Unstuck: Moving from Resentment to Resilience While Living with Dystonia

 

I first met Abigail Brown back in 2014 when we both participated in the 35th Anniversary Blog Contest for Joni and Friends. Abigail's blog post entry was my favorite! As we became online friends, I was impressed with this woman's determination to know God and to glorify Him in her life. I was challenged by the way she reached out to others with a humble heart of service. I was captivated by her artwork.

It has been a delight to get to know Abigail over the years and see the way her art and ministry have grown. And I am thrilled to share that Abigail's first book has been published!

Unstuck: Moving from Resentment to Resilience While Living with Dystonia is now available on Amazon and other favorite book retailers. I had the joy of reading a pre-release copy of Unstuck, and I enjoyed it very much! 

Abigail writes about her life and struggles with Dystonia. She shares how she overcame resentment and self-pity. This book will be helpful not just for those with dystonia, chronic illness, or disabilities, but for anyone struggling with self-pity because of struggles they wish they didn't have to face.

At the end of each chapter, there is a helpful section for reflection. Abigail asks questions for the reader to consider, and she spurs the reader on the action and change.

Unstuck is filled with Scripture, personal stories, thought-provoking questions, and helpful strategies, This book will help you to move from resentment to resilience in your life through whatever struggles you are facing. It is a book I benefitted from, and I plan to read it again!

If you want to hear more from Abigail, check out her website, her online art shop, and this recent interview! And of course, hop on over to Amazon if you'd like to buy a copy of her book!

Stacey Patrick: Gracefully Overcoming

Stacey Patrick

Stacey Patrick was a graceful overcomer. She suffered greatly with chronic conditions, but she always kept her eyes focused on the Lord. She loved Him. She loved His Word. She loved spending time studying the Bible and telling others about what she was learning. She grew in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Early Sunday morning, Jesus called her Home.

At the end of her life, Stacey battled with pneumonia and sepsis, among other things. With the complicating factors of POTS, her body wasn't able to fight anymore. The Lord gave her rest from her earthly struggles. Stacey is now in the presence of the Savior whom she loved so much. She is free of pain and suffering, and I rejoice for her. But my heart hurts for her family and friends who are grieving and missing her so much.

Stacey was a godly example to me of perseverance and faithfulness. We met through blogging years ago. We both lived with POTS and other chronic illnesses. We were both writers. We both loved Jesus. We both struggled through summer heat, and we would encourage each other in those hot summer months as we were "surviving summer." I struggled to keep up with communications in recent years, but Stacey was always there with encouragement in my inbox or on Facebook.

Stacey served the Lord right where He had placed her. She wrote books, she maintained a blog, and she hosted an online Bible study group. Her ministry extended far beyond the four walls of her home.

Stacey ran her race well. She will be missed greatly here on earth. I am thankful to know that she is with the Savior she loved so much. And I am thankful that we will one day see her again in Heaven.

Stacey's mom needs help paying for funeral expenses. If you would like to consider giving to help with the costs that are truly too much for her, please visit the Go Fund Me page, Help Lay Stacey Patrick to Rest.

Please also pray for Stacey's mom and her family as they are missing Stacey so very much.

Hope for the Hard Days

Do you ever have days when you are tired and weary and need to be reminded of the hope that you have? I know I do. There are days when I am not only physically tired and weary, but spiritually tired and weary as well. Several years ago, I started a project of writing devotions on some of my hardest days, and I published it here on my blog as a free PDF download. If you have been here for a while, you might remember that little ebook, Hope for the Hard Days.

I'm excited to let you know that Hope for the Hard Days is now available on Kindle and paperback! I plan to always keep the PDF version available for free here on my blog, but if a Kindle or paperback is easier for you to read, then I hope you can grab a copy of your own.

God has given me much encouragement and comfort through His Word, and I want to pass on that encouragement and comfort to you. Some of the devotions in Hope for the Hard Days were written on days when I struggled to cling to hope. I wrote the words that I needed to hear on those hard days. Perhaps they are the words you need to hear too.

I pray that you will not despair when the hard days come, but that you will cling to the hope found in Christ. 

You can find Hope for the Hard Days in these places:

- Kindle on Amazon 

- Paperback on Amazon

- Download a free PDF copy

I would like to give away a copy of Hope for the Hard Days to two of my readers! Please click over to the Rafflecopter form to enter. Winners who live in the United States may have their choice of a Kindle copy or a paperback. Winners who live outside the United States will receive a Kindle copy. The giveaway will end on March 18. Winners will be notified by email.

What others have said about Hope for the Hard Days:

Rachel Lundy’s example of faithfulness in difficult circumstances was a blessing to me before I became ill, but since becoming partially homebound myself during treatment for cancer, her grace and beauty have inspired me to embrace my own situation as a part of God’s divine design. She has taught me to look for God’s hand in all of life, and through this series of devotions, she will encourage, inspire, and lead others to look to the Lord and His strength.

     Beth Holmes, Ministry Wife; Mom; Blogger, Beth Holmes

True hope is only found in one place: our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. And in this theologically rich, beautifully written devotional, that’s where Rachel Lundy points us. With clear, accessible writing broken up into bite-sized chapters, Rachel reminds us of the true hope that we have been called to. Short prayers and Scripture suggestions for further individual study serve as practical advice to help drive home the message of the gospel hope we have in suffering, and where it is found. It’s easy to get beaten down under the relentless trials of chronic illness. Let this refreshing devotional recenter your mind on truth and restore your hope.

     Hailey Hudson, Chronically Ill Author and Speaker, The Hardworking Creative

I first read Hope for the Hard Days many years ago. The more I read, the more I relaxed into Rachel Lundy’s words. Rachel was someone I could trust. Her writing was both compassionate and honest. She offered both empathy and wisdom. I recently read through this devotional again, and I recommend it to anyone who is feeling discouraged, hopeless, or alone. You will find that this devotional lives up to its name. There really is hope for hard days, and Rachel helps us find it by pointing us to God and His Word over and over again.

     Esther Smith, Author, A Still and Quiet Mind; Owner, Christian Trauma Counseling

Rachel's heart for those walking through difficult times is evident in the pages of her new devotional, Hope for the Hard Days. As a woman who is no stranger to pain and weariness, Rachel desires to share the hope she has found in a relationship with God that helps sustain her. Recognizing that life can't and won't be ‘perfect,’ Rachel pairs her own experiences and hardships with the scriptures that have encouraged her, to offer a way of living that we all can benefit from. No matter where your journey finds you today, Hope for the Hard Days is the perfect devotional to begin your day with.

     Kristin Smith, Wife; Mother; Writer, The Riches of His Love and Remembering Isaac 

Rachel Lundy writes with the compassion of experience, the grace of well-chosen words, and the power of biblical truth. In 30 concise, one-page devotionals, each with an accompanying verse and prayer, Hope for the Hard Days offers profound but simple truths of Scripture that both lift up the weary spirit and ground the faltering mind. As a fellow believer with chronic illness, I was blessed, challenged, and encouraged by these devotions. I would hand this book to any friend with chronic illness in a heartbeat, and recommend it to any friend going through a difficult season.

     Melissa J. Troutman, Writer and Editor, The Valley ministry

Rachel offers spiritual nourishment to weary chronic illness warriors with the compassion and wisdom of someone who understands. Hope for the Hard Days is a needed resource and one that I will be sending to friends. Rachel's devotional returns us to the foundational truths we will never outgrow--truths I cling to in my own chronic illness journey.

     S.G. Willoughby, Author, He’s Making Diamonds; Founder, Diamonds Conference 

Diamonds 2024: Journeying

The Diamonds Conference is coming again soon! This is a conference for Christians living with chronic illness and health challenges. You are invited to join us! The conference is free while it is live for the weekend of March 15-17. This year the theme is Journeying.

We want to meet you wherever you are on your chronic illness journey. Whether you are undiagnosed, newly diagnosed, grieving, flaring, recovering, caregiving, struggling, or rejoicing, this conference is for you.

I will be speaking about "Provisions for the Journey: Enjoying the Gifts of God's Word and Prayer on the Chronic Illness Journey."

Will is going to be speaking at the conference this year too! He will be speaking about "Tents, Temples, and the City of God: A Biblical Theology of the God Who Journeys with Us."

If you would like to join us, you may register here. If you can't make it to the live conference, there are All-Access Passes available for purchase. These passes give full access to the conference videos at anytime.

If you are going to be attending the conference, I recommend grabbing a copy of the study guide. The Kindle copies are super cheap! But if you prefer a physical copy, those are reasonably priced as well.

If you need encouragement, or if you need to find friends for your chronic illness journey, I hope you join us for the conference! It would be great to see you there!

We Moved to Tennessee!

This has been quite a year for our family! In the spring Will accepted a position as an Assistant Attorney General in the state of Tennessee. We moved to the Nashville area in July, and this fall we have been settling into our new life here. 

Will really likes his new job in the Tennessee Attorney General's office. Adelaide and Stafford are enjoying their new school, and both are thriving. Adelaide is in 8th grade now, and Stafford is in Kindergarten, Gresham is my little buddy at home every day, and we spend our days playing and eating and napping.

The biggest change for us is that William stayed behind in Minnesota. We didn't want to make him move to a new state and a new school right before his senior year, so we gave him the choice to either move with us or stay in Minnesota. He chose to stay and finish up his senior year of high school with the friends he has had since Kindergarten. We didn't expect to launch our oldest so soon, but it has proven to be the best thing for him in this situation. William is thriving and doing well.

Life is very different for us this year. Will's work routine is different. The school routine is different for our children. William doesn't live with us anymore. Gresham and I have very different days at home here than we did at home in Minnesota. We are looking for local friends, and we are getting to know a new church. Our rhythms and routines have been upended, and it has been an adjustment. So much has changed.

But in the midst of the many changes, God has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Advent season began on December 3, and along with that came our family Advent routine and celebration. On Sunday evenings we sit down in the living room with the Christmas tree and Christmas candles lit. We then light the appropriate number of candles on the Advent wreath. We read Scripture and pray. We eat German Christmas cookies. This is one of the few rhythms in our life that has not changed this year. Celebrating Advent is one of my favorite things each December, and this year it has been an especially welcome celebration. Not only is it a familiar routine, but it is a reminder to me of the faithfulness of God.

Long ago God promised to send a Savior, and He kept His promise. Jesus came into our world that is filled with sin and suffering. He suffered and died for us, taking the punishment that we deserve. He conquered death and rose again, and He promised that He would one day return. God keeps every promise He makes, and He will keep His promise to return. When everything around us changes, God remains faithful and unchanging. 

In the midst of our very different rhythms and routines in Tennessee, the God we love and serve remains the same. He is still faithful and true, just as He always has been, and just as He always will be. I am thankful to serve an unchanging God, and I am excited to see what He has in store for our family in Tennessee!