Living with HIV - Pastor Shane Stanford

Dear Lisa & Eric,
   I was listening this morning when Pastor Shane shared his walk with HIV. I wanted to share a couple of things.
   When I was pregnant with my last child I was put on bed rest at the end. I have a dear Christian friend who was a huge blessing to me. We both had young children at home. She would come and take my boys for hours to give me time to rest. She also would come and do my laundry.
    This march I was diagnosed with Lupus SLE and I just turned 39. It is a debilitating disease and hard for family to understand, especially our 4 boys. I am in pain every day and waiting for the medicine to kick in. I understand what Pastor Shane has been through.
    There are things that people can do to help others who have illnesses or a disease. Offer to clean their house, do laundry, mow the lawn, watch the kids, do weeding, go grocery shopping, cook meals. The list goes on and on. If you can only offer a little bit of help it would be grately appreciated, believe me.
     I am learning to accept help when it is offered. Sometimes it is hard to accept help. So if someone doesn't accept the first time you offer to help then wait and offer again later.
     And for those of us who are living with an illness or disease we need to remember two very important scriptures to help us through the difficult times:
      Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
      And, 2 Corinthians 12:9 " My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
      In Christ's love,
       Mary

I'm linking one of, if not the best, blog/essay on how to communicate living with chronic pain/illness to those who have no understanding.  I am fortunate in that a lot of the pain I am dealing with will improve with surgery next year, but in the present, it has helped my friends and family to understand in a more concrete way what I'm living with. When I say I'm running out of spoons, they spring to action!!  The article does not touch on how the grace of God makes our 'spoons' last longer and He provides extra when we need them, but it does use imagery that relates to all of us.  Thanks!  Cathy

www.butyoudontlooksick.com/.../

I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy in middle school.  That was 22 years ago. I do live with chronic pain and at times am unable to move.  However, I can live with that because I have survived the worst part of it.  At age 18 I had congestive heart failure and my doctor told my mom that once my heart got bad enough there would be nothing that they could do.  I tell people that I knew that God had better plans for my life than death at such a young age.  I am now 34 years-old.  I have been off cardiac meds for 12 years and now the doctors cannot even find where the damage occurred.  I am married with two beautiful daughters.  God has  truly blessed me with a life that I love.

Thank you. Thank you for discussing this topic today. I have been recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I work a very physically demanding job and I have no insurance. I hurt every day. All day.  Some days are better than  others. Some days test my faith to the max. Recently, on one of my very very bad days, when I was just totally broken, giving up, crying out to God, I was listening to Sterling and she said her Grandpa always used to tell her, "To be defeated is only temporary, giving up makes it permanent." God met me where I was at that day. I spent the rest of the day praising and worshipping God. My focus was no longer on my pain. My children dont really understand what fibro is. All they know is that some days Mom cant get it together. My fiance tries really hard to help me in everyway possible and I am truly blessed with him. What I wanted to share was just this. Psalm 40:1   I waited patiently for the Lord, He turned to me and heard my cry..and to echo Mary...Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Dont give up. Dont give in. Our God hears us, loves us, and will rescue us. Thanks to KLOVE for this wonderful ministry. Its a big part of what sustains me everyday.
Love,
Monique

I was diagnosed HIV+ in 1994. I am 56 now and my viral load is undectable. My story is quite interesting, long and God blessed. I actually gave birth to two children before I knew I was infected with the virus.They were not infected. Having HIV chaned my life and my relationship with God. It has made me a better person. Sometimes I wish I wasn't infected but I know that God brought me through it and so many good things have come out of it that I wouldn't change a thing. Gods plan is ALWAYS the best plan!  

im an 12yr old boy in Louisiana. I went to church for Easters, only as a smaller child, and my Dad and all his friends would drink when they were in the house. Although when my Dad smoked he had to go out on our porch. When I was 4yrs old my dog died (throte ripped open in a fight with another dog trying to protect me and my sister) the next year my Great Grandmother past away, and as long as I remember I've been a video game addict, at age 9 I accepted Christ and was baptised, but I didn't act like it, I was still always playin' video games, these past few weeks I was on a youth trip we were at Eastern Tennesse State University(ETSU) with Powerlife a missions group that travels the U.S., after evening worship before snackbar (before bedtime) we had a Youth Share Time well in the time we had a good bit of our youth accept Christ, recomit thier lives, or even recognize a calling to ministry, well after a while God started to work in me and the 3rd day I recommited my life to Christ, I'm now at home listening to K-LOVE on my Computer every day(my Radio has bad reception) and telling people about Christ online, so my addiction is fed and I do it in a Goddly way

I really like your post and also your explanations  thank you very much it's a big help to us to have a small idea...

More power!!
medical negligence