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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
By Jasmine Originally published on The Gospel Coalition Australia Author’s Note: I wrote this article just over a year after having to leave my job overnight due to the onset of serious chronic illness. As I write this note in April 2022, I’m blessed to have finally received a diagnosis (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome), which […]
I hope you’ve been as blessed as I have looking at these chapters from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s book Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure. After reviewing general considerations, fear and faith, feelings, and trials, this week we’re going to look at Chapters 17 and 18, God’s Chastening and In God’s Gymnasium. God’s Chastening The key […]
While every chapter in Lloyd-Jones’s book Spiritual Depression is good–so far we’ve looked at the introduction, fear and faith, and feelings–this chapter on trials was one that struck me as immensely applicable to us in our valley of chronic illness. The key verse for his Chapter 16 is I Peter 1:6-7: In this you greatly […]
Last week I introduced you to D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s book Spiritual Depression and brought out the main points from his first chapter, “General Consideration.” This week we’re going to look at some immensely relevant ideas from Chapter 7, on fear, and Chapter 10, on faith. What Do You Fear? Coming after a chapter on regrets […]
Over the past three weeks, we’ve studied Jeremiah’s personal lament over Jerusalem’s destruction and Israel’s captivity, his intentional journey from hopeless to hopeful, and his humble introspection and call to repentance. This week we look at the rest of Jeremiah’s lament and some general considerations for us in chronic illness. Note: I studied this section […]
After looking at Jeremiah’s personal lament and his journey from hopeless to hopeful, both of which provide great encouragement for those of us in chronic illness, we come to a part of the chapter that continues the God-focused, hope-giving theme while introducing a more somber note of introspection. Part 3: Verses 31-42 KAPH 31 For […]
The Valley