The day before I turned forty was to be my last day at work, although I didn't know it then. I had always been an active person, I was running/walking 30 miles a week. In the time that I wasn't taking care of my family, working, writing, or working out; I was volunteering with children.

Several times I had the urge to leave work and go home and write, but ignored that as we all need a job, right? The bills come in, and if you are a writer, then you know how difficult it is to make ends meet sometimes. 

It had gotten to where no matter what I did, I was always tired. I was too tired to write or do much of anything after work now.  I would talk myself into getting up every morning and going to work. 

Once at work; I was the entire production dept. for electronic gold testing equipment from start to finish. I did the majority of tech calls/phone answering. I did all of the order pulling and shipping for the production dept. I did the computer work for the production dept. I did some of the training for the newbees. I opened and closed all week long, and on Fridays I was the supervisor in charge. Which meant that everyone thought they didn't have to do their jobs and I got chewed out for it, as I had NO recourse. And on top of all of that management was always complaining about something, that we had to fix because they would mess it up. Stressful???? NAH, why would it be stressful???

To make a long story short, good doctors and several tests later, the truth about what was wrong surfaced. Do to poor ventilation, I had a build up of toxic fumes in my lungs. It was bad enough that it affected my heart. I was about 1 step above being on oxygen. I had developed a hyper-sensitivity to the fumes as well which generated into occupational asthma. I was facing a long, maybe a lifetime of recovery. The doctors took me off work until further notice. As I told my employers this, they told me they wouldn't pay my insurance if I didn't work for them. I feel as though I am dying at 40, and you're going to try and blackmail me now, REALLY??

They did cancel my insurance, and forced me to use my savings up on doctors. My husband, children and friends prayed for me. I had to quit going to the doctors, and rely totally on prayer. I started getting better and better as the toxins were coming out of my lungs and my body was healing. Being out of the toxic environment definitely helped the process. But ultimately I credit my healing to Jesus Christ.

It as a been a little less then 5 months later now. I have published books and I am turing out manuscripts with little difficulty. I have learned to breathe all over again and with pushing my lungs to function, I have accomplished riding my bicycle for 15 miles in an hour and twenty minutes. 

I've learned to thank God for my afflictions as through them I am able to grow. And everyday he is showing me new and wonderful things. 

Thank you.