My Journey: Held in the Palms of His Hands

By Connie Zimmermann

My Journey is an autobiography inspirational book about how our family has dealt with illness and how in 1986 I am, diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis changed our lives. My husband and I decided on the day we found out that we would serve God no matter what. I do not know what I thought but I could have never imagined the roller coastal rides and the difficulties that this disease had. In this book I will explain what has happened and how asking God to carry me daily and HIS word has kept me sane. I am hoping that in authoring this book that it will encourage you to ask God to help you go through whatever situation or circumstance you find yourself going through and how He will give you joy through every storm in your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664257160

Connie Zimmermann

Connie Cox Zimmermann is a wife and mother of two boys and four grandsons. She loves God with all her heart. She has been married to her husband Terence Robert Paul Zimmermann for 40 years. This book is about her Journey serving God no matter how hard most days would be physically. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1986. In those 40 years she and her husband raised two boys who were sick the first few years of their life, now healed. And while in bed for some of those years she started taking courses through the Light University in 2002 and earned her BCBC-Board Certified Biblical Counselor Certificate and she is part of the AACC-American Association of Christian Counselors; www.AACC.net and www.LightUniversity.com. She is also a Platinum Elite Partner with the IBCC the International Board of Christian Counselors. This book is about her life serving God no matter what. A must read for people that go through struggles daily. She tells all that God has carried her through each day and she has Joy beyond measure running the race with her Lord and Savior.

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 Connie Zimmermann.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or

by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the

author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright

© 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the (NASB®) New American

Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman

Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New

International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,

Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.

zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks

registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

ISBN: 978-1-6642-5715-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-5716-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022902334

WestBow Press rev. date: 2/28/2022

Dedication

I am dedicating this book to my husband, Terence Zimmermann, who has been by my side each and every day for 40 years. Not only is he a man of God he is also a loving father to our children. Babe, I love you with all my heart.

Also to our two boys and their wives, Jeremiah & Kimberly, and Zechariah & Jordan. Always endeavor to do the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and train our four grandsons Nathaniel Nate, Azariah ACE; Zechariah II August and Jacobe Kobe in the way that they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 paraphrased.

Thank you, ladies Vicki Voss, Ann Francis, and Gina Laufenburger for always encouraging me to keep on writing and praying for me throughout even when I wanted to give up.

And Mom (Twila Zimmermann) I know I can call any time and you will listen. You are truly an inspiration. I love you so much.

And to my LORD and SAVIOR I give you all the glory. LORD you are my all in all. I love you.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your

God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold

you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV)

As I am lying here at 12:30 a.m. on October 27, 2020, I am feeling sorry for myself and asking questions such as, What is my purpose in life? Who am I? Who am I to others, or am I to go through this world not truly knowing? Who am I in God?

I have been called the Bible girl, the one who only loves and believes in the Bible. But do I know the infallible Word of God like I should? I would have to say an emphatic no to that. Jesus, please forgive me. There are absolutely no excuses. Twila, my exquisite mother-in-law; Vicki, a close friend; and Cynthia, another special woman, have told me on several occasions that I am the most positive person they know, but am I? I feel like all I do is complain.

Contents

My Story

Missouri—Birth to Age Twelve

Florida: Twelve and Counting

Eighteen: Grandpa West, No Engagement

Twenty: Engagement

Our Wedding Day

Our First Son

Our Second Son

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

Illnesses, Procedures, Tests, and Surgeries

1984–1986

1989–2000

Terry 2017

PS: Hospital Stay

Closing Thought

My Story

OKAY, IT IS NOW TIME TO STOP FEELING SORRY FOR MYSELF AND tell you, my story. Dear Lord, I need Your help. Please give me the right words to pen on these pages. I give You all the praise and all the glory. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

I will not go through everything that has happened in our lives (I would probably bore you with all the detail). Instead, I will write about our daily struggles together with having two sons who were unhealthy for the first few years of their lives, my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 1986, Terry’s near-death experience in 2017, and our standing on Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 91, other scriptures, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for help through it all. I hope you noticed me saying our daily struggles—yes,