Chronic Illness in the Hand of the Refiner
“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.” Malachi 3:3A MASTER CRAFTSMAN SHAPESA master craftsman deploys many tools to accomplish his artistry in the creation of a masterpiece from a block of wood. The work often begins with a hammer and chisel to effect a major reshaping. A finely sharpened tool may be used to give new contours to the wood. Sometimes, his shaping work calls for the finest of sandpaper. The friction it creates is barely...
Encouragement from the Blog
Announcing the Chronic Joy Prayer Pond!
Prayer is the heartbeat of Chronic Joy Ministry. Prayer for a thriving Chronic Joy community has been our heart from the very beginning, though logistically, we've been challenged as those in our community are spread across the world. Yet in God’s perfect timing,...
Laughter Can Help Heal Life’s Most Difficult Times
Not long ago my family was sitting around the dinner table after finishing a meal just lingering in the joy of each other’s company. I don’t even remember what we were talking about, but before I knew it we were all erupting in laughter—the deep belly,...
Learning to Be Thankful for My Thorn
Thorns hurt! We have several rose bushes in our backyard and when I accidentally brush my hand or arm against one, OUCH! is the first word out of my mouth. Sometimes the wound is deep and the pain is so sharp that it brings tears to my eyes. Thorns are a lot like...
May – Poetry Prompt
POETRY IS AGELESS There is no age before which you must begin. Poetry is ageless, timeless, and open to all. Langston Hughes published his first major work at age 19, Emily Bronte at 29, Virginia Woolf at 33, Maya Angelou at 41, and Emily Dickinson was first...
3 Truths for Grieving What Chronic Illness Has Stolen
At first, I was numb. Illness has broken my heart so many times already that I didn’t react.Time. Normalcy. Abilities. Naivety. Innocence. Freedom. Dignity. Ease. School. Home. Relationships.Illness has stolen and broken so much, so deeply that my emotions no...
My Bipolar Daughter
After eighteen years of loving her, of nurturing her since I picked her up in my arms as a nearly six-year-old in that dingy, Russian orphanage outside of St. Petersburg, I couldn’t believe yet another diagnosis would be added to her multiple others.My dear Anna,...
