Today is My Anniversary!!!!

Congratulations, Shannon! Praise be to God!! Ten years ago today a frail 12 year old girl woke up from a coma, in which she was supposed to die. It was actually two days ago, ten years ago, that I was diagnosed with diabetes. I had gone into the late stages of ketoacidosis without any knowledge of the disease under whose power I had fallen. For several weeks I had been drinking obscene ammounts of water and craving sweet canned fruits. Eating and drinking constantly I had become very skinny which went essentially unnoticed. My body had stopped producing insulin, which delivers sugars to body cells. All of the sugar/carbs I consumed went straight into my blood stream and stayed there, and since my body was not receiving nourishment it began burning fat cells at an extreem rate- causing rapid weight loss and ketosis- huge ammounts of acid and chemicals in my body. Finally, on Christmas night I began haulucinating. The next morning my parents figured out that this was a serious situation (before then they reasonably thought that I had the flu- we are generally a very healthy family!). My last memory was my father carrying me down the stairs and hoping that he wouldn't drop me.

My parents took me to our family doctor who smelled my breath and immediately directed that an ambulance be called. Yes, that sounds funny :-), but he recognized the syruppy sweetness and acidic smell and knew that I had ketoacidosis. I don't remember all of the details- I was asleep, in and out of ketoacidosic comas, but I know that my vital signs went wack and noone thought that I was going to live. The MD took my parents into a comfortable room and told them to "prepare themselves for the very real possibility that their little girl would not be going home." I had a 1 in 10 chance of living, and if I survived I had a 1 in 3 chance of not having completely debilitating brain damage. At this point my mom went into shock. My father heared from God. "Shannon's going to be fine. A week from now she will walk into this hospital under her own power." So my dad boldly shaared what God had told him with the unbelieving (non-Christian) doctor. They thought he was in denial, but he was confident and unwavering in God's word to him. My mom gave me fully to God in her heart, and His peace came to her.

I guess I started responding somewhat to the voice of my father, by the twitch of my foot. I was taken in an ambulance to Rochester, NY, to the pediactric unit of the hospital there. As I stated, details are fuzzy, but having falling into another coma I awoke in complete health on Dec. 27, 1995. When I was informed that I had diabetes I remember whispering, "I'm twelve years old and I'm falling apart." But then my mother told me how God has spared my life, and how thousands of Christians had been praying for me all accross the country. I praised God for His mercy and power, and I thanked Him for my diabetes. I went home from the hospital with the conviction that God had a purpose for my life, and that it was not fulfilled yet.
A week from my diagnosis I went with my father back to the hospital where I was first cared for and met several of the nurses which were on duty that day. Many happy tears :-)

Having diabetes has not been easy. Shots and injections hurt, I have to have a constant awareness the way foods and activities will affect my blood glucose levels. I face possible complications ranging from amputations to kidney failure to heart disease beginning as early as 5 years from now. But I know that God will withhold No Good Thing from me. I know that I will be able to accomplish God's will for my life More effectively with diabetes than I could have without. And I live knowing that when God is ready He can and will heal me, in His way.

So Congratulations, Jehovah Rophe! You are my healer, and You are my God! Thank You for Your Greatness, Power, and Mercy in my life!!!!!!!!!!

I Love You,
Shannon

So Much to Do!!

So much to do- isn't it GREAT?! Ok, first things first. I've been tagged by ALEX, so here goes-
Five weird things about me:
1) I'm 22 and I sleep with a teddy bear and a stuffed zebra. Every night.
2) I enjoy spending All Day doing massive ammounts of laundry by myself.
3) I know really funny salt and pepper jokes :-) (which no one expects me to know or tell. not bad, just exceptionally funny).
4) I didn't know I was obsessed with Starbucks coffee until 5 random friends all confirmed it yesterday.
5) I absolutely LOVE going on spontanious walks at 11 or so at night and wandering all around downtown OKC with friends- laughing and skipping and running at will, in addition to sliding down banisters (new tallent) and rolling down hills.

Wow, more things are coming to mind. I'm weirder than I thought!

Random thoughts...
I love working for Mr. Menzel.
I'm a wretch when I don't read my Bible.
I like Timothy Crawford- he's funny!
My church is FINALLY offering a "college and career" class/ group after, like, 9 years at least that I have been there. It's a Miracle!! I'm serious, and I am So Grateful to God. Pray for us as we get everything started. The director will be Odus Compton who led the OBU (OK Baptist U) BSU (Baptist Student Union) for 15 years- good stuff! So anyway, God is at work in the lives of men.
Farewell to Molly Buehler. She left the TC today and will not be returning as staff... please pray that God would bless her as she moves home and into a new phase of life. We will all miss her dearly.

Goodnight, my friends, fare thee well!
Love,
Shannon

6:40 am and I want to go back to sleep

Well it's 20 minutes until I have to leave for work and I'm sitting on the couch with un-brushed hair, no make=up, and in winter pj's. I don't want to get up or go to work. I saw Narnia last night with several friends (great people, btw) and I truly enjoyed it. I shall have to pour more thought into it later. The Lion of Judah. One of my favorite names of God, esp. when I was a little girl. Somehow it was a wonderful picture of the Strength and Fearsomness and Beauty and Nobiblity and Control and, again, the sheer Strength and Power of God. So it was an amazing picture to see, not a precious lamb laying down its life, but the LION, Laying Aside his strength, actually truly Maintaing his strength and power, but submitting himself to the abuse of the week for the sake of the boy. Wow. That is truly amazing. Now I see how, even if/ when I am in the Right in a situation, I can show meekness and lay down my opinion or rights- even if it means that I am thought to have given up or yielded because I am weak. Christ did it, why can't I?

Do You Think I'm Beautiful? Part 1

My my oh my... So, it is 1:38 am and I am not in bed. This keeps happening. Anyway, I am very glad because I was able to spend some time with really great friends today. With everyone being in school it has been hard to connect for the past 4 months or so... well, not everyone, but many of my long-time friends. So tonight a group went ice skating, and then came to my home and hung out. I've missed you, Leaha!

So what do y'all think about the idea of creating a blog for the very purpose of "creating" an entire person- including personality, friends, interests, activities, etc.? No, this is not such a blog. I suppose the only way to verify that is to be one of my friends, or to know me, and to compare this blog to my actual life. Anyway!

I have one semester of French left. Calvin, you need to come to class with my sometime- Madame Walker is serious!

So, I discovered a book last night with a friend. The title struck hard a chord within me: Do you think I'm beautiful? Yes, that is the title of the book. That question resides in every woman's heart. Some ask it, and some deny to themselves that the question, the longing for an answer, is even within them. I began reading the book today while at B&N. I don't know how deep it will be, but I purchased it and will keep you apprised as I read through. I don't know who is supposed to make a woman feel beautiful, or who is supposed to let her Know that she is- assure her of it and ensure the knowledge within her.
I have no new information, I am not an author or a theologean or a professor of woman's studies or even a mom. But I am a woman and I have been a girl, and I have spoken with girls and I have looked deep into the eyes of many, many woman. In some there is a depth of pain or sadness which is only missed by the blind (which, I am afraid, includes many a man and woman). In many others there is simply Something Missing. Something great, something terrable, something so fundamental and deep and profound to a woman's soul. She is asking, or she has asked and heard again and again the answer which she can no longer bear- no, she is not beautiful. "She will never be Cinderella." The Beauty. A woman's Actual physical/ Spiritual beauty has little or nothing to do with their self-reflection. And unfortunately, the need for a positive answer to the heart-wrenching question, "Do you think I'm beautiful?' Cannot be answered from "within," it Must be answered from without. Hence This question- Do YOU think I'm beautiful? not "Am I beautiful?" or "Am I valuable/ smart/ Pretty/ likable?" This, this is a question we simply cannot answer for ourselves.

I desperately need to write something worth reading here, but right now I am "wasting" time letting my brain rest from matrices. Algebra! One final on Thursday and I am finished with math, I hope for forever.

We started watching "Casablanca" in my French class last night. That is one amazing movie, I should ask for it for Christmas. Humphry Bogart is one of my all-time favorite actors.

Like I said, nothing deep in this post.

Have a great night!!

Check these out...

Two really great posts.

First, Laura Propestar, ie "Manna" has two very interresting, deep posts (don't worry, she is not as wordy as me) which you should check out. Esp. Pumpkinvines people.
http://girlieme82.blogspot.com/

Second, check out Colin Higbee's spot- the one about Pepsi (Dec. 2). It's great!
chigbee23.blogspot.com

Check them out!

Balance

I have read and studied Romans 4-8 over and over, and have been amazed as many times at my own identity and nature in Christ. How much Freedom would come to the Christian world if we only Knew what we are clearly told in Scripture! Dead to sin, alive to God~ how much more clearly could He tell us that sin is Powerless over those who believe?

Now I am excitedly reading Colossians and learning about My responsibility as a follower of Christ in the 'process' (still really seeking the truth of that term/ concept...) of holiness.
I was struck by Ch. 1, vs. 21-23:

"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now

He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you

holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-

If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast,

and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."

Wow. So it appears that we are reconciled, and we will be presented holy if we continue in the faith. So is that simply abiding in the vine, as Jesus taught in John 15? It doesn't look like we are doing anything special, simply continuing in what we have been called to.

I also want to know where the Scriptures fit in~ "Know ye not that they which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So Run that ye may obtain." Definately an active Christianity. Perhaps my misconception is that "abiding" or "continuing" are passive verbs. Are they actually as active as "running?" I do not believe in passive Christianity, but I also think it is important that we know what we are striving towards.

If we are running towards righteousness or Christian maturity,
do we not miss the Joy of running towards Christ?

So then, let us remember Who Christ is~
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation... And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fulness should dwell... Christ, In Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. For in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;
And you are complete in Him, Who is the head of all principality and power."
~Col. 1:15,17,18,19, 2:2,3,10

It appears to me that if we indeed run straight to Christ, and to nothing else, we will necessarily become holy and mature followers. It is in Christ that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden! It is Christ in Whom we are complete. It is Christ in Whom all fulness dwells. How exciting He is!

Let us run after Christ!