Shine is a song that is so near and dear to my heart. Most coming here will know what it is about, but for those who don't......let me fill you in. Just over 9 years ago, our family was taken on a journey that no parent wants to take. Chelsea, our youngest daughter (10 at the time) developed OCD and severe anxiety. We took her for help, but to nothing helped. When she was 13 years old, it morphed from OCD to Anorexia.....in a really big way. Over a period of 2 years she was in the psych ward of two hospitals, one in-patient program in Arizona for three months, went to several different doctors and psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and nutritionists.......all to no avail! At the age of 14 we were told that there was nothing more that they could do with out patient care, and the insurance company said (in all of their wisdom) that she did not need in-patient care because she was not under 15 BMI. She did go below 15 for a month so they allowed her to go to one of the hospitals and paid for it until she hit 15 BMI and then dropped the insurance....and her doctors were furious! At 65 lbs......our baby girl was dying.....not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually......she was already dead inside! Now to go back a bit.....after telling us there was no more they could do, her doctor told us about Mercy Ministries. It was a long-shot because Chelsea had to apply herself and do ALL the work herself to get in. This made my heart drop because she looked at me and said, "Well, that's not gonna happen.....because you can't make me go!" My heart broke and I cried for days......what were we gonna do? She was wasting away physically......she was full of hate and spewed bitterness and anger leaving us feeling COMPLETELY helpless! God had provided us with so many people praying for Chelsea......all over the world! We prayed......and God answered! One day she looked at me and said, "I am gonna go.....so people will leave me alone and I can get you off my back!" Now at this point.......I did not care what her motivation was.....I was just thankful she was ready to do the work! We found out later that she was planning on just playing the game so she could get us off of her back......but God knew! It took six months from the time she applied to the day she went in......the trick was keeping her alive during that time! It was during that time that she was hospitalized for several weeks.....til insurance quit paying. At Mercy, it was a long hard process and she wanted so badly to come home. She played the game for almost three months.......and then.....God broke her defiant spirit! For the next two months she got better and better.....and then......she graduated on her 15th Birthday! There have still been hard times, but her will to live and to get better was now there! The song SHINE was written by Caleb when we took him to a Mercy Fundraiser where he saw with his own eyes how lives were being changed......he saw the hope that 25 young women had after going through the program......and the song SHINE was then born! I have the honor of giving a testimony before the band sings it, and I also have the honor of singing with them in this song! God is such an incredible and amazing God! Now......Chelsea is at Toccoa Falls College getting her degree in Christian Counseling......so that she can help bring others to the realization that Christ is the answer.....and help them find it! May God bless you and if ANYONE has any questions.....please, please feel free to ask! If you need information about Mercy, please go to my links page and you will find the link you need!
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