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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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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
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I’d Like To Unplug…But I’m Sick
I keep reading about the value of unplugging—from our phones, from social media, from electronics in general—but this presents special challenges when you’re chronically ill. As much as I’d like to reap the benefits of unplugging, it’s just not as possible as it used to be.
For one thing, you know what happens the moment I turn my cell phone off? One of my doctors’ offices finally calls me back.
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Recovering from Major Events When You Have A Chronic Illness
Those of us with chronic illness know how challenging it can be to go to major events because of the toll it takes on our bodies.
I struggle to make it out of the house for a short coffee date with a friend, and unfortunately wonderful events such as birthday parties or weddings prove even more of a challenge.
So I created a plan to help me recover from going to bigger events, and I’m going to share tips so you can create your own plan tailored to your needs. I’ll share tips for listening to what your body needs and applying them in a way that is proactive vs. merely reactive.
