enigma, i totally agree. i'm so happy for you.my journal entry last night was about God hearing. i don't care how anyone defines the power of the universe although i am a Christian.
after going through a very trying few years with someone and having it end horribly, i needed to leave NYC which in my heart is my home. i was looking into mexico and other warm locales b/c i love the ocean and thought the warmth would be good.

at that same time, at a dear friend's funeral, i ran into another good friend i hadn't seen lately since i didn't circulate like i had previously. he offered me his mother's house in PR. he and g/f were about to go there, so he could show me around and help me find a place of my own. i bought a one-way ticket. i only got to live there 6 months, but it was a wonderful, healing experience.

i found good MDs, nice neighbors, a good english-speaking church near near me, got to take in so much and know that i could still do something like that. my family thought i was crazy, but i know it was life-saving and that was no coincidence.

one of many times....hugs and thanks for bringing this up to focus on the positive.

hi enigma and i would like to share my story about returning back to work..i have been off 8 years, and things all changed for me last year..lost 65 pounds, and somehow was able to get control of my major depression, so i decided to go back to work..i applied to about 6 places on line, and the next day got a call from an old co-worked from 8 years ago, saying he was now a district manager, and had a sales job for me, doing what i did 8 years ago... somehow our prayers are answered at the right time...~stinky~

I had a time when things spun out of control. My stepfather had a stroke and we moved him into my house, my husband thereafter had a stroke. Then my daughter and son ended up in the hospital both have autoimmune diseases. My daughter was touch and go. I was staying at the hospital running home long enough to change and make sure everyone was O.K. at home. I was losing it and I told God that he needed to take charge, I couldn't do everything and my daughter needed me the most. Within hours people started showing up at my house with food. The neighbors and my church found out about my situation and took over the dinners and making sure my stepfather was getting lunch down. It was a miracle. I have no idea how anyone found out, the pastor just said that someone called the church and said I needed help. When he came to the hospital he could not believe how bad everything was. My daughter was in for over a month and I was able to stay there. The nurses arranged everything at the hospital for me. The neighborhood worked with my church to take care of the sickies at home. Monies were being dropped off at church for us, food was at the house, it was a total miracle. But that was only half of it. The doctors could not find out what was happening with my daughter, she was going down hill so fast. I prayed that God send me a new doctor to fix this (we had 10 working on her case), The main doctor had a sudden family emergency and had to leave, a back up doctor came in and after review of the charts stated she felt sure she knew what was happening, she called in another specialist to run some test and she was right. The surgery was successful and the medication worked. God answered every prayer that I asked for directly. It was amazing. We all have different names for the universal source but I know it is real and for me I call it God. -RJ

Awesome stories!!!

OMG, I am so jealous that you get to go on this trip to such a wonderful and ancient place. I am very happy for you though, truly.

I believe in answered prayers, coincidence, blessings etc. It is those little sparks and joys of life that keeps me hopeful and full of promise in my future.

HUGS to you

It sounds like prayer does work! You asked and you are receiving.
As for me... my life is one total miracle. God protected me when I was too naive and stupid to know anybetter than to get myself into many situations where harm could have come to me.
Some did, but good came from it and I learned from it.

The miracle is that God pours out his love in everything every day in every way if we hear.
It is hard to hear when one is in total pain but in those times where any relief is found, thanking Him and drawing close to Him has made me better stronger and happier.
Our new house is a miracle and I cry with happiness alot for it.
God provided the means the house the abilities to fix it and everything about it.
It was a dream for 10 years and on the 10th year I saw it happen.
I have had many other miracles but I cannot write them all.
Thank you for letting me share and for this thread.
Pauli

Beautiful and faith inspiring messages...thank you all...

My own are not nearly as dramatic but for me were prayers answered.

After my MD decided I was an addict and stated she would no longer manage my pain meds, I called the pain mgmnt dr. that I knew of only to find out he didn't take my Medicare, there was no way I could call each and every other MD to write for them. I had a mos.supply left and started rationing them along with praying for a dr. that would help me. As I was in the Dr.s office, I noticed a newsletter the hosp. puts out every month that I never pay attention to. For whatever reason, (I now know why) I picked it up and read it....lo and behold there was a new pain dr. in town....called his office, ins. was accepted, got an appt. within 2 weeks and he's been heaven sent.
Doesn't see people with CP as "addicts" or abusers, always has time to listen, shares any resources he may come across, all in all, a real blessing.
I have major trust issues with people, guess that's my PTSD but at any rate, when one lady I allowed myself to get close to apparently had enough of me, so to speak, she meanly sent me on my way.
I cried and prayed, just thanking for the time we were friends. About that same time I'd posted here about my own CP and a lady reached out to me, as so many here have. I was afraid to consider friendship, but she stuck with me and over time, I came to trust her. I know it was our Lord that brought both the dr. and this lady to me. I have other friends here but this lady is close to my age, in worse shape than me, her own pain is not addressed, what she goes through every day helps me keep things in perspective.
I truely feel I was led to all of you, though I'm hesitant to post, I learn so much from you, your courage and determination give me hope.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your own experiences....prayers do get answered...

wonderful stories that remind me to keep the faith and to remember to ask for help. RJ, i was really touched by your story!
thanks enigma, hope we'll keep this bumped up there for more to add.

i found what you wrote very inspirational, and i think your right, love susie

I would like to share my latest story of the universe provides.

As most here know I suffered for 12 years without any medical help. I was barely able to get to the bathroom most days and was bedridden the majority of the time. I had gone to 20 docs seeking answers but got none that helped me with my pain. I was given numerous dxs for various things but none explained what I was going through. I was told I would have to live like this.

I was so hopeless that I never even called a doc for anything. Just basically laid there and prayed to die. Then I developed a cyst on my sciatic nerve. The pain was excruciating...definitely a 10 on all scales..it sent me through the roof to even bend a toe or lay a light fleece blanket on my body. So, no choice but to once again seek some medical help.

I went to a spine surgeon and a neuro surgeon, scheduled and cancelled surgery two times, two different docs, two different hospitals because the more I found out about another medical condition I have, illeus, the more i knew I could not survive spine surgery either without a colostomy or death. I was despondent .

I had to take steroids just to be able to get to these appointments and the neuro who gave them to me refused to prescribe more. They were going to wear off and although I was bedridden so long and had already lost hope of having a life I just could not bear the pain of that cyst. Then the beginning of a miracle happened for me which I did not know at the time.

I went to my library for a free class on How to treat fibromyalgia naturally. I sat through 2 1/2 hours taking notes as I planned to try to lessen some of my pain. At the end of the class the doc, my chiro now, came up to me and asked me to wait until everyone left because he wanted to talk to me.

I was not enthused to say the least as I had never been to a chiro and I had heard so many bad things over the years. So I flippantly told him "I have a lot of problems" with an attitude of you can't help me.

Long story shortened...I went to his office for an eval and he told me my pain was caused by 3 spine injuries and he could help me in 40 treatments for x # of $. I gave every excuse and the good reason that I was friggin broke from what this has done to my life. Anyhow I ended up committing to his treatment plan and as the visits continued through out this past summer I felt better and better.

e worked out all the muscle knots in my neck and back which took him 4 months of 3x/week. Then he couldn't understand why my body was not responding in what they call the rehabilitation stage of treatment. He suspected underlying disease and referred me to docs and for MRIs and blood tests. I now know I have spinal stenosis, DDD, spondylosis, etc...and possibly MS.

Do I like it? No! BUT I am finally getting the help I needed for so long to have some kind of a life and also possibly to slow the progression of a disease I never suspected I could have!

I went to the library that day late last May in search of a little easing of my pain and I although I still suffer tremendously I have received much more relief than I ever expected!

I was able to return to work part time and when I was in remission I actually had some fun this past summer. It is one of the times of my life to remember! I cannot put into words the great feeling I had when I thought I was "cured". Even though it turned out that I am not I treasure that time period and I am forever grateful to my chiro for everything he has done for me!

Once again during my life in a time of great need an earthbound angel has made all the difference for me!

sis, wow! what a wonderful story and example of this topic! it makes me think of the saying when the student is ready, the teacher will be there (bad paraphrase).

there are earth angels!

thanks for sharing that. i'm watching this topic, so i don't miss a story. please, more people add yours! can't type, but i want to share another one soon.