Striving to Endure

Kerissa • August 2, 2012

This has been one of the toughest weeks pain-wise so far.  The wind even makes the burning pain worse, so I don’t like moving around!  My hand/arm is sensitive, ice-cold, purple, and swollen.  It’s been hard focusing cuz the pain has been so bad.  I have to make myself do therapy.  God has been giving His grace for each day, but it is hard waking up in the morning in pain and going to bed in pain.  I see my pain dr. on the 7th, and I’m so thankful my appointment’s just around the corner.

Today, during my Bible reading, I turned to some of my favorites passages of Scripture that give me hope and encouragement.  I hope they do the same to you!

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings .” -Malachi 4:2

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction…If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort .” -2 Corinthians 1:3-7

“Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted…It is for discipline that you have to endure.  God is treating you as sons.  For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  … But he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness .” -Hebrews 12:3, 7, 10

Looking to my Savior for strength!  I will update again, soon!

Kerissa

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. 🙁 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. 😢 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. ❤️

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