Living While Waiting

Last month I turned 27 years old. Growing up I expected this time in my life to be spent as a wife and mother. Instead I am single and waiting. It feels like the last moments on the runway before a flight takes off-the excitement, a little apprehension but overall the overwhelming feeling to just take off already! I am in this weird limbo of waiting for my “real life” to begin. Will life begin when I find a fulfilling career? Maybe start a ministry? Get married? Have kids? I look at my friends who are married with children and think, “Now they are really living and doing something purposeful with their lives”. I on the other hand am waiting. But as I sat in church one day and looked around at the families surrounding me, I realized as I peel back beyond the surface of these people’s lives they are waiting to. Waiting for the kids to start school, waiting for the kids to leave the house, waiting till their husband retires. It was in that moment I realized no matter what stage I find myself in I will always be waiting for the next best thing and that needs to change. If I spend my whole life waiting I will have missed out on living.

I’ve always been a notoriously impatient person- very single minded when I want something. I have no interest at times in the things that come along between now and the fulfillment of my desire. For me life has never been a journey but a destination. The problem with that philosophy of living is that it assumes I’m in control of the destination and the time it takes to get there but I’m not, God is. This has led to a lot of heartbreak over the years-discontent over my life as it is, sadness that it isn’t what I want it to be and worry that even if I get what I think I want that it won’t be enough to fill the longing for true living and purpose in my heart. But what God has been teaching me recently is that purpose and life is not found in a certain role or season in life-it’s found in Him. And when my life and purpose is wrapped up in Him I can start living today and don’t have to wait for circumstances to change to control my happiness or give my life meaning. So what then does God say is our purpose in life as believers?

1. To Glorify and Praise Him-

Psalm 86:12 “I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.”

We practically live out glorifying God through an attitude of gratitude, words of praise and action through prayer, worshiping God through music and giving and tithing. This week in Bible study my pastor said something that applied so much to this purpose. He said, “God’s purpose in saving us wasn’t just to bring pleasure to our life (although nothing in life is more pleasurable than salvation), it was that our life might bring pleasure to God!

2. To Love God and Others-

In Matthew 22:36-39 it says:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

I talked about this topic at great length in a post I did last year. You can read that here . But the main point is we show love to God by obeying His commands (1 John 5:3a) and love to others by loving them the way Jesus loves us.

3. To Share the Gospel and Bring Others to Christ-

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Have you ever wondered why God didn’t take you right up to Heaven the moment you gave your life to Him? This is why-to share the gospel with others. This is what you as a believer have been left on this earth to do. It’s not an option but a mission for each one of us. I shared about evangelism in 2 posts last year if you want to check them out- What you can’t do in Heaven and How to Share your Faith. These are also great posts to read if you’re unsure what it means to be a Christian.

Did you notice that all of these purposes above are not available only to certain people? You can fulfill God’s purposes now whether you are single or married, rich or poor, healthy or sick!

While being a person who seems to always be waiting, I’ve also always been easily bored and while I enjoy some down time alone-too much time without anything to do or someone to hang out with makes me crazy (of course this has always been hard for me because my pain requires me to have more down time than I’d like). I’ve always felt like life was just unexciting for the most part and certainly that is part of life -work, routines- but I think part of the boredom is that my whole life wasn’t yielded to God. This doesn’t mean that if it was I’d suddenly have this non-stop exciting life but what it does mean is there is a level of excitement in a life wrapped up in God’s purposes. Reading the book of Acts about the early church it’s clear to see these followers of Christ lived anything but boring, ordinary lives-certainly some of the excitement I could do without-prison, shipwrecks, being run out of town-but what is clear is that a life obeying Him is always changing.

I’ve had experiences in life before where non-Christians have told me that Christian living is boring. But when I examined their life it didn’t look too exciting to me. Day after day of purposeless living trying to fill the void of meaning with sex, money and selfishness not realizing it just makes the well deeper. Contrast that with the excitement of having a relationship with the God of the universe, having the power that raised Christ from the dead living inside you, seeing your life, your heart, and your desires molded and changed to be more like Him and having the privilege of being used to bring people into a relationship with Christ and seeing eternal destinies changed. Whew! Boring? Are you kidding me? This is what purposeful living is all about! It’s keeping in my mind what and whom I am living for and not seeing everyday as another boring day waiting for something good to happen but as a chance to take in all that God has for me in that moment.

Do you feel like me like you’re always waiting for “something” in order to truly live? Or maybe you’ve received the things you’ve always prayed for but still feel discontent? Do you feel like your Christian life has got off track and you’ve forgotten what you’re still here to do? It says in James 13:15 “ Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

Tomorrow is promised to no one. The time to start living is now. God has a full, abundant life for every believer (John 10:10). Ask Him to change your heart to start to see purpose through His eyes. Living the life God intended for us is an impossibility on our own strength but with Him all things are possible (Matthew 19:26) It is time to stop sitting on the sidelines and join the game of life-true life that’s only found in Him!

Why I Blog

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful, blessed day!. As I was sitting in church today I was really thinking & praying about my blog. I want to make sure I don't lose sight of what I'm here to do. The reason I blog is based on this verse:

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

I want to bless and encourage people who are struggling by sharing the lessons the Lord has taught me through having chronic pain. I think that whether your struggle is with chronic pain or disease or just the everyday business of life my hope is that you will see something in the words I write that will draw you closer to Jesus. If you don't know Him as your savior I pray that you will. If you are a believer but aren't living a life fully yielded to Him I pray that you'll be encouraged to grab hold of the abundant life and purposes He has for you. If the pain and circumstances of your life have become a burden that has stopped you from being all that God wants you to be I pray you'll find victory in Him, to give the burdens over to Him and trust that He can use you exactly as you are!

My own life is so far from perfect and that's why I blog. I've learned a lot of things the hard way and I pray my stories may spare you the same pain. I've still got so much to learn and I thank you for being along for the journey.

I REALLY would love feedback from you on what you'd like me to discuss on my blog. Do you have a question about Christianity or living with chronic pain that you'd like me to find the answer to? Is there a topic you'd like to see me discuss? I have several blogs in the works right now but want to remain open to whatever you all would like to see. And I'd love answer your questions even if you don't want to see them as blog topics. So if you have an idea you can leave a comment here or tweet me (@dayspring82) or email me at : purposeinthepain@aol.com . I look forward to hearing from you!

The Least of These

I’ve been a news junkie since I was young but in the last year have rarely watched because it became too much of a temptation for me to worry but in the last week I’ve been glued to the TV to watch the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. My heart breaks to see these hurting people especially the scared children. Even this morning there was more news with a 6.1 aftershock striking again. How much can one country handle? Sadly what is happening in Haiti is representative of what is happening all over the world-suffering- both from natural disasters and man-made troubles. It’s easy for me to feel overwhelmed, seeing such tragedy, to switch the channel to some self-centered reality show and forget about the suffering I saw. I have the luxury of being able to look away- they do not.

I’ve always been a very sensitive person since I was a young child. I often hated this about myself because it felt like too much of a burden to carry around. I’d cry in public as a child whenever I saw someone who looked lonely or was being made fun of. I often told my parents I was upset about something else because it felt too weird to tell them the truth. I’ve also always has a special place in my heart for children especially orphans. When I was little I would line up my dolls and pretend I was running an orphanage-kind of an odd game for a child to play. I also used to pray as a little girl that if there was someone who couldn’t take care of their child that they would leave them on my doorstep. I always longed for a child to take care of-probably what has led me to work as a nanny for so many years.

Seeing the Haitian orphans on the TV screen this week reminded me of my childhood desire to help kids. While I long someday to be in a position to adopt myself I know there are still things I can do today to help. Jesus says,

Matthew 25:40
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

What an amazing statement by helping those in need I am obeying and serving Jesus. The love I show them is the love I show Him! The Bible also says,

Matthew 10:42 “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

Again the love I show to them is the love I show to Him! One of my other favorite verses talks about our responsibility to orphans and widows.

James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Again our response to others in need is more than just charity but a responsibility and a way to show our love for Jesus through our love for others.

As I’ve shared before evenings are often hard me with my pain and I spend many nights lying down trying to get relief. It’s easy in those moments to think I have the raw end of the deal in life. Maybe you’re at that point with your chronic pain too? In the midst of my pain I’ve been trying to take the time to stop thinking about me and use that idle time to pray for others. Most of us will never know what it’s like to got to bed hungry or wonder if the water we drink will make us sick. Most of us will never have to try to support our family on less than $1 a day or wonder if the person shopping next to us in the market is a suicide bomber. This is reality for the majority of the people in the world. By virtue of being born in The United States (or Canada, Australia, Sweden, Germany or England where some of you are from) we have been blessed with the invaluable gift of relative health, wealth and safety. And with the blessing comes responsibility to look out for “the least of these”.

Luke 12:48b “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

A person living this out is Shelene Bryan who started the organization http://www.skip1.org . The premise of skip1 is simple but amazing. You skip something (a latte, manicure, lunch out etc.) and instead donate the money you would have spent to skip1 to feed hungry children around the world. Honestly all of us can skip something-a meal out, your weekly Starbucks. Just last week I decided to get a book I’d wanted to read from the library instead of buying it and donated the money I would have spent to skip1.org. I’d love to encourage you all to donate to skip1.org this month (January)-all the proceeds will be going to help hurting people in Haiti, every little bit helps.

There are also wonderful other ways to show support for children in particular. Give money to a family trying to adopt to help cover the high cost of adoption or sponsor a child through Compassion International (www.compassion.com ). In the last 3 years I’ve been blessed to make 2 trips to China to visit friends and have had a chance to spend time at an orphanage outside Beijing that they help support. They are always looking for people to sponsor these beautiful special needs kids. The picture above is of Adam and I- one of the kids at the orphanage in my visit in 2008. You can find more information about the orphanage I went to at http://www.chinaorphans.org/. I know there are so many other wonderful organizations as well that not only meet people’s physical needs but introduce them Jesus. We can all do something!

Even if money is really tight you can always give your time at a local food bank or homeless shelter. Even if you’re homebound from pain become a prayer warrior for these organizations and the people they serve. I must say this post is definitely one that God has laid on my heart, I think partially because He wants to convict me to get outside of my own little world and use the sensitive personality He’s given me to bless others. Maybe He’s trying to communicate that to you too? What can you do today to show the love of Jesus to someone in need?

This too shall pass!

Every January 1^st people all over the world eagerly welcome the New Year. A chance to put things behind us and move forward with the hopes, possibilities and opportunities of the future. While I’m always excited for a new beginning I also dread January 1^st. Along with the New Year it ushers in the most difficult time of the year for me physically. The next 3-4 months are filled with gray skies and bitterly cold days which takes my normal, annoying fibromyalgia pain and elevates it to out of control. The anticipation of winter starts for me around November 1^st. The temperature starts to fall but is still manageable and with the excitement of the holidays I’m able to put out of my mind what’s right around the corner. Without fail though as soon as the ball drops in Times Square we’re lucky to get the wind chill above 10 degrees and with the plummeting temperature goes my mood! Each Fall I try to mentally prepare myself for the pain, even tell myself that maybe it won’t be as bad as last year. And then the pain hits.

My “winter” pain is distinct, so different from other times of year. I know some of you can relate as you shared with me your “cold” pain in the past. By the end of the evening it feels like I went to roof of my house, jumped off and landed on my back. I have sharp pain from the base of my head all the way down to my tail bone. I’ve never found any medicine to relieve the pain so I don’t take any. The only relief I can get is to keep my body warm through heaters and heating pads and lay down as much as possible. It’s miserable mentally as much as it is physically. But it’s something God has allowed in my life and I’ve prayed in His grace that He would show me some lessons through the pain. And graciously He has. As much as I know long term it would be better for my body to be somewhere with less harsh winters I’m still actually grateful (sometimes-I am human!) for the important truths I’ve learned through my “winter” pain. Although to be clear if any of you need someone to housesit your beach house from January to May I’m happy to help and glad leave winter behind-haha!

All joking aside this season of life teaches me to remain hopeful in the midst of trial. The Bible says:

James 1:2-4 (NIV)
^“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Maturity in Christ is something I desire. God often matures us through adversity (gotta admit not my favorite thing). My fibromyalgia in general but particularly the extreme nature of my pain in winter is used to refine me, mature me and make me more like Christ. While I love the result of trials the process is often very painful and I would hardly consider it “pure joy” most days to go through adversity but I’m continuing to work on my attitude and try to see this pain in a different light. The lessons that this teaches me about living in the present and finding joy and peace in Christ apart from my circumstances will be applicable to so many experience in the future. Life is full of adversity, troubles and circumstances that are less than ideal and if I wait to choose joy only when things are going the way I want them to or for a day without pain then I’ll waste a lot of my life being miserable. For me remaining joyful is about focusing on my blessings instead of burdens. In fact I talked about it in a blog entry last year if you want to check it out here. It can be so hard for me on difficult pain days to remain grateful and find joy when all I can think about is the pain but I know on those days I need to do it all the more. On those days especially just taking the time to read the Bible, pray or listen to a worship song can make a world of difference in my attitude.

As each May blossoms into warmer temperatures I heave a sigh of relief. Summer is a joy to me. While I still have pain it’s much more manageable and the closest I will ever experience to feeling “normal” physically (unless of course God decides to totally heal me!). With the transition to summer I’m reminded of one more truth I’ve learned through my “winter” pain-this too shall pass!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (New International Version)

^“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”

Circumstances, even painful ones, only last but a season. Behind every gray day there’s a sunny one waiting to emerge. Even with chronic conditions like fibromyalgia there is reason to remain hopeful. Not every day will be a bad one and despite the pain or burdens we may face there is always something to be grateful for. Some days I have to remind myself this many times!

Have you ever gone on a missions trip or even watched a TV show about people living in 3^rd world countries? I am always so amazed that there are people living with disease, pain, famine, poverty and death and yet they have such joy for life. Maybe because they realize how precious it really is. It’s always so convicting to me and a great reminder that even when my winter pain has got me down and I want to throw a pity party I will choose to remember how blessed I am that for me, the majority of my pain, lasts but one season!

If you’re struggling today with “winter” pain or another challenging circumstance in life remember that you don’t have to walk through this alone. Read your Bible and ask for God’s help to endure your trial and reach out to your church family to have them praying for and encouraging you through the midst of your struggle. I am not naturally a glass half full person but God is transforming me and when I depend on Him He’s allowing me to have more joy and gratitude in the moment and I know He can do the same for you!

Thank you!

Dear Readers:
I wanted to write a quick note to say a giant thank you to each of you for welcoming me back to the world of blogging with open arms. I have been so grateful for each tweet, email and facebook message and mostly I’m thankful to you for reading along. Chronic pain can often be an isolating experience and I want you to know that your friendship in reading my words & commenting means a great deal to me. I also want to be there for all of you as a person to listen to you. I have already received some messages and emails from some of you sharing your story with me. I am very humbled that you would choose to open up with me and share some deeply personal experiences. So if you ever need someone to listen or have a prayer request or question related to Christianity don’t hesitate to contact me through twitter, facebook or I also set up an email address: purposeinthepain@aol.com . I certainly don’t pretend to have all the answers but I’m happy to look up answers to your questions and most importantly to listen.
Thank you all again & I hope you’re having a blessed weekend,
Stacy

Galatians 6:2 (New International Version)
“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Worry is a Dead-End Road

I read the truest statement in the book “Clam My Anxious Heart” by Linda Dillow. She writes: “Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give something to do but it won’t get you anywhere.”

I have never known a day in my life that I didn’t worry about something at least not that I can remember anyways. While most children enjoy carefree days I was always looking for danger around every corner. I remember countless days where my younger brother and sister would run around outside playing and I would run right after them, not to play along but just make sure no one kidnapped them! I had decided at a young age that my mother (as amazing as she was!) was far too relaxed as a parent and it was best for me to watch them even though I now know that she was always watching us! I even told my siblings when we were out in public that they should stand within one arm’s length of me just in case someone tried to take them I could grab them. I’m not sure why I thought some scrawny little kid would be a match for a determined adult! Its amazing that my brother and sister aren’t in therapy to this day for how I scared them but truthfully I’m pretty sure they thought I was nuts and were never scared!

My worries weren’t limited to my siblings; I was also terrified of something happening to my parents. Long before the days of cell phones and instant contact I used to sit by the window when I thought my mom had been gone too long shopping praying over and over again that she hadn’t been in a car accident. I also worried about every disease under the sun. I remember crying one day in 4^th grade asking my teacher if one of my moles looked cancerous!

As funny as these memories are to me now it is also kind of sad to think of the childhood I gave up by letting these fears consume me. By age 8 I had messed up my stomach permanently from all the worry. My parents tried as much as they could to help me. They sent me to doctors and therapists and even limited what I could watch on TV but still I continued to worry. Certainly it didn’t help that I preferred to watch Oprah and the news over cartoons as a child but it took me many years to realize the real source of my worry-control. I wanted to be in control of every situation and every outcome. If a situation felt out of my control or worse yet held the potential for a bad outcome, the anxiety was more than I could handle. When I came to Christ as a 16 year old it didn’t take me long to realize my need for control was really sin and not giving all areas of my life over to Him. I’d like to say that right then and there I gave up worry and lived happily ever after-but I’d be lying-old habits die-hard. It’s been a battle and something I constantly have to give over to the Lord. I’ve seen some victory in some areas of worry and still struggle a lot in other areas but I know it’s a process and a constant choice.

In the midst of this struggle I’ve clung to 3 verses in particular:

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)

^“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (New International Version)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

^“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When I’m faced with a worry now I give it over to God. I tell Him my worry. I thank Him for hearing me and always providing for me. I ask Him to take this burden of worry from me. I remember that His plans are good for me. No life will not be perfect and go exactly as I want but God is not out to get me. He is on my side and I can trust His plans. Then I make a choice to leave my worry there, at the feet of Jesus, and choose to focus on true, right, excellent and praiseworthy things instead (Philippians 4:8-9). I’d like to say that I do this every time I worry but I am so far from perfect but I can tell you that there is a peace that surpasses understanding that fills my heart when I do commit my cares to the Lord.

My chronic pain has also always been a source of worry for me (Is that new pain just fibromyalgia or something more serious? Will I feel good enough to work? How will I pay my bills if I can’t work full-time? Will anyone ever want to marry me when I have so many problems? etc.) and maybe it is a worry for you too? But I want to encourage you to give over to the Lord any worry or fear you may have. There is nothing too big or small to give over to Jesus.

And remember (and this is the hardest thing for me) your feelings don’t have to control you. God’s word is the truth regardless of how we feel and it’s His truth that we are to cling to as believers. I must admit this is a difficult blog for me to put out here. I NEVER want to give the impression that I have figured this out-as my friends can family can surely attest to! In fact this is still my biggest struggle and I fail miserable more often that I want to admit but my hope is that in my struggle you may see a glimpse of yourself and choose this day to be the day when you stop rocking in the worry chair of life and instead yield the control of your life over to the one who has been in control all along!

The God of All Comfort

August 5, 2009 started off like any other day. I was busy with work and stressed over dealing with car troubles. My mom had been out of town visiting my grandparents for 8 days and her flight was due to come in that night. I had only talked to her a couple times in the last day or two of her trip and she mentioned that she didn’t feel well. I didn’t give it much thought assuming she must of picked up a cold or stomach bug traveling. But when she arrived home that night it was instantly clear that something was very wrong.

My mom had a dangerously high fever and intense pain in her upper stomach. Within 24 hours we were in the emergency room and after alarming white blood count results they admitted her to the hospital. After days of testing and even an unnecessary surgery they discovered that she had a virus that had infected her bloodstream and attacked her liver. It was very serious.

I felt so helpless. My mom had always been one of the healthiest people I knew. She was never sick or in pain. I was always the one with the problems, the pain, undergoing the tests. I had no idea how to be the person on the other side of the hospital bed. There was nothing anyone could do but wait and pray that her body would fight off the virus.

7 days passed since she was hospitalized and I went to visit her as I did everyday. She was the worst I had seen her. Her pain was so severe that she was on heavy duty pain meds. She would literally moan in pain, attempt to talk then fall asleep all within a matter of minutes. My heart was so broken over seeing her like that, that I went out into the hallway so she wouldn’t see me cry. I left and sobbed the entire way home, begging and pleading with God to let her live. I honestly had no clue what to pray. I was so upset I could barely get out any words between sobs. Then the Lord reminded me of this verse:

Romans 8:26-27 (New International Version)
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”

I had thought of this verse before when I had been in too much pain myself to even utter words in prayer but this time the verse hit me in a way it hadn’t before. God was truly with me. I wasn’t alone in dealing with this fear, worry and heartbreak over my mom. When I didn’t even have the words to speak in prayer the Holy Spirit was interceding (praying) for me according to God’s will! A peace came over me. It was going to be ok. I had no clue what the outcome would be but I knew it be ok because I wasn’t alone. The God of the universe lives inside me thru the Holy Spirit and even when I couldn’t pray He could.

4 days after that difficult car ride home the doctor was convinced that the virus was no longer in my mom’s bloodstream and felt she could go home. Before she left the hospital the doctor explained how truly serious her condition was. He said that at any time the virus could have attacked other organs and if it had gone after her brain, heart or lungs that outcome could have been very different. Even today, 5 months later, it sends chills down my spine to think that I almost lost my mom. I praise God for His mercy to spare her life and get her through what has been a long and difficult recovery.

I share this story with all of you to encourage you to invite God into whatever struggle you are facing. Are you dealing with anything that feels so overwhelming that you don’t have the words to pray? Maybe its an illness, pain, a job loss, or marital problems. Do you feel alone with the weight of the world on your shoulders? In the midst of your struggle cry out to Jesus. Tell Him you’re weak. Admit that you don’t know what to pray. He will meet you in your brokenness. He will intercede for you. The Bible says He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). His power is made perfect in our weakness. When we are weak, He is strong! (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

To close I wanted to share a song that has helped me to remember that I’m never alone. Its called Never Alone by Barlow Girl. Here’s a link to the song. I hope it will bless you too!

I'm Back!

Happy New Year blog readers (if any of you are still out there:) I know its been awhile...ok its been FOREVER! Life became difficult for me in the latter part of 2009 as I dealt with a serious illness with my mom and unfortunately a lot of things including blogging got put off. But thankfully my mom is doing better for the most part now (Praise God!) and over the last few weeks I've felt led by God to start blogging again. I am very humbled and grateful for the people who still mention by blog and tell me they enjoyed reading it. It means so very much to me!

And for the new readers that I've picked up through twitter (shameless plug:follow me at http://twitter.com/dayspring82:) I'm happy you're here and I have a number of entries from last year if you feel like checking them out.

Truthfully though even if no one reads along I still think its important for me to blog. I need a place where I can journal lessons that God is teaching me through chronic pain. I can't tell you the number of times I've gone back in this last year and read past blog entries to encourage myself to persevere. There is nothing special in the words themselves that I wrote but what is more precious than gold is what those words represent. They are what God has done and I don't want to forget it! God is so good and I want to always remember the ways He's blessed me. So if you're still out there and want to take this journey with me I'd love to have you read along! And I love your comments & hearing from all of you too!

Happy 2010 I can't wait to see all that God will do in all of our lives!