Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Lundy family! May the joy of the Lord fill your heart and home this season. 

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:8-14

Stille Nacht

Christ der Retter is da! Christ the Savior is born!

Twenty-three years ago, Will and I sang Stille Nacht as a duet in our ​little log cabin church in Alaska​. I didn't know it at the time, but that would be the last time I stood before a congregation or audience to sing.

A few weeks ago, we went with our children to a little stone chapel in Montgomery Bell State Park so that we could sing and record a few songs as a family. I want to share this one with you today. It was a special moment to sing Stille Nacht with Will again, this time with three of our children as well! 

Pretty Lights Pointing to Joy

Every year my church creates an Advent devotion book for the congregation to use as we go through the Advent season. Each devotion is written by a different church member. I wrote the devotion for December 15 in our book, and I want to share it here with you today.

The people who walked in darkness
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

Isaiah 9:2-3

 

When my daughter, Adelaide, was two years old, she was delighted by Christmas lights on houses. Anytime she saw white or colorful lights decorating a house, she would exclaim, “Oh! Pretty lights!” It sounded like, “Oh! Plee-lee lights!” When Adelaide saw more pretty lights, she would tell us again that there were more “plee-lee lights.” It brought her so much joy to see the twinkly lights shining in the darkness. Her delight made such an impact on our family that to this day we continue to quote two-year-old Adelaide when we see Christmas lights.

I smile when I remember young Adelaide’s joy in seeing pretty lights. Her joy was over something small and temporary, but there is a much greater joy to remember as we go through this Advent season and anticipate the arrival of Christmas Day. We are no longer a people walking in darkness. We are no longer trapped in sin. A light has shown, and a Savior has come! God has rescued us from our sin, and He has increased our joy!

Holiday decorations are a small reflection of the real joy of Christmas. When you see Christmas lights decorating houses this season, let them be a reminder of the light that has shone in the darkness. Let them be a reminder of the great gift of salvation and the fullness of joy that is ours in Christ. The joy of pretty lights is fun, but it is fleeting. The joy that we have in knowing Jesus, the true light of the world, is a joy that will last forever. 

Photo by mana5280 on Unsplash

Diamonds 2025 Fall Conference

Diamonds is having a fall conference this year! It will be a two-day conference with the theme of "Truth for Endurance." If you are weary and struggling to endure with chronic illness, this will be a weekend of encouragement and truth to help you persevere. 

The Diamonds 2025 Fall Conference, Truth for Endurance (Romans 5:1–5), is for the chronic illness warrior battling shame, the one weary from long-term health challenges, the suffering Christian wrestling with doubt, and the spoonie who feels like they have nothing left to give. Living with chronic illness is hard, but you are not alone. Together, we will explore how God’s truth gives us strength to endure, shapes our character, and anchors us in hope.  - Diamonds Conference

WHEN: November 7-8, 2025

WHERE: The conference is online, so you can join in from home! You will need to register to receive links to the conference videos.

COST: The cost is FREE for the weekend while it is live! 

I will be speaking at the conference in a panel session titled, Truth for Caregiving. I will be speaking alongside Nate Brooks and Leah Kaiser. If you are a caregiver for someone with a chronic illness, or you have a chronic illness yourself and are a caregiver/parent, I hope this session will be an encouragement to you.

If you would like to attend the Diamonds Conference, we would love to have you! You can register here. On the days of the conference, emails will be sent to you that contain links to the conference videos.

I hope to see you there!

Shelter from a Stranger

I attend an online chronic illness support group each week, and last week we told stories of God's faithfulness in our lives. Throughout the week we had been mulling over the question, "What stories of God's past faithfulness offer you stability when your circumstances feel at odds with God's goodness?" And then when we met together, a few of us shared stories of times when we could clearly see God's faithfulness.

The story I shared was of a time when Will and I were the recipients of God's protection and generous hospitality from a stranger. This is a story I shared online many years ago as a guest post, but I have never shared the whole story here. So today I would like to republish an edited version of my original guest post from November 2011.

Will and I lived in Alaska in our early years of marriage. While we were there, God placed many people in our lives who showed us hospitality in generous ways. One family in particular I will never forget.  

Will and I lived in Glennallen, which is about 200 miles northeast of Anchorage by way of the Glenn Highway. We often drove to Anchorage for shopping trips or to go to the airport. On this particular day in October of 2004, we were driving back home to Glennallen at night. We left Anchorage around 8:00 in the evening and began the long drive home. We soon ran into snow, but by the time we realized how bad the snowstorm was, we had no option but to keep going, and so we did.

It was not an easy drive. We were crossing a mountain range, and the roads were winding and narrow. Sometimes there were very steep drop-offs, and there were no guardrails. I prayed constantly as we were driving, “Lord, please don’t let us go off the road.”

We continued on for many hours until eventually we could go no further. The snow was too deep, and our car could not make it up the hill. We knew that it wouldn’t be wise to spend the night in the car on the side of the highway, especially considering my fragile health, but there was no way to get home until the roads were plowed.

God was watching over us, and He caused us to become stuck in the snow very close to Victory Bible Camp, a Christian camp in the Chugach Mountains. We decided that we would turn around, drive back down the hill, and drive down the camp road as far as we could.

There were many missionaries who lived year-round at Victory Bible Camp, but we did not personally know any of them. We were going to have to ask a stranger for help. We drove until we got stuck, and then we knocked on the door of the nearest house. By this time it was 2:00am. A startled and sleepy man answered the door, and we said, “Hi. We are Will and Rachel Lundy from Alaska Bible College. We are stranded in the snowstorm, and our car is stuck in your driveway. May we stay here for the night?”

This man graciously opened his door and invited us into his family’s home. He told us that earlier that day his wife had put clean sheets on the guest room bed and clean towels in the guest bathroom. We were welcomed to make ourselves at home.

Weary from the intense driving, we crawled into bed, grateful for a safe, warm place to lay our heads for the night. We were so exhausted that we didn’t wake up until 9:00 in the morning. We showered and dressed and then nervously went downstairs to meet the family who was hosting us.

The man we had met the night before was out plowing the camp roads, so we never got to see him again. However, we did meet his lovely wife and children. His wife gave us breakfast and talked with us as if it was the most normal thing for us to be in her kitchen! She said that we could come back anytime we needed a place to stay. What an extravagant example of hospitality!

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…” (NIV). How thankful I am that this family chose to welcome us into their home in our time of need. We were hungry, and they gave us something to eat. We were thirsty, and they gave us something to drink. We were strangers, and they invited us in (Matthew 25:35). They spared us from a long, cold night in our car. One day the King will say to them, "'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'" (Matthew 25:40, NIV).

I cannot remember the name of the family who opened their home to us, but I will never forget their godly example in showing hospitality to strangers in need. I am thankful for their willingness to give us a safe, warm place to spend the night.

And I am thankful to the Lord who so faithfully cared for a chronically ill wife and her husband who were stranded in a snowstorm. He kept our car from going off the road and sliding down the side of the mountain. And He caused our car get stuck near where we would find a safe place to stay. God was faithful to protect us and provide for us in our time of need.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Philippians 4:19-20, NIV).

How has God shown His faithfulness in your life? Please share your story in the comments to encourage your fellow believers!

Photo: Glenn Highway in the Winter, by Kelsey Gray. Used with permission.

Book Review: I'm Praying for You

When we go through suffering, or when we know someone who is suffering, it can be hard to know how to pray. We often pray for relief, but we may struggle to know what to pray for beyond that. If you could use some ideas of ways to pray for someone who is suffering, I recommend I'm Praying for You by Nancy Guthrie. This book is filled with biblical wisdom and helpful direction on ways to pray.

There are 40 devotions that are encouraging and filled with truth. The devotions are short, so if you struggle with brain fog, this might be a book you could read.

After each devotion, there is a prayer to pray for your friend who is suffering. Then there is a QR code that you can scan, and it will copy a short message that you can text to your friend. This message tells your friend what you are praying for them that day based on the devotion you just read.

There is space for journaling after each devotion in the book. If this is a book you will be keeping for yourself, this is a great way to take notes on what you are learning or write a prayer of your own.

If you wish to give it away, this book could be made into a very special gift for a friend who is suffering. You could read through the devotions and pray for your friend each time you do, texting them the copied message to let them know what you are praying. After each devotion, you could either write an encouraging note to your friend in the journaling space, or write a prayer for your friend in your own words.

When you finish reading and journaling through the book, you could give the book to your friend. They would have the encouraging devotions to read, and they would have your notes and prayers at the end of each chapter. The words from Scripture and the prayers from a friend would be very meaningful to a friend who is suffering.

Whether you keep this book as a resource, or gift it to a friend, I'm Praying for You is sure to be a blessing!

Horses, Zebras, and Unicorns

 

I have a little story to tell you today. It is from nearly 30 years ago when I was new to life with dysautonomia. It’s a story I have told very few people, and I recently decided that it needs to have a place on my blog. 

I was diagnosed with dysautonomia as a teenager in 1996. My cardiologist told me that doctors are taught in medical school to expect horses, not zebras. You may be familiar with that analogy. It says, "If you hear hoofbeats, expect horses, not zebras." Doctors look for the most obvious answers and diagnoses first because those are most likely to be accurate. But some patients are actually "zebras." They are outside of what is initially expected, and their conditions are more difficult to diagnose.

However, my doctor told me that I didn't fit into either category. I wasn't a horse or a zebra. I certainly didn’t fit into what was expected for horses, but my body also wasn’t responding well to the treatment for zebras. She said that I was some sort of shade of gray in between, and, unfortunately, there wasn’t a clear course of action for treatment.

My mom relayed this to a friend, and the friend immediately replied, "Oh! She's a unicorn!"

And I kind of loved that. It sounded unique and pretty. Not messy and blah like a shade of gray. Not a fearful unknown, but something with purpose and beauty.

I still like it today. It reminds me that there is beauty in this chronic illness life. God created my body just the way it is, genetic conditions and all. He knit me together in my mother’s womb, and I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14). My body is known to God, and He holds it together (Colossians 1:17). I praise Him for this beautiful life and this “unicorn” body that He has given me. And I thank Him that one day I will receive a resurrection body!

If you live with a chronic illness, and you are tired of being a horse, a zebra, or a fuzzy shade of gray, then maybe it would help to think of yourself as a unicorn! Let it remind you to take delight in the God who created you.

Photo by Kaylee Stepkoski on Unsplash

In the Seams Interview

This week I was interviewed by David Heflin on a podcast called In the Seams. I invite you to listen as I share a little of my story with dysautonomia. I share about how it has impacted me, how my husband has been a help to me, resources that have been beneficial for me, and more. I even share about the origin of Cranberry Tea Time in case you haven't heard that story before! I hope this conversation will be an encouragement to you, especially if you are on your own journey with chronic illness or know someone who is.

You can listen in on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and more linked here.

In the Seams is the podcast for Broken and Mended, a ministry that serves those with chronic pain and illness. They provide both in-person and online support groups. If you are looking for support for your chronic pain or chronic illness journey, their website is a place for you to start to find that help and support. In addition to support groups, the Broken and Mended website also has a resource page and a blog that you will find helpful and encouraging.

I first met David Heflin, the Executive Director of Broken and Mended, through the Diamonds Conference that we have both been a part of. David was a pastor for many years, even while living with his own chronic pain and illness. I think you will enjoy reading (or listening) to his story and the origin of Broken and Mended here. I greatly appreciate his service to the chronic illness community through speaking events, Broken and Mended, and the In the Seams podcast.

5:00 AM Fears

It was 5 a.m. My husband, Will, and I woke to a clattering sound in the apartment. Soon we heard sobbing, and we watched as our youngest came running into our bedroom. 

"Gresham!" I called to him, and he ran to my side of the bed. I scooped him up in my arms and brought him into bed with my husband and me. As I tucked him tight against my side, I asked, "Did you have a bad dream?"

But Gresham was too sleepy to answer. Instead, he snuggled close as his tears subsided, and he relaxed into me. He had brought his fears to the right place, and all was well again. He stayed in our bed for the rest of the night, thankful for the comfort of Mom on one side and Dad on the other.

When nightmares come in the night, my son knows just what to do. He runs to his parents where he knows that he will find safety and comfort. He doesn't remain in his bed, trying to face his fears alone. He doesn’t tough it out and try to fix it on his own. No, he comes to us with his fears right away. He lets us comfort him and give him courage. Once Gresham was in my arms, his fears were gone. He knew he was safe.

As I lay in bed awake that night, I marveled at the example of trust my son had shown to me. I considered my own behavior. When something frightens me, am I as quick to run to the Lord with my fears and anxieties? Or do I first take time to worry and try to solve the problem by myself, running to God only if I don’t think I can fix it on my own? Oh, how I want to be like little Gresham and immediately run to my Heavenly Father and tell Him what concerns me!

Tim Keller has said, “The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 a.m. for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.” Gresham has that kind of access to his parents in the middle of the night. And we have that kind of access to our Heavenly Father, the King of the universe. What an immense privilege! It is one that we best not neglect.

When Gresham needed help in the night, he had to wake me up before I could offer comfort. But thankfully, we have a God who never slumbers or sleeps. We do not have to wake Him up before we can pour out our hearts to Him. He is always there, always ready to listen to our cries for help.

Our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to call to Him. If I, an imperfect human, love my son and want him to come to me in the middle of the night when he is afraid, how much more does God love us, His children, and want us to come running to Him when we are afraid and needy? The writer of Hebrews said, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV). There is always help to be found at the throne of grace.

Moreover, we are told not to be “anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV). Indeed, we are exhorted to cast all of our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). What a blessing to have a God who is ready to hear our fears and give us peace!

Today, if fears and worries assail you, don’t waste time trying to power through hardship on your own. First, go running to your Heavenly Father. Pour out your heart to Him. The God of all comfort is waiting for you. Let Him carry you through whatever worries you have today. He has grace and mercy to help you in your time of need.

Photo by samira sadeqi on Unsplash

Diamonds 2025: Courage

Diamonds 2025 is coming this weekend!

This is for the one facing a medical decision they have no idea how to make.

This is for the chronic illness warrior overwhelmed by financial strain.

This is for the one wondering why God feels so far away in their suffering.

This is for the person who doesn’t know how to ask for help.

This is for the one facing the unknown.

Do you need courage?

You are not alone. 

That’s why I’m so excited to be speaking at Diamonds 2025: Courage.

I’m joining 20 speakers and authors, who are themselves facing chronic illness, for a three-day conference designed especially for Christians facing long-term health challenges.

Click here to register for free!

I am going to be speaking about Courage for Today. During my session, I will be sharing about six things specifically that can give you courage to face another day of chronic illness. I would love to have you join me! My session will be on Saturday, January 25 at 2:40 Pacific Time.

More details about the conference:

When?

January 24-26, 2025

Where?

Online, so you can attend from anywhere!

Cost?

Free while it is live, recordings available for purchase afterward.

Who?

Everyone facing long-term health challenges, or who loves someone facing them.

There is a study guide available for the conference. You can find it here on Amazon. Both paperback and kindle are available. 

Click here to register for Diamonds 2025: Courage. I hope to see you there!

Homebound Saints Need the Body of Christ

Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently received a thought-provoking question on his podcast, The Briefing. A listener wrote in and said, "I’m a Christian who has been bed-bound for the last four years because of ALS. What do I do now that I can’t attend church physically? I feel myself drifting apart from the Word and my hunger for it. I know that I’m doing wrong, but I can’t bring myself to read it consistently. Besides praying and asking for the Lord to return my love for His Word again, what can I do?”

I greatly appreciated Dr. Mohler’s answer. He gave kind and gentle encouragement to the man who was homebound with ALS. There was no criticism in his response. He didn’t tell the man to simply read Scripture more and pray more. Instead, he rightly explained that the local church has the responsibility to serve and help this man in his spiritual walk with the Lord. Dr. Mohler gave a charge to churches to stand up and graciously, lovingly, and boldly come alongside homebound saints.

As a person who is primarily homebound, it was equal parts shocking and wonderful to hear someone make such a bold statement! Until I listened to this podcast episode, I do not believe I had ever heard a healthy person publicly state that the church has a responsibility to minister to its homebound members. It was a relief and an encouragement to hear Dr. Mohler’s charge to the church to come alongside those who are homebound. I hope and pray that God will use Dr. Mohler’s words in his podcast to spur churches on to change in this area.

Sadly, the homebound are often a neglected part of the body of Christ. Over the past twenty years, I have privately heard stories of deep pain and neglect from fellow chronically ill and homebound believers across the world. I also have my own stories of hurt that only those closest to me know. Based on my experience, and the stories I have heard, this seems to be a widespread problem in churches. It grieves me to say that spiritual and physical needs of homebound members are often neglected.

I do not believe the neglect is intentional. I think often it is a case of “out of sight, out of mind.” A local church congregation does not see its homebound members regularly, if at all, so they do not think about them. The church is happy to speak with homebound members if they are able to make it to a service on a rare occasion, but they do not think to befriend someone who cannot typically leave home. Perhaps churches think a homebound person needs rest, so they do not want to call or ask about visiting and “bother” them. Instead, their names are added to a prayer sheet, and the care stops at prayer.

I do not write this post for myself. I write this on behalf of those who cannot speak up themselves. I write this for those who are spiritually languishing in their homes, praying, hoping, and waiting for their church to understand the need. I write this for those who have reached out to their church, asking for encouragement and help, and have received little to no response. I write this for those who need someone to reach out to them with friendship and spiritual encouragement because they are too lonely and discouraged to try again.

Believers are not meant to live the Christian life alone, but homebound saints often do. The homebound and chronically ill are there in your church and in your neighborhood. They may be in their home, in an assisted living center, or in a nursing home. They may live alone, with a spouse, with a roommate, or with their family. Wherever they are, they need you! They need practical service, and they need spiritual encouragement. Please do not assume that someone else is already visiting them and encouraging them in the Lord. That may not be the case, and the homebound saints need the body of Christ.

Being homebound is lonely and hard. If you know someone who is homebound, will you please step into their lives? Will you befriend them in their homes? Will you minister to their physical and spiritual needs? Will you encourage them when their spirits grow weak?

I know that there are many churches who do minister to their homebound brothers and sisters in Christ. And I praise the Lord for churches such as these! There are also individual Christians who reach out with care and friendship to the homebound, and these friends are a treasure to those who are blessed to have them. Every homebound believer needs a church and Christian friends such as these.

Dear church, please do not neglect the homebound saints in your congregation. They may not be able to physically attend services, but they are part of your local body, and they need you. Not only that—you need them! You will suffer if just one part of the body is neglected. The church needs its chronically ill, disabled, and homebound members. They are indispensable. Embrace them, love them, and serve them. And in the process, you may find that you are blessed in return.

“But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-22

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.

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 challenges 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.

Please 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!

A Conversation with Sara Willoughby

Today I have my friend, Sara Willoughby, joining me on the blog. Sara is a blogger, author, and conference host. We first met through the online Diamonds Conference that she hosts annually. She is a gem, and it has been such a delight to get to know her over the past few years.

 

I am excited to share Sara with all of you today. After you read here, you are invited to click over to Sara's blog where you will find me chatting with her!

Hello Sara! Welcome to Cranberry Tea Time! I’m so glad to have you here with us today. Please tell us a little about yourself and your chronic illness journey. And please tell us about your book too!

Hi Rachel! I’m so glad to be here. I’ve been stalking Cranberry Tea Time for years now, and it is such a valuable resource for chronic illness warriors.

For those reading — I love dark chocolate, superhero movies, and adventures! I also am recovering from Lyme disease, MCS, and Toxic Mold Poisoning. I first got sick as a teenager, and it has been a long journey for my family and I. We lost friends, material possesions, and I lost my childhood. At fifteen, I was given a month to live, and it completely changed my way of life.

As I was struggling to reconcile my faith with my suffering, I started to look for resources online. I hadn’t found Cranberry Tea Time (or all the other similar resources) yet, and so I started writing my own blog about my experiences. Eventually, people started reading it and told me, “This is crazy, but I have the same battle!”

And from there, my first book was born. It’s called He’s Making Diamonds, and it’s about faith in God in chronic illness. I wrote it out of my questions — and how God met me in the middle of them.

Sara in Bosnia & Herzegovina

Where are you living now and what are you doing these days?

I’m continuing to write — I think I’d go crazy if I didn’t! I have several books in the works for future publication, and of course, as you mentioned the Diamonds Conference takes a lot of my time and focus.

However, one of my long-time dreams has been to serve as a cross-cultural worker. That was a dream that had to die when chronic illness became part of my life. But recenly, God has made it possible for that dream to be resurrected and redeemed, and I just moved to Bosnia & Herzegovina.

What are you learning right now in your walk with the Lord?

Lately, the question that’s been reverberating in my mind is, “What if God loved us as much as He says He does?” Because, friend, if we truly believed that and lived like it, that would change everything.
 
Reading the Bible, I’ve been noticing anew how His love is mentioned so constantly and described and demonstrated so gigantically beyond my comprehension. And all my life, I’ve just skimmed over it. “Yeah, he loves the little children, now how can I please Him?”

What if every time God’s love is mentioned in the Bible and described as “steadfast” “enduring forever” “abounding” and “perfect” was taken seriously. What if it is really that uncomprehendably wonderful?

If God loves you and me as much as He says He does, it changes everything. It means that we can stop trying to hard. It means that shame, fear, and condemnation have absolutely no power in our lives.

It turns every good deed into an act of worship rather than trying to meet some standard.

I know you’ve heard this a million times before. I grew up in the church, I’d heard it a million times too. But lately, God has been making this real to me in a way that I never understood before. He crazy loves you. He crazy loves me.

It’s turning my life and my heart upside down.

Sara when she was sick as a teenager

What are some Bible verses, books, songs, or other resources that have been especially encouraging and helpful to you in your life with chronic illness?

After I got sick, my favorite Bible verse became 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Sickness and suffering made me weak, but through that, I’ve gotten to see God glorified and experience His power more and more.

Some other resources . . . goodness, there are so many! I’ll share a few.

Books: Suffering Is Never For Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot and When Chronic Pain And Illness Take Everything Away: How To Mourn Our Losses by Esther Smith.

Songs: Diamonds by Hawk Nelson, Oh My Soul by Casting Crowns, and One Day by Christa Wells

Websites: Chronic Joy and Cassidy’s Heart

What are some of the good things have you seen come from the trials and suffering in your
life?

God has worked in so many ways in my life through my suffering. I’ve personally grown in compassion, world view, faith, hope, and boundaries. I’ve also gotten to see God use my story to encourage others and point them to Him. I’ve gotten to meet and love people I never would have otherwise. And God has opened the doors for my suffering to be a springboard to ministry.
 
But perhaps the most beautiful good thing I’ve seen is how suffering grew my intimacy with God. It allowed me to experience a closeness with Him that I never would have had otherwise. A closeness that came from honestly telling him everything — the good, the bad, the ugly, the angry, and the fearful. In that honesty came intimacy, and it is more beautiful than I can express.

That is beautiful. Thank you for being here today, Sara. It is wonderful to hear about what God has been teaching you over the years as you live and serve Him with chronic illness.

S. G. Willoughby is the author of He’s Making Diamonds: A Teen’s Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness and the host of the Diamonds conference. She loves to write and have adventures. Sara is a TCK, a Lymie, and a dark chocolate lover. You can find her at sgwilloughby.com.