“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ” — 2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV Have you ever broken glassware or dropped a dinner plate? Maybe a special figurine slipped from your hands and shattered on the floor? After you get over the shock of watching something smash on the floor, there is usually a moment when you try to fit the broken pieces together. We hope that the pieces are big and the break was clean enough that we can repair it with a little glue and careful placement. Often, we find that too much work and time would have to go ..read more

When we are experiencing intense pain or terrible symptoms, our natural inclination is to pull away from God. I've been so miserable I didn't want to pray. I've been disappointed with God to the point I didn't want to think about Him. I've had some very dark times on my journey with chronic illness; so dark, that I would never want anyone else to have to experience it.  So, I want to encourage you, however much I can, that no matter how hard it gets, no matter how bad you feel, no matter how tired you become, no matter how much doubt you are experiencing, just stick with God. Hold on to ..read more

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:11-13 ESV When God created you and me, He knew that we would have to undergo trials. It is no surprise to Him that we are on this journey. We can really feel unprepared and helpless when illness or pain hits our bodies. That is why it’s so important to remember th ..read more

“[make] your ear attentive to wisdom and [incline] your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;” — Proverbs 2:2-6 ESV There are so many aspects of living with chronic illness that compel us to gain understanding. Some aspects require a certain level of knowledge. I suppose that is what this journey is - one long, wisd ..read more

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” — Psalm 4:8 Rest is essential to any journey.  When, how, and how much we rest determines what our journey will look and feel like. For any given person, rest looks like a set number of hours of sleep at night, perhaps some vacation/relaxation time, and hopefully, for believers, a regularly practiced sabbath. For those of us with illnesses, though, rest often looks entirely different.  As we go on this journey, we discover that we have different needs and requirements than the ones around us ..read more

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” — Ephesians 3:20 ESV One of the biggest mistakes we make as believers is boxing God in. We limit Him according to our understanding. Yesterday, I spoke about how oftentimes, because of this limited comprehension, we can’t see the purpose in our illnesses or circumstances. It is because of the same reason that we navigate this journey not fully experiencing all that God has to offer.  I want to emphasize that I am not merely talking about God’s physical healing powe ..read more

Everything Has Purpose   I know, it’s hard to think that something as awful as your illness could have a good purpose. I remember when God started speaking to me about how He wanted to use my struggles with my illness. At first, I was like, “well God, maybe You could’ve picked something a little less dramatic”!? But being honest with myself, I knew that what He wanted to do couldn’t possibly be done without enduring the pain and going through faith struggle while navigating life with an illness.  One day early on in my journey when I was reading the Bible I came across Romans 8:28: A ..read more

  Y - You are not alone Dealing with any type of illness or chronic pain can be isolating. In fact, I would consider it to be one of the worst parts of enduring an illness. It’s so important to remember that you are not alone in your journey with your condition. There are many others who, although they may not understand exactly what you feel and your unique situation, understand how the journey can go and feel. There were times, especially at the beginning of my diagnosis, when I just did not speak because I felt like I was wasting my breath trying to describe how it felt. It began to a ..read more

“You have sent troubles and suffering on me, but you will restore my strength; you will keep me from the grave. You will make me greater than ever; you will comfort me again. ” — Psalm 71:20-21 GNT Well, we have made it into another year! 2022 was certainly full of ups and downs, wasn’t it? Some of us may have come out on the other side full of life, while others may have crawled their way into 2023. Regardless of what happened and how we feel about it, we can be confident that God was sovereign over it. And as we look forward, unaware of what this year will bring, we can stand in the assuranc ..read more

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ” — Philippians 4:6-7 NASB In my last blog post, I shared with you our great excitement about receiving what we had prayed for so patiently - our newest family member. Micah arrived in August 2021 and he is absolutely perfect. Now, I’m going to preface my next thoughts with this - we know that we are incredibly blessed to have Micah in our lives. However, t ..read more