it is. This blog is my way of showing the world what I go through every day, so that I can raise awareness of what this disease is really like.
February's theme is supposed to be poetry, so I'll start it off with one of my favorite poems. However, I do have to say that the "theme" will definitely be changing by the end of the month!!
The following poem is written by yours truly. I wrote it about a year ago, and it came out of nowhere. I felt it and then had to pen it before I forgot. I hadn't written any poetry in years at this point, so I am not really sure where it came from. Please enjoy "Happenings In The Heart"!
There are a lot of things happening in America right now that I am certain my God is not proud of. There are definitely a lot of things going on that I am not proud of! It saddens me to see the state that my country is in and the blinders that people wear. I wish that I could show them, but they refuse to listen and it turns into a debate rather than a discussion. When I get too frustrated, I turn to my God and my Bible for comfort and guidance in my situation. I find peace in one particular verse, which I would love to share with you all.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)
There are a few things I would like to point out with this verse. First, 2 Chronicles was written in the Old Testament, but that does not make it obsolete. Just as God is timeless, so is His Word and it applies to every day and age. Second, I believe that "My people" has become Christians, rather than just the Jews, but the verse still applies to God's people. Third, regardless of how sinful or wicked people are, God is eternally merciful if we truly seek forgiveness. It gives me hope for America, because I know that if we will humble ourselves and pray (and truly seek His forgiveness) then He will heal our land.
Knowing this, I have made it a personal goal of mine to pray for America everyday this year. I am humbling myself and asking Him to take control of my country and save it. I am doing what I can to help restore and revive America. At this point, I believe that all I am capable of doing is praying. I would, however, like to take it a step further and challenge my friends, family and readers to pray with me. The bible also says that:
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."Matthew 18:20 (KJV)
I know that without God, it is impossible for my country to be healed. I also know that Jesus said where two or more gather in His name, He is there with us. So I would like to ask for your participation in prayer! I want to challenge American Christians to make time at about noon to pray for this country. Pray for Christian leaders, who will allow God to be the true ruler of our nation. Pray for the blinders to be removed from our friends and family. Pray for the restoration of our former Christian nation. Pray that God will heal, inspire and revive America (to borrow words from Ben Carson). Just pray for America.
I say noon because I figure that is lunch time, and most people will have a momentary break from school or work. This provides the perfect opportunity for a talk with God. But, if you do not usually have a break at noon, feel free to pray whenever you are given the opportunity. Please do join me and my family in prayer for our nation.
May God bless America, as He did when we served Him!
A lot of people find her amazing for different reasons than I do. Most people associate her with the books she has written about Vampires and other mythical creatures. She is quite a gifted writer and a lot of people have noticed that. But what they do not give her credit for is her life after she reconnected with God.
On her website we find her autobiography and its description, which I find quite interesting. You can find that here: Anne Rice: Called Out of Darkness. The description of her autobiography says that she surprised her readers with her novel Christ The Lord:Out Of Egypt (2005). This mega-bestselling author had formerly been an atheist, soas you can imagine her previous books were not Christian in any way. When Anne reconnected with God, her writing changed. I believe she did this to make a point. She chose to give up her fame and fortune to live her life the way God wanted her to.
One of my favorite reviews of this came from Chicago Sun-Times, "This
is the very affecting story of a well-known prodigal's return...Called Out of Darkness is the vivid, engaging tale of the journey of a soul into light." I love the way this is put! That implies that Anne's soul had been in darkness, but it has managed to journey into the light. The light would, of course, be Jesus.
Anne had a lot to give up. She made quite the living off of her vampire books and she had quite the following! But in announcing to the world that she had chosen to follow God--and, might I add, go back on all of her atheistic statements--she accepted the possibility of giving up everything she had worked for.
I find that quite inspiring. I don't have a following to give up, but I assure you that I would have done the same thing. By allowing herself to follow Jesus rather than the world, she is definitely expressing her individuality! Well, if denying your previous self and your following isn't expressing individuality, I'm not really sure what is.
**Disclaimer**
I am not a Catholic and there are a lot of Catholic teachings that I disagree with. I go to a Southern Baptist Church and I read a King James Version Bible. I'm not saying that everything a Catholic does or believes is wrong, but I am saying that I do not share the same religion as Anne Rice. I do, however, respect her for publicizing her religion rather than hiding it. That must have taken a lot for her, given the reasons mentioned above.
I always kind of assumed that because I am a diabetic I won't be able to do as much as other people will. I know I can't do any kind of military service or anything like that, but at one point I had wanted to become a law enforcement officer. I was really young then--I think I was about four--and I pretty much convinced myself that diabetes would prevent me from doing anything like that with my life.
I wasn't afraid of the work. I was afraid of this sometimes uncontrollable disease and the affects that a career in that field would have on it. I never wanted to admit that, but the fear was there nonetheless. I figured being an officer would be dangerous for me because of the training required. I watched my Dad go through the Basic Law Enforcement Training program and I saw how hard it was. I just assumed that I would never be able to make it through, so I looked for a new plan.
After that, I considered going into nursing. I was quickly reminded that I have a compromised immune system, and being around sick people all the time wouldn't exactly be a good idea. If I get sick super easily, then I might always be sick. If I am always sick, how can I expect to hold a job?
Once I came to that conclusion, I decided that I would just be a Mom and a writer for the rest of my life. I had always planned on being a Mom, too. It just wasn't really a focus before that. After doing a little bit of research, I discovered that it was dangerous for female diabetic to have children. What do you think I did after that? I decided that the only way I could be a Mom was if I adopted my children. There was no way I was going to put myself in danger.
There are a few things I want to share after pointing all that out. First, I would like to say that I have reminded myself that God is in control, and His plan for me is perfect. It doesn't matter what I want for me, I have and will continue to submit to His will. It is better that way. Then, I would like to introduce you to one of my human inspirations.
When I started College I actually took an intro to Criminal Justice class, figuring that I could do what I wanted to do with my life anyway. Here is the ironic part: I really didn't like the course! After debating for so long whether or not I could go into the field, I discovered that I didn't really want to. I found Criminal Justice studies somewhat boring, and I knew for sure after that class that was not what God had planned for my life! I still have a lot of respect for law enforcement officers, of course. I will always support them. I just wasn't meant to be one.
Now I will introduce you to Kyle Cochran, one of my biggest inspirations. About a year ago, my little sister discovered the television show American Ninja Warrior. If you haven't heard of it, it consists of an incredibly difficult obstacle course that people from all around the country try to conquer. (I'll include a video of one of Kyle's runs.) I started watching the show with my sister, and we got to see Kyle Cochran attempt the course. Before they would show his attempt, they did an introduction. We discovered that he had Type 1 Diabetes! Naturally, I payed more attention at that point.
When I watched to see what this young man could accomplish, despite his limitations, it definitely inspired me! He taught me not to treat Diabetes like it is a crutch. The hosts as well as his family make a point to say how much of an inspiration he is, but I feel that I had to share my reasons.
I know from experience that diabetes can be challenging. It made playing sports difficult. It made working in a fast-paced environment next to impossible. I cannot fathom the control that Kyle must have to be able to be an American Ninja Warrior! It makes me want to fight a little harder for the things I want to achieve. I think that "Divabetic" says it best this way:
I have made the decision not to let my disability affect my capabilities. Instead of giving up, I will Fight Like A Taylor.
