THAT OLE RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 40:28-31

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

THAT OLE RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME

I just sent off an email to a local TV station. They did a medical report on RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) and it made me mad. Irate really. You see, I have RLS. Bless my mother; she was so generous to pass this on to me. I hope I have not passed it on to our children, but only time will tell. The report: Two doctors were interviewed and they basically said that RLS could be controlled by not drinking caffeine or alcohol, by taking iron and by exercising. They stated that RLS did not really require the new drugs being advertised. I know one thing, neither of these doctors have RLS nor have a family member or friend with RLS.

I explained to the TV station that people are now going to the doctors because a name has finally been given to an old problem. People realize there is help and that they do not have to suffer. For some people there are side effects, from the medicine. That is true of any medicine. Iron: Yes, an iron deficiency in the brain has been shown to be a cause of RLS. You can take iron, but you cannot take enough iron to increase the iron in your brain. Caffeine and alcohol: I do not drink caffeine and only rarely have a glass of wine. I still have RLS. Exercise: Most RLS sufferers spend hours exercising as they walk the floor.

I have RLS and, for years, before I started taking Mirapex, I rarely slept through the night. I would try to lay still. I would try to move my legs as easy as I could, so as not to wake my husband. I would lay on one side and then the other. I would get a hot water bottle and go to the couch, hoping that would help. Do you get the picture? If you have RLS, you know exactly what I am talking about. RLS can mean that sitting through a movie is pure torture. Going for a long ride or a trip means that you are going to be in agony part of the time. Having RLS means that you will watch TV standing up because you cannot sit still. Many people with RLS have late night (after midnight) telephone buddies. People they can call as they walk the floor. RLS is real.

If you have RLS, there is help. The RLS Foundation has an excellent website: www.rls.org. When you feel like you are alone. When you are walking the floor. When you are crying because you need sleep. Remember that there is help. Remember there are others that understand.

To each of you -- If you have a physical problem, make sure you go to a doctor that takes you seriously. Do not allow a doctor to "blow you off" or refuse to check out your symptoms.

This has been different than my usual devotion and not what I was going to write, but I guess I needed to let off steam. I am mad that two doctors would make comments that could discourage people from getting help. I am mad that a TV station would report only one side of an issue, as if it was the only side. (Well, duh. That is how most news is anymore.) I was just plan mad. Now I feel better -- Thank you for being there to listen to me. Today, you have helped me!!!!!!!!

I know one thing -- prayer helps. Prayer did not take away my RLS, but it often got me though the night. "The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 28-29.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Almost everyone suffers from something -- back pain, vision problems, and the list could go on. What is your physical problem? Do you allow prayer to help you through it? Does your doctor understand? Does your family? Do your friends? Do you have someone to call when you are really down because of the pain? Or lack of sleep?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear Lord, Sometimes I just need to sound off. Sometimes I get so frustrated with what is happening to my body. It helps to know that other people understand how I feel and can offer help. Thank you for doctors that care and listen to me. Thank you for medicine that makes life better. Thank you for those that support me when I am in pain or when my body will not allow me to sleep. Thank you for listening as I pray through my pain. ………………………………… Amen

TIME TO PRAY

TODAY’S SCRIPTURES:

Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. Jonah 2:1

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: … John 17:1

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. 1 Timothy 2:14

TIME TO PRAY

At Bible Study, we were asked to kneel while we said our closing prayer. There was only one problem. About a year ago, I hurt a knee and that knee, as I found out one day when I was on the floor with the grandkids, does not like to cooperate if I kneel on it. As everyone else knelt, another lady and I stood. Know what? It didn't matter. We were all united in silent prayer, whether we were kneeling or if we were standing.

I don't think there is a particular posture that is right to pray. God says to go into a closet, but I think what he means is to pray with the right attitude and not pray for show or so others will think us holy.

The Bible tells about praying while kneeling but it also tells about praying while flat on the floor. The Bible says to lift your hands to the heavens.

Seems I pray in a number of places and in a number of ways. Sometimes when I am hanging clothes on the line or working in the flowerbed, I send up thoughts of appreciation for flowers and the breeze and the birds. (Of course, I am hoping that the birds do not fly over the clean clothes hanging there.) I can also pray while drinking that first cup of coffee, while driving and while cleaning house (Okay, so praying while cleaning house doesn't happen as often as praying while driving. And you should try praying in the shower. Now talk about coming clean to God and not being able to hide anything.)

When prayers are being said at church, I bow my head - sometimes. But sometimes I look up at the stained glass window of Jesus praying in the garden. Both ways are right.

And my hands -- They seem to have a life of their own. Sometimes they are raised full out and sometimes they are raised just a bit. Sometimes my hands are folded in my lap palms down and sometimes my hands are open, with the palms up as if they are waiting for the blessings to flow into them. Sometimes they are holding the Bible.

Do you get the point? It doesn't matter where you are. It doesn't matter what you are doing. It doesn't matter if your head is bowed. It doesn't matter what you do with your hands. It only matters that you remember: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." Luke 18:1

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

So how do you pray? Where do you pray? Is there a particular way you hold your hands? Do you raise your head or lower it? Does it matter?

You should check the Bible for all the references to prayer. It was hard to select just a few.

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear Jesus, The Bible is full of examples of how I should pray and you even gave me the perfect prayer. The Lord's Prayer. I know I can pray on my knees or standing up. I hope I never have to pray from the belly of a fish, but I know that you would hear my prayers even then. The hardest part of praying is finding the words. Sometimes the things I would like to tell you seem so bad that I don't want to say them. Sometimes my thoughts seem small and unimportant. Sometimes I just don't know where to begin. Jesus, look into my soul. Into the deepest part of me and teach me how to talk with you. Teach me to worship you in prayer. Teach me to turn to you in all things. Teach me to trust you. ………………………………… Amen

A HIGHER POWER

TODAY’S SCRIPTURES:

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

A HIGHER POWER

I tell you, as long as I have grandchildren, I will not run out of ideas for this blog. Our daughter and her boys were over this week to visit and eat lunch. To take full advantage of a beautiful fall day and to keep the kitchen a little cleaner, we decided to eat lunch outside.

There was one problem. Timothy, age 3, likes to sit in a particular chair when he eats at our house. (Actually, it is a step stool, but we haven't pointed that out to him. He just knows it is great to sit on.)

Timothy turned to his mother and said, "Can I take my black and white chair outside?"

Mother said, "I don't think you need to, grandpa has a chair for you."

Timothy then turned to me and said, "Grandma, can I take my black and white chair outside?"

Grandma, of course, said, "Yes." Timothy then, with a great big smile, told his mother, "Grandma says I can take the chair outside."

Timothy knew there was a higher power.

Oh, darn. Another lesson taught by a child -- turning to a higher power.

Where do you turn for answers? Yourself? A friend? A minister? Family? There is nothing wrong with asking others to help and support you. I would be lost without help from those around me and I do believe we should try to help ourselves, but I know one thing -- There is a higher power and I waste so much time when I do not turn to that power first.

When I turn to the power of God first and then use His strength to work at solving the problem, with the support of others, there is peace in my life. Not an easier road, but peace as I face the curves and potholes.

AND - God has made it so simple. He says, "Come."

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Remember what I said, turning to yourself and others is not wrong. We need all the love and support we can get. The question is: Do you go to the higher power first?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear Lord, A problem arises and I try to solve it. I have questions and I ask others for answers. When I feel lost and alone I try to find ways to fill up my days and nights. I need to reach out to the higher power. I need to come to you. Thank you that you are there. That you are always there when I say Lord. I am so grateful that I can turn to others for support, but let me always go to you first. ………………………………… Amen

STOP SIGNS

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 2:13

(After the Magi had left.) When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

STOP SIGNS

I love back roads and shortcuts. At one intersection, of a local back road, there are at least seven stop signs. Now that got me to thinking about all the stop signs Jesus ran into.

It seems like everywhere Jesus turned, someone was putting up a stop sign. Herod put one up and Jesus’ family had to escape to Egypt. The spirit led Jesus into the desert and that ole devil put up three stop signs.

The disciples even put up a few. They questioned. They tried to stop the children. They doubted when Jesus walked on water. They slept while he prayed.

Those in his hometown put up a big stop sign when they would not even listen to him.

The priests put up a stop sign when they bought his betrayal. Pilate provided the nails for the final stop sign.

The miracle is that there is no sign or mortal action big enough to stop Jesus. He knew what road he was on. He knew what he had to do. He knew he wanted to carry out the will of “the Father.”

Life and the world we live in have many stop signs that try to keep us from traveling the road we should. We have to be careful what we watch on TV or at the movies. So many images to lead us astray. We have to be careful what friends we choose to hang out with. We have to be careful whom we pick for a mate. The people we are around influence our decisions and our actions.

When life puts stop signs on your road, remember the “way of the Father.” Do not allow stop signs to make you turn off the path God has set for you.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

What stop signs do you see along your road through life? Do you have the strength to stay on the road and not turn down the wrong path? Do you know how to get back on the road when you are weak?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear Jesus, Thank you for staying on the path God prepared for you. You had the strength to say no to the devil. Three times, you said no. Be beside me always, but be extra strong when I need to call on you when I need to say no. Keep my eyes upward and my footsteps straight. Dear Jesus I will work very hard not to be a stop sign in another's life. Today I also pray that I do not put stop signs in front of you. Allow me to ask you questions and then to trust your answers and to not doubt. Let me always celebrate the miracle of your life, your death and your resurrection. ..………………………………… Amen