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!

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!

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!

Diamonds Conference and Study Guide

The Diamonds 2021 Conference starts this weekend! Have you signed up to attend? I would love to see you there! The conference starts on Friday at 11 am EST. You can view a full conference schedule on the conference webpage. 

What is Diamonds 2021? Diamonds 2021 is a free online conference for chronically ill Christians. 

When is Diamonds 2021? January 22-24, 2021

Who is speaking at Diamonds 2021? Over twenty people who are affected by chronic illness in various ways.

What does Diamonds 2021 cost? Nothing! The conference is free during the conference weekend. If you wish to view the conference after the 24th, you may purchase an all-access pass for lifetime access to the conference videos!

Where is Diamonds 2021? 100% online. You can register for free at this link.

I am happy to say that the study guide is now available on Amazon! The Kindle copy is FREE! Or if you prefer to have a physical copy, you may purchase a paperback study guide for $5.99.

Chronic illness is messy, and so often we let it become who we are. But illness cannot steal either your purpose or identity. Diamonds 2021 is an online conference for chronically ill Christians. The goal of the conference is to encourage all those facing invisible battles.

You aren’t alone — far from it.

This year, twenty authors, bloggers, and ministry leaders who battle chronic illnesses themselves are joining together to offer hope and insight as you navigate relationships in the midst of long-term illness. Hear from people like Susie Larson, Chris Simning, Kara Swanson, Mary Frey, and many others about topics like:

• Navigating Grief and Chronic Illness
• Marriage with a Chronic Illness
• How to Create Your Unique Support Community
• How to Serve God When You’re Chronically Ill
• And much more!

This study guide will help you make the most out of the Diamonds 2021 conference and remember what you learned far past the end of the conference.

I hope you will be able to join us this weekend! If you live with a chronic illness, or are a caregiver for someone with a chronic illness, this could be a very encouraging and helpful conference for you. You are not alone in the struggles you face. And this weekend we are coming together to encourage and pray for one another. See you there!

Diamonds 2021 Conference

The Diamonds Conference is coming again in 2021, and I would love to invite you to join us! Two years ago Sara Willoughby started the Diamonds Conference, and it has become an annual conference that many of us enjoy. Diamonds 2021 will be January 22-24, 2021. 

If you have a chronic illness, this will be a helpful and encouraging conference for you to attend. And even if you don't have a chronic illness yourself, but you have a friend or family member with chronic illness, you may find helpful information and encouragement during the conference as well!

We want the conference to be as accessible as possible to those with chronic illness, so the conference is completely online, and it is free during the conference weekend! After the conference weekend is over, you will have the option to purchase an all-access pass so that you can have lifetime access to the videos. There will also be some scholarships available for the all-access pass.

The theme this year is Purpose in Affliction. Speakers will be sharing about God's purposes in affliction, purpose we have in the midst of suffering, ways we have seen God use affliction for good, serving the Lord when we are chronically ill, and much more!

There are about twenty different speakers this year! These are all people who are affected by chronic illness, so you get to hear from those who understand what life is like with a long-term physical affliction.

My husband and I are excited to be speaking at the conference this year. On January 22nd, we will be speaking together about marriage with a chronic illness. We will share a glimpse into our marriage and talk about ways God has used affliction for good in our marriage and in our family. There will be a short Q&A session after we speak for those who have questions. We hope this session will be an encouragement to others that God is working in your marriage for your good and His glory.

I will also be speaking during another session. On Sunday evening I will be sharing about suffering from a biblical perspective. This will be a big picture look at suffering, from beginning to end in the Bible, including ways God uses suffering for good in the life of a believer. The title of my talk is "An Eternal Weight of Glory: A Biblical Theology of Suffering."

You can learn more about the conference here! You can see a list of the speakers, find a conference schedule, and find more information as the conference draws closer.

If you want to attend the conference, I recommend registering right away! There will be more information in the coming weeks, and you don't want to miss it!

Five Minute Friday: Perspective

I have not participated in Five Minute Friday since before Stafford was born! It is time for me to join the writing crew again! Every Friday, writers gather together to all write on the same writing prompt for just 5 minutes. It is quick and easy blogging! This week the word is: Perspective.

Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances, and if you had the choosing of your lot, you would soon cry, "Lord, choose my inheritance for me, for by my self-will I am pierced through with many sorrows." Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good. Take up your own daily cross; it is the burden best suited for your shoulder, and will prove most effective to make you perfect in every good word and work to the glory of God. 

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
excerpt from Morning and Evening Devotions, Evening, November 11

Many of us currently find ourselves in situations we would not choose if were it up to us. We would not choose to be sick, to lose our jobs, or to have a global pandemic. We would not choose to have nurses and doctors and medical professionals in such danger. We would not choose to have loved ones die. We would not choose to lose the ability to safely gather in groups at our schools, churches, and in our communities. We would not choose many of the trials we find ourselves in right now as a result of COVID-19.

We live in a world that is under a curse, so we face suffering and pandemics in this life. From our perspective, our circumstances may not seem best. But we serve a God who is sovereign and powerful and who works all things for our good, even in the midst of suffering. We can be certain that He is working the circumstances of this pandemic for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purpose.

The trials we are facing right now have have been chosen for us by a wise and loving God. He has a perspective that we do not have, and we can trust that He has placed us in the right circumstances for us right now.

Keep on keeping on, dear soldier of Christ. God has a purpose for you in this pandemic. He has a way He wants to use you. He has a way He wants to grow you. God has chosen to have you live in this time and place in history. Divine love has put you here.

Trust In Jesus and Do the Next Right Thing

Life has changed a great deal across the United States in the past month as COVID-19 has been spreading. Even before a stay-at-home order was issued in our state, my family began a self-quarantine at home. We have been taking the need for social distancing seriously, both to protect our own health and to protect others. We have been staying in our home unless we must leave for something important like a doctor's appointment or groceries. But if we can avoid going out for those things, we do! Will doesn’t even go to the office for work anymore; he works from our basement.

The quarantine life started for us on March 16. William and Adelaide came home from school at noon, and we began a two week break from school. The kids and I kicked it off with a movie afternoon! We popped popcorn, made hot chocolate, and watched Frozen 2. This was my first time watching Frozen 2, and I loved it! There was a message in it that I found to be very timely as COVID-19 spreads across the world.

I am probably one of the few people who had never seen Frozen 2, so perhaps you already know the basic storyline. The kingdom of Arendelle was in danger, and the townspeople had to flee for safety. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven set out to find the answers they needed to save the kingdom from certain destruction. The situation was overwhelming and scary, and everything felt out of control. The wise old troll told them that "all one can do is the next right thing." These words were repeated several times throughout the film. In fact, Anna even sang a song about doing the next right thing!

The words, "do the next right thing," stood out to me because they were very similar to something Elisabeth Elliot used to say in her writing and speaking. I read these words from her last summer in the book, Suffering Is Never for Nothing:

There's an old legend, I'm told, inscribed in a parsonage in England somewhere on the sea coast, a Saxon legend that said, "Do the next thing." I don't know any simpler formula for peace, for relief from stress and anxiety than that very practical, very down-to-earth word of wisdom. Do the next thing. That has gotten me through more agonies than anything else I could recommend.

Elisabeth Elliot was a missionary in Ecuador in the 1950s with her husband, Jim Elliot, and they had a baby girl, named Valarie. They had been married for less than 3 years when Jim and 4 other missionary men were speared to death. After Jim died, Elisabeth chose to stay in Ecuador with Valarie and continue the mission work. In the midst of her grief, she focused on doing the next thing. And in the years to follow, she would often encourage others with that simple phrase: “do the next thing.”

As I watched Frozen 2 with my kids, it was fun to hear words that were so close to Elisabeth Elliott's. It was also a good reminder to simply do the next right thing when life is hard and scary. And it all seemed very timely due to the global pandemic that is happening currently!

There is much that is unknown right now. We don’t know what the schools will be doing in a month. We don’t know who will catch the virus or when. We don’t know when we will be able to safely leave our homes. We don't know what exactly is going to happen with the economy. We don't know what is going to happen to people in third world countries who lack adequate food, shelter, clean water, and medical care. It is easy to look at the COVID-19 pandemic and become paralyzed with fear. What can we even do?

We can trust in Jesus. And we can do the next right thing.

What is the next right thing for you? Maybe it is snuggling with your children and reading books. Maybe it is calling an elderly neighbor to see if you can pick up groceries for them. Maybe it is taking a nap. Maybe it is making a conscious decision to rest in the sovereignty of God. Maybe it is spending time in prayer. Maybe it is making supper. Maybe it is giving your baby a bath. Maybe it is supporting Mercy House or another nonprofit that serves people in third world countries.

There is something for you to do. Do that thing. And then do the next thing.

Our God is still sovereign. None of this has come to us apart from His knowledge or power. He is in control. He is loving and faithful and good. If you love God and are called according to His purpose, then He will work this out for your good! Trust in Him when everything seems scary and out of control.

We don't need to know how long the Coronavirus pandemic will last. We don't need to know how it will all turn out. But we do need to trust in Jesus and do the next right thing.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

And in case you haven't seen it, here is Anna singing The Next Right Thing in Frozen 2.

What is the next right thing for you today?

Favorite Books of 2019

In 2019 I had a goal of reading 20 books. I ended up reading 24 books! Some of those books were very, very short, but I was grateful for the ability to read as many as I did! Here are some of my favorite books from last year.

Suffering Is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot

Elisabeth Elliot is someone who faced various hard trials in her life. Through it all she remained faithful to God, trusted in Him, and worked faithfully to simply do the next thing. Suffering Is Never for Nothing is based on a speaking series she gave many years ago. The words in the book were taken directly from the transcript of her speaking series. Elisabeth Elliot shares, as she always did, in her straightforward, no-nonsense way. This is an encouraging book for the believer who is trying to make sense of the very hard suffering in life, and it is also beneficial for the believer who is looking for help as they face everyday challenges.


Hope When It Hurts by Kristen Wetherell and Sarah Walton

This little book is so encouraging and helpful! It is filled with solid truths from Scripture that you can cling to when life hurts. Sarah and Kristen write from personal, painful experience, and they offer rock-solid hope. They consistently point the reader back to Jesus and to the eternal and precious promises we have through Him. Hope When It Hurts is deep and rich. It is beautiful and practical. I recommend it to everyone!


Friendish by Kelly Needham

Friendish is a timely and much-needed look at friendship from a biblical perspective. Kelly Needham has written a book filled with wisdom and truth. She takes the reader straight to Scripture to find guidance for the way we do friendship. With so many bad examples of friendship in the culture around us, it is easy to lose sight of what friendship should be. Friendish will help you to see patterns and pitfalls to avoid, and it will encourage you to grow as a godly friend to others. For anyone wanting to learn how to honor God in their friendships, this book is a must read!

The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo

This is a helpful, practical, and solidly biblical parenting book. Lou Priolo helps the parent to get to the heart of emotions and attitudes in their children and in their own hearts. The Heart of Anger is an excellent book to read, and a very good resource to keep on your bookshelf.


The Complicated Heart by Sarah Mae

In this compelling memoir, Sarah Mae shares her story of growing up with an alcoholic mother. She tells of her pain and struggles as well as her path to healing. This is the story of a mother and daughter that is filled with hurt, abuse, and difficulty. But it is a story that ends with redemption, love, and reconciliation. Before her mother passed away, Sarah promised her that she would tell their story. This book is the fulfillment of that promise. The Complicated Heart is a good book for anyone who is struggling to love and to forgive those who are close to them who have hurt them. And it is a great book for those who need help understanding the depth of pain and suffering that is present in some families.

What good books have you read lately? Are there any books that I should add to my 2020 reading shelf?

Review: Suffering Is Never for Nothing

I was delighted to learn this year that a new book by Elisabeth Elliot has been published!  Many of you are familiar with Elisabeth Elliot already, and you probably know that she passed away a few years ago. She faced suffering in many different forms throughout her life. She spent challenging years in a remote jungle as a missionary, both when she was single and when she was married. Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was speared to death, and she was left alone with a young daughter to raise. Her second husband died of cancer. In her later years she suffered from Alzheimer’s. Through it all, she remained faithful to God, trusted in Him, and worked faithfully to simply do the next thing.

Elisabeth Elliot’s new book is titled, Suffering Is Never for Nothing, and it is based on a speaking series she gave many years ago. The words in the book are taken directly from the transcript of her speaking series, and very little editing was necessary. It was delightful to read this book and to “hear” Elisabeth Elliot’s voice again. She shares, as she always did, in her straightforward, no-nonsense way.

This is an encouraging book for the believer who is trying to make sense of the very hard suffering in life, and it is also beneficial for the believer who is looking for help as they face everyday challenges. If you are searching for hope in your suffering today, I pray that Elisabeth Elliot’s words will be an encouragement to you.

Suffering Is Never for Nothing

(If you are reading this in an email, you may click over to the blog to see the video clip.)

I cannot say to you, I know exactly what you’re going through. But I can say that I know the One who knows. And I’ve come to see that it’s through the deepest suffering that God has taught me the deepest lessons. And if we’ll trust Him for it, we can come through to the unshakable assurance that He’s in charge. He has a loving purpose. And He can transform something terrible into something wonderful. Suffering is never for nothing. - Elisabeth Elliot

You can watch all of the videos from Elisabeth Elliot's teaching series, originally titled Suffering Is Not for Nothing, for free here on the Ligonier website.

If you prefer reading over a video series, I recommend picking up a copy of the new book, Suffering Is Never for Nothing, found at Amazon and Christian Book. This is a short book, with only six chapters, but it is a gem of a book! You will be challenged and encouraged in your faith!

Disclaimer: I was given an advanced reader e-copy through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions in this blog post are my own.

Favorite Books of 2018

Last year I had a goal of reading 15 books. I knew I wouldn't be able to do much reading after Stafford was born, so I kept my goal pretty low. I was able to reach my goal, but I must admit that several of my books were very short!

Here are four of my favorite books from last year:

The Gospel According to Paul by John MacArthur

This is a wonderful book! John MacArthur clearly explains the gospel as it is taught through the letters of Paul in the Bible. Reading this book helped me to appreciate even more the sacrifice of Jesus on my behalf and to marvel at the beauty of the gospel. The Gospel According to Paul is a must-read!

Glorious Intruder by Joni Eareckson Tada

I often read a chapter in this book at night before falling asleep, and I’m so grateful for Joni’s encouragement through this book during a difficult year for me. No matter what you are suffering through in life, Joni’s words will help to encourage your heart and strengthen your spirit. This book contains very short chapters, which is very helpful for those who struggle with reading or brain fog.

Doing Life Together by Debbie Lillo

This is a great little book, and it is available for free on Kindle. Doing Life Together is a good resource for individuals and churches who wish to reach out to families affected by disability. It is very applicable for families who are affected by a disabling chronic illness as well. If someone came to me and asked for tips on how to reach out to the chronically ill in their church, this is one of the first books I would recommend.

God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell

Trillia has written a wonderful children’s book that shares the Gospel and God’s plan for a diverse people to worship Him. God’s Very Good Idea is filled with fun and colorful illustrations, and it will be a delight for parents and children to read together.


This year I have a goal of reading 20 books. I'm keeping up so far, but just barely!

What were your favorite books from last year? What books are you enjoying currently?

Review: The Long Goodbye

One of my favorite bloggers was Kara Tippetts. She wrote at Mundane Faithfulness about motherhood and her journey with cancer. One of the things I appreciated so much about Kara was her absolute trust in God's sovereignty and in His good plan for her life, even though it wasn't the story she would have chosen.

Kara passed away four years ago, and her story is now being told through a new documentary, The Long Goodbye: The Kara Tippetts Story. This documentary follows her journey as cancer slowly takes her. It is a sad story to watch, and yet it is also full of hope and beauty because Kara knew Jesus.

Some of my favorite scenes in the film were ones where Kara was spending time with her children in whatever way she could, even when she was confined to bed. Those moments were especially encouraging to me as a mom with a disabling chronic illness. I am homebound and have to spend the majority of my time resting in bed, so being able to catch a glimpse of another mom who was loving her children while exhausted and confined to bed was very encouraging to me.

Kara sought to be kind even when grieving and in pain. She had such a hard story, but she lived it well, and she trusted in Jesus through it all. She is an example of how to live well, and how to die well.

My favorite quote from Kara in this documentary:

The world says I should be angry, that I should be shaking my fist at God. I didn’t think at 38 I’d be battling cancer, but I am, and so I need to find contentment in that place. I want to be able to share this story that suffering isn’t a mistake, and it isn’t the absence of God’s goodness because He’s present in pain.

The documentary is very well done. I highly recommend it. It is sad and wonderful and hope-filled. It will help you to keep your eyes on Jesus as you persevere through whatever hard thing you have been called to endure.

The Long Goodbye

(If you are reading this in an email, you may click over to the blog to view the trailer.)

The documentary is available on DVD and digital. The DVD is my favorite of the two formats because it has bonus features with Joanna Gaines, Joni Eareckson Tada, and Ann Voskamp. You can find the DVD on Amazon, CBD, Barnes & Noble, and Lifeway. The digital version can be found on Amazon, christiancinema.com, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.

Photos are courtesy of Jay Lyons Productions.

Favorite Books of 2017

I enjoyed reading plenty of books in 2017. I finished 43 books in the year, and I started a few more. My reading goals are not as ambitious for 2018. My goal this year is to read 15 books, and I hope to finish most of them before Stafford is born.

Here are my favorite books from 2017:

Gracelaced by Ruth Chou Simons

Gracelaced is one of the most beautiful and encouraging devotion books I have ever read! Each page is illustrated by Ruth, who is both an author and an artist. Her devotions are rich and encouraging for whatever season of life you find yourself in.

The Wonder Within You by Carey Wickersham

This is a pregnancy book that is written from a Christian perspective. It is filled with helpful information, stories from other moms, and journaling prompts. There is also a pregnancy calendar with stickers to keep a record of milestones in pregnancy. I am enjoying reading and journaling through this book during my pregnancy with Stafford.

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

This was a sad book to read, but I am so glad I read it. Twelve Years a Slave was written by a black man who was free for the first 30 years of his life, but then he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. After being freed from slavery, he wrote a book about his twelve years in slavery. This book provides a glimpse into the horrors of slavery in America.


United by Trillia Newbell

This is a great book about pursuing diversity in our friendships and in our churches. Trillia Newbell writes with grace and wisdom. I appreciated reading stories of her experiences growing up as an African American and her experiences in the church. This is a good book for all believers to read and be challenged by.


Happiness by Randy Alcorn

Happiness is a book that I will keep on my shelf as a reference for years to come. I highly recommend it. This is a message that is needed by Christians today, and it is a message that is needed by the world. There is true and lasting happiness to be found, and that happiness is found in knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior and living for Him alone. You can read my full review here.


A Lifetime of Wisdom by Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni is my favorite author, so it is no surprise that one of her books would again find its way onto my list of favorite books from my year of reading. A Lifetime of Wisdom was written after Joni had been a quadriplegic for 40 years (she has now lived with quadriplegia for over 50 years). In each chapter Joni briefly shares her thoughts and experiences from the early weeks and years after her diving accident, and then in the rest of the chapter she shares with the wisdom and the perspective of a woman who has walked with the Lord through 40 years of quadriplegia. It was encouraging to see how the Lord has worked in her life over the years, using suffering to make her more like Jesus.


What were your favorite books from last year? What are you reading currently?