Joel's Morning Surprise

"By His stripes we are healed."

Isaiah 53:5b

The past 10 weeks have been amazing!  I wanted to share in more detail what has been going on as it is exciting, encouraging, and shines of God's grace and goodness!  First let me back up some for those of you who do not know much about Joel's struggle with Lyme Disease.

Joel was diagnosed with Lyme nearly three years ago, even though we believe he was infected in 1998. During that summer he became very ill with a mysterious illness and was off from work for several weeks.  It took him a year to fully recover.  We feel his immune system was able to fight the Lyme and it went into remission.  Five years ago was a stressful and exhausting time for us both with several events over 2 years bringing Joel to a state of exhaustion, and the Lyme reactivated.   With treatment, Joel ended up on disability due to the extreme fatigue he experienced.  The Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome took a big toll on him. He first took antibiotics for around 18 months before switching over to an intensive herbal antibiotic regime.  Slowly he improved, until last August when he went backwards and could no longer work part time.  We are not sure why that happened but we know it does.  He added Earthing, which is balancing the electrons in our body that are affected by the Electro-magnetic fields.  Much to our surprise, it was very helpful and many neurological symptoms decreased significantly by January.

A week after our last Lyme Doctor appointment in January 2012, we started watching a Biblical teacher a friend of mine had  recommended. Andrew Wommack believes, like many who have healing ministries, that the power we need to heal is already in us through the Holy Spirit which is given to us at baptism or when baptised in the Holy Spirit.  Let me add here that the pastor's teachings are not something we would have sought out on our own, and we don't agree with everything he teaches, and yet we have learned so much from this man of God. We have taken the meat of what he shares and tossed away the bones so to speak.  He is very Biblical and sincere in what he teaches. He is the first of many teachers we have discovered on this an amazing journey.

The first night we watched Wommack's teaching called "God Wants You Well",  I asked Joel if he thought we would be healed here on earth and if he thought what Wommack spoke was Biblical and the truth.  Joel's response was, "I find him very theologically sound, but "I don't know" about the healing.  This man had challenged Joel's beliefs and God was speaking to Joel's heart.  When Joel went to bed that night he prayed for healing, commanding his body to heal by the authority given to him and in him.  At 4am Joel woke up and immediately knew he was healed.  He said outloud with surprise, "I am healed!  God blessed him right then with a confirmation of his healing.

I have shared this before, but will share again if you missed that.  Joel decided to test this healing.  He doubled his walking time that first day...no problem.  He walked even longer..for over an hour.  No fatigue at all.  He knew the pain he had experienced in his hips and other areas was gone and his brain fog had lessened.  He decided to test things out and rode his bike 1 miles. (He had NOT been able to ride at all for 3 yrs).  He then rode his bike 3 miles...5 miles....8 miles with NO fatigue, no relapse, no problems!  Shortly after this, he had an ordination to attend at our former church.  He decided to see if the balance issues would occur when he was among a crowd with loud noises and several people talking at once.  He could not even be with our family at Christmas without balance issues.  Nothing happened.  He then went to a wedding and reception a few days later and he was able to be there 5 hours with no affects on him.  The neurological  balance issues are completely gone.  G. O. N. E.

We have seen improvements in other areas coming since this time in January.  He has steadily improved except for a day or two of fatigue and getting rid of toxins that occurred a couple of week into February.  He STILL needs to nap once a day but only for a half hour instead of the three hours before!  He is now taking only half of the thyroid meds he was on before and he is taking very few herbs.  He plans to be off them in a couple of weeks.  The gluten intolerance is still a problem.  And he is still going to be 66 in June.  He can't seem to command THAT to change! Ha~

This is Joel's journey to healing.  It is amazing and yet should it be?  We are so very thankful that he is able to work again part time as a pastor and be exercising, visiting family and friends again, and just all around live a normal life.  THANK YOU JESUS!