How much do you know about the place called Ephrathah in the Bible? The ancient name for Bethlehem and the region around it, Ephrath or Ephrathah first appears in Genesis 35:16-20 as the place where Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel, died. The only Ephrathites mentioned by name in Scripture are Elimelech, his wife, and their two […]
The God Who Moves the Mountains Even though I was settled in my decision to move to Colorado, I wanted to visit again–to see the area as a prospective home and not just a nice place to visit–before I made things Official. So when Erin drove out at the end of February with as much […]
Happy New Year? “I look at 2022 and I see a black hole.” “There’s not much else that I want right now, and I hesitate to make plans or even to have big desires because 1) it takes energy to have and maintain big desires and 2) it’s really hard when they aren’t met, and […]
Thank you, Ashley, for sharing your story with us! Tell us about yourself! Hi, I’m Ashley! I am married to my high school sweetheart, John, and we currently live in South Carolina. John and I have been together for 6 years and married for 2. We both have chronic illnesses, and we are both undergrads. […]
It was a dark and stormy night. In my soul. It had been another day of relentless fatigue, weakness, headache, and other symptoms. I spent the morning in bed, didn’t go to work in the afternoon, and stayed home from the evening Bible study. I finally broke under the attacks both physical and spiritual I […]
Have you ever wondered what your purpose is on this earth as you live with chronic illness? Has chronic illness forced you to let go of some of your dreams? Are you finding it difficult to demonstrate resilience and pursue different dreams? Do you struggle to maintain friendships due to pain in your life, or […]
by Jasmine Originally published on the author’s blog “If you take this away, God, imagine how much more I could do for you this week.” I catch myself praying this prayer at least every second day. Oh, sometimes it’s not in so many words. It could be as simple as: “God, if you give me […]
It’s that time of year again! Not by any plan of ours, and this time the things going on are a little different: instead of getting married, Emily is going on vacation (happy one-year anniversary!), and rather than finishing grad school, Melissa is moving–to 20 minutes away from Emily in Colorado! There’s a lot going […]
Scripture tells us that, under the control of the Holy Spirit, we should be “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). May you be encouraged by the spiritual truth in this song! Sometime We’ll Understand words and music by Rob Gardner […]
A few weekends ago, my parents and I watched the NCAA women’s basketball national championship: the Connecticut Huskies vs the South Carolina Gamecocks. The power, speed, and agility on the court showed a stark contrast to me sitting on the couch with my blanket and cup of tea, my head aching and my stomach trying […]
The Valley