Standing Firm in Christ

Kerissa • July 2, 2012

Yesterday, my sis, younger brother, and I went swimming at the Conestoga rec center.  It was a really fun time, considering that I haven’t been able to swim since around 2009 because of being on crutches.  When we went to the beach the past two years, I could only watch my siblings swim.  I yearned to be in the water with them!  So yesterday afternoon, we were all free and took advantage of the pretty humid weather by going to the open swim!  I managed pretty well, but once I got home, things went downhill after that.  My ankles/feet started aching, and the CRPS began to act up.  It took a while to go to sleep, and I wasn’t even sure if I would go to church this morning.  I wanted to because of the joy of sitting at Jesus’ feet, but a little ways into Biblical economics class, my left arm started throbbing severely.  It was horrible.  I had to focus on breathing slowly.  My arm changed to the color purple and went back and forth to being hot and cold.  I silently wished I didn’t end up coming to church.  It was that bad!  I sent a message to my pain dr. and I hope he gets back tomorrow.

I didn’t think this would have happened!  I keep thinking, Was the water too rough on my arm/nervous system??  But I thought swimming was considered therapeutic..  This has been hard but I trust that Christ knows best in this.  On the up side, these episodes always remind me to depend on Him and not on my own strength.  I think that’s why I go through these!  I just wish they didn’t always happen when I was doing so well!  My physical therapist has even been trying to “get me out” of rehab.  So much for that now.  This past week, I read Psalm 125 and even someone from Bible study on Tuesday shared this passage.  God knew this event was gonna happen and He was preparing me with this psalm.  What a great comfort vs. 1 is!

See, not even this set-back can move me!  Isn’t that amazing?  So whatever happens in the future, as long as I trust in the Lord, I will NOT be moved.  Thank you, Jesus!

Stay tuned for my July 8th post in honor of my 2-year anniversary since the foot surgery that started this whole dreadful business.

October prayer request

By Kerissa Lee • October 19, 2025
Dear friends, At the beginning of October, I started taking a new medication for the autoimmune disease. I thought I was tolerating it just fine, but after several days passed, I began experiencing nausea, loss of appetite, weakness all over, and increased pain. šŸ™ It’s like I’m experiencing another “mito crash.” I found out that this specific lupus medication affects mitochondria. That is, it causes an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This, in turn, causes cell damage and oxidative stress. I sure wish the rheumatologists would have known about this before prescribing. But I have to remember that Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome is rare, and they’re not “mito experts.” Anyways, the last time I felt like this was back in May.. I’m so grateful to God that I haven’t needed to be hospitalized from this, but at the same time, I’m also sad that this happened at all, especially because I had such a nice stretch of stable health. I’d really appreciate your prayers, that this muscle weakness can resolve soon, and that this increased pain all over will get back to my baseline. Every time I have a “mito crash,” it feels like I’m fighting the flu which always sucks. The pain has been hard to bear. And whenever I’m in the thick of it, it’s difficult to remember that this too will eventually pass. šŸ˜¢ Pray that I will endure and follow Jesus’ example like this passage from Hebrews 12:1-2– “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross...” Thank you all so much for praying for me. ā¤ļø

Thank you! (+ a prayer request)

By Kerissa Lee • October 4, 2025
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." James 1:2-3

Praises & Prayer Requests

By Kerissa Lee • September 3, 2025
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23