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Wednesday Writings

Rest and Quietness in Chronic Illness

I recently read through Isaiah, and this passage stuck out to me: Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. And […]

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Lessons From Job Wednesday Writings

Lessons From Job: Build Your Foundation

Every time I read the book of Job, I see something else and learn something new that relates to my situation of chronic illness. When I read Job this year, I was in a few weeks of level, (relatively) easy terrain in between valleys–an unusual experience that, if I’m honest, I didn’t know how to […]

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Wednesday Writings

Why Doesn’t God Heal My Chronic Illness?

If you’ve seen the show The Chosen, you may know the fictional backstory given to one of the disciples, James the son of Alphaeus (fondly called “Little James” in the show). Little James has a physical condition that limits his movements and affects his appearance. Throughout the episodes we see Little James tired, sore, self-conscious, […]

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Wednesday Writings

The Master’s Call to Rest in Chronic Illness

For the Diamonds Summer Event at the end of June, I gave a presentation titled “The Master’s Call to Rest.” Here’s the short, written version of my 45-minute session. (You can watch the entire session, and the other speakers’, with the all-access pass.) From the Creation account in Genesis to the descriptions of Heaven in […]

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Wednesday Writings

6 Approachable Steps for Praying with Chronic Illness

Chronic illness is far-reaching, and it can touch our daily lives in profound ways. Sometimes it’s easy to question why God is allowing us to walk through such dark, desolate, and debilitating seasons. At other times, we might wonder why symptoms of chronic illness become so overwhelming that it feels almost impossible to connect with […]

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Women in the Valley

Women in the Valley: Kat’s Story

Thank you, Kat, for sharing your story with us! Tell us about yourself! My name is Kat, and I live in Colorado. On my days off, I enjoy singing, creating art, spending time with my husband and our two fur babies, catching up with friends, organic gardening, enjoying nature, and reading. I had cancer in […]

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Wednesday Writings

When Prayers for Healing Hurt

Originally published on CranberryTeatime.com in January 2023. Shared with permission. Five years ago I was talking with Will about how painful it is when people say they are praying for my healing. It’s something that isn’t often spoken of by those with chronic illnesses, but when people pray for our healing, sometimes it just hurts. […]

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Wednesday Writings

7 Characteristics of God in Chronic Illness, Part 2

Last week we looked at the first three of seven characteristics of God He’s been showing me in fresh ways through the fires of chronic illness and other trials. This week we’ll look at the next four of these characteristics. 4. God is My Stability Stability: the quality, state, or degree of being stableStable: firmly […]

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Wednesday Writings

7 Characteristics of God in Chronic Illness, Part 1

There’s been a lot going on in my life the past few months, both with my health and with other things. (You may or may not have noticed that we’ve missed a few posts–sorry about that.) I’ve experienced some very real pain and some very special blessings in what is still a time of growth, […]

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Wednesday Writings

You Can Have It, Lord: A Poem of Relinquishment in Chronic Illness

Last week we looked at how to find grace, joy, and peace in chronic illness based on Elisabeth Elliot’s short devotional about the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio G. Spafford: by receiving what God has given us and by relinquishing what He takes from us. As I meditated on Elisabeth Elliot’s […]