Life is Sweet

FROM START TO FINISH (my full diabetes testimony)

marj laurena — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:00:40 +0000

I was molested when I was a child so my response was to hide. I hid by intentionally making myself ugly and “undesirable” because I thought that I am attracting the wrong attention. I kept it in my heart and the weight packed year after year, and before I knew it, I weigh more than 230 pounds. I eat the wrong foods and drink alcohol everyday when I was in college and my life looked good on the outside but was a mess inside. I was so insecure. My breakthrough started in the summer of 2004, when I met the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my personal Lord and Savior and since then, my life and the way I see things started to change. Some are instant some are not. My unhealthy lifestyle in terms of food choices and being a couch potato most of the time for 20 years is not an easy habit to break. But God’s faithfulness and love continued to heal my heart—so much that I responded to His call for me to be a missionary.

Two months before I was deployed, I was asking the Lord how I will lose weight. I wanted to be healthy. But I was too lazy to go on a diet. A few days later, I felt a weird back pain and decided to see a doctor to have it checked. To my surprise, the diagnosis was apart from the back pain that I came there for—I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes on March 2009 at an early age of 25. I was fond of donating my rare blood type (AB+) back then, so when the doctor broke the terrible news, I was a bit upset. I remember my journal entry that night, it says: “I am about to be offended, I can feel it. I cried because I can no longer donate my rare blood type because I’ll be under medication, possibly for life. But then again it occurred to me… ONLY ONE TYPE OF BLOOD IS NEEDED—THE ONE THAT WAS SHED IN THE CALVARY TO REDEEM HUMANKIND… THE BLOOD OF JESUS. Then I thought, I can’t skip meals anymore because it will affect my blood sugar… am I denied to fast? I grieved for a moment. But again I realized, this arrangement is a fasted lifestyle. Abstinence. I remember Anna’s story from the Bible, the widow who fasted and prayed day and night… This is the perfect set-up. I rest my case. Father, what kind of response are you asking of me?” Usually, when things like this happen in a person’s life, it will take a period of time to undergo certain phases–Denial, Depression and Acceptance. As a Psychology major, I am aware of that. But it all happened to me in just one day. That time I knew, I was no longer dependent on who I am and what I know, but to God’s grace and power. I can do and face anything through Him who gives me strength.

Come to think of it, a diabetic lifestyle is a healthy one—low fat, low sugar, high fiber, and active. Makes sense. One of our church leaders said to me, “so are you just going to accept that?” and I told her, “it’s not that I’m accepting the condition, I choose to accept the lifestyle the condition is suggesting, if this is the only way that my attitude toward health will be corrected, then so be it.” At least I will be forced to be healthy. Now, I am 40 pounds lighter (still dropping), I exercise at least 3 times a week and my lifestyle totally changed—all by God’s grace. Not by my own strength but His. I share my testimony to people so that they will know that God is real and that anything is possible through Jesus. He is my Healer and my Strength. His love is the fuel that keeps me going. His love is my Metformin.

The truth is, we all have our battles. They just come in different forms. But no amount of illness can stop me from doing what I am called to do. His grace is sufficient. It’s JUST Diabetes. I have a big God who already conquered sin and death. My God is the Great Physician. Whether diabetes is for now or for life, I will still choose to say “blessed be the Name of the Lord.” To Him be the honor, glory and praise!

Life without sugar… but with a SWEET Lord… It’s worth the trade. (^_^)

WHO SAYS A DIABETIC CAN’T FAST? =)

marj laurena — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:50:17 +0000

One of my most hated feeling is to be limited. So when the doctor told me that I can’t fast and I can’t skip meals anymore because of my diabetic condition, it crushed my heart. When you’re passionate about something, it’s hard to hear the words “can’t” and “no”. It’s not just the fast, it’s mainly being closer the heart of my Jesus. I want to know what’s in His heart. I want to know the things that breaks His heart and the things in which He delights. For me, that’s the most important thing–my relationship with Him… nothing else really matters at the end of the day.

Another layer of my story is about to unfold.

When I am weak, He is strong

One month before I was diagnosed with diabetes last year, the Lord asked me to

enter the “Daniel Fast” for 30 days. He wants to prepare me about “something big” and just seek Him with all my heart. I did and I obeyed. For a meat lover like me, it’s a struggle because one of its restriction is to eat meat. Daniel fast is a partial fast but there are certain foods that you cannot eat and everything should be natural, unrefined and unprocessed. That season was so special to me. That was also the season that I learned to appreciate certain foods that I never enjoyed before. And more than that, the Lord revealed me some things in my life that were in darkness. It’s a fixing time. A humbling time. Fasting is not about hunger. Fasting is not about the length of time. It’s about an open heart; allowing ourselves to be weak so that the Lord’s strength will be made perfect–not relying on our own.

I never realized that it was a preparation for me until I was diagnosed with diabetes a month after. He was preparing my heart. And His wisdom came with the thought that I struggled the most, “Am I denied to fast?” And the answer is NO. =) I thank God that there are many types of fast. Even fasting itself is not limited.

http://danielfast.wordpress.com/daniel-fast-food-list/http://danielfast.wordpress.com/daniel-fast-food-list/

Nancy said,

March 18, 2009 at 7:56 am

I am diabetic so I need to watch carbs. I know that fruit and vegetables have carbs (but at least they are the good kind!). I definitely need protein which I could find in lentils and other beans. May I participate in this fast?

Susan Gregory said,

March 18, 2009 at 10:59 am

Hi Nancy,

Most health providers strongly encourage their patients with diabetes when asked about the Daniel Fast to adopt this way of eating. You might need to make slight adjustments and add chicken and fish to have enough protein. Countless men and women with Type II Diabetes find they can reduce or eliminate medications as they lose weight and balance their diets.

I encourage you to check with your doctor before making major changes in your diet. However, you will likely find s/he will find the eating plan very healthy with only minor modifications.

Be blessed!

So who says that a diabetic can’t fast? When the doctors says “no”, God says “yes”. Prayer works and God answers prayers. But breakthrough happens when one fasts. It’s like there is something that breaks open when one prayerfully chooses to be weak and rely solely on God. One of the most powerful thing that I’ve ever known and seen is prayer and fasting combined!

(Today is our corporate fast in Medialight school. Pray for our protection. May His will be revealed. May our Lord Jesus Christ give us the grace to have an open heart and receive His will with total surrender and perfect trust)

BATTLE WITH DIABETES

marj laurena — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:18:26 +0000

Gary V., Halle Berry, Nick Jonas and Marj Laurena

What does Gary Valenciano, Halle Berry, Nick Jonas and (ehem ehem) Marj Laurena have in common?

You guessed it right. We all have diabetes.

I was fond of donating my rare blood type (AB+) back then, so when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last March 2009, I was a bit upset. I remember my journal entry that night, it says: “I am about to be offended, I can feel it. I cried because I can no longer donate my rare blood type because I’ll be under medication, possibly for life. But then again it occurred to me… ONLY ONE TYPE OF BLOOD IS NEEDED—THE ONE THAT WAS SHED IN THE CALVARY TO REDEEM HUMANKIND… THE BLOOD OF JESUS. Then I thought, I can’t skip meals anymore because it will affect my blood sugar… am I denied to fast? I grieved for a moment. But again I realized, this arrangement is a fasted lifestyle. Abstinence. I remember Anna’s story from the Bible, the widow who fasted and prayed day and night… This is the perfect set-up. I rest my case. Father, what kind of response are you asking of me?”

A month before that, I was asking the Lord how will I lose weight. I wanted to be healthy. But I was too lazy to go on a diet. Then this happened. Come to think of it, a diabetic lifestyle is a healthy one—low fat, low sugar, high fiber, and active. Makes sense. One of our church leaders said to me, “so are you just going to accept that?” and I told her, “it’s not that I’m accepting the condition, I choose to accept the lifestyle the condition is suggesting, if this is the only way that my attitude toward health will be corrected, then so be it.” At least I will be forced to be healthy.

I don’t know what motivates Nick Jonas and Halle Berry to continue to do what they are doing. Passion maybe. As for Gary V., I know his motivation… and that’s another thing that we have in common. We keep on doing what we do for the sake of the gospel… so that everybody will know that God is real. We are motivated by His love, grace, compassion and glory… It’s our fuel that keeps us going. It’s Gary V.’s insulin. It’s my metformin.

The truth is, we all have our battles. They just come in different forms. But no amount of illness can stop me from doing what I am called to do. His grace is sufficient. It’s JUST diabetes. I have a big God who already conquered sin and death. My God is the Great Physician. Whether diabetes is for now or for life, I will still choose to say “blessed be the Name of the Lord.”

Life without sugar… but with a SWEET Lord…

It’s worth the trade. (^_^)