-
7 Essential Steps for Trusting God in Difficult Times
Many of us have a vision for what we want our life to look like. We have a plan. Goals. And dreams. But then something happens. Something we weren’t expecting. Something that doesn’t feel good. Something that makes us look around and wonder, “What am I supposed to do now?” This is how I felt when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness and faced a future of limitations. At first, I groaned and complained. I was angry and depressed. I mourned the fact that I could not go on a hike with my family. And I became frustrated when a short walk around the block left me breathless and…
-
Running the Race with Endurance When You Lose a Shoe
My son’s last high school cross-country race was going to be at the State meet. It was his goal all season long to make it, so he was exhilarated to be going there. He had prepared for months for this moment. Done everything he was supposed to do. He put in the long, grueling hours of hard work and training. Got enough sleep. Drank enough water. Carb loaded the day before. Had protein the day of. He was totally focused on giving it his all and doing his best. He lined up at the starting line, envisioning how everything would go. The countdown began. The starting shot rang out. He…
-
15 Practical Tips for Dealing with Grief Over Health Issues
Any loss can be hard to deal with. Whether that is the loss of a loved one, a job, a relationship, or even our health. Every loss hurts. So, how do we practically deal with grief over our health issues? How do we lessen the hurt of those hard moments? And how do we lean on God to be our strength in our suffering? What are the 5 stages of grief? When we deal with any kind of loss, including the loss of our health, we often go through specific stages of grief. The 5 stages of grief are: How long does grief last for? While most people take a…
-
30 Meaningful Scriptures for Answered Prayer
God loves us immensely. But He also knows what’s best for us. Which means He’s going to answer our prayers in His perfect way. And His perfect timing. While we may not always understand, we can choose to trust God’s plan. We can come to Him in our time of need. With a grateful heart. Knowing the importance of prayer. But also knowing it’s more about connecting with the One who loves us . . . than getting what we want. These Scriptures for answered prayers encourage us to keep praying. Because they remind us that God hears us when we cry out to Him. And He wants to answer our…
-
How to Find the Joy in the Journey Even When It’s Hard
A lot of people talk about wanting to find happiness. But happiness is surface level. It is conditional. And temporary. A better thing to seek is joy. Joy is deep. It’s not based on our circumstances. And it lasts. Living with a chronic illness that affects my everyday life, means I sometimes struggle to find joy. But because of Jesus, I am learning we can hold onto both sorrow and joy at the same time. I can feel sorrow over my disabilities and the way my health affects me. But I can also choose to feel joy over the good things in my life, my relationship with Jesus, and all…
-
27 Scriptures on Healing the Mind, Body, Heart, and Soul
When you live with a chronic illness that affects your everyday life, you tend to think about and pray for healing A LOT. However, in my journey with the Lord, I am learning there are many ways He wants to heal us. And not all of them are physical. God knows what is best for us. He can see our entire lives from beginning to end. And He has a plan. We just have to learn to trust Him. And lean on Him. Because it is in Him we find healing for our minds, hearts, souls, and bodies. What Does the Bible Say About Healing? We’re not just physical beings.…
-
What Are The 5 Stages of Grief When Facing a Health Diagnosis?
My life was almost perfect. I had hopes and dreams. I was going to do amazing things. Everything was going according to plan. Until it wasn’t. While I’d always been a healthy individual, I suddenly found myself dealing with some rather strange symptoms. This led to an 18-month-long journey filled with a multitude of doctors, appointments, tests, therapies, and treatments. Until finally, one day I received an answer. At first, I was elated. After all, this meant I wasn’t crazy. It wasn’t all in my head. There really was something wrong with me. But then it hit me. There really was something wrong with me. The doctor had called it a…
-
How to Ask God for Something You REALLY Want!
Have you ever wondered if it is OK to ask God for something you really want? I mean, God is holy, righteous, and in charge of the whole universe, so does He really care about the little things going on in our lives? The answer to this common question is ABSOLUTELY! God wants us to ask Him for things. God wants us to ask Him for help. To tell Him what we want and need. To bring to Him all of our hopes and dreams. While He already knows the deepest longings of our hearts, He still wants us to bring these things before Him in prayer. But there are…
-
How to Abide in Christ And Why It Matters
When you ask someone how they are doing what is the answer they usually give? “BUSY”. Right? I like to say, “Good but busy.” You know, put a little positive spin on it. As a society, we seem to be getting busier and busier . . . While at the same time becoming more stressed, anxious, and depressed than ever. But God wants something better for us. Which is why He calls us to ABIDE. What does it mean to abide in God’s Presence? Abiding in God’s presence means we have to spend time WITH Him. Perhaps the reason why we feel so stressed out is because we aren’t doing…
-
What Does Living for Eternity REALLY Mean???
The doctor took a deep breath and said five little words that would change my life forever. “It is a chronic condition.” Now, to be completely honest the reality of those words didn’t really sink in during that moment. I was too happy about finally knowing what was wrong with me. But after many years, those words now mock me with their permanence. Because this illness is going to last for the rest of my life. While the enemy would love to use my suffering to bring me down. To keep me trapped in a place where I can’t stop the tears and am overwhelmed by my fears . . . …
