Battlefield of The Mind Oct-28 chapters3-4

Don't Give Up

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly
and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap
if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint
Galatians 6:9

No matter how bad the condition of your life and your mind, don't give up.
Regain the territory satan has stolen from you. If neccessary regain it one inch at a time
always leaning on God's grace and not your own ability to get the desired results.

In Galatians 6:9 the Apostle Paul simply encourages us to keep on keeping on. Don't be a quitter
Don't have that old " give-up" spirit. God is looking for people who will go all the way through with him.

I know I have suffered many times with that "give up spirit" since I got sick. When you have a chronic illness it seems so much harder to hang in there. I have wondered, God how much more can I take? So many aspects come into play at once. I lost my friends, I can't work anymore, my mood is up and down, the list just goes on. I lean on my own ability to get the desired results, thats when it falls apart.

For me I tend to get lost in tv so I don't have to think. What is it for you?
I may feel strong one day and weak the next, being up and down weakens us body and spirit. How do you handle your ups and downs? There are many times when I can't read so prayer is one thing I do alot. I have seen many answered prayers if I pay attention.

Go Through
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

Joyce encourages us that no matter what we are facing or experiencing right now in our lives, go through it and don't give up. Its been a rough 2 weeks for me so I have felt like giving up at times. But what does this mean? When you give up, short of taking your life, what does that mean for you?

The Choice is ours
There are thousand upon thousands of thoughts presented to us every day. The mind has to be renewed to follow after the spirit and not the flesh. Our carnal minds have had so much practice operating freely that we don't have to use any effort to think wrong thoughts.
It can be hard to get our thoughts on the right track, again being ill makes it more of an effort. When I get in those negative moods, I have to say something that really hits me, I say knock it off If I don't do this I will be stuck, then I start to pray. I would love to be able to catch myself way before I get in deep, but this is an area I am working on. How far do you let yourself go before you say stop?

This was chapter 3 I talked about. I am going to do chapter 4 later today as I have the flu and need to break it up. Share any thoughts you have on this struggle with the mind and what it has meant in your life.
I am doing this study, but need encouragement myself. I don't have all the answers and struggle in many areas. I think we all have read the words in the bible on this subject, but do they stick? Not being able to fellowship with people in the flesh has caused me to lose my grip on some things. I could always see why it is talked about in scripture and why we need it. I really saw the importance of it when I fell sick.

 

I too wonder how much more I can take. My whole life has fallen apart this year. I'm on an emotional roller coaster that I desperately want to get off of. If it was not for God's grace and mercy I think I would have killed myself (No I'm not going to do it but I sure put a lot of thought into it a while back. So much so that the thoughts consume my every waking moment.)

For me, I have always had the future to look forward to; a goal to strive for. This has always got me through difficult times in my life. I have always been the type of person who would look at the mountain a head of me once to determine the path to the top and then I put my head down and put one foot in front of the other until I got to the top. I developed pride in my climb. I never imagined that my health would fail me or that the other side of the mountain was not as sweet as I thought it would be. I never imagined that all that hard work would lead me no where that all I had accomplished would slip through my fingers like sand.
My whole life is in lombo. I have no idea what or where my future will be. I have so many worries and uncertainties in my life right now I feel like I am hanging by a thread that can break at anytime. I try to be still in the flesh and keep my eyes on God because when I look at the string I can hardly breath. My only hope is that God will carry me through. He will act at the right time. He will not be late.

 

Gwendelyn,

You and I can relate, I don't look at that string either. Trying to come to grips with the new me, and its not even the new and improved me, is rough. One day its all good then the next I'm in a heap on the bed crying. I have to just know that God sees those times and he gets me through, he has many times. The problem is they come back, its like your praying for the same thing over and over again. It has kept me connected to him unlike anything I have known in my life.

 

Oh can I ever relate. I have been ready to give up for a couple of weeks now. Isn't it a shame that when things are going well we (me at least) sometimes forget to be thankful for those times but the minute things start to go bad, we (me at least) are ready to give up? If only I did as much prayer giving thanks as I did asking for help :-\

I have had a brutal couple of weeks. My speech recognition has hit rock bottom, I have had three severe vertigo attacks in as many days, I haven't spoken with anyone outside of my home because I can't use the phone and the conversations in my home are strained to say the least. My job is up in the air, I drove three hours to a doctor that wanted to immediately do surgery on me, shoot, I haven't been out of my pj's in two days. Lay around, shower, back into the pj's. I set down this afternoon to watch a movie I'd wanted to see but straining to hear it was just too much and the captions made me "seasick". I walked into the living room and told my husband that maybe he should just shoot me. Then it hit me. I can't give up. I can't let this MM drive me into a depression as well, which is where it is heading. I too wonder how much more I can take.

I used to lose myself in reading. I have lost count of all the ones I have read over the last year. All Christian books, some fiction, some inspirational. But here lately, I can't even get into that. I know what you mean about being on the bed in a heap crying, I have spent alot of time there lately. And on my desk, on the couch, in the chair ...But, this too shall pass. It will get better if we keep our eye on the real Prize. Jesus knows how we feel, He too has suffered and it breaks His heart to see us feel hopeless when He is our Hope. We cannot give up. And I know that is easier said than done.

I love the line in Chapter 3 that says "I was a Christian without Victory". That is exactly how I feel. I know I love the Lord, I know that I am going to Heaven. But where is my victory while here? I am not living my life to it's fullest Christian capacity. I am wallowing in self pity and overlooking the good things in my life. I may have to give up my job, I have accepted that but I WON'T give up on myself. I can still be a productive, positive person and have always been. But on the bad days....I don't like what I become.

I totally agree about the absence of fellowship being somewhat of a stumbling block. I miss my Bible study class so badly. I so miss studying with people face to face and really "feeling" the emotion.

 

Yes, I can relate, too. :'( But, we are in Christ. And our victory has already been won.

Sometimes I get mad at myself. When I feel good, I get caught up in worldly issues like career and lifestyle. Then when I have a real bad day, I wonder why didn't I just rejoice in the Lord when I felt better? Why didn't I praise Him and thank him?

What helps me when I'm having a bad day is to listen to Christian radio talk shows or teaching CDs. I download several shows to an IPod and just listen and meditate. The dizziness I have makes it very hard to read when I'm having a bad day and, so far, my hearing keeps coming back. The other thing that helps is having a husband who will talk about Jesus any time. We don't agree on everything, but we agree on the important things. These things help me to focus on Him and not on me.

When I first got sick, I thought every day would be my last at work. I don't know how many more days, weeks, months, or years I'll be able to work, but the stress of worrying about it was making me much worse. I've been trying to give it to God. Sometimes it's easier than other times.

But, taking that inch at a time is important. We are in a race and there is a prize. The prize has already been won for us at the cross. And He is always with us....no matter how our earthly body and human mind feels.

Sometimes I think about how it'll be like to get a new, 100% working body.....free from pain.....free from negative thoughts.......free from worry. Thank you, Jesus.

We aren't Christians without victory. We have the victory. Sometimes we just don't feel like it. I understand what Joyce was saying but we need to keep remembering our emotions and our thoughts are not our spiritual man (woman). We are in Christ and we are part of His body and will always be secure in our place.

 

My sisters in Christ: I am not worthy to walk in your shoes. When I read your posts, I question what I am doing on this site. My severe episodes of MM or BPPV have been sporadic. I pray healing on each and every one of you now, in the name of Jesus. Meniere's: I command you to break off my friends here, in Jesus name. Flu symptoms, come off Charisse and her husband, in Jesus name. Restore my friends here with their health, both physical and emotional. Give them Your strength and peace, dear God.

In Jesus name, Amen.

 

i guess i have to take my life one
baby step at a time

 

My precious friends,
You are blessing my soul with your honesty and candor. My God do amazing things in each of you because you are seeking His face!
You amaze me with your testimonies and support.
My prayers are with each of you in this study.

Thank you!

 

Suffering Precedes Liberation

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace (Who imparts all blessing and favor) Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely and strengthen, and settle you. 1Peter 5:10

Why do we need to suffer "a little while"? I believe that from the time we actually realize we have a problem until Jesus delivers us, we endure a type of suffering, but we rejoice even more when freedom comes. When we try to do something on our own, fail and then realize that we must wait on him, our hearts overflow with thanksgiving and praise as he rises up and does what we cannot do oursleves.

In my life I have seen this over and over again. In fact I know it will be so again when I look at the past.
Here is a good thought to think,
I believe God, I believe he is working in me no matter what I may feel or how the situation may look. The Lord Has begun a good work in me and He will bring it to full completion Philippians 1:6, 2:13

Remember God is delivering you, little by little, so don't be discouraged and don't feel condemned if you make a mistake.

Be patient with yourself!


I pray for all those that shared here, for the pain you are going through. We can feel compassion for each other because we all struggle in some area but we can come here for support and to give support. To me that is a bad that has been made good.

 

Cathy,
You are here because you are sick too and God led you here to be a blessing to us, which you are. My attacks of vertigo are sporadic as well. We are all at different stages of illness and we don't all have MM but one thing we do have in common is that we need spiritual healing.

 

Thank you, Gwen. You are all a blessing to me.

 

What do I "get lost in?" How do I handle my ups and downs?

It used to be TV or reading novels. Unfortunately, it is still eating "comfort" foods, especially chocolate (my drug of choice). What I crave to handle my ups and downs is to get lost in Him. I love to put on some soft, worship music, lay down and open my heart to Him. I love to hear from Him and journal. This is better than any therapist anyone could ever afford. Now I have replaced my novels with books about Him; have replaced secular TV with teachings on Him (the good stuff - there is a lot of bad out there). I love fellowship with other Christians (this site being one of the most important). I am still weak in reading His Word. I do a pretty good job of praying in the morning but sometimes not enough the rest of my day.

 

I also "crave" to be filled with Christ all the time. I started getting really "hungry" about three years ago. I studied, I read, I prayed...I let Him fill my life. But then I gradually began to slack off. Church was more of a frustration to me than anything because of my hearing and eventually I just quit going. I still hit and miss on a "good" hearing day, but what you think that a good day at home is, isn't so good when you are in church with the PA system and all the other commotion. I used to set for hours with my Bible, commentary, reference books and pen and paper just devouring His word. Although I still read, I have slacked off greatly on my Bible. WHY?? I don't have the answer. I still hunger, I miss Bible study so much. It just seems so different when I am doing it alone. Used to when I would read across something that really spoke to me I would think, oh I can't wait to bring this up in Bible study. Now, I really don't have anyone to talk to it about anymore. My husband is a christian and we do talk about things. But he doesn't get anywhere near as excited about things as I do. I am the talker in my house, anybody notice I used to spend hours on the phone with one of my best friends reading through the Bible together but there are very few days that I can do that anymore. My mom has been telling me for the last couple of years that she thinks that I should start a little study just in my home. She feels it is my calling. A teacher I am definitely not. I like to throw things out for discussion but don't feel qualified or adequate enough in my own knowledge of the word to actually teach.

I find I do my best praying during my regular activities. Sometimes while I'm cooking, doing laundry and alot when I'm driving down the road. I have never really been one to go into the closet or anything like that. Maybe a little solitude like that wouldn't hurt.

Anyway, what I just said might not have a lot to do with what we are discussing...just some things I needed to say. I do believe that God is working in me and in His time, not mine, it will come to a full completion. Patience.

I read one time, I think Joyce Meyer, who said something like, Don't pray for too much patience, because your patience will only be tried that much more.
That's not the exact quote but the jist of it.

I confess in the name of Jesus that I am going to be all that I can be in the midst of all this insanity called Meneire's Disease and life in general and do everything that I can to bring a blessing to someone each and every day of my life.

 

blessed,

You sounded so much like me when I read the part of you talking to your friend on the phone for hours about the bible. I just need people in my life ,I'm a people person and to have so little in my life now is hard.

 

It is very hard for me too, Charisse. I am just not one to be still. I LOVE to talk. My husband and I are total opposites. He is all laid back and although he will talk to me, we don't have conversations such as I used to have with my friends. He just doesn't get too excited about things and I do. My kids, ages 16 and 14 don't want to talk to me so much anymore because they know so much more than I do . Of all the things that this disease tries to rob me of, it is the companionship of other people that I miss the most. The communication. But one thing we can be certain of and most joyful of is that we will never be so deaf that we can't hear the voice of God.

Trina

 

blessed,

sounds like we have the same husband I am so grateful to have all of you here :-*

 

Today, I feel like you guys are the best friends I've ever had

I didn't have a great day today because I'm overtired and tried to do too much. What happened to the day of rest? But, like Joyce said, get back up, dust off.....tomorrow's another day.

 

Thanks Titus. I feel the same way. Like I have started a whole new chapter in my life with a wonderful new group of friends. Finally, something positive has come out of this wretched disease.

Rest well tonight and feel better tomorrow.

 

Kim, I know what you mean about being tired. I thank God for a very good night's sleep last night (something I haven't had in a very long time). Hope you are feeling as well as I am today.

Blessed, I think your mother is wise in her suggestion of a Bible study in your home. I know what you mean about not feeling equipped (intellectually) to do this, but I believe that if you opened your home to other women to come and discuss, the Holy Spirit will lead. But what was really impressed upon me was that you could do the same thing on this site. You could start a post with a scripture and ask what people think or believe. Look at this site that Charisse started. Even though we are using Joyce's book as our background, the Holy Spirit has lead us all to "empty" ourselves to one another. What a blessing! Keep seeking Him, and He will lead.

 

I know it is not the same as face to face but what a blessing to have a place to fellowship with each other where time, space and ability to hear does not hinder us.