Tag Archives: tribulations

My Valley Fever and Sweets Syndrome Journey Chapter 1

December 4, 2020Valley Fever/Sweets Syndrome JourneyChristian encouragement, encouragement, God's gifts, God's love, Godslove, pain, rash, Sweets Syndrome, Trials, tribulations, Troubles, Valley FeverT.W. Allgaier

We all have stories, and it seems 2020 has been full of them for so many. So many individual journeys.

I decided to write about this journey that I am on.

People are hurting right now in so many ways, and if my journey can help someone learn about Valley Fever or Sweets Syndrome, then that is great!

But more importantly, if my journey can encourage someone in the understanding of the love of God, how real and how personal that love is…then none of my experience has been wasted.

It started back in September, when I was visiting my children and grandchild in Arizona. They gifted me a trip for my 60th birthday. It was a wonderful time and I would not trade it for anything!

Our one and only grandchild, a granddaughter, is a joy. She has Cerebral Palsy and is my constant inspiration.

My husband was there for a week. We had never been to Arizona, and the beauty of its creation mesmerized us, so different from our own at home. We got to visit Sedona, go on a jeep ride and see so many sights.

About the third week I started feeling ill. I experienced a dry cough, fatigue, loss of appetite and actually felt like a train had hit me. I was concerned that I might not be able to fly home. There were fires in the area, and I had asthma, thus the cough, or so I thought. I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in December 2019, so I thought I had overdone it, thus the fatigue and pain.

I wasn’t even sure if I could fly home, but I made it. Once home, I ran a low grade fever, continued with the painful cough and fatigue. I had hives for a short time, then I broke out in something similar to blisters all over my body. It was like nothing I had ever experienced.

My husband and friend, Amanda convinced me to go to the ER. I did not want to go, but I knew something was horribly wrong with me.

It was.

My first gift from God was getting to the hospital. This took a lot of convincing, but the Lord knew I was in desperate need. I am a rather stubborn woman, so this was His doing for sure!

After eight hours in the ER, I was finally admitted to a local hospital and then transferred by ambulance to a major hospital in a near-by city, which was two hours away.

It was 3:30 AM, and I went by ambulance. This wasn’t something I had on my bucket-list, but as all suitable Type A people do…I added it so I could cross it off! LOL

Dear ones, look for those gifts from God in the midst of your journey. They are there for all of us.

Next: The Second Gift

~Be Encouraged Today~

Tammy

Rocky and the Count

February 27, 2020Spiritual Encouragementasthma, boxing match, bulging discs, count it all joy, countdown, cysts, disccouraged, fear, fibromyalgia, health issues, herniated discs, hip replacement, inspiration, James 1:2-8, Jesus, John 16:33, joy, life, melanoma, one thing after another, perseverance, perspective, Rocky, thyroid, Trials, tribulations, Unconditional love, unknownT.W. Allgaier

My husband and I love all the “Rocky” movies. The very first gift I ever received from him was the soundtrack (album) to the original Rocky.

Have you ever felt like you were in the middle of a boxing ring?

Something hits you out of no where and as soon as you get up, another right hook is there to put you down again?

Anyone?

The last several months has been one thing after another with family members and my personal health. In fact, all kinds of punches have been leveled. I have been rather sore.

I know that I am not alone.

I kept hearing… “Count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2

I don’t remember Rocky getting hit by Apollo Creed and singing, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” So what gives?

“Count” means to evaluate how we look at something. So how do we look at these things from God’s perspective? We know that “…in this world we will have troubles…” (John 16:33), and I believe that these trials are in our life because of the sinful world in which we live, not because we are being punished for something.

But can we learn from them with the right perspective?

“Joy” means an inner sense of well being; deep settled peace…strength, not superficial giddiness.

“Perseverance” means endurance, steadfastness, patience and victory over the trial.

Back to Rocky.

He evaluated his fight. How did he look at it?

With the perspective that he could win.

He had a deep settled peace and strength.

And talk about perseverance!

He trusted his training. He trusted his trainer.

Made me think. Do I trust my trainer? Has He always taught me truth? Has he been faithful?

So until I know I am to be “down for the count”, this old gal is getting back up! Whose with me?

~Be Encouraged Today~

Tammy

Illustration credit: Rocky

How are We to Live the Christian Life?

March 25, 2019Spiritual EncouragementExodus 16, God provides, Jesus Christ, life, live in today, manna, pain, Surrender, Trials, tribulations, what if, worryT.W. Allgaier

Are we to live the Christian life only in the present?

Think about that question. We all face trials and tribulations in our lives. It is unavoidable. My own life is no exception.

But what good does it do us to fear? Can we quit worrying about what the future holds and just live in this day? It is hard sometimes to stay in that “surrendered” mode, and it can often times even appear as apathy, but in reality it is rest. God provided it for us.

Two girls that I know and love own and run the local mercantile http://www.southernillinoismercantileco.com . They designed a new shirt that they sell that says: “Go Out and Gather Manna” Ex 16:4

I have been praying about what that means to me. I have not asked the girls about it, so I do not know the meaning to them, but this is my take.

God gave just enough manna for the Israelites to make it through that day. Not tomorrow’s manna, or next week’s manna. Nothing more and nothing less, only what was needed for THAT day.

He even let them have enough on the sixth so they could rest on the seventh day! That in and of itself is a lesson!

They had to simply Trust God.

So we can choose to live fully in the present, knowing that God will somehow, someway and always provide for the day we are living in. We can rid ourselves of the “what if’s” and even the “if only’s.”

That test result that you are waiting for? Gather and eat the manna for today. The worry that you allow to cloud over you about your finances? Gather and eat the manna for today. What if the surgery does not work? Gather and eat today’s manna.

I am going to try to concentrate on that one day’s supply of manna … now. And the beauty? God will provide me just enough for my tomorrow when I wake up in the morning.