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      Monday I went to a Christian book store to get a Bible for a friend. I got hylite markers and came home to start to hylite his new Bible. My friend is just starting his search for truth, and has no background in Christianity. I was just beginning to start hyliteing important passages when....AAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

     A disk in my low back slipped out. I landed on the floor, with pain words cannot describe. STABBING PAIN that hurts worse than any broken bone I've ever had and I've had many.

    It seemed to me that Satan may be trying to stop my plan of hyliteing this Bible so I grit my teeth and spent 6 hours working on the Bible. My friend came Tuesday to shoe our horses, (my friend is a blacksmith named Scott) and I dragged myself outside to the barn to give him his Bible and to talk to him. I can't stand up and have to brace myself with my hands on my knees bent over and take baby steps to move. Every few minutes I get a stabbing pain that drops my to my knees, or causes me to fall face first to the ground.

    I can't sleep, I can hardly breathe when I move the wrong way, I'm absolutely miserable!

    I've been doing landscape construction work for over 20 years. The same thing happened a few years ago. I went to the doctor in "98" and was told as he looked at my xrays I have the spine of a 75 year old. My vertabrate have chips and divits and places where the bone was turned to powder.

    I used to "pride" myself on being able to out work younger guys 2 to 1. I could do in a day what it took 2 other guys to do. I was like a machine. I could swing a pick for 10 hours, lay brick all day, nobody could out work me. I made two different bosses millionaires using my talent and my back. I still have my talent but my back is junk.

    I always thought that I'd be taken care of by my bosses seeing I'd give them every ounce of stength I had but when my back went out... "have a nice life."

    I started my own landscape construction business last year and have been doing "brick work" walkways, patios, driveways... Its time to hire some young guys now.

    Anyways I would sure appreiciate a prayer for my aching back! I used to be a "mind over matter" type that would grit his teeth and keep working but this pain is beyond that.

    I roll off the couch, crash to the floor landing on my hands and knees... it takes a couple of minutes to catch my breath, with a pain beyond words stabbing me, then slowly I start to push myself up... after 5 minutes or so I'm up, bent over bracing myself and I start to take baby steps, I make it about 7 feet when the stabbing pain drops me back to my knees or face first on the floor. Fun, fun, fun, let me tell you. This is the first time I've been able to sit up long enough to type anything but I need all the help I can get, so please pray for me. I don't ask for prayers for myself but I can't take much more of this.

    Please pray for my friend Scott also, pray he is lead to true saving faith in Jesus. Thank you!

                        The absolutely miserable Paul2 :'(

Sorry for your pain.  

The work you do is very hard, (hubby is a retired cement mason) I pray you will gain relief soon.

Paul2... My prayers are with you also.. my goodness i could almost hear the pain in your post that your suffering.. have you went to the hospital? or been given anything to help relieve it? I so understnad pain and can sympathise with you my thoughts and prayer are with you! Dear God in Heaven have mercy on this man  and give him relief of this horrid pain he is suffering, we know you can do all things  and that nothing is impossible with You.. So we ask that in Your Holy Name you would touch and renew this mans spine brand new and as health as a 20 yr olds spine.. We ask for this and instant relief from all and any pain In Jesus precious name and we give you all the Glory and the Praise for It..
Amen..
God Be with you my friend..
TL

    Reba and Tiger Lilly,

    Thanks for your prayers.

                                                         Paul2 :'(

I am so sorry!  :-[  You have my prayers, you and your friend!

But I second what TL asked? Have you seen a doctor?  :-\

Praying for you Paul2, and your friend Scott.

Grace and Peace!

     Thanks everyone,

    I feel 100% better than yesturday! I can stand up without
stabbing pain this morning. I'm stiff but the incredible pain is gone!

    I've seen several doctors over the last 5 years and theres nothing they can do for me yet. At some point they will fuse my lower vertabrate but they said to wait as long as possible.

    I'm loaded with arthritis in my low back and the soft tissue swells, hits the nerves and then comes the pain. I've got pain medication but it doesn't help much if any at all.

    Last night was the first night I have been able to sleep more than an hour at a time. I haven't taken a pain pill yet and I feel so much better this morning I might skip the pills altogether.

    You people must have some pull with the "Man upstairs" and I thank you all for your prayers.

    I'm scared to move to much, or sit to long because I don't want the severe pain to return but I'm feeling much, much, better this morning. Thanks again :)
 
     Thanks for the prayers for my friend Scott also! Hopefully we'll have him as a new brother in Christ soon if not alrerady!

                                                         Paul2

God is So GOOOOOD!!!
My friend. I was so thrilled to read your report! Its wonderful to hear such good reports and so fast!
Please keep us updated on you and your friend..
With luv and prayers..
TL

Yes, Paul2, I've had the back pain, but apparently nothing like this.  Ohhhh.  

Yes, I'm praying for you too, Paul2....   In Jesus' Name..


If you get a chance, networking about maybe a chiropractor?  Some are better than others.  But just a thought.


Praying for the Great Physician, in this case... IN Jesus' Name...

Paul, I am so very sorry to hear about this. I've had crippling pain, too, and you have my complete sympathy. Of course I'll pray for you, too.

What kind of arhtritis do you have? I'll see what I can find out about it. In my expereince, alternative medicine has done me far more favors than traditional. I've gone to so many specialists, and invariably the answer is with alternative medicine.

Question: have you had to take any steroid shots for your condition? Because it can kill the bone. A relative of mine found that out...after taking several treatments. Her doctor didn't know.

I pray for continued healing for you. And I am very sorry for your pain.

Paul2

I'm so sorry too to hear about the pain you've been going through.  Am glad you're feeling a little better.  I agree wholeheartedly with Whitehorse.  Please check out alternative medicine.  It's not that I'm against traditional medicine because if one breaks a leg one needs traditional medicine.  I've been reading about alternative medicine for 25 years now.  Cannot tell you how many books I've collected during those years.  I get various newsletters from alternative M.D.'s also.  There's a lot of help out there.  Don't know if you know much about herbs but I think they're God's medicine to us.  They don't work as quickly as drugs but they do work.  Ginger capsules taken as directed reduce inflammation, might take 6 weeks though.  Every once in a while I'll hear about a new breakthrough on TV.  I just roll my eyes cause I've known about it for years.  Don't know where you live but there are alternative M.D.'s in just about every city now.  Also, your local health food store can be of help.  Lots and lots of info on the net too.

Hey BEP------the ginger caps may be of some help to you, too!

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I lift up Paul2 and BEP to You.  I ask for healing for them Father.  Strengthen them and give them courage.  Oh God, relieve their pain.  Restore their backs and spines to perfection.  Let them be able to do the things you created them to do, all without pain, Lord.  Lead them to those that would help heal them, Father.  I ask you Lord God to bless every pill or herb or whatever medicine they take----that none would bring harm---only relief and healing.  Bless all those Doc's they seek out.  Lead them to those who would be a blessing.  Thank you Father that you've heard my prayer.  Amen.

Paul2,

HE rules!!!!!!!

So glad you are feeling less pain!!!

Praying, Paul2!  :'( And glad to hear you're feeling better!

How ya doing paul2?

Praying for you Paul2...
My dad has something similar, but the tissues and things around his spine are like jelly, so the doc's can't operate...they put him on Neurontin...it helped a bit I guess...
(he has a surgery years ago on the base of his spine where they removed bone fragments and tissue and hair ...they believe it was a twin that never fully developed)...since then, the pain goes down his back and both legs...he can barely walk long OR sit long...so even though I don't know personally what pain you are going through, I know somewhat from what my dad has told me.  Lifting you up to the Lord in prayer for MANY more days of being pain free...and for the problem to be solved.
Also praying for your friend to find and accept the Lord!!!
God bless!!!

      Time for an update,

    Since I first posted my prayer requests, I've been pain free. I'm not 100% and am very stiff, but the stabbing intense pain left and has not returned. The difference is nothing short of miraculous. Its hard to explain with words the difference that occured when I woke up the next morning.

    I went from doubled over and unable to stand at all without bracing myself with my hands on my knees to standing up straight as an arrow with no "pain" the next morning. I'm still stiff and sore but what I call "pain" is gone, I have mild discomfort and that I can live with.

    Next, I got some AWESOME news this morning. My friend, Scott, the blacksmith, came this morning to shoe our horses.
He brought his new Bible with him (somebody gave me "credit" for buying him his Bible, which I had offered to do, but he insisted on giving me the money to purchase it himself and ask me to pick it out for him, which I did.)

    We started talking and he asked me what was necessary for him to do to accept Christ. He said he had made up his mind and wanted to know what was required: he asked if there was a special cerimony, ritual, what was the next step.

    I told him to forget cerimonies and rituals and that the "next step" was to pray to God. Confess to God that your a sinner in need of Salvation. That you truely believe Jesus Christ is God the Son, and that you truely believe he died and was raised from the dead to pay for your sins and redeem you and provide for you Salvation. I told him to ask God to send him the Holy Spirit, and to ask for faith, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, for whatever "gift" God choses to give him.

    Its awesome to watch God transform someone right before your eyes, awesome.

    I'm open for suggestions of what to tell Scott next. The first steps always seem the hardest for me. Once somebody is deep into the Bible, I find it gets easier to explain things and teach things but in the very beginning of a new Christians walk, its easy to "overload" them with to much information to process. I try to answer all their questions which in turn leads to thousands more. We've all tried to answer a simple question in our posts and realized that the answers just get deeper and more detailed as we go.

     Thanks for your prayers for my back pain and for the prayers for Scott. Keep praying for both of us please, it works!

     Pray that I get the wisdom to answer Scott's questions, without overwheming him, and to find him the answers he needs to know. Please pray for Scott to receive the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit will guide him in truth.

     Rejoice, we have a new brother in Christ named Scott! Satan's not happy with us right now, he's lost another one to Jesus!

                   Thanks again, God bless you all!

                                                             Paul2 8)

   

This is great news Paul2!  In fact, that just completely made my day.   :D

I'm sure others may have some good advice for start up reading.  I would suggest one of the Gospels, like John or Matthew.   No better place to begin than with the life of Jesus, how he lived, walked, and died for us.   After that maybe one of the Epistles that gets into christian living.  Its a life long journey....one day/step at a time.  

Again excellent news friend, also the news about your pain being subsided.  I will continue to pray for you and Scott both.


Grace and Peace

Hey Paul2 glad to hear that your back is feeling better.  My dad has had trouble with his back for years and he goes through these times where he will have to walk all crooked and take little steps and he has trouble standing up straight.  I know this will sound a little strange but have you tried soaking in the tub with warm water and some vinegar mixed in.  My dad does it and he says it helps with the pain alittle.  Anyway thats so great that your friend Scott has come to you to talk about God.  It's really is awesome to see someone who you never thought would even care come to you and ask about God.  I will pray for you and your friend. God Bless!!

Awsome Paul2 awsome.

You might suggest to Scott he start by reading the Book of John ...

Aint God great!

       Jeeper and 2nd Timothy,


    I just met and made friends with Scott. He's our new blacksmith and we hit it off the first time we met when I brought him a coffee. We started talking politics, when I switched gears to current events and prophecy. After about 4 long rap sessions which took place while he was shoeing the horses, I told him that I wanted to get him a Bible, and that I'd hylight things for him I thought were important for him to know. He gave me the money for the Bible which I got for him last week. He's called me twice to ask questions and we talk for about 4 hours each time he comes. He's coming back next week.

      I got him the New King James,(John) MacArthur study Bible. Before any of you object let me tell you why. Scott told me he is mildly dislexick (sp.) I wanted to get him a Bible that was easy for him to read. I know many of you out there are "King James" only types, and understand why, but the reading can be difficult with all the know(eth's) and extra letters on many of the words. I still have to analize the text deeply to get the meaning on many passages. He wanted a version that he could understand and comprehend. Someday I'll tell him to get a King James and compare them, but for now, the New King James will do just fine.

    He's reading Matthew right now but he reads small portions at a time and ponders them. Some people have to read things multiple times to comprehend what they have read and Scott said he's one of them. I'd rather somebody read slowly and comprehend it then read fast and miss the point.

    What book do you think he should read next? Acts to give an explaination of how the Church began, or Romans?

    He needs to learn about who Paul is, its a name he's going to read alot about. We're going to go see "The Passion of the Christ" together when it comes out. I've explained to him that by seeing this movie he will understand the cost Jesus paid to redeem us.

    I'm all ears for suggestions, if you can think of something vital that Scott should know right now please tell me what you think. You might know of something I missed entirely, I'm just one person with one perspective but with all of you helping, we're a Church, for it is believers that make up the Church, not a building some place.

     Heres your chance to witness to a new believer, what would you tell Scott? I'll pass on the information.

    There is no feeling greater than the feeling you get when you guide someone to Jesus. When you realize that someone is going to receive eternal life, deny Satan another victory, its awesome. The privledge of doing something that has eternal consequences, to think, it was my pre-destined privedge to be given the oppertunity to play some role in the eternal destiny of another. Its an awesome feeling but also an awesome responcibility. I consider it to be a gift from God, a gift I'm not worthy to receive but delighted to have been given to be a part of. God doesn't need me to preach for him, he would do just fine without me, I could be replaced by a stone if He chose it to speak instead of me. I consider it an honor and gift to be allowed to play any role at all. Its humbling when you think about it because I wasn't really needed. God could have used you or you or you whoever is reading this. Any Christian could have done it, but God allowed me to do it. Many of you may be way more qualified, I'm sure many of you are, but I'm glad I was given the chance.

                   Thank you God, your AWESOME!

     (I know some of you out there feel bad for Scott because he got me instead of you, go find a "Scott" of your own out there, share the Gospel with him and pray that God will use you to bring someone to Him. Good Luck!)  The feeling you'll get is undescribably AWESOME!

                                                            Paul2 8)


     

                                                       

       

Oklahoma Howdy to Paul2,

I give thanks for all of the GOOD NEWS, for you and for Scott. I love hearing about people coming to Christ. I also know what a joy it is when God gives you an opportunity to witness, especially when you know the person did accept Christ. Some Christians get discouraged in witnessing when they never know whether the person accepted or rejected Christ. Brother, I give thanks for your your joy and another brother in Christ. I know that the Holy Spirit will provide in establishing a firm foundation for Scott and strengthening him in Christ. Scott has a huge advantage in having a brother like you who will help him in the study of God's Word and answer questions along the way. Brother, just let the Holy Spirit guide you in helping Scott become strong in the Lord.

Brother, I pray that we all take advantage of every opportunity God gives us, YES!, the joy of God using us to bring another child to HIM is beyond description.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Yes, this is good news.  Thank you, Paul2...