dealing with doctors

How to Survive Your Child’s Illness by Kimberly Ehlers

by Kimberly on March 7, 2012

My hearts desire, the purpose of this site, is to help you stay close to God throughout your child’s illness because He is the “secret” to your survival.  By survival I mean facing each and every day knowing that, come what may, God is with you, in control, and working for your child’s (and your) good.  In that knowledge you can experience peace, faith, and even joy instead of fear, doubt, and stress.  Surviving also means knowing that when you fall short of being the mom or daughter of God you want to be, you can start over again.

Every post, every edition of The Heart Connection, and every product in my e-store has been created to serve that goal.  I’ve realized, though, that all that I’ve made is very spread out, and I wonder how a hurting mom coming to my site would find what she needs to survive.  How can I give her (how can I give you), what she needs when she needs it the most?

Your mental/emotional survival is dependent on your faith. Your faith is a gift from God that grows when our mind sets and emotions are healthy and inline with our Father.

That’s why I made “A Guide to Parenting a Child with a Serious Illness”.  It’s the jumping off point from which you can strengthen 4 key areas necessary for you to not only survive your child’s illness but to see you faith thrive in a time you need it the most.  Your mental/emotional survival is dependent on your faith.  Your faith is a gift from God that grows when our mind sets and emotions are healthy and inline with our Father.  We are holistic beings.  Every aspect of our lives is connected and effects one another.  Working on these 4 keys will bring you much needed healing and put you in the safest place on earth – held by His strong arm next to His heart:

 Key #1  – Everyday Life and Taking Care of YOU!

 Key #2  – Create Your Firm Foundation.  It’s All in Who and What You Know!

 Key #3  – Getting Ready for Those Dreaded Doctor Appointments or (Even Worse) Hospital Stays

 Key #4 – Building Up Your Support System and Watching for Warnings

There are, altogether, over 20 resources listed under these keys.  I encourage you to start with Key #1 and work at your own pace through each article, audio, or download.  It will take time to work through each Key and that’s good!  You don’t want to rush the work God wants to do in your heart.  Oh, did I mention that this guide is completely free?  All I ask is that you share it with others if you feel it would bless and help them.

Are you ready to go beyond surviving?  Here’s your link to your guide Go to Guide

In His Love, Kimberly

Picture of keys found at http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=151

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Reaching for Faith by Kimberly Ehlers

by Kimberly on June 20, 2011

You may have heard me say before that I originally wrote “The Faith Challenge” for my family.  We were facing Seth’s open-heart surgery, and I wanted to get back to the days after Seth’s birth, when my faith was its absolute strongest.  I wanted my family, especially Seth since he was the one having the major surgery, to have that kind of faith too.  I can’t get away from the fact that when I look back on the roller coaster ride my faith has been on, the peaks have always come when I lived on and believed God’s Word.  The times when faith really carried me came from reading Scripture, thinking about it, and applying it to my life.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?  But it’s not so easy to do.  Oh, we can read His Word, but we often resort back to doing what our feelings urge us to do in times of trouble.
In the early morning hours before one of Seth’s appointments years ago, I read 2 Kings 6:16-17, “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’  And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha,” (New King James Version).  How timely God is.  While I am very thankful for the care Seth has always received, the hospital we go to is state funded and works very had to keep God out.  I have to say that Seth’s current doctor is a blessing, and we wish we had always had him, but for many years, we struggled with our doctors.  When your child is so seriously ill, you would love for your doctor to be a Christian.  It would have been a relief, and we would have felt more like a team with the doctor.  Instead, we always felt that we had to be guarded and prayed for lots of protection because doctors seemed to look at Seth as an experiment.  His case was rare, and we worried that the things they wanted to try were more for the sake of science than for Seth’s best.  His appointments felt like us vs. them.  So, after reading these verses, I walked into the hospital praying for eyes to see those with us.  While I didn’t see the Heavenly warriors, I knew we were surrounded.  Anxiety was replaced by peace.
On my Facebook page, we have something called “Faith Fridays”.  I share a healing verse along with a couple of thoughts.  Last Friday’s verse is one of my favorites, and on that day, it really caused me to think, so I’d like to share our latest Faith Friday post with all of you.  This is what I wrote, “These verses make me cry.  The woman’s years trying one thing after another, hoping each time that this will finally be the thing that cures her – that’s easy to relate to, isn’t it?  Her miraculous belief even after all her struggles that just a touch of Jesus would heal her… And sweet, compassionate Jesus’ response.  It wasn’t enough for Him to heal someone; He had to know the person too.  He had to look her in the eyes and bless her with not just healing, but love.  Are you weary of trying this and that?  Are you desperate to touch Him?  Dear One, He’s longing for you too…

     This verse comes from Mark 5:25-34, New King James Version:

     ‘Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”  

     Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”  
     But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”  
     And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”’ 

     I’ve experienced the help of faith, this woman clearly did, what about you?  How has your faith helped you?  Is there a particular time that your faith got you through?  Has it helped you to endure?  Please share your story of faith below.
Also, if you would like to continue growing your faith, click this link and sign up to get your FREE copy of my report “Does Faith Matter?”  Find out just how much it DOES matter and how to remove the junk keeping you from great faith.

In His Love,
Kimberly
P.S.  Why not join us on Facebook?  We’d love to have you there!

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What’s So Bad About a Lack of Faith? An audio by Kimberly Ehlers

by Kimberly on June 16, 2011

Yep, it’s another audio!  As I explain in the audio, I have a message that I believe is incredibly important and the best way to share it is to say it!

Here’s a hint – Doubts in God’s trustworthiness and goodness are common to someone whose child has a serious illness.  But do you know just how dangerous those doubts can become?  They’re no joke and they’re nothing to tolerate.

Join me in discussing the serious pitfalls of a lack of faith, how you can aviod them, and, best of all, open yourself up to receive all the blessings God wants to heap upon you!

(The blessings alone are worth 30 minutes of your time, don’t ya think?  Plus you’ll help ease my guilty conscious for not sharing this sooner! :) )

Grab your free report! (You’ll understand this after listening to the audio!)

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Lack of Faith - right click to download

In His Love,

Kimberly

 

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Who Directs Your Path? by Kimberly Ehlers

by Kimberly on July 28, 2010

I received my Family Christian Stores sales event flier this week in the mail.  I was enjoying skimming the titles and reading the little blurbs about the books that caught my eye when I stumbled upon the title “The Christian Atheist” by Craig Groeschel.  Maybe you’ve already read this book.  If you have I’d love to hear what you think about it.  I confess that I haven’t, but the description of the book squeezed my heart.  Family Christian Stores wrote, “This book will challenge those who believe in God, but live almost as if He doesn’t exist.”

As I read those words, my mind cried out, “That’s one reason I started my website!”  I’ve witnessed too many Christian parents of children with serious (and not so serious) health issues believe in God, and hope He intervenes, but put their faith in doctors.  In our fear, we blindly follow a man and leave God behind.  We pray for our child’s health, but our hope is in medicine.  This almost nonchalant turn from following God to following doctors also comes from the amazing technology now available.  Technology seems to make God unnecessary, even to Christians.  We seem to say, “Of course, I’ll just do what the doctor tells me, why wouldn’t I?”  The idea of pausing to ask what God thinks of the doctor’s plan seems ridiculous.

I really hope I don’t step on your toes.  I wrestle with what I’m about to say because I’m afraid it will offend you.  Please know that I’ve been that person who clung to a doctor, and I thank God for drawing me back even though the process was painful.  Ready?  Here it goes – it breaks my heart to see Christian parents put their hope in doctors and, I believe, it breaks His too.  He wants to be Lord of our lives and that includes our children’s health.  He wants us to lay it all at His feet because only He is God.  There’s no doctor as wise as Him.  There’s no doctor who can heal like He can.  There’s no technology as powerful as Him.  Most of all, there is no doctor who loves you and your child like He does.

I’ve heard Christian parents say that doctors get their skill and wisdom from God; therefore, they’re a gift from God to help us.  We should trust them instead of treating them like the enemy.  Most of that’s true.  The problem comes when we follow a doctor and their God given gifts blindly.  We stop being dependent on God and depend on man instead.  Sadly, many doctors do not believe in God.  Their secular views very much influence their God given skills and wisdom.  While the doctor is not our enemy, their belief system may be.  We also have to remember that even Christian doctors are human.  They will make mistakes and lack knowledge in some things.  It’s unfair for us to look at a Christian doctor and expect them to be perfect and godly.  Can you imagine the pressure?

Our trust needs to be firmly in the Lord only.  We prayerfully seek His wisdom and guidance then obediently follow His path.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones,” (Proverbs 3:5-8, New King James Version). 

How do we “acknowledge Him” and understand His leading?  We live a life abiding in Him.  “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love,” (John 15:9, New King James Version).  I found these definitions of abiding at Blueletter.org:  to remain; not to depart; to be held, kept, continually; to last, endure.  I encourage you to replace the word abide in verse 9 with these definitions, one at a time.  It paints a picture of the depth of what the word abide means.  

How do you abide?  John tells us in the next verse, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love,” (John 15:10, New King James Version).  If we read His Word and pray, we will know His commands – a great place to start is John 15!

Putting our trust in doctors instead of God can happen very slowly, almost unnoticeably.  I’ve created a simple check list for you to use every day to keep you leaning on His understanding, not a man’s.  Just ask yourself these 3 questions:

1.  Am I turning to God first?
2.  Is my trust in Him above man and technology?
3.  If not, why?

If you answered yes to 1 and 2, super!  Keep doing what you’re doing – abiding in His love.  If you answered no, dear one, you need to repent.  Not trusting in God, no matter what the reason, is a sin.  Give Him the reasons why you answered no and ask for His help to trust and depend on Him.  Spend time alone with God.

What if this check list just isn’t enough?  What do you do if you are really struggling to stay focused on Him?  What if you find it so much easier to trust an in the flesh doctor?  Take “The Faith Challenge”.  In 25 days you will find the obstacles between you and God removed along with your eyes and heart completely centered and trusting in God.  There is hope! You just need to let God do some more extensive work in your heart.

Lean on the One who loves you.  Let the Creator of your child guide your path.

In His Love,
Kimberly

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