The women here at Southern Seminary have written a 366 day devotion book titled, Women at Southern: A Walk Through Psalms. There are 409 women who contributed to this project either by writing devotions, sharing testimonies, or sharing other words of wisdom. These women are all connected to Southern Seminary in some way, whether faculty members, staff members, faculty wives, staff wives, students, student wives, graduates, or board members. All of these women have a passion for the Lord, His Word, and ministry.
A Walk Through Psalms is now available for sale, and the proceeds will go to scholarships for women at Southern Seminary. If you would like to order a copy, you may do so by calling the Southern Seminary LifeWay Christian bookstore at (502) 987-4506 or by emailing southernseminary(dot)4689(at)lifeway(dot)com. For your reference, the ISBN number is 978-0-9840657-0-7. Books cost $25 each.
There is a book signing coming up on October 14th from 5:30-6:30 in Heritage Hall here at Southern Seminary, and you are invited. LifeWay will be there to sell copies of the devotion book, and many of the authors will be there to sign their page in the book. Lord willing, I will be there signing the devotion I wrote for January 13th.
Thank you to Connie Jenkins for underwriting the publishing cost of A Walk Through Psalms so that all proceeds could go to scholarships!
This is my window seat, and it is my favorite spot in our apartment. I love to sit here because it is pretty, and because thre is so much purple all in one place.
I also love the windows. On the hot summer days I can sit here and see my flowers, tomatoes, herbs, and okra, even though I can't go outside and water them. It is as close to the outdoors as I can get many days. Even though it is September now, we are still having unseasonably warm weather. Yesterday it was 97 degrees. I don't step out of the apartment on days like that, and so these windows are a treat.
Sweet 100s
This is the view I have of my tomatoes from inside. This tomato plant has produced so many tomatoes that I have been asking others to pick them too. I haven't been able to keep up with the picking or the eating of such a prolific plant!
My petunias as I see them while on my window seat
A hummingbird often comes to visit these flowers during the day. I snapped a picture one day, but I had to take it through the screen, and since the hummingbird is half the size of one of those flowers, it didn't turn out too well. Can you find the hummingbird?
Here are some views from outside, taken back in July.
We had four pots of tomatoes, kale, lots of herbs and decorative plants and flowers.
I love being a mom. It's hard work, and it takes every ounce of energy I have to spare, but I love my children so very much. I can't imagine life without them, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
William and Adelaide are precious to me. They are priceless gifts from God. I like the following quote from Stepping Heavenward. It sums up some of my thoughts on the value of children that makes the physical sacrifice worth it all. (Background information for this quote: Katy has given birth to yet another child, and she also has poor health. There are some who are displeased with her for having another child.)
She says I shall now have one more mouth to fill and two feet the more to shoe, more disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure or visiting, reading, music, and drawing.
Well! This is one side of the story, to be sure, but I look at the other. Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one more dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ's name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!
It was great to have Kristen, Amy, and Lisa sharing about invisible illness here last week! I was encouraged by their guest posts, and I hope that all of you were too.
I wore my Invisible Illness bracelet all week long. I only left the apartment for a doctors appointment and medically necessary travel, so I don't think I actually helped to spread awareness by wearing the bracelet. It was more an act of solidarity. The bracelet was a constant reminder to me of my friends and others who suffer from an illness that is chronic, but that no one sees.
Thank you to Lisa Copen for all of her hard work to make Invisible Illness Week 2010 a success! Lisa does not receive any salary or financial compensation for her work with Invisible Illness Week. She just knows what it is like to live with a chronic illness, and she wants to spread awareness and minister to others who also live with chronic illnesses. May the Lord bless you for your work, Lisa!
My friend Lisa blogs over at Sure Hope. She has been a blessing in my life since we first met in 2005, and I am thrilled to have her here today to share about her life with an invisibe illness. Lisa is married to Keith, and they have an adorable little girl, Lillian.
Keith, Lisa, and Lillian
Hello! Thank you Rachel for the honor of being a guest blogger! The Lord has used you in my life to encourage and challenge me to trust Him fully. I’ve been battling with a chronic illness now for 8 years and it’s such a joy to help bring awareness to invisible illnesses, like Dysautonomia, but most of all to tell others about how the Lord shows Himself faithful and true – no matter our circumstances.
8 years ago, 3 months after marrying my sweet husband, Keith, I got mononucleosis. Most people fully recover from mono but for me this wasn’t the case. After a few months of intense fatigue and weakness I began to black out while standing and noticed my heart rate was unusually fast. I often felt in a fog and disconnected from my surroundings. After laying on the floor in the grocery store a few times we decided we needed to see if something more was going on with my body. We learned shortly after that the virus had damaged my autonomic nervous system and I was diagnosed with POTS, a form of Dysautonomia.
Since my diagnosis, I’ve learned so much about living life with a chronic illness. It’s difficult and can feel isolating as many people don’t understand. I think it’s hard for people to see someone who looks completely healthy and believe that they feel terribly. I was forced to quit working, to stay home and learned to live in an entirely new way – dealing with numerous symptoms that have become part of every day. Energy now is a priceless commodity that needs to be used wisely. I often say no to things I really want to do, but can’t – like joining other mom’s on a trip to the zoo, serving my friends and family or helping lead singing at church. I no longer take the ability to stand for granted – as this is hard on my body. Activities such as taking a shower or cooking simple meals take energy and I have to prioritize and plan in order to care for myself and my family. My husband helps out a lot! He cleans our house and serves me in numerous ways and I can’t thank him enough! Life has changed and it has taken time to “come to grips” with this.
The Lord has called me to a life of physical weakness but in so doing has allowed me (us) the opportunity to trust Him in new ways. Before living with a chronic illness I knew I served a faithful God, but I have to say that He has shown Himself faithful in so many new and tangible ways. My husband and I both say that we would choose no other road (if given the opportunity) because the Lord has so tenderly and personally carried us through these years and allowed us to know Him in a more vibrant way. The road has been hard, and we have failed often by taking our eyes off of Christ and focusing on ourselves (a sure way to become discouraged!). The source of my comfort and peace is my Savoir, Jesus, who was acquainted with grief and yet persevered to the end in order to obey and ultimately bring glory to His Father. This is my prayer – that I am found faithful, to the end, bringing glory to my God!
I am happy to introduce to you Amy, author of the blog, My Diary as the Mom of a Diabetic Princess. Amy lives in Fairbanks, Alaska with her husband Jeff and 4 kiddos plus a dog and a cat. She loves the endless summer nights and even the coldest, darkest days (and there are LOTS of them) of Interior Alaska.
Jeff and Amy's Daughter, Jada
Jada was diagnosed on March 23, 2008 at the age of 2 with Type 1 Diabetes. It was Easter Sunday....one I'll never forget. I spent that day rushing her to the ER, then riding in ambulance and then the next 24 hours in the PICU at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. Our lives changed forever that day and the education I received over those next 3 days in the hospital still dominates our lives.
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the pancreas stops making insulin, which is a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells and be used to produce energy. Various factors can contribute to the onset of this chronic disease including genetics, viruses, and environmental factors. Diabetics are more at risk for heart disease, blindness, neuropathy and their weakened immune systems make them an easy target for illness. It's not easy being diabetic. The treatment for this disease is insulin injections...whether it be through syringes, insulin pens, or an insulin pump The big side effect of insulin is low blood sugar, which if not treated, will lead to a seizure, a coma or possibly death.
Diabetes doesn't sleep, so neither do I! :) Because of the potential dangers, Jada is monitored around the clock. We check her blood sugar anywhere from 8-12 times a day, including at least 2 in the middle of the night. If we find her blood sugar is low or heading that way, we wake her up to feed her. During the day, it's constant monitoring of the carbohydrates that she consumes, her blood sugar numbers and also her behavior so that I can catch a low before it gets too bad. It doesn't stop. It's always there...even when I'm not with her, it's always in the back of my mind. I lay awake at night wondering if I should check her one more time. Jeff and I haven't had a weekend away from the kids since her diagnosis. Who do I trust to keep my child alive???
Diabetes is my battle now, but someday, it will be hers. Last spring, I wrote the following blog about how this disease sets her apart from others and how it's my job now to prepare her for living this life on her own.
All Alonely
Does anyone see her sitting there?
All alonely?
So small. So big.
Meter in her hand
God...was this really your plan?
I know that she already feels all "alonely"...
Different than the rest...
Really, though, she's better than the best....
Jesus, give her Your Grace...
To face what she has to face.....
I can't take that "alonely" away....
I trust that You will meet her there...
God...I put her in Your care....
Letting go continually...
Help me show her, You are all she needs.
On Friday, Jada and I went to Sam's Club and did some shopping. It was lunch time and we decided to have some pizza. I ordered, then had Jada pick out a place to sit and had her check her blood sugar. She chose a table in the middle of the cafe area....tons of people on each side of her, but no one in that very middle row. I turned around to look at her, and she seemed so small. So very out of place all by herself. And then she pulled out her meter and checked out her blood sugar. She suddenly seemed so BIG...so old. So mature. And still so very alone in that room full of people. Alonely...by the way, is how Jada refers to doing something alone or being alone.
One of the things I hate most about this disease is how it sets our children apart from others and how that makes them feel. Right now, I can help to protect her and sometimes control things so that she doesn't notice it so much. As she gets older and becomes more independent, I won't always be there. Then, eventually, she will really be on her own and I might get the weekly phone call. I *hope* that I am doing all that I can to help her feel confident in herself...to prepare her for a life of facing this disease by herself. I know the stress and pressure I feel...how will it be for her? This is something I think about ALL THE TIME.
This is what I do know. In my "aloneliest" times, Jesus has met me there. Right where I was....angry, confused, dejected and feeling very "alonely" in a world that kept on buzzing by. My sweetest times with God have been when I was so down that I didn't know which way was up. He was there....at the bottom of the pit with me. I don't know what the road for Jada looks like...I know there could very well be some pitfalls ahead for her and that at times, she may well could.......feel very alone. And I cringe....because I. DON'T. WANT. THAT. But, this is her disease and one day, it will be hers to fight on her own. I know how much grace I need to get through my day...what about her? My prayer for Jada....and all our kids....is to know that Jesus is there....and that He will meet them right where they are.
I am pleased to have Kristen, from Colors of Qavah, here today to share about her journey with an invisible illness. God has called her to walk a very difficult road, and as I see her faithfulness in the midst of such suffering, I am encouraged and strengthened in my faith.
For many years, I considered myself to be functional with a disability, if that's even possible. At the age of 17, I had become very ill, unable to go to school, sleeping well over 12 hours a day with aching muscles, limbs that felt like lead, and no clue what was causing it. After consultations and air testing, my family was informed that we had toxic mold growing hidden in the walls of our house. The contamination level was so high that our house was deemed unlivable, and we had to vacate right away. I was in a complete fog when this happened. I didn't even realize I was seeing my house for the last time when I left. I also didn't realize the health-effects that I carried with me from such a serious exposure.
As time passed, I began to understand that though I had recovered my ability to function day-to-day, I was also highly sensitive to chemicals that had never bothered me before. Upon coming into a building or area treated with pesticides, I was unable to think straight or multitask, became dizzy and lightheaded, and suffered flu-like symptoms for days afterward, including severe gastrointestinal distress. Surviving with chemical sensitivity in college was like navigating a minefield. I constantly had to avoid places that had poor air quality, whether that was from recent chemical treatments or from mold in old ventilation systems. Whenever I felt dizzy or had an episode of stomach distress, I blamed it on a recent exposure and usually recovered rather quickly.
I limped along functioning like this for many years and eventually earned a degree in biomedical engineering. As I progressed with research for my senior project, I decided to pursue a master's degree as well. This was when the bottom started to drop out from under me bit by bit. I began to have more seemingly unrelated symptoms - frequent and urgent urination, more muscle aches, and chronic, severe sore throats. My energy was always low, but I blamed it on my fast-paced program, my busy life, and my lack of sleep. Twice I had episodes of near-fainting, both times chalked up to "a virus." I was pale and dizzy all through this time, but I pushed through the pain until one day when I couldn't push anymore.
I came down with the flu early in 2005, and months went by, but I was still sick. I was becoming more and more behind at work and pushed myself even harder, trying to fight off the perception among my coworkers that I was lazy. Finally, I collapsed at church one Sunday morning in a full faint. After that, my body was unable to bounce back.
My life began to change drastically after that day. Diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), this dysfunction of my autonomic nervous system linked together almost all of my previous symptoms. At my worst, I couldn't stand for more than a couple minutes at a time and was chronically dizzy, achy, exhausted, and weak. I had to spend a lot of time in bed because even sitting up for a meal was nearly impossible. I couldn't take hot showers, go for walks, or do any kind of light housework. It was a struggle to make it through each day, regularly feeling on the verge of losing consciousness. I was additionally demoralized by the loss of my position at work. Life suddenly came crashing to a halt, and I was reeling.
It was when I stopped striving that I finally had time to open the Bible and search for some answers. I didn't know why this was happening to me, but I prayed and sought God's purpose in it all. The first thing God taught me was that it was okay to rest. I didn't need earn his love by working. He loved me just as I was, lying there broken, pale, and discouraged. I had always been achievement oriented, but God was showing me that his sacrificial love, not my accomplishments, defined my worth. In fact, though I felt painfully useless, it seemed as if God wanted me right where I was.
As time progressed, I fought battles of deep doubt and despair, evidenced by my choice of books: Where is God When it Hurts?, Disappointment with God, and also Shattered Dreams. I was not only coping with my illness but also family circumstances that were profoundly painful. I didn't understand why God kept letting things get worse. At one point, I sat on the floor, staring out a window, and in total frustration, I asked God, "What do you want from me?!" Before I could finish the question, I knew the answer instantly: "Trust me."
As I continue to struggle with invisible illness and its limitations, I've realized the importance of trusting Jesus in faith, even though I don't understand or have all the answers. This faith doesn't change how hard it is to suffer, but it does give me a sure hope of heaven, the capacity for genuine joy in the midst of trial, compassion for others who are hurting, and most importantly, a much deeper love for God than I ever had before.
This song, written by a vocal artist suffering from an invisible illness, beautifully expresses the struggle and reward of trusting Christ with my sorrows.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, sometimes called “Invisible Illness Week” for short. This awareness week was started a few years ago by Lisa Copen. It is a week dedicated to spreading awareness of invisible illnesses and encouraging those who suffer from them.
Lisa saw a need to increase awareness of invisible illnesses because so many people who suffer from them feel alone in their suffering. When an illness is invisible, you can’t tell that someone else is suffering, and you can’t see that life is hard for them too. Invisible Illness Week brings us together to encourage each other, to validate each other’s pain, and to share tips on how to cope.
Lisa also saw a need to help those who are healthy gain a better understanding of invisible illnesses. She heard from family members, caregivers, doctors, and churches who wanted to know how to help those with an invisible chronic illness. These people wanted to do and say the right things, but found themselves doing the wrong thing. Relationships would then fall apart, and those suffering from a chronic illness would be left alone in their pain.
This year for Invisible Illness Week I will be featuring three bloggers here on One Day at a Time who either have an invisible illness or care for someone with an invisible illness. These are some great girls, and you won’t want to miss what they have to say. Come back tomorrow morning for the first guest post of the week!
If you want to see what else is going on during Invisible Illness Week, you can go to the official website at http://www.invisibleillnessweek.com/.
I've had a lot of really bad days lately. A lot. Four weeks ago I had a crash (health-wise), and the following days and weeks were some of the hardest of my life, and I've only started to recuperate. Life has been challenging.
This past weekend the weather was cool one evening, and we ventured outside of the apartment. I enjoyed relaxing in my chaise lounge, being with my family, and seeing more than just our four walls. In the midst of difficult days, these were precious and happy moments. It was the highlight of my month.
Loving on my Adelaide
When my arms got tired, as they quickly do, Will held Adelaide for me.
We sat and chatted, and I enjoyed the views.
Ahhh.....trees and sky instead of white walls!
A portion of our summer flower pot garden.
William was outside with us too, and it was fun to watch him, but he was too busy to make it into many pictures.
Dysautonomia patients and physicians were shocked two weeks ago when the FDA announced that it was pulling midodrine from the market. The news was devastating, but our tiny group of patients pulled together, voiced our opinions, and fought for the medicine that has helped us so much. Friends and family joined in the cause, and we truly overwhelmed the FDA with requests to keep midodrine on the market. Our phone calls clogged up their lines, and we froze up the comment section of their website.
And you know what? It worked! The FDA anounced on Friday that midodrine will stay on the market. I have just been texting and facebooking with some of my dysautonomia friends, and we are so excited that we're having a hard time sleeping (hence my blogging at midnight).
Thank you so much to everyone who has written, emailed, or called the FDA on our behalf. I am so grateful for your help.
The New York Times posted this article on September 3, 2010:
F.D.A. Backtracks and Returns Drug to Market
Two weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would remove the drug midodrine from the market because the drug’s maker never confirmed that the medicine — approved in 1996 under an abbreviated process — actually worked against dizziness and fainting.
But 100,000 patients take midodrine for conditions many say would otherwise be disabling, and many flooded the agency with complaints. So on Friday morning, top F.D.A. officials announced that they had backtracked and would continue to allow midodrine to be sold. The announcement came after inquiries by The New York Times.
“In a different situation, we might act differently,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner. “But in this case, it does not make sense to pull access to the drug while we get better data.”
For a year now I have been working on making hair bows for Adelaide. I started almost as soon as I knew I was going to have a girl, and Adelaide now has quite a collection of hair bows! It is a fun project for me, and one that I can do while in my recliner.
All of Adelaide's hair bows
The pink ones are some of my favorites to put in her hair.
But I did not totally abandon my love for purple. :)
Matching bows for when she has enough hair for pigtails.
I can't wait to put these ladybugs in little pigtails next summer!
I am sharing this post over at Gitzen Girl today. You can go visit her blog to see what her other friends have created!
In May we went to the Creation Museum. I knew that I would be too tired to do the whole museum in one day, so we made a short family vacation out of it. We stayed in a hotel for two nights, and we went to the Creation Museum two days in a row. It was great!
There was so much to see and do that it is hard to pick only a few photos to share. I think my album on facebook has sixty pictures! Here are some of my favorites from our time at the museum.
A Mastodon Skeleton
The Garden of Eden
Adam and Eve before sin entered the world
Noah's Ark being built
They have a life size scale of 1% of the ark. Just that 1% was so big that I couldn't fit it all into this picture!
Here we are with Noah "inside" the ark.
William had fun finding the fossils left behind by the flood.
Did you know that a lot of dinosaurs were the size of chickens? They were small and easily fit on the ark with Noah.
But of course we can't forget T-Rex, Ken Ham's favorite dinosaur.
William had so much fun riding the dinosaur. Adelaide didn't care, but we made her pose for a picture anyway.
There are beautiful botanical gardens on the Creation Museum grounds.
After walking through the garden we got to the petting zoo.
They even had a Zorse and a Zonkey!
That is just a small sampling of our time at the Creation Museum. It was well worth the trip. Have you been to the museum? What was your favorite part?
P.S. Thank you so much to everyone who has written, emailed, or called the FDA. Our voices are definitely being heard. We have truly overwhelmed them, and they were not prepared for such a response. We have frozen up their website on more than one ocassion due to such a high volume of incoming messages on the CDER comment form! They had no idea that 100,000 patients could put up such a fight, and neither did they know that our family and friends are so loyal that they will fight on our behalf when we can't. Thank you, dear friends, for your help! And, by the way, it still isn't too late to call or write. They are still counting letters, emails, and phone calls that come in.
