Snapshot Journal: What I’m Doing Currently

I’m back with recommendations of books, shows, and more that I’ve been enjoying, along with an update on me.

I took a blogging break for a few months because I received new medical diagnoses and had to have surgery in July. I also went through a time where there was concern that my cancer had recurred, but results from my surgery came back clear, praise God.

I didn’t feel like writing about these challenges at the time. And I also didn’t feel like blogging without addressing them because it felt like I would be denying my reality and the affect it was having on me.

I share this as a reminder that if you have a chronic illness or blog about chronic illness, we don’t have to share things right away. And we don’t have to share everything if it doesn’t feel helpful.

I’ve needed to step back from blogging and find refuge in Christ. There’s healing happening in the midst of this suffering , and more healing that needs to happen.

I enjoyed writing out a snapshot of what I’ve been doing in my last blog post, and decided to do that again for October.

It can feel odd to write out a list of “highlights” when things have been so difficult. I’m so grateful for the little bit more energy and capacity I had the last part of August and the first half of September. I say “had” because the weather change has impacted the severity of my symptoms and has meant I won’t have any more in-person get togethers with friends during the months my health is worse.

A lot of chronic illness is both/and. I’m both grateful and grieving. I’m both happy to look back and saddened to. I want to record and celebrate the good and I want to give myself room to feel what I feel.

Maybe you can relate to this: I have to remind myself that recording the good things in a list like this doesn’t negate the difficult things. The hard things are still there, and often easier to focus on. So I want to be intentional to take the time to focus on good things. If this sounds helpful for you, I encourage you to write up a snapshot yourself! It can contain the categories I use or ones you make up yourself.

This post contains affiliate links.

I hope this is encouraging for anyone who finds themselves in a similar place. I also share spiritual resources I’ve found helpful below.

Here’s to acknowledging our struggles when and how we’re ready, and recording the things that bring us joy.

Snapshot Journal September/October 2023

Reading

For the Glory: The Untold and Inspiring Story of Eric Liddell, Hero of Chariots of Fire
Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel
Thor: Thunder in her Veins

Check out my favorite fiction and nonfiction from summer and September on Instagram.

Eating
Justin’s peanut butter cups (This is the first time I’ve tried something made on shared equipment with dairy in four or five years, and so far no problem!)
Acorn squash (a very autumny food)
Grilled ham and cheeze with soup (here’s the dairy-free cheeze I get, and other allergy-friendly options)

Watching
Stone of Destiny (Prime)
Jesus Revolution (Paid on Prime)
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (Prime)
Young Sheldon (Max)
Loki season 1 (rewatch before season 2)

Continuing to watch Studio Ghibli movies for the first time (Another favorite: Nausicca) (Max)
Jazza (creative and hilarious artist on Youtube)
Lost Forest (aesthetic videos featuring cats on YouTube. Pickle is my favorite)

Listening

The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack 

Sleepcasts on Headspace
Pause App by Wild at Heart

Podcasts
An interview with Alisa Childer’s dad, whose band Love Song is in the film Jesus Revolution:
From Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll to Jesus: A Hippie’s Journey to Faith, with Chuck Girard 
Deeper series (Wild at Heart)

Wearing
A colorful maxi dress
Black dresses on cool days
New compression socks (They’re a little looser than my go-tos but with better compression than my other pair, so I think they’re my new favorite for comfort and effectiveness)

Accomplishments
Finishing my second embroidery project
Rejoining a book group and setting up a virtual chat for the members so I can participate

Decluttering
Clothes in my dresser
Files by my computer
Still working on the sticky notes

Planning
Christmas gifts
To share my Disneybounds and Halloween costumes this month. Here’s my first costume on Instagram

Autumn activities
Pumpkin patch
Bake something with rhubarb
Maybe craft with acorns I found at my Grandma’s

Needing
To find gluten-free, allergen free frozen grilled chicken that’s easy to use in meals
A new hazelnut milk since they discontinued mine. (I literally dreamed about trying to find hazelnut milk! I really want to be able to have some for cocoa apparently.)

Wanting
To start building the LEGO set I was given last Christmas
To paint an Over the Garden Wall watercolor

Enjoying
Seeing friends in person
Sunshine
Getting back to blogging
Pumpkins
Making an autumn bingo board

Bible Reading
1 and 2 Peter
Jude

Bible Memorization
I have not kept up on weekly Bible verse memorization like I planned. I seem to find a verse each month that stays on my heart and seems particularly relevant to what God is teaching me. So my new goal is monthly memorization.
“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

So there is my Snapshot Journal! 

What have you been up to lately? What categories would you add to this list?

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