My passion to see people healed and walking in wholeness and intimacy with God was borne out of my own suffering and more than decade-long battle with chronic Lyme disease, as well as God’s provision and goodness toward me through it. …
I still remember vividly the day when I “crashed”–September 26, 2004. At the time, I had been a flight attendant with United Airlines, working 12-14 hour days. One night, after a long trip, I awakened in the middle of the night with my heart racing. I went to the ER and was told I was dehydrated.
The following day, the strange heart palpitations continued and exhaustion filled my limbs. I attributed the exhaustion to having worked too many long days, but unlike before, this time I didn’t recover from the fatigue. Days went by, and the exhaustion remained, along with an abundance of other symptoms that had suddenly manifest: brain fog, depression, insomnia, pain, gastrointestinal problems and an irregular heartbeat and heart rate which I later attributed to severe de-regulation of my autonomic nervous system (ANS).
In the years that followed, I lost my home, job, savings and much of my life to these mystery symptoms, which, after 14 doctors and a year of research, I learned were caused by chronic Lyme disease (and years later, also mold toxicity). But it would be many years before I fully understood the implications of the illness, and that it wasn’t just about being infected with a bunch of microbes, which had affected the functioning of all my organs, damaged the connective tissue in my hips, knees, back, eyes and elsewhere–and caused my body to become susceptible to other infections. It was also about a lifetime of living in fear, or “fight or flight” mode. I had always been anxious and in a rush, and my mind was frequently filled with toxic thoughts. Over time, I learned that in order to be well, I had to eliminate not only the infections, but also the demons of my past, my unhealthy beliefs and thought patterns, hectic lifestyle, and a dozen other psycho-spiritual issues that had contributed to the breakdown of my body. All of the things that had caused me to become susceptible to chronic Lyme disease and the influence of environmental toxins in the first place.
My healing journey and over 15 years of research have taught me that for many with chronic illness, sickness isn’t just about being infected with some bugs, or environmental toxins. It’s about a breakdown in the spirit and soul, which occurs because of emotional and physical trauma, demonic oppression and lie-based thinking. This then opens the door to a variety of afflictions in the physical body, including Lyme disease and environmental illness. I describe these topics and others more in depth in my blogs, teachings and books.
Today, I am a much different person than I was in 2004, when I first got sick. At times, I regret having “lost” my thirties and much of my 40s to chronic illness. At the same time, I know that God has worked all things together for my good, and that because of my experience I am a stronger, healthier and more whole person than I ever was before. I have a better relationship with God, an increased compassion for others’ suffering, and deep desire to see people become whole and set free.
My heart is particularly for the multitudes in the US and abroad who are chronically ill and/or suffering the effects of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and who have struggled for years to know the love of God or get healed– but who have not found the help that they need through church, doctors or elsewhere.
Because my life has been fraught with hardship, I find that people who are really sick and/or emotionally wounded are able to relate to, and receive healing from my messages, prayers and writing, because I “get” where they are coming from. I understand the challenges of chronic illness; I know what it’s like to struggle to feel the love of God amidst severe trials; I know the difficulties of trying to overcome toxic thoughts when your brain and body don’t work and your life is upside down, and I know what it is to battle performance-based religion. And I know that God still has answers even when others might naively conclude, “you’d be healed if you just had enough faith!”
My books, webinars, blogs and healing prayer ministry focus not just upon healing the body, but also (and first and foremost) the mind, emotions and spirit. Conventional medicine tends to treat only symptoms and physical causes of illness. I have found holistic, “alternative” and integrative medicine to be more useful for treating the whole person, and many of the doctors that I interview for my books also embrace a similar philosophy of wellness.
Sometimes, taking a vitamin or herb is enough. In severe, chronic, degenerative disease, however, it’s often necessary to remove infections and toxins; restore damaged organs and tissues; correct nutrient deficiencies and heal the soul and spirit from trauma, unhealthy beliefs and thought patterns, and remove generational causes of illness. God often does miracles and can restore the body or spirit in one fell swoop- but my experience is that sanctification is a process.
I approach spiritual healing from a Christian perspective, and offer my clients one-on-one healing prayer as part of my individual coaching sessions. In addition, I do group coaching and host prayer meetings, as well as write books and articles that describe the root causes of illness. My belief though is that prayer is the most powerful healing tool there is. I embrace the Biblical perspective that “The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” (James 5:15) and believe that the following words, which Jesus spoke to His followers, are still relevant today: “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:18).
May you be blessed in your healing journey!
May you be blessed in your healing journey!