Garth's Update after Christmas

Health Update 

Not much has changed in the last three months since Thanksgiving. I got the Botox shots which have helped reduce the saliva in my mouth.  There were actually six shots.  Three on each side of my face.  One in front of my ear.  One at the back of my jaw.  And one under my chin.  They hurt less than a flu shot.  I will need replacement shots every three months. I also had my peg (feeding) tube replaced.  It took less than two minutes and no pain at all.  My arms are getting weaker and I can't drive the chair all the time.  We had another driving control installed on the back of the chair and Cathy often drives me using that control.

I think I am putting on weight and my belly is so big it's like a football is under my skin! I have cut back on the Resource  liquid food I take and we will see what impact that has. 

My brain still works perfectly.  And my nerves work fine. I can feel hot in the summer and cold in the winter. And I feel pain if something wrong happens to my body. My senses work fine too: seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting (although I don't eat food through my mouth), and feeling with my finger tips. 

My breathing machines are working fine. My lung muscles are at 3% so if I am off the machine I would be dead in ten minutes. Thank God for no breathing issues!

Christmas and New Year's 

We just finished the celebration of Christmas and New Year's. Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago. I love the four Sundays before Christmas which are known as Advent.  Each week at church we celebrate a different aspect of the things we can have in our hearts if we love Jesus.  The four words are: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. With Hope we can hope that we get to be with Jesus in Heaven for eternity when we die.  With Peace we can have no anxiety or depression in our souls because Jesus brings peace into our lives if we spend time with Him in prayer. Joy is different than Hope or Peace.  Joy is different than happiness too.  You can be happy if your favourite sports team wins the game or if you go to a comedy show and laugh your head off. But Joy is a permanent feeling in your soul where you focus on the many blessings from Jesus, and it is feeling comfort and contentment every day of your life.  And Love is both receiving the love from Jesus because He is by your side, and providing love to your family and neighbours and coworkers.

We had a lot of sickness in our family around the Christmas break but we managed to meet on the 29th for a soup and charcuterie meal at our house for my siblings and their kids. Here is a picture of the gang. 

For the past ten years at New Years Day I have been preparing a list of questions for our family to answer together. It is so good to have intimate conversations because it draws the family closer together. Questions may be about what brings you joy, or what dampened your heart in the last year plus many more questions.  Here is a picture from five years ago of us sharing our answers to the questions and doing an Enneagram which is a personality test. 

Who knows where this year will end because I am still counting on a complete healing from ALS but I haven't heard from God what his plans are for me. 

Healing Options

As noted earlier, I am counting on a complete healing from Jesus because there are no man-made healing processes to get rid of this disease. I see two options for healing from God. The first one is a healing miracle where one day the disease is gone and I am back to my normal self. These miracles actually exist. I have heard from several people who have seen healing happen right in front of their eyes. One example was a child whose one leg was several inches shorter than the other. People prayed for her and they saw her leg grow immediately to the same length as her other leg! My friend was there and he told me the story which I totally believe.

The other option is to have personal faith in Jesus and to use the strength of Jesus who lives inside of us. I have complete faith in Jesus, and the Bible says that because of Jesus being beaten and whipped he died on the cross to bring love and healing and forgiveness of sins to everyone who has faith in Jesus. I have had ALS for four years now but I haven’t seen progression in my health yet. There may be blockages that I need to get rid of so be praying about that and let me know what you hear from God.

There is a song from Mercy Me called “Even If”. Here are two verses from the song:

They say it only takes a little faith

To move a mountain.

Well good thing

A little faith is all I have, right now.

But God, when You choose

To leave mountains unmovable

Oh give me the strength to be able to sing

It is well with my soul.

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand.

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone.

I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt

Would all go away if You'd just say the word.

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

I agree with the sentence that says it is well with my soul and my hope rests in Jesus even if healing doesn’t happen.

There are many Pastors around the world that talk about how healing can come not because of a miracle but from God’s Word in the Bible and faith in Jesus. There are close to 100 Bible verses that talk about God promising healing to believers. But it is all based on the power of Christ within us. And another Biblical statement is that we have to believe in the power of Jesus but we cannot trust in what we see that actually exists, but we need to “see” the future that we desire that is in compliance with God’s Word. Corinthians 5: 7 says “For we walk by faith, not by sight.“ In that Mercy Me song it says that God may make mountains unmovable. But that’s not what Jesus says. Matthew 17:20 says, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move.” My mountain is ALS and because of my faith I should be able to move it out of my body. I am counting on that!

Cathy’s Turmoil

Cathy and I marked our 34th marriage anniversary on December 28. Here is a picture on the day of our engagement which was five months before our wedding day.

Cathy is my primary caregiver. After four years of looking after me she is physically and emotionally worn out. She continues to love me but needs a miracle healing in my life. Please be praying for Cathy for perseverance, peace in her heart and physical energy to keep on going. I love her dearly.

Faith Over Fear

I continue to have Faith in Jesus. That Faith erases any fear I might have. Here is a scripture verse that encourages my Faith.

Because you love me, I will rescue you. I will protect you because you know my name. When you call to me, I will answer you. I will be with you when you are in trouble. I will save you and honor you. I will satisfy you with a long life. I will show you how I will save you

Psalm 91: 14-16