My Sacred Secrets

By Lisa Tesch

Life: sometimes words alone cannot express the pain and suffering of something traumatic in our lives. I learned early on that it’s often those difficult times that show us our strengths. When one is given an alarming diagnosis and is face-to-face with mortality, how do they accept the news? How do they dig up the strength, courage, and faith to fight for another day?

Going through each individual trial in my life has brought me to where I am today. When things seemed impossible, God embraced me with love and unexpected blessings. If you call on Him and believe in Him, all things are indeed possible.

My goal in writing this book is to inspire hope, restore faith, and let others know they are not alone. God does answer prayers, but it may be in His time and not our own. I pray my story will bring you comfort, peace, and the reassurance that you can do all things through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lisa Tesch
• Release date: Nov 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311859815

Lisa Tesch

Lisa Peterson Tesch is a loving wife to her husband Don for over thirty years, a nurturing mother to her two children, Robert and Laura, and an adoring grandmother to her handsome grandson, Noah.During her journeys, she has experienced the fullness of God’s mercy and grace. She looked into the face of death three times and been embraced into the arms of the living Father, who gave her the true sense of what pure and holy love really is.Lisa spends most of her time with her greatest blessings, her beautiful family and her Lord. She strives to live each day for Him, putting aside everything else to live in His glory, and holds onto the hope for an eternal life spent with Him.

Book preview

My Sacred Secrets

Journeys Through Life and Death

By: Lisa Peterson Tesch

Published By: ExodusPress at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Lisa Peterson Tesch

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

What others are saying about

My Sacred Secrets

Through more fear provoking circumstances then most people every experience, Lisa shows how her life was covered by her undying faith in a Holy God. She realized that God has brought her through this most harrowing path, never leaving, always present, providing His strength and promises through every battle. It is not over, but she has seen and confronted the enemy. Overcoming him by the mercy and grace of our every loving Father, her victories are an inspiration for all of us to faithfully embrace our beloved Savior Jesus and His plan for our lives.

~ Jerry J. Tomecek, Overseer Sanctuary West

My Sacred Secrets is a remarkable story. It invites the reader on a journey through a life that was full of hardships and seemingly without hope, yet full of God's presence and His love. This story tells us how every moment in our life has a purpose and assures us of a deep love that our Creator has for His children. This book offers breathtaking glimpses of the beauty and joy that awaits every believer in Yeshua as they leave this world. You do not want to miss this book!

~ Jana DeNoon, DeNoon Institute of Biblical Research

My Sacred Secrets will walk you through a journey of hope. Lisa’s words will inspire you, intrigue you, and captivate you. Her battles with a life threatening illness, years of medication, and many life challenges were her destiny. Listen throughout the book as she shares how she faced her fears and relied on God's love and His strength. She will breathe hope into you, which I know will increase your faith. Lisa provides readers with the insight to put them on the path to discover the inner strength to empower themselves. No matter how great the challenge, no matter how impossible the obstacle, it is in those times that we find the strength within.

~Judy Yonkers, Living Word Church of Muskegon

Table of Contents

Introduction

A Time to Be Born

A Time to Laugh

A Time for War

A Time to Embrace

A Time to be Silent

A Time to Search

A Time to Uproot

A Time to Love

A Time to Mourn

A Time to Keep

A Time to Build

A Time to Heal

A Time for Peace

About the Author

Introduction

Life: sometimes words alone cannot express the pain and suffering of something traumatic in our lives. I learned early on that it’s often those difficult times that show us our strengths. When one is given an alarming diagnosis and is face-to-face with mortality, how do they accept the news? How do they dig up the strength, courage, and faith to fight for another day?

My heart suddenly stopped beating when I was just ten years old and I entered into a heavenly spiritual realm. We all will encounter this realm someday. From the moment that life is breathed into us, we begin to face the reality that mortality comes to all living creatures.

I have now experienced three life and death experiences, as well as several miracles delivered to me on this journey we call life. The most recent miracle was the birth of my very first grandchild.

Going through each individual trial in my life has brought me to where I am today. When things seemed impossible, God embraced me with love and unexpected blessings. If you call on Him and believe in Him, all things are indeed possible.

Two years ago, a friend of mine encouraged me to write my life's story. I didn’t feel my story was more compelling than anyone else’s, so I put all thought of it aside. Then one day I received a message that left me trembling inside. I realized my life had been quite unusual and sharing it might help others.

My goal in writing this book is to inspire hope, restore faith, and let others know they are not alone. God does answer prayers, but it may be in His time and not our own. I pray my story will bring you comfort, peace, and the reassurance that you can do all things through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

I am reminded of the Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3:

1. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2. a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3. a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

4. a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5. a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6. a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7. a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8. a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

A Time to Be Born

My life began fifty-one years ago. I was a surprise, not only to my precious parents, but also to my siblings.

Amazing as my mother was, she was far too busy with her daily chores to be concerned about her ever-increasing tummy. After all, she had to milk the cows, wash the laundry, hang it out to dry, cook dinner, and clean the farmhouse.

All these chores made childbirth a bit of an inconvenience. However, my kicking about became a bit more serious and things progressed much faster than even my seasoned mother expected. With just enough time to get to the hospital, I began my journey, leaving the protection of my mother’s womb.

The doctor on call was not Mama’s usual doctor, who had delivered her previous seven children. Mama had no idea she was about to get a surprise. A baby was born, and without a moment to spare, the doctor exclaimed, There’s two!

My birthday was meant to be a shared one, with an identical twin who was the first to make her entry into this world. The doctor grabbed hold of my small feet and pulled me out in a breech fashion and into a world filled with much medical assistance and intervention. These health issues would follow me through my life. They were not always understood by the medical community and typically left me feeling extremely frustrated and alone.

Shortly after my birth, a nurse ran into my mother’s room.

We need to have ‘Baby B’ baptized! She keeps turning blue! she exclaimed.

Mama called Daddy, whose hands quite full now back on the farm with the seven other kids. How do you handle the news that your newborn baby may not make it?

After she hung up the phone, her doctor walked into the room. She was still clearly distraught by the news. Concerned she was experiencing the early signs of postpartum depression, he asked her what was wrong. Mama explained what the nurse had told her. Surprised, he quickly denied the nurse’s diagnosis and told my mother that she should rest. ‘Baby B’ was doing just fine!

This would be the beginning of a series of many misdiagnoses I would face in my life.

The introduction of two new baby sisters caused a great deal of excitement in my family. It's not every day that twins are born and it's certainly not every day that they’re identical. The excitement and thrill were tempered by the medical concerns of premature babies. We required extra monitoring to ensure we were growing adequately.

I was the smaller of the two and needed an additional two weeks of monitoring by the hospital’s nursing staff. They would see to my every need. Every morning, the nurses would take my measurements, vitals, and weight. They even made certain that every ounce of precious formula I was given was recorded.

This was over fifty years ago; much of what is done today to help assist newborn preemies was not around in the early 60's. Today, we can give preemies much better care and enable parents to take their babies home much sooner.

After a month, I was healthy enough for the doctor to discharge me. For Mama, it was a both a relief and a burden. Instead of her constant care being given to only one, she would now have to divide her attention amongst two babies. Not to mention, she still had the everyday chores of life on a dairy farm.

The visits to the doctor's office were common, as well as frustrating. During our two-month checkup, the doctor said that we both needed to be fattened up. Mama was told to start us on evaporated milk; yes, evaporated milk. Was it any surprise we threw up? Failing to put on the vital weight we needed, she decided to ignore the doctor’s orders and fed us straight from the milk tanks in the barn, just as she had with her other seven kids.

It’s quite difficult for me to understand how a doctor could recommend such a diet. Today, we have better knowledge and treatments to allow a preemie to gain weight safely without the side effects that we went through.

Both my sister and I slowly began to grow. I was always the smaller of the two and the one who struggled. I’d take a few small steps forward only to fall a step behind. With persistence and perseverance, I overcame the first early trials of my youth, only to experience more as I got older.

I was eager to learn as much as I could about life, usually by watching my seven older sisters and brothers. But watching my siblings would often lead to trouble, even for a little toddler.

Daddy’s favorite rocking chair was well-cushioned, which made it ideal for bouncing. One day, my brother and I were bouncing on Daddy's chair. My brother jumped off and I fell backwards, hitting my head on the piano that sat directly behind the chair. After the accident, it seemed like I had some issues staying focused or awake. When I started feeling tired, my head would bob from one direction to the other. My eldest sister was left in charge to watch for any new developments. Luckily, this did not last long and after being held captive by my sister for a few days, I was finally allowed to play outside again.

When we were young the simplest things were the most fun ones. Creating little cars out of wooden blocks and driving them down the cow path would keep us entertained for hours. If it was raining we would still run outside and play, getting soaked in the process. As you can imagine, this would frustrate and exhaust Mama. She would always warn us that if we wanted to go out and play in the rain, then we would need to stay out all day!

One day, one of my older sisters came home with some coloring books, crayons, pronunciation cards, lists of vowels, and other elementary school work, none of which appealed to me. My twin didn’t feel the same, and she took this far more seriously than I did. Her coloring was spot on, while my attempts to stay in the lines left much to be desired. I saw nothing wrong with the purple dog as compared to the brown one. I just didn't like the color brown!

Learning how to pronounce our vowels and consonants was an inconvenience in my opinion. My twin and I had our own way of communicating. We always knew what the other wanted or needed, which worked perfectly fine for us. This was obviously not going to work when we went eventually had to go to school.

As the months passed, Mama and Daddy had a couple of surprises for the family. First, they were expecting another child. And second, they had ordered a television.

Another sibling meant that I would no longer be the youngest. I was not excited about the news. I wondered what else this new edition to the family would mean for me. So many new thoughts filled my mind. Would it be a boy or a girl? Would I have to share my room? Would the baby like me? Could I play with it? In fact, I would soon be five years old and would be leaving the security of home to attend kindergarten. Being kicked out of the house and put into school surely didn't seem like a good thing. I wasn't so certain I wanted someone to take my position as the youngest in the family.

Spring time was filled with the newness of life. The mother cows would have their baby calves far out into the pasture beneath the shade and protection of the massive trees. The cat would hide in the hay loft to find a safe and secure area to have her litter of kittens. We’d find the kittens and have endless hours of fun playing with them.

The spring thunderstorms gave way to thick green grass which the cows would enjoy. Grassy pastures also meant more work, as the grass would soon need cutting. Spring also revealed the beauty of the orchard. Apple trees and lilac bushes filled the air with such sweetness.

Finally the day had arrived when the television was delivered. Daddy was so excited. He turned it on but all I could see was a dark gray screen with a lot of white static and a crackling sound that made me put my hands to my ears. Daddy would continue to turn the channels until he saw a black and white image appear on the screen. Before long, we could hear the voices of those who were talking. I was pretty certain I was not going to enjoy what my parents called the News. I was hoping to see something wonderful. I made the decision to go back outside, where there was adventure and fun, and where news wouldn’t follow me.

Late one afternoon, I came in to see Mama in a coat. I was puzzled. Daddy explained that Mama was going to the hospital and would be gone for a few days. My older sisters and brothers were filled with anticipation. Would the baby be a girl or a boy?

The hours had moved quickly. The phone rang and the details of our new sibling’s birth were shared with everyone. Jesus blessed our family with a baby girl. I didn’t know much about babies, but I was excited to meet my new sister.

Scrambled eggs were the one food Daddy knew how to make, and with Mama in the hospital, it was something he could easily prepare for us kids. So it would be scrambled eggs and toast every day until Mama came home from the hospital.

Home at last! In her arms was the final addition to our family. Mama sat down on the sofa with my baby sister when all of sudden, the baby let out a wail. I assumed something was terribly wrong when the baby started crying because it was not something I was familiar with. I knew her crying out was not a good thing, so I made a quick exit out of the house and straight to the hay loft, looking for the mother cat and her kittens. Their soft fur, sweet cry, and comforting cuddling made them one of my favorite things.

Now that the television and the baby were both here, there was one last thing I knew was coming. And no matter how hard I prayed, I couldn't pray that day away. Outside of my immediate family, we rarely were around other kids. The idea of going to a school that was filled with total strangers was frightening.

My older siblings shared their feelings about school. My sisters seemed to enjoy school, while my brothers felt it was a waste of time. I recalled many of my siblings’ stories over the years. Certain teachers were remembered fondly while others were considered hard, some were easy, and some were to be feared! Some teachers were remembered for their love and others for their ability to actually teach something that would be both entertaining and educational.

The more I heard, the more I was convinced school must be some form of punishment. My brothers were quite expressive. If they didn't like a teacher, they didn't mince words to describe how they felt. But how bad could kindergarten be? One of my brothers close to me in age, tried to encourage me. He reminded me that he had been through it, and if he could do it, I could too.

The day arrived. I had difficulty concentrating on the words Mama said to me as she pulled up my tights, helped me with my shoes, and said her goodbyes. My oldest sister ushered the rest of us down the long driveway to wait for the school bus. I could hear each shift the bus made up our hill and my stomach would make unsettling sounds, as if it was preparing itself for the ordeal. This was not going to be a good day. Then I heard the bus’s loud engine turn up our driveway. The bus came to a stop, and the door was cranked open. I followed my older sisters and brothers and reluctantly got on.

The melting pot of smells was overwhelming. The odor of the seats even penetrated our clothing. The bus was crowded with so many other kids. I had never seen these kids before, so I sat down on a seat with a couple of my sisters. Some were excited and some, like my brothers, appeared to be unhappy that the first day of school was upon us.

As the driver reached to pull the door closed, I felt frozen with the fear of being separated from my parents. Scared and with no way out, I did all I could to keep a brave face, but inside I was shaking. The bus was loud with other children laughing, hollering, shouting and talking. It was such a contrast to how we were taught to be quiet. Everything about my world was changing.

The ride to school took forty minutes. As we entered the town and up the bluffs to the high school, we came upon a much smaller school, the one I would be attending. The bus finally came to a stop, and the bus door cranked open. I barely made it out in time before my breakfast came up. My older sister grabbed our hands and escorted us into the school. It was her job to make certain we made it to our classrooms. Separated for