Hernia update and the empowering Christ

Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the rather sporadic postings to the blog-I just get to tired in the evening and in the morning (when I am most energized and inspired) I often have too much to do - it is a great problem. Just think a few months ago I felt like I was languishing in my bed with absolutely nothing that I could except pray. I see now what a gift that time was. To be relieved of all other duties so that I could spend time with the Lord moment by moment. I will try to post at least one a week. I also pray so that what I post is from the Lord - I can't just be ministering Joanne - that would never give life!
An update about the surgeon's visit. It was frustrating because the surgeon is in a different health care system from the oncologists. So, she didn't have access to any of my records and my primary care didn't send over what she had. Basically, she confirmed that it was indeed a hernia and the bulge is most likely my small intestine. She said that larger hernias are less dangerous than small ones and are less likely to get pinched. However, it is still a concern to have the small bowel moving in and out of that space in the muscle. She is concerned about how to repair the hernia because of the nodules on the peritineum and needs to speak with Drs. Berlin and Berkowitz and also get the actual ct films from Dana Farber, which is like Fort Knox when it comes to getting any records even sent to my primary care physician. So, please pray about which surgeon to use. I thought of contacting the surgeon who did the first bowel surgery I had in April. She works at BWH and would be able to access records and she also knows Drs. B and B. By the way, the bleeding stopped. My primary care doctor has not been able to get me an appointment with a gyn doctor yet! It has been 2 weeks. Hopefully it was just because I lifted some boxes of books. I think I will let Dr. Berkowitz' nurse know, just to hear what they think. I never talk directly to him - but to his nurse practitioner Joan. So, I really hear what SHE thinks. The balance problem still persists - I need to see an ENT doctor about that. Lots to do. Which brings me to what I was considering this morning....

The verse in Philippians 4:13 says I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me.

The footnote for in Him says that:
Paul was a person in Christ (2 Cor. 12:2), and he desired to be found in Christ by others. Now he declared that he was able to do all things in Him, the very Christ who empowered him. This is an all-inclusive and concluding word on his experience of Christ. It is the converse of the Lord's word in John 15:5 concerning our organic relationship with Him, "Apart from Me you can do nothing."

The footnote for empowers says the following: The Greek word means makes dynamic inwardly. Christ dwells in us (Col. 1:27). He empowers us, makes us dynamic from within, not from without. By such inward empowering Paul was able to do all things in Christ.

I also considered the verses mentioned above in John 15:4-5 Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.

I never put these two verses together before. But by considering them both, I realized that my interpretation of Philippians 4:13 was somewhat off - I thought I can do everything in Christ, and He is my power, my strength. One day when I was trying to give myself an injection, I kept saying this verse over and over "I can so all things in Christ who empowers me..." However, I was not able to give myself that shot. Was Christ not effectively empowering me to do that thing? I realize now that it's not that we can do whatever we are doing and not grow weary because we have Christ empowering us. It is that everything we do is in the realms and sphere of Christ - like the branches and the vine. The branches cannot do anything apart from the vine. They are borne by the vine and they have the life of the vine flowing throw them. So the branches carry out and do whatever the vine is doing. They don't try to do something and then say I can do this because I am in the vine. I hope you can see what I see here. It is really wonderful to put these two verses together. Some days are filled with lots of doing - even I can think that I had all this energy to do it because Christ empowered me....but actually I could be empowered by my own self and really be doing a lot of nothing in God's eyes. Only what He authors, what He initiates He empowers us to do! Praise Him! So when I feel that I can't get up in the morning to spend time with the Lord, when I ask Him to empower me, He does. When I don't think I have the energy to write this blog, He does. He is the empowering One within me. Praise Him!

As a result of this revelation, I also enjoyed a hymn about being one with the Lord.


1 One with Thee, Thou Son eternal,
Joined by faith in spirit one,
Share we in Thy death inclusive
And Thy life, O God the Son.
One with Thee, Thou Son beloved,
Part of Thee become thru grace,
Heirs with Thee of our one Father,
We’re Thy Spirit’s dwelling place.

2 One with Thee, Thou Son incarnate,
Born with Thee, the Man of worth,
We, the members of Thy body,
Sojourn with Thee here on earth.
One with Thee, Thou Son anointed,
Sharing too the Spirit’s power,
We in full cooperation
Labor with Thee hour by hour.

3 One with Thee, Thou Son forsaken,
Judgment and the curse we’ve passed;
We to sin are dead forever,
Hell beneath our feet is cast.
One with Thee in resurrection,
Death can never us oppress;
Live we in Thy new creation,
Bearing fruits of righteousness.

4 One with Thee, Thou Son ascended,
Seated with Thee on the throne,
Thine authority we share and
Rule with Thee, Thy rank our own.
One with Thee, Thou Son returning,
Glorified with Thee we’ll be,
E’er to manifest Thy beauty,
One with Thee eternally.

Just enjoy these glorious facts! We are one with the Lord. How marvelous!

Joanne