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Why I’m Making Christmas Cards in January
Since Christmas, I’ve still been in a Christmasy mood. Which has been nice because it has made the season feel like it’s lasted a little longer. I was very unwell Christmas day, so this has helped. I still felt like making Christmas things, and I’ve actually had a little bit of energy this month to do so.
It has also helped that my parents got us a Sizzix embossing/die cutting machine for Christmas, which has been so fun to play with. Plus, it’s made card making very easy. (And watching tutorials on YouTube for using fun card cutouts while I’m crashed in a recliner has been inspiring. It’s nice to feel like I’m learning something and getting creatively inspired, vs. just being stuck recuperating.)
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Brain Fog Broke My Internal Editor
Fibromyalgia has impacted my ability as a writer, and I’m just starting to understand all the ways it has. I’ve been trying to express it for awhile, with the irony being that it takes way more effort now for me to express anything. Brain fog has made it extremely hard for me to objectively edit my work. It’s like the editing part of my brain is broken.
Blogging has been much harder than I thought it would be, for reasons I didn’t expect. I knew energy to write was going to be a challenge, in addition to fighting through brain fog to express myself. But I wasn’t expecting to have so much trouble evaluating the quality of my work.
I was given a great piece of advice
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To the Christian Who Feels Sad at Christmastime—Here’s What’s Helping Me
We’re getting real on the blog today.
I want talk about struggling with feelings of sadness around Christmas, something that can impact anyone, not only those of us with chronic illness.
In a way, this feels a bit like a taboo subject. I kind of worry about admitting to this struggle out of fear that people will think I’m not grateful for all Christmas represents (it is Jesus’ birthday after all!) or that my sadness means I somehow dislike Christmas (which certainly is not the case!)
I’ve struggled over the past several holiday seasons, and a lot of it has had to do with getting used to my limitations due to chronic illness. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, so in addition to struggling with not feeling happy, I’m also struggling with not feeling quite like myself. My love for Christmas is a part of who I am, so this sadness is yet another way my chronic illnesses impact my identity.
And I think as Christians we can sometimes feel pressure to feel or act happy 24/7, so feeling sad this time of year adds another layer of complexity—I feel guilty about it!
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Q&A with Calina: “Arthritis can happen to young people, too.”
Calina is a dear friend of mine who is super tech savvy, loves video games, good movies, and practicing hospitality. We met in college at a Bible study hosted by a mutual friend. She took me to my first ComicCon several years ago, which was incredible!
Calina graciously agreed to be my guinea pig—I mean, my first interviewee on this blog!
It was a fun interviewing her and learning some new things about her (which is pretty awesome considering we’ve known each other over a decade!). I think you’ll be encouraged by her story—she has gone through osteoporosis, Crohn’s disease and arthritis plus some major injuries and surgeries, but her joy and humor is so life-giving and a beautiful testimony of what it looks like to trust God even when we don’t understand.
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A Chronic Illness Gift Guide Based On Love Language
Gifts are extra-special if you gear them towards your friend or loved one’s love language. I’ve compiled ideas to help you do just that in this chronic illness gift guide!
Those of us with all the complexities and uncertainties of chronic illness can often feel misunderstood and even invisible, so it’s especially meaningful when you take the time to tailor a gift for us.
As I mentioned in my post about easy, low-cost gift ideas, picking a gift based on someone’s love language helps them to feel seen and understood.
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Low-Cost Low-Stress Gift Giving When You’re Chronically Ill
As Christmas approaches, I wanted to share some ideas for inexpensive and low-stress gift giving. Being chronically ill often means you’re watching your budget and conserving energy, so spending a lot of time and money hunting for gifts is not a great idea. The point is to let those you love know you are thinking of them and care about them, and a simple, well-chosen gift can do that perfectly! So I’ve rounded up ideas that are low cost, or easily made without using up all your energy.
The best way I’ve found to give meaningful gifts is to make sure I’m gifting something in someone’s love language. If you’ve never read The Five Love Languages, I highly recommend it! (I read the original, but there is a singles edition, and other versions available too.) The book breaks down the way people best receive love into five categories: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch.
My default way to show love is through gift-giving, so in years past I’ve created a lot of stress for myself by thinking I have to find the *perfect* gift.
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Things I Like About Autumn
I’m making this list for a reason you might not expect—it’s not because I love autumn, but because it’s a difficult time of year for my health. And although autumn is not my favorite time of year, I thought it was important to take time to remember that there are reasons to celebrate this season.
First, why don’t I love fall?
Like many people with chronic illnesses, pain, or health conditions, I have a rough time in fall. (Some people actually get relief in the fall if their conditions are aggravated by the heat. I am a summer girl at heart.)
I didn’t blog early this month because the weather changed dramatically and I went into a bad fibromyalgia flare. I was also hit with exhaustion, awful stiffness, and a fever.
All those outdoor activities you see on fall bucket lists? I usually can’t do those. I’m only outside if it’s unseasonably warm. And things like hay rides are off the table—I would sneeze so badly! And everything is spice flavored and scented, and because of a severe allergy, I can’t enjoy them unless I want to end up in the hospital not breathing. Even strong spice scents can trigger an asthma attack. Wearing layers looks cute, but makes me uncomfortable because of my fibromyalgia. Oh fall, must we be so diametrically opposed? What did I ever do to you?
But if I really spend some time thinking about it, there are beautiful things about fall, and things that I can enjoy. Here are some of the things that make autumn more enjoyable for me.
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Book Review: Defiant Joy
Today I’m reviewing a book I knew I was going to love even before I picked it up. Stasi Eldredge’s book Defiant Joy has the subtitle: Taking Joy of Hope, Beauty, and Life in a Hurting World. And I think that message is so timely and needed. There is so much brokenness and sorrow in the world, it almost seems like joy isn’t possible. But the good news is—it is! This book revels in just how much joy there is available for us in Christ.
I was fortunate enough to see a Facebook post inviting people to receive an advance reader’s copy of the book from the publisher and help spread the word about the book as part of the launch team.
What can I say, I see the words “free book” and “Stasi Eldredge” and I click!
I got my book a few weeks ago and felt like a bit of a time traveler because I got to read it early (the book came out earlier this week). Please note that I received no compensation for this review, and all opinions are my own.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small portion of sales, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog through your purchase!
I’m a huge fan of the Eldredge’s books (Captivating and The Sacred Romance among my favorites) as they have really helped me to grow and experience my relationship with God in new and deeper ways, so you bet I was eager to read this latest book.
I had discovered Stasi’s blog post titled Defiant Joy in 2016 and
